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Writing vs. Speaking – The Similarities and Differences

If you work somewhere as a writer, you may have often heard your supervisor saying: ‘Please, try to write in the way you speak so that we can sell our products effectively.’ If you are an expert at Grammar, you may reply to your supervisor:  How can I express punctuation marks while speaking?  Both you and your supervisor are right. Writing and speaking do have similarities; however, people need to know that there are also differences between the two. Without further ado, let’s have a look at the similarities and differences between writing and speaking: 

The Similarities between Writing and Speaking

Point #1:  Writers are motivated to speak to the audience as per their needs while writing, and the speakers do the same thing.

Point #2:  You need to highlight essential points in the form of a summary, whether you are writing or speaking.

Point #3:  You need to stick to the point while writing, so you need to keep the length of your sentences to eight to fifteen (8 to 15) words while writing. You need to remain clear while speaking, so you need to remain restricted to a few words to convey your message correctly.

Point #4:  While writing, you focus on keywords to convey your message, and you make a strong emphasis on words that can deliver your message well to the audience. Thus, both writers and speakers speak of the keywords.

Point #5:  Make a valid claim if you want to sell, particularly if you’re going to sell your product by writing. You need to do the same while speaking; otherwise, your audience can switch to your competitors.

Point #6:  Jargons are bad, so you shouldn’t use them while speaking and writing.  Why?  Because the whole world has no time to chat and produce slang words.

Point #7:  Whether you speak or write, you need to repeat important words to ensure your message is being conveyed to the audience.

Point #8:  You will need to come up with a good message to win your audience’s trust. Thus, you need to edit your content and proofread while reading; the same goes for speech.

Point #9:  You need a theme to start with while writing or speaking.

Point #10:  Pictures can speak a thousand words. You need to use them while you want to elaborate on something while writing. You also need to use the pictures to express your message to the target audience while giving a presentation.

Point #11:  Use strong words while you speak or write. For instance, you can use the following sentence while speaking or writing: ‘Each participant has an  equal chance  (strong words) of selection.’

Point #12:  Explain your point while writing and speaking to let the audience understand what you want to convey to them.

The Differences between Writing and Speaking

Point #1:  Readers want to read whenever they have a desire for it. For example: ‘Readers may pick up a book, white paper, and a proposal to read it.’ Thus, writers can get the readers’ attention easily. However, the listeners don’t plan to listen to you all day; hence, you need to stick to the point while speaking to the audience.

Point #2:  You can easily interpret emotion from a speaker than an author. Yes, writers can bring feelings in you; nonetheless, if you are writing a business letter, you should avoid emotional words if you want to get your reader’s attention. Business is a serious deal; therefore, you should avoid emotions in business writing.

Point #3:  If you want to feel your audience’s response with your own eyes, you can rely on speaking.  Why?  Because writers don’t convey their messages in front of the audience.

Point #4:  The proper usage of Grammar can make your write-ups better. You can’t do that while speaking because you make loads of grammatical mistakes while speaking. For instance, ‘A comma is used for a pause in writing; however, while speaking, you may avoid that pause and may spoil your speech to convey your message to the audience better.’

Finally, if you know many other similarities and differences between writing and speaking, you can share them in the form of comments.

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Speaking versus Writing

The pen is mightier than the spoken word. or is it.

Josef Essberger

The purpose of all language is to communicate - that is, to move thoughts or information from one person to another person.

There are always at least two people in any communication. To communicate, one person must put something "out" and another person must take something "in". We call this "output" (>>>) and "input" (<<<).

• I speak to you (OUTPUT: my thoughts go OUT of my head).
• You listen to me (INPUT: my thoughts go INto your head).
• You write to me (OUTPUT: your thoughts go OUT of your head).
• I read your words (INPUT: your thoughts go INto my head).

So language consists of four "skills": two for output (speaking and writing); and two for input (listening and reading. We can say this another way - two of the skills are for "spoken" communication and two of the skills are for "written" communication:

Spoken: >>> Speaking - mouth <<< Listening - ear

Written: >>> Writing - hand <<< Reading - eye

What are the differences between Spoken and Written English? Are there advantages and disadvantages for each form of communication?

When we learn our own (native) language, learning to speak comes before learning to write. In fact, we learn to speak almost automatically. It is natural. But somebody must teach us to write. It is not natural. In one sense, speaking is the "real" language and writing is only a representation of speaking. However, for centuries, people have regarded writing as superior to speaking. It has a higher "status". This is perhaps because in the past almost everybody could speak but only a few people could write. But as we shall see, modern influences are changing the relative status of speaking and writing.

Differences in Structure and Style

We usually write with correct grammar and in a structured way. We organize what we write into sentences and paragraphs. We do not usually use contractions in writing (though if we want to appear very friendly, then we do sometimes use contractions in writing because this is more like speaking.) We use more formal vocabulary in writing (for example, we might write "the car exploded" but say "the car blew up") and we do not usually use slang. In writing, we must use punctuation marks like commas and question marks (as a symbolic way of representing things like pauses or tone of voice in speaking).

We usually speak in a much less formal, less structured way. We do not always use full sentences and correct grammar. The vocabulary that we use is more familiar and may include slang. We usually speak in a spontaneous way, without preparation, so we have to make up what we say as we go. This means that we often repeat ourselves or go off the subject. However, when we speak, other aspects are present that are not present in writing, such as facial expression or tone of voice. This means that we can communicate at several levels, not only with words.

One important difference between speaking and writing is that writing is usually more durable or permanent. When we speak, our words live for a few moments. When we write, our words may live for years or even centuries. This is why writing is usually used to provide a record of events, for example a business agreement or transaction.

Speaker & Listener / Writer & Reader

When we speak, we usually need to be in the same place and time as the other person. Despite this restriction, speaking does have the advantage that the speaker receives instant feedback from the listener. The speaker can probably see immediately if the listener is bored or does not understand something, and can then modify what he or she is saying.

When we write, our words are usually read by another person in a different place and at a different time. Indeed, they can be read by many other people, anywhere and at any time. And the people reading our words, can do so at their leisure, slowly or fast. They can re-read what we write, too. But the writer cannot receive immediate feedback and cannot (easily) change what has been written.

How Speaking and Writing Influence Each Other

In the past, only a small number of people could write, but almost everybody could speak. Because their words were not widely recorded, there were many variations in the way they spoke, with different vocabulary and dialects in different regions. Today, almost everybody can speak and write. Because writing is recorded and more permanent, this has influenced the way that people speak, so that many regional dialects and words have disappeared. (It may seem that there are already too many differences that have to be learned, but without writing there would be far more differences, even between, for example, British and American English.) So writing has had an important influence on speaking. But speaking can also influence writing. For example, most new words enter a language through speaking. Some of them do not live long. If you begin to see these words in writing it usually means that they have become "real words" within the language and have a certain amount of permanence.

Influence of New Technology

Modern inventions such as sound recording, telephone, radio, television, fax or email have made or are making an important impact on both speaking and writing. To some extent, the divisions between speaking and writing are becoming blurred. Emails are often written in a much less formal way than is usual in writing. With voice recording, for example, it has for a long time been possible to speak to somebody who is not in the same place or time as you (even though this is a one-way communication: we can speak or listen, but not interact). With the telephone and radiotelephone, however, it became possible for two people to carry on a conversation while not being in the same place. Today, the distinctions are increasingly vague, so that we may have, for example, a live television broadcast with a mixture of recordings, telephone calls, incoming faxes and emails and so on. One effect of this new technology and the modern universality of writing has been to raise the status of speaking. Politicians who cannot organize their thoughts and speak well on television win very few votes.

English Checker

• aspect: a particular part or feature of something
• dialect: a form of a language used in a specific region
• formal: following a set of rules; structured; official
• status: level or rank in a society
• spontaneous: not planned; unprepared
• structured: organized; systematic

Note : instead of "spoken", some people say "oral" (relating to the mouth) or "aural" (relating to the ear).

© 2011 Josef Essberger

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Speaking And Writing Compared

Spoken and written language both have as their central function the communication of information about people and the world, and so it is common-sensical to assume that there are important similarities between speaking and writing. On the other hand, children and adults often find writing much harder than speaking, suggesting there are major differences between the productions of spoken and written language. Speaking and writing will now be compared.

Similarities

The view that speaking and writing are similar receives some support if we compare the theoretical approach to speech production of Dell et al. (1997) with the theory of writing proposed by Hayes and Flower (1986). In both theories, it is assumed there is an initial attempt to decide on the overall meaning that is to be communicated. At this stage, the actual words to be spoken or written are not considered. This is followed by the production of language, which often proceeds on a clause-by-clause basis.

Gould (1978) compared dictated and written business letters. Even those highly practised at dictation rarely dictated more than 35% faster than they wrote. This is noteworthy, given that people can speak five or six times faster than they can write. Gould (1980) divided the time taken to dictate and to write letters into various component times. His participants were videotaped while composing letters, and the generating, reviewing, accessing, editing, and planning times were calculated. Planning, which was assumed to occur during pauses not obviously devoted to other processes, accounted for more of the total time than any other process. Planning time represented about two-thirds of the total composition time for both dictated and written letters, and this explains why dictation was only slightly faster than writing.

Gould (1978) compared the quality of letter writing across three different response modes: writing; dictating; and speaking. Those who wrote very good letters also tended to dictate and to speak very good letters. The quality of letter writing is determined mainly by internal planning processes, and these processes are essentially the same regardless of the type of response. In addition, the knowledge that someone possesses (e.g., vocabulary; specific knowledge of the topic) is available for use whether that person is writing, speaking, or dictating. However, some of the findings may be specific to business letters. The absence of visual feedback with dictation might be a real disadvantage when composing essays or longer pieces of writing.

Differences

How do speaking and writing differ? Spoken language makes use of prosody (rhythm, intonation, and so on) to convey meaning and grammatical information, and gesture is also used for emphasis. In contrast, writers have to rely heavily on punctuation to supply the information provided by prosody in spoken language. Writers also make much more use than speakers of words or phrases signalling what is coming next (e.g., but; on the other hand). This helps to compensate for the lack of prosody in written language. Four of the most obvious differences between speaking and writing are as follows:

• Speakers typically know precisely who is receiving their message.

• Speakers generally receive moment-by-moment feedback from the listener or listeners (e.g., expressions of bewilderment).

• Speakers generally have much less time than writers to plan their language production.

• "Writing is in essence a more conscious process than speaking. spontaneous discourse is usually spoken, self-monitored discourse is usually written" (Halliday, 1987, pp. 67-69).

As a result, spoken language is generally fairly informal and simple in structure, with information often being communicated rapidly. In contrast, written language is more formal and complex in structure. Writers need to write clearly because they do not receive immediate feedback, and this slows down the communication rate.

Cognitive neuropsychologists have found that some brain-damaged patients have writing skills that are largely intact in spite of an almost total inability to speak and a lack of inner speech. Others can speak fluently, but find writing very difficult. In addition, there are other patients whose patterns of errors in speaking and in writing differ so much that it is hard to believe that a single system could underlie both language activities. However, these findings do not mean that the higher-level processes involved in language production (e.g., planning; use of knowledge) differ between speaking and writing.

Continue reading here: Language And Thought

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Readers' Questions

What are the similarities and differences between writing and speaking?

Similarities between writing and speaking: 1. Both involve communication: Both writing and speaking are mediums used for expressing ideas, thoughts, and messages to others. 2. Use of language: Both writing and speaking rely on the use of language to convey meaning and communicate effectively. They both require a strong understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. 3. Purpose: Both writing and speaking serve similar purposes, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or engage an audience. 4. Organization: Both writing and speaking require the information to be organized in a logical manner, with clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Differences between writing and speaking: Presence of audience: Speaking involves direct interaction with an audience, while writing often requires the writer to imagine the reader. Speaking allows for immediate feedback and adjustments, while writing lacks real-time interaction. Medium: Speaking occurs in real-time, where communication is delivered through auditory and nonverbal cues, whereas writing is a visual medium that is read and interpreted at the reader's own pace. Permanence: Written messages are usually permanent, allowing the reader to revisit and refer back to the content at any time. Speaking, on the other hand, is transient, and once uttered, the words cannot be retracted or modified. Level of formality: Writing tends to be more formal due to its nature of being planned, structured, and often edited. Speaking, on the other hand, allows for more informal and spontaneous expression, with the use of slang, colloquialisms, or conversational language. Nonverbal cues: Speaking involves various nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice, which can enhance or alter the meaning of the message. In writing, nonverbal cues are absent, and the message relies solely on the written words.

How would the process differ between language production and writing?

Language production involves using the spoken word to produce language—such as talking out loud or using vocal sounds—while writing involves using a writing instrument, such as a pen or pencil, to communicate through written words. The process of language production relies on the speaker's use of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation to communicate, while writing requires the writer to physically produce written words that reflect the intended message. Additionally, language production can include gestures and non-verbal communication, while writing is composed only of written words.

What are the similarities of speaking and writing?

There are several similarities between speaking and writing: Communication: Both speaking and writing serve as means of communication to convey thoughts, ideas, and information to others. Language: Both rely on the use of a specific language and its rules, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Expression: Both provide a platform for self-expression and the ability to express personal opinions, emotions, and experiences. Purpose: Both speaking and writing can have various purposes such as informing, persuading, entertaining, or expressing oneself. Audience: Both require the consideration of the target audience to effectively convey the message and ensure understanding. Content organization: Both speaking and writing involve organizing thoughts and ideas in a structured and coherent manner to convey a clear message. Use of tone: Both speaking and writing can utilize different tones such as formal, informal, persuasive, or informative to cater to the context and audience. Use of non-verbal cues: While writing lacks non-verbal cues like body language and facial expressions, it can still incorporate elements such as punctuation, formatting, and the choice of words to convey similar messages. Revision and editing: Both speaking and writing often require revising and editing to improve clarity, coherence, and effectiveness of the message. Influence: Both speaking and writing have the potential to influence and impact others' opinions, perceptions, and actions.

What is the similarties between writing and speaking discource?

Both writing and speaking discourse involve conveying ideas in an organized and coherent way. Both rely on effective communication and the use of language to make an argument or point. Both also require the writer or speaker to be knowledgeable about their topic and to have an understanding of their audience. Additionally, both writing and speaking discourse require careful use of grammar and syntax to ensure clarity.

What is speaking in cognitive psychology?

Speaking in cognitive psychology refers to how people process language, including how they interpret, store, and recall language. This includes things like how quickly a person can understand and remember words, how well they can detect and understand syntax and grammar, and how they use language to think and communicate. It also includes how they use language to remember things, recognize patterns, and make decisions.

4.2 Spoken and Written Communication

While both spoken and written communication function as agreed-upon, rule-governed systems of symbols used to convey meaning, there are enough differences in pragmatic rules between writing and speaking to justify discussing some of their differences. Imagine for a moment that you’re a college student who desperately needs money. Rather than looking for a job, you decide that you’re going to ask your parents for the money you need to make it through the end of the semester. Now, you have a few choices for using verbal communication to do this. You might choose to call your parents or talk to them in person. You may take a different approach and write them a letter or send them an email. You can probably identify your own list of pros and cons for each of these approaches. But really, what’s the difference between writing and talking in these situations? Let’s look at four of the major differences between the two: (1) formal versus informal, (2) synchronous versus asynchronous, (3) recorded versus unrecorded, and (4) private versus open.

The first difference between spoken and written communication is that we generally use spoken communication informally, while we use written communication formally. Consider how you have been trained to talk versus how you have been trained to write. Have you ever turned in a paper to a professor that sounds like how you talk? How was that paper graded compared to one that follows the more formal structures and rules of the English language? In Western societies like the US, we follow more formal standards for our written communication than we do for our spoken communication. With a few exceptions, we generally tolerate verbal mistakes (e.g., should of rather than should have ) and qualifiers (e.g., uh , um , you know , etc.) in our speech, but not our writing.

Consider a written statement such as “I should of, um, gone and done somethin’ ‘bout it, but, um, I I didn’t do nothin’.” In most written contexts, this is considered unacceptable written verbal communication. However, most of us would not give much thought to hearing this statement spoken aloud by someone. While we may certainly notice mistakes in another’s speech, we are generally not inclined to correct those mistakes as we would in written contexts. Even though many of us try to speak without qualifiers and verbal mistakes, there is some value added by those utterances in our speech while engaging in an interpersonal conversation. According to John Du Bois, the way two people use utterances and structure their sentences during conversation creates an opportunity to find new meaning within the language and develop parallelism, which can lead to a natural feeling of liking or sympathy in the conversation partner. So even though it may seem like formal language is valued over informal, this informal language that most of us use when we speak inadvertently contributes to bringing people closer together.

While writing is generally more formal and speech more informal, there are some exceptions to the rule, especially with the growing popularity of new technologies. For the first time in history, we are now seeing exceptions in our uses of speech and writing. Using text messaging and email, people are engaging in forms of writing using more informal rule structures, making their writing sound more like conversation. Likewise, this style of writing often attempts to incorporate the use of nonverbal communication (such as emojis) to accent the writing.

The second difference between spoken and written forms of verbal communication is that spoken communication or speech is almost entirely synchronous, while written communication is almost entirely asynchronous. Synchronous communication is communication that takes place in real time, such as a conversation with a friend. When we are in conversation, and even in public speaking situations, immediate feedback and response from the receiver is the rule. For instance, when you say hello to someone, you expect that the person will respond immediately. You do not expect that the person will get back to you sometime later in response to your greeting.

In contrast, asynchronous communication is communication that is not immediate and occurs over longer periods of time, such as letters, email, or even text messages at times. When someone writes a book, letter, email, or text, there is no expectation from the sender that the receiver will provide an immediate response. Instead, the expectation is that the receiver will receive the message and respond to it when they have time. This is one of the reasons people sometimes choose to send an email instead of calling another person because it allows the receiver to respond when they have time rather than putting them on the spot to respond right away.

Just as new technologies are changing the rules of formality and informality, they are also creating new situations that break the norms of written communication as asynchronous and spoken communication as synchronous. Voicemail has turned the telephone into an asynchronous form of communication. We understand that if we leave a message on voicemail, we will not get an immediate reply. Instead, we understand that the receiver will call us back at their convenience. In this example, even though the channel of communication is speaking, there is no expectation for an immediate response to the sent message. Similarly, texting is a form of written communication that follows the rules of spoken conversation in that it functions as synchronous communication. When you type a text to someone you know, the expectation is that they will respond almost immediately. The lines continued to blur when video chats were introduced as communication technologies.

FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, and others are forms of synchronous communication that mimic face-to-face interaction and, in some cases, even include an option to simultaneously send written messages to others. The possible back-and-forth between written and spoken communication has allowed many questions to arise about the rules and meaning behind interactions. Maria Sindoni explains in her article “Through the Looking Glass” that even though people are having a synchronous conversation and are sharing meaning through their words, they are ultimately in different rooms and communicating through a machine that makes the meaning of their exchanges more ambiguous.

The third difference between spoken and written communication is that written communication is generally archived and recorded for later retrieval, while spoken communication is generally not recorded. When we talk with friends, we do not tend to take notes or tape-record our conversations. Instead, conversations tend to be ongoing and cataloged into our personal memories rather than recorded in an easily retrievable written format. On the other hand, it is quite easy to reference written works such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and electronic sources such as web pages and emails for long periods after the sender has written them. Platforms like TikTok add to the confusion. This app allows users to record themselves and post to their profiles. This would be considered a form of spoken communication, yet it is archived and asynchronous so others can look at the videos years after the original posting. To make the matter more complicated, Snapchat’s many functions come into play. On Snapchat, you have the option of sending videos or photos that are traditionally not archived, since the sender decides how long the receiver has to view them, and then they will theoretically disappear forever. With the addition of the Story feature on several social media platforms, users of these apps can post a picture for 24 hours and have their friends view it multiple times before it disappears. The feeling of technological communication not being archived can lead to a false sense of privacy, which can lead to some negative consequences.

As with the previous rules we’ve discussed, new technologies are changing many of the dynamics of speech and writing. For example, many people use email and texting informally like spoken conversation, as an informal form of verbal communication. Because of this, they often expect that these operate and function like spoken conversation with the belief that it is a private conversation between the sender and receiver. However, some people have gotten into trouble because of what they have communicated about others through email and text. The corporation Epson (a large computer electronics manufacturer) was at the center of one of the first lawsuits regarding the recording and archiving of employees’ use of email correspondence.

Employees at Epson assumed their email was private and therefore used it to say negative things about their bosses. What they didn’t know was their bosses were saving and printing these email messages and using the content of these messages to make personnel decisions. When employees sued Epson, the courts ruled in favor of the corporation, stating that they had every right to retain employee email for their records.

While most of us have become accustomed to using technologies such as texting and instant messaging in ways that are similar to our spoken conversations, we must also consider the repercussions of using communication technologies in this fashion because they are often archived and not private. We can see examples of negative outcomes from archived messages in recent years through many highly publicized sexting scandals. One pertinent incident involved former congressman and former candidate for mayor of New York Anthony Weiner, who made a series of inappropriate exchanges with women using communication technologies. Because of his position in power and high media coverage, and given that he had these conversations in a setting that is recorded, Weiner was not able to keep his anonymity or confidentiality in the matter. These acts were seen as inappropriate by the public, so there were both professional and personal repercussions for the involved parties. Both the Epson and Anthony Weiner incidents, even though happening in different decades, show the consequences when assumed private information becomes public.

As you can see, there are a number of differences between spoken and written forms of verbal communication. Both forms are rule governed, as our definition points out, but the rules are often different for the use of these two types of verbal communication. However, it’s apparent that as new technologies provide more ways for us to communicate, many of our traditional rules for using both speech and writing will continue to blur as we try to determine the most appropriate uses of these new communication technologies. Practical problems of the day will continue to guide the directions our field takes as we continue to study the ways technology changes our communication. As more changes continue to occur in the ways we communicate with one another, more avenues of study will continue to open for those interested in being part of the development of how communication is conducted. Now that we have looked in detail at our definition of verbal communication and the differences between spoken and written forms of verbal communication, let’s explore what our use of verbal communication accomplishes for us as humans.

Fundamentals of Communication Copyright © 2022 by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Four Reasons to Write Your Own Book to Help Your Speaking Skills

by Alan | Sep 30, 2015 | Business , Communication skills , Content , Delivery , PowerPoint , public speaking , Sales , Toastmasters , writing

Similarities between Writing and Speaking

Comparing Writing to Speaking

P.S.  If you read the book, would you do me the favor of submitting an Amazon review? Your voice is more valuable than my voice. Just like your success IS my success. Thanks in advance for helping me in this way.

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Comparisons Between the Language of Conversation, Writing and Public Speaking

• First Online: 07 August 2019

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• Fiona Rossette-Crake 2  

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In this chapter, we turn to Part II of the book, which focuses on staging an interaction. This chapter examines in detail the linguistic differences (syntax, sentence length, vocabulary, etc.) between attested examples of conversation, writing and public speaking in order to illustrate how the latter constitutes a hybrid of the two former modes of communication.

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Adapted from: Eggins and Slade ( 1997 : 46).

For a detailed description of the language of conversation, see M.A.K. Halliday (1985, 1989) Spoken and Written Language , Oxford, D. Biber et al (1999) The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English , Longman, and Eggins and Slade ( 1997 ) op cit.

Source: Introduction by Ronald Blythe to the Penguin edition of Jane Austen’s Emma , 1966, p. 8.

Model United Nations conferences allow students to participate in simulated sessions of the United Nations.

Model United Nations, Georgetown University, Qatar, 2015; extracts transcribed from video retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjQNEOtMZ6E .

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Rossette-Crake, F. (2019). Comparisons Between the Language of Conversation, Writing and Public Speaking. In: Public Speaking and the New Oratory. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22086-0_6

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Difference Between Writing and Talking

• Categorized under Words | Difference Between Writing and Talking

Writing vs Talking

Writing and talking are two skills under human communication. Writing is a skill under written communication while talking is under speech or oral communication. Both skills aid in expressing different types of messages from one person to another. Both skills also utilize language as a channel.

The method of expressing oneself in writing is by using the alphabet and forming words on a piece of paper or any type of material. On the other hand, talking makes use of the human mouth and voice to form words. This results in making sounds that are received by the other party’s ears. Talking is easier, quicker, and more convenient. It also has a longer history. Humans have been talking in some form ever since the prehistoric age. It was the first form of human communication. With this skill, feedback can be readily made because there is an immediate audience. Most of the time, talking is repetitive, informal, and in simple sentences.

Talking is a universal skill. It is spontaneous. In using the voice, expressions are made in dialects and accents. Apart from the voice, body language is also evident in talking. A way to discontinue talking is having pauses and voice intonation.

Meanwhile, writing is more difficult and complex in comparison. Writing is a product of reading and speaking skills . Writing requires knowledge of the alphabet and involves coherence, detail, and clarity in expression. It also requires a form of organization, standard, and polish. With writing, there is always a struggle for what to say and how to say it properly. The struggle affects the delayed feedback or response time.

Writing leaves a record since it requires a material or channel for expression. Writing also requires more information. It has related skills and processes that include reading, researching, editing, and publishing. Writing is a skill that must be practiced constantly for improvement. Writing requires a background in education. Education helps in expressing words in symbols and forming a logical sequence. Education also provides the rules and standards in writing. Correcting writing mistakes is also learned by educating students and making them learn about the mistakes.

Writing is more restricted and incorporates standards in forms of grammar, structure, spelling, and vocabulary. There are parameters on what is good writing although different people have different interpretations of the parameters. Writing is a process. It denotes progression from one stage to another. It usually begins with an idea and execution of all related skills and processes.

Publishing is the culminating event of a writing process. Writing comes in many forms like articles, essays, novels, short stories, theses, and other publishable materials.

1.Talking and writing are two skills under human communication. Both skills are involved in two distinct branches of communication. Talking falls under oral communication while writing is under written communication. 2.One common ground of both skills is language. Talking and writing use language to communicate effectively with another person. 3.Talking is instinctive and universal. On the other hand, writing requires an education since it has many standards and requirements. It also requires other skills like reading and speaking. 4.Talking makes use of the mouth and the ear as the recipient of sound. Meanwhile, writing makes use of symbols (alphabet), a channel, and the ability to form and express words. 5.Talking is spontaneous with immediate feedback. In contrast, writing is a process. It is planned and organized. Since writing takes a lot of time to prepare and polish, it also takes time for its audience to respond in the same medium. 6.Writing requires standards like grammar, structure, vocabulary, and spelling to be expressed properly. Its content has to have coherence and organization which can be followed. 7.In comparison, writing is considered as more formal than talking.

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Understanding the Arabic vs Farsi Writing Systems: Similarities, Differences, and Historical Context

When discussing the intricate world of lan

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When discussing the intricate world of languages, the question “Are Arabic and Farsi the same?” frequently arises. Although they share some similarities, particularly in their writing systems, Arabic and Farsi (also known as Persian) are distinct languages with unique characteristics and rich histories. This article delves into the nuances of the Arabic vs Farsi writing systems, exploring their similarities, differences, and historical backgrounds.

The Foundations of the Arabic vs Farsi Writing Systems

Arabic and Farsi use the Arabic alphabet, a script utilized by numerous languages across the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia. Despite this shared foundation, the languages themselves are entirely different.

Arabic, a Semitic language, is the official language of 25 countries and is spoken by approximately 422 million people. Its script is written from right to left and includes 28 consonants and three vowels. Arabic’s rich linguistic heritage is closely tied to Islam and the Quran, influencing many other languages, including Farsi.

On the other hand, Farsi belongs to the Indo-European language family, making it more closely related to English and Greek than Arabic. Spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan (where it is known as Dari), and Tajikistan (as Tajiki), Farsi uses a modified version of the Arabic script. It includes 32 letters, adding four unique characters: گ (G), چ (Ch), پ (P), and ژ (Zh). Farsi’s script, like Arabic, is written from right to left, but its letters can change shape depending on their position in a word.

Historical Intertwining and Divergence

The historical interplay between Arabic and Farsi began with the Arab conquest of Iran in the seventh century. This event led to the widespread use of Arabic in Iran for religious, administrative, and scholarly purposes. Despite this influence, Farsi retained its distinct identity, partly due to efforts by historical figures like Yaghub Ibn al-Layth Saffari, who declared Persian the formal language of his dynasty in 861.

Persian literature, particularly poetry, played a crucial role in preserving the language. Works like Ferdowsi’s “Shahnameh” exemplify the efforts to maintain Persian linguistic purity and cultural identity despite Arab influence. Over time, Farsi incorporated many Arabic words, yet it remains distinctly different in terms of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary.

Distinguishing Features in the Arabic vs Farsi Writing Systems

One of the most notable differences between Arabic vs Farsi writing systems lies in their additional characters and specific letter forms. While both scripts are cursive and require letters to connect, Farsi includes characters not found in Arabic, such as پ and چ. Additionally, some letters in Farsi change shape based on their position in a word, a feature less prevalent in Arabic.

Another critical distinction is the presence of dots. Both scripts utilize dots to distinguish letters, but Farsi often appears more dotted than Arabic, partly due to its additional characters. Furthermore, while Arabic frequently uses diacritics (tashkeel) to indicate short vowels and other phonetic guides, Farsi typically omits these, relying on context for pronunciation.

Understanding the intricacies of the Arabic vs Farsi writing systems is crucial for accurate translation, localization, and interpretation. Whether managing documents, developing multilingual websites, or engaging with diverse audiences, grasping these differences ensures effective communication.

Our team of language experts is here to help. With extensive experience in Arabic and Farsi translation, we can help you navigate the complexities of these languages. If you have questions or need assistance with your translation, localization, or interpretation projects, please reach out to us. Let us help you deliver the right message every time.

For more information or to discuss your specific needs, contact us today. Our knowledgeable professionals are ready to provide the expertise you need to bridge the linguistic gap and connect with your audience.

Are Farsi and Arabic writing the same?

Although they use similar scripts, Farsi and Arabic writing are different. Both languages use the Arabic alphabet, but Farsi includes four additional letters (گ, چ, پ, ژ) and has unique characteristics in its writing system. While the scripts look similar at a glance, they represent different languages with distinct grammatical structures and pronunciations.

Can you understand Arabic if you speak Farsi?

Generally, no. While Farsi incorporates many Arabic loanwords due to historical influences, the two languages belong to different families with different grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Knowing Farsi only enables a speaker to understand Arabic, and vice versa, with additional study.

Which is more accessible, Arabic or Farsi?

The difficulty of learning Arabic or Farsi depends on the learner’s native language and linguistic background. For native speakers of Indo-European languages like English, Farsi might be somewhat more accessible due to its Indo-European roots and more straightforward grammar. Arabic, on the other hand, has a more complex grammatical structure and pronunciation. However, both languages have unique challenges and rewards.

How was Farsi written before Arabic?

Before adopting the Arabic script following the Arab conquest, Farsi (Persian) was written in various scripts. During the Achaemenid Empire, Old Persian was written in cuneiform. It was written in Pahlavi script under the Sasanian Empire in the Middle Persian period. The Arabic script replaced these scripts after the 7th century.

What language is closest to Farsi?

The language closest to Farsi is Tajiki, which is spoken in Tajikistan, and Dari, which is spoken in Afghanistan. Both are dialects of Persian and share a high degree of mutual intelligibility with Iranian Persian. Additionally, Kurdish, another Indo-Iranian language, shares similarities with Farsi due to their common linguistic roots. If you have any further questions or need assistance with translation, localization, or interpretation services, please feel free to contact us. Our language experts are here to help you with all your linguistic needs.

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KS3/ KS4 Las vacaciones - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

Subject: Spanish

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

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16 May 2024

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In this resource you can read the text which is a sample answer for a GCSE style question. There are Reading comprehension activities as well as some that can be done with the video. After all that students can create their own speaking and writing answers on the topic of Holidays.

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