The Difference between Spoken and Written EnglishI. Definition

The Difference between Spoken and Written English
    Good morning everyone, today’s lecture is about the difference between spoken and written English.(1)Speech and writing are two independent methods of communication. Speech is "the oral medium of transmission of language,i. e. the spoken language". Writing involves marking a surface with words that convey one’s thoughts and ideas and as Crystal remarks "written English has provided the standard that society values, and its relative permanence and worldwide circulation have given it a very special place with the life of the community. "
    Every language learner aspires to have good grip and command over both spoken and written language.(2)Failure in expressing either of them will render him ineffective and incomplete when it comes to acquiring language skills in true sense of word. Both forms of language, therefore, are very important. They differ from each other to a great extent. Following are some of the major differences in both spoken and written language.
     (3)One difference that exists between speech and writing is the distinction between the phonic and the graphic substances. The former is the medium used in speech, where the vocal organs produce air-pressure movements. The latter is used in writing, which consists of the hand creating marks on a surface. However, this physical difference is not the only factor that distinguishes the two mediums. There are also difference such as the use of grammar and vocabulary which also differ according to whether the person is speaking or writing to convey information.
    On top of the above, spoken English is very informal while written English is formal.(4)No punctuation is needed in spoken English because we are aided by facial expressions, gestures, body language to express our meaning effectively and properly. On the other hand, written English is ineffective and handicapped without proper use of punctuation. Many speakers are bold and confident at the time of speaking. But most of them find themselves lacking in confidence and reluctant to write because they know that once they write, their words are recorded and they cannot defend themselves. Their mistakes are exposed in writing. In spoken English, there is no role of spelling. But spelling does play a very important role in writing. Many good speakers are found being a horrible speller of the word. Their spelling lowers their image and impression among their colleagues and their readers.(5)Speakers often ignore some of the basic rules of grammar, for they are only interested in conveying their messages. They do not stick to the rules of grammar. On the other hand, writing is never accurate and impressive unless it is grammatically correct and error-free. Therefore, all the great and successful writers give grammar its due importance in their writings. Spelling is what creates problems for many writers, and in the same way pronunciation is a problem for many speakers. Many speakers find it difficult to pronounce the words correctly. They have to make efforts to learn correct pronunciation while writers have no such worries.
     (6)Speech is time-based, active and does not last long. There is no time lag between production and reception and given the spontaneity and speed with which speech is produced there is no time for planning. We usually think while talking and this results in looser construction, repetition, rephrasing and comment clauses such as "Jack is ugly, I think". Nevertheless, speech also contains loudness, tempo, rhythm, and other intonations and pauses that cannot be easily transmuted to the written form.(7)Facial expressions and gestures often aid meaning as well as deictic expressions which refer directly to the situation. These features can all be contained in speech but are not written down with much effectiveness.
    Hearing and understanding spoken English can be more difficult than understanding written English for another very simple reason: written English usually does not come with an accent. Accent is different to dialect, although they often go together.(8)English in the written form can take better advantage of dialect than of accent. Where an accent will be the sound a speaker makes when using a specific set of words relating to the locality they were raised, but the words remain the same, a dialect is a pattern of language use that may substitute new words or meanings to existing words.
    Actually, written English is reasonably simple to master, especially if you are only going to use it in the written form. Spoken English is much harder to learn, and use effectively.
     (9)With so much difference between these two forms of English, it is prime duty of every one aspiring to become a good language learner to pay heed to both forms equally to have good command over English. If one is able to do so, he is sure to win admiration and appreciation from his readers and listeners to the great extent.
    To conclude, a good language learner always respects the language he intends to learn.(10)Therefore, he takes keen interest in acquiring this language, not leaving any important aspect untouched and uncovered. Such a learner is always successful.
    Ok, today, we have discussed the differences between spoken English and written English. To sum up, spoken English and written English differ in the aspect of medium as well as whether it is informal or formal, time-based or not, simple or hard to learn and so on. Next time, we’ll continue to talk about it further.