Public Speaking

Mrs. PieczynskiOral Communication

Public Speaking

Getting Ready and Gathering Information Preparing Your Speech Presenting Your Speech

Getting Ready

1. Choosing Your Topic2. Knowing Your Purpose3. Writing a Thesis4. Knowing Your Audience5. Knowing Your Occasion6. Supporting Your Thesis Statement7. Gathering Information

1. Choosing Your Topic

• Start with a general subject area.• Limit your topic to a specific category within that

area.• Limit your topic again so that you can cover it

effectively in one speech. (examples, parts, uses, etc)

EXAMPLES

Places a fishing location the best place in NEPA to fish for BassJobs lawn care my summer lawn care jobPeople my grandfather why I admire my grandfather

2. Knowing Your Purpose

• 3 General Purposes– Speech to Inform

• Presents new information or new insights• EX: teachers giving lectures, announcers broadcasting news

– Speech to Persuade• Tries to change an attitude or believe, or move an audience to action• EX: politicians urging voters for support, lawyers addressing a jury

– Speech to Suit a Special Occasion• Entertains or amuses an audience or recognizes a specific reason for the audience being present (promotes

group bonding or social cohesion)• EX: club officers giving a “roast” to a member at a banquet, valedictorian addressing graduates and their

families

• Specific purpose– Expressed in a declarative sentence.– Stated precisely.– Contains only one idea.– Includes words that show intent. (explain, show, give OR prove, convince motivate)

3. Writing a Thesis

• A complete sentence that expresses the speaker’s most important idea, or key point, about a topic. This statement guides the development of a speech.

• General Purpose: To inform• Specific Purpose: I want to explain the characteristics of the six major classifications of

show dogs.• THESIS: Show dogs are classified according to their characteristics as hounds, terriers,

working dogs, toys, sporting dogs, and nonsporting dogs.

• General Purpose: To Persuade• Specific Purpose: I want to convince the class that they should read To Kill a Mockingbird.• THESIS: TKAM is an excellent book because it features interesting characters, thought-

provoking issues, and an exciting plot.

4. Knowing Your Audience

• Demographic data (age, culture, education)• Knowledge, beliefs, and feelings about the topic

5. Knowing Your Occasion

• When? (date and time)• Where? (size of room, seating arrangement, podium)• What are the restrictions? (Time Limit,

Extemporaneous, Impromptu, Memorized, Script, Speaking Note Cards)

6. Supporting Your Thesis

• Facts (can be verified)

• Opinions (personal vs. expert)

• Examples (single instance that supports a statement)

• Illustrations (a detailed example)

• Anecdotes (brief, often amusing, story)

• Statistics (numerical facts) *not too many!*

• Comparisons (figurative vs. literal), or Contrasts• Definitions (explains what a word or concept means)

• Descriptions (word picture of a person, place, thing, event)

• Quotations (someone’s exact words) *Not too many! Not too lengthy!*

ALWAYS CITE YOUR SOURCES!

7. Gathering Information• Using Your Own Knowledge and Experience– Personal Experience and Observation

• Collecting Information from Others– Interviews, Surveys, Request Letters

• Using the Library or Media Center– Librarian, Ref. Books, Journals, A/V Materials

• Recording Your Information– Name of Source, Author, Page #, Info (Q , P, S?)

• Identifying Your Sources– Use at least 3 credible sources, VARIETY of types

Preparing Your Speech

Outlines Introduction Body Conclusion

Outline: Why Plan It?1. Helps you to test the strength of your ideas and the

logic of the structure of your speech (ideas that sound good at first might be weak once you outline them)

2. Helps you organize your information, and a clear organization helps your audience to recognize your main points and follow their development

3. Helps tremendously when you rehearse your speech

4. Provides a base for good speaker notes

Introduction: Why Plan It?1. Attention: capture their sustained interest and focus2. Goodwill: audience’s respect and positive feelings. what

you say in your opening remarks and the way in which you say it (your tone, your inflection, and other nonverbal signals)determines whether or not your audience will trust and accept you

3. Interest: refers to the involvement or concern your audience shows about your topic - include facts, examples and other information that will hold your audience’s attention

Introduction: Effective Attention GettersStartling statements: surprise your audience!Question: your audience will listen carefully for the answerStory: everybody loves a story/anecdote, but be careful to make sure it’s

immediately relevant and briefQuotation: from a recognized expert or one that illustrates your topic in

a creative wayPersonal reference: immediately relates the speech topic to the

audience’s experienceAudiovisual materials: to support your words of intro and add variety

and interest to your speech (picture slideshow, music, charts, graphs, etc.)

Introduction: Steps1. Attention-Getter2. Reason to Listen3. Thesis 4. Credibility Statement5. Preview Key Ideas

Body: Why Plan It?

• Determine the main points you want to stress (no more than 5)

• Organize the main points in a consistent pattern the audience can follow

• Outline all the material you plan to use in the speech

* Because the body of the speech contains the most important information, many experienced speakers prepare it first

Body: Unity

• As you sort and arrange your material and group related ideas, take care to keep unity (oneness) in mind

• All parts of the speech should fit together to make a ‘whole’ and all of the information contained in the speech should relate to a specific purpose

Body: Organization• Chronological (in order of time) Often used for giving directions, showing how things are made, or

explaining the history of something in terms of a sequence of events

• Spatial (position in space) Often used in describing places.

• Topical (smaller parts arranged in specific order) Often used to examine parts of a whole, such as a series of reasons or a list of major features.

Body: Steps1. Signpost2. State3. Support4. Summarize5. Transition6. Repeat for Each Point (no more than 5 key points)

Body: Effective Transitions• Transitions are the bridges between ideas. They:– connect parts of a speech– Emphasize the points you are making

• First, let’s …. Now that we ….., let’s move on to our second point…..

• Indicate on your speech outline.

Conclusion: Why Plan It?1. Emphasize the key idea of the speech2. Prove the specific purpose was achieved3. Intensify the emotions, or feelings, of the

audience4. Prove that the speech is important and relevant

to the audience

Conclusion: Steps1. Review Key Ideas (Best in Reverse Order)2. Restate Thesis3. Provide closure – Quote, Call to Action, Recommendation, etc.– Stirring ending (intensifies emotion you want

audience to feel)

Presenting Your Speech

1. Comparing Methods of Delivery2. Controlling Stage Fright3. Improving Nonverbal Behavior4. Improving Vocal Skills & Verbal Messages5. Using Speaker’s Equipment and Materials6. Controlling Other Factors that Affect Delivery

1. Comparing Methods of Delivery

• Impromptu• Manuscript• Memorized• Extemporaneous

2. Controlling Stage Fright

• Stage Fright is NORMAL.• Audience is not likely to know you are nervous• Experience will help• Practice will help– Videotape or record the speech– Practice in front of someone– Practice many times– Imitate good speakers

3. Improving Nonverbal Behavior

• Appearance (Formal or Informal)• Eye Contact• Facial Expressions• Effective Gestures• Good Posture

4. Improving Vocal Skills and Verbal Messages

• Enthusiasm• Vocalized Pauses• Articulation, Pronunciation, Enunciation• Diction• Grammar

5. Using Speaker’s Equipment &Materials

• Speaker’s Stand• Microphone• Audiovisual Materials (Objects, Graphics,

Projections) Must simplify and clarify a point Must be visible, legible, audible Reveal ONLY when necessary Use gestures to interact with the aid

6. Controlling Other Factors that Affect Delivery

• Timing (pacing)• Audience Feedback• Distractions• Unexpected Events