Building Speeches
Communication Class
6-step Speech Building Kit
Determine the general
purpose of your speech and occasion subject
Analyze your audience Select and narrow your Gather material Outline your speech Practice the presentation
Determine the general purpose of your speech
To inform: to make your audience understand an
idea. (The Earl of Sandwich; The history of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches; Sandwich, the village in Kent, south-eastern England) do something. (How to make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich; How to brush and floss your teeth*)
To demonstrate: to show and/or tell how to
To persuade: to change or intensify your audiences
beliefs or actions. (Peanut butter & jelly sandwich are the best sandwich possible; Why you should make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for your teacher)
*after eating a peanut butter & jelly sandwich
Analyze your audience/occasion
You can then custom-make your speech for a
particular group. Consider your audiences
Age
Sex Education Jobs Roles Interests Attitudes Relationship to you
Also, keep in mind the occasion for the speech
and its purpose.
Informal?
Serious/Formal?
Select and narrow your subject
This is where you decide what specifically you will talk
aboutyour specific purpose. Several factors should determine your choice. Select a subject that you
A. B. C.
know something about and interests you. can interest your audience in. can discuss adequately in the time allotted.
Most students choose too broad a topic for the speech
time limits. For example, if your speech is to be 2-3 minutes, you cannot adequately discuss Animals. That topic is too broad for a 3-minute talk. Limit your subject. Dogs? Still too broad. What can you discuss in 3 minutes about dogs?
How to bathe a dog properly Teaching a dog 3 basic commands My dog Rover Training your dog to hunt
OWW!
Gather materials
While the library and Internet are
the obvious storehouses for research, there are other avenues you need to pursue: First, look at yourself. What do you already know about the topic? Use that information. What are the gaps in your knowledge? Observe your topic in the wild. If you are talking about split-level houses, do some first-hand observation on these homes. Converse with authorities. Discuss the split-level house with a person who lives in one, with a real estate agent who sells them, or a construction worker who builds them. Read all types of literature about your subject. Newspapers, encyclopedias, magazines, pamphlets, credible Internet sites, and books may be source material.
Outline your speech
I. II.
Introduction Body
III. Conclusion
Outline your speech
I.
Introduction (in complete sentences)
Make an Attention-getting statement, question, story, etc. B. Communicate the topic and the purpose: Today, I am going to inform/convince you about/to C. Motivate your audience. WHY should they listen to you? You should be interested because OR just make the statement. D. Finally, Preview what is going to be discussed (your body points). Today, I am going to talk about 1. [POINT 1] 2. [POINT 2]
A.
Outline your speech Attention-Getters
Startling statement: presents information which surprises the audience. Ex: Jessie is a normal three-year-old child except for one thingshe is a victim of child abuse. She has been hospitalized with broken bones four times in her young life. Rhetorical question: requires no answer from the audience; challenges the audience to think. It should not be able to be answered with a yes or no. Ex: What do Albert Einstein, Nelson Rockefeller, Cher, and Tom Cruise have in common? [pause] They all have overcome dyslexia, a learning disability that interferes with the ability to read. Humor: a joke of funny statement that serves to relax the audience (and the speaker); should relate to the topic. Ex: What ten-letter word starts with Gas? [Automobile] And this year we may run short again. Quotation: statement from a famous person regarding the audience that will help interest the audience. Ex: Abraham Lincoln once said You can fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some people all of the time; but you cant fool all the people all of the time. We can no longer be fooled by the newspapers in this city. Story: involves the audience in the topic. Ex: Many years ago, a stranger arrived in our town. He wore ragged clothes and carried Example: gives a vivid picture of the topic. Ex: Anna Graves, age 4, died from a gunshot would to the chest. Her killer was shocked and heartbroken. He was her six-year-old brother who found a loaded gun
Outline your speech
I. II.
Introduction Body
III. Conclusion
Outline your speech
II.
Body
A.
1. 2. 3.
Mr. Webbs favorite
I. A.
First main point
Give supporting details More details Even more details
1.
B.
1.
Second main point
Give details a. More b. More 2. Further detailing a. More i. Even More ii. Even More b. More
a. b.
i. ii.
II.
B.
2.
Outline your speech
I. II.
Introduction Body
III. Conclusion
Outline your speech
III. Conclusion (in complete
sentences)
I.
Introduction (in complete sentences) A. Make an Attentiongetting statement, question, story, etc. Communicate the topic and the purpose: Today, I am going to inform/convince you about/to Motivate your audience. WHY should they listen to you? You should be interested because OR just make the statement. Finally, Preview what is going to be discussed (your body points). Today, I am going to talk about 1. 2. [POINT 1] [POINT 2]
A.
Review the main points/ divisions. I have just covered:
A. B.
B.
[POINT 1] [POINT 2]
C.
Retell the Purpose and the Topic. I have just informed/ convinced you about/to C. Make a Closing statement, question, quotation, etc. Use a Zinger that relates to your topic / introduction / some bit of info given in the body of your speech
B.
D.
Practice the presentation
Memorize the speech well enough that you dont have to think
about it anymore.
Practice out loud
In front of mirror / iPad with outline, then without outline In front of a friend or family member or classmate
Practice the presentation
Verbal delivery Articulate clearly Use correct pronunciationif you dont know how to
pronounce a word, ask, learn how, and make sure you have it right. Watch your speaking pacetalk conversationally, at the correct speed, and use deliberate pauses Gain and keep our interest with your energy Vary your pitch and volume effectively
Non-verbals Stand up straight, both feet on the floor, without rocking back and forth, hands out of the pockets but dont lock your knees! Make eye contact with your entire audience (not only the teacher or your notecard) Uses effective gestures
Practice the presentation Effective Gestures
Emphatic gestures: helps
the speaker stress what s/he is saying (usually in persuasive speaking)
Making a fist Raising one hand with the
Transitional gestures: shows
that you are moving from one part of your speech to another.
Using your fingers to
palm up Pointing with the index finger to the audience when saying something such as Its your responsibility
enumerate points Moving both hands, with palms facing each other, from one side to the other
Descriptive gestures: moves
Locative gestures: direct
the listeners attention to some places, object, or person
hands and arms to draw pictures in the air.
Indicate size of an object General shape of something
Use platform movement: Occasionally change positionsmove on the
diagonal, not directionally on a forward/backward or side-to-side axis. (This is especially appropriate when a speaker is making a major transition in thought or when audience attention seems to be faltering.)
