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Public Speaking Homework Assignment 1

This document provides guidance on creating an effective speech. It discusses establishing the purpose and analyzing the audience. The introduction should grab attention, establish context, and state the thesis. The body should use repetition, previews and summaries to aid understanding. The conclusion should restate main points and call to action. Effective presentation relies on practicing delivery and getting feedback.

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1K views

Public Speaking Homework Assignment 1

This document provides guidance on creating an effective speech. It discusses establishing the purpose and analyzing the audience. The introduction should grab attention, establish context, and state the thesis. The body should use repetition, previews and summaries to aid understanding. The conclusion should restate main points and call to action. Effective presentation relies on practicing delivery and getting feedback.

Uploaded by

api-291574045
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WHAT THIS HANDOUT IS ABOUT

This handout will help you create an effective speech by establishing the purpose of
your speech and making it easily understandable. It will also help you to analyze
your audience and keep the audience interested.
WHATS DIFFERENT ABOUT A SPEECH?

Writing for public speaking isnt so different from other types of writing. You want
to engage your audiences attention, convey your ideas in a logical manner and use
reliable evidence to support your point. But the conditions for public speaking favor
some writing qualities over others. When you write a speech, your audience is
made up of listeners. They have only one chance to comprehend the information as
you read it, so your speech must be well-organized and easily understood. In
addition, the content of the speech and your delivery must fit the audience.
WHATS YOUR PURPOSE?

People have gathered to hear you speak on a specific issue, and they expect to get
something out of it immediately. And you, the speaker, hope to have an immediate
effect on your audience. The purpose of your speech is to get the response you
want. Most speeches invite audiences to react in one of three ways: feeling,
thinking, or acting. For example, eulogies encourage emotional response from the
audience; college lectures stimulate listeners to think about a topic from a different
perspective; protest speeches in the Pit recommend actions the audience can take.
As you establish your purpose, ask yourself these questions:

What do you want the audience to learn or do?

If you are making an argument, why do you want them to agree with you?

If they already agree with you, why are you giving the speech?

How can your audience benefit from what you have to say?
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

If your purpose is to get a certain response from your audience, you must consider
who they are (or who youre pretending they are). If you can identify ways to
connect with your listeners, you can make your speech interesting and useful.
As you think of ways to appeal to your audience, ask yourself:

What do they have in common? Age? Interests? Ethnicity? Gender?

Do they know as much about your topic as you, or will you be introducing them
to new ideas?

Why are these people listening to you? What are they looking for?

What level of detail will be effective for them?

What tone will be most effective in conveying your message`?

What might offend or alienate them?


For more help, see our handout on audience.
CREATING AN EFFECTIVE INTRODUCTION

Get their attention, otherwise known as The Hook


Think about how you can relate to these listeners and get them to relate to you or
your topic. Appealing to your audience on a personal level captures their attention
and concern, increasing the chances of a successful speech. Speakers often begin
with anecdotes to hook their audiences attention. Other methods include
presenting shocking statistics, asking direct questions of the audience, or enlisting
audience participation.

Establish context and/or motive


Explain why your topic is important. Consider your purpose and how you came to
speak to this audience. You may also want to connect the material to related or
larger issues as well, especially those that may be important to your audience.

Get to the point


Tell your listeners your thesis right away and explain how you will support it. Dont
spend as much time developing your introductory paragraph and leading up to the
thesis statement as you would in a research paper for a course. Moving from the
intro into the body of the speech quickly will help keep your audience interested.
You may be tempted to create suspense by keeping the audience guessing about
your thesis until the end, then springing the implications of your discussion on
them. But if you do so, they will most likely become bored or confused.
For more help, see our handout on introductions.
MAKING YOUR SPEECH EASY TO UNDERSTAND

Repeat crucial points and buzzwords

Especially in longer speeches, its a good idea to keep reminding your audience of
the main points youve made. For example, you could link an earlier main point or
key term as you transition into or wrap up a new point. You could also address the
relationship between earlier points and new points through discussion within a body
paragraph. Using buzzwords or key terms throughout your paper is also a good
idea. If your thesis says youre going to expose unethical behavior of medical
insurance companies, make sure the use of ethics recurs instead of switching to
immoral or simply wrong. Repetition of key terms makes it easier for your
audience to take in and connect information.

Incorporate previews and summaries into the speech


For example: Im here today to talk to you about three issues that threaten our
educational system: First, Second, Third, or Ive talked to you today about
such and such. These kinds of verbal cues permit the people in the audience to put
together the pieces of your speech without thinking too hard, so they can spend
more time paying attention to its content.

Use especially strong transitions


This will help your listeners see how new information relates to what theyve heard
so far. If you set up a counterargument in one paragraph so you can demolish it in
the next, begin the demolition by saying something like, But this argument makes
no sense when you consider that . . . . If youre providing additional information to
support your main point, you could say, Another fact that supports my main point
is . . . .
HELPING YOUR AUDIENCE LISTEN

Rely on shorter, simpler sentence structures


Dont get too complicated when youre asking an audience to remember everything
you say. Avoid using too many subordinate clauses, and place subjects and verbs
close together.
Too complicated:
The product, which was invented in 1908 by Orville Z. McGillicuddy in Des Moines,
Iowa, and which was on store shelves approximately one year later, still sells well
Easier to understand:
Orville Z. McGillicuddy invented the product in 1908 and introduced it into stores
shortly afterward. Almost a century later, the product still sells well.

Limit pronoun use

Listeners may have a hard time remembering or figuring out what it, they, or
this refers to. Be specific by using a key noun instead of unclear pronouns.
Pronoun problem:
The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality
television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human
nature. This cannot continue.
Why the last sentence is unclear:
This what? The governments failure? Reality TV? Human nature?
More specific:
The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality
television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human
nature. This failure cannot continue.
KEEPING AUDIENCE INTEREST

Incorporate the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos


When arguing a point, using ethos, pathos, and logos can help convince your
audience to believe you and make your argument stronger. Ethos refers to an
appeal to your audience by establishing your authenticity and trustworthiness as a
speaker. If you employ pathos, you appeal to your audiences emotions. Using
logos includes the support of hard facts, statistics, and logical argumentation. The
most effective speeches usually present a combination these rhetorical strategies.

Use statistics and quotations sparingly


Include only the most striking factual material to support your perspective, things
that would likely stick in the listeners minds long after youve finished speaking.
Otherwise, you run the risk of overwhelming your listeners with too much
information.

Watch your tone


Be careful not to talk over the heads of your audience. On the other hand, dont be
condescending either. And as for grabbing their attention, yelling, cursing, using
inappropriate humor, or brandishing a potentially offensive prop (say, autopsy
photos) will only make the audience tune you out.
CREATING AN EFFECTIVE CONCLUSION

Restate your main points, but dont repeat them


For example:

I asked earlier why we should care about the rain forest. Now I hope its clear
that . . .

Remember how Mrs. Smith couldnt afford her prescriptions? Under our plan, . .
.

Call to action
Speeches often close with an appeal to the audience to take action based on their
new knowledge or understanding. If you do this, be sure the action you recommend
is specific and realistic. For example, although your audience may not be able to
affect foreign policy directly, they can vote or work for candidates whose foreign
policy views they support. Relating the purpose of your speech to their lives not
only creates a connection with your audience, but also reiterates the importance of
your topic to them in particular or the bigger picture.
PRACTICING FOR EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

Once youve completed a draft, read your speech to a friend or in front of a mirror.
When youve finished reading, ask the following questions:

Which pieces of information are clearest?

Where did I connect with the audience?

Where might listeners lose the thread of my argument or description?

Where might listeners become bored?

Where did I have trouble speaking clearly and/or emphatically?

Did I stay within my time limit?


OTHER RESOURCES

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit group that provides communication


and leadership training.
Allyn & Bacon Publishings Essence of Public Speaking Series is an extensive
treatment of speech writing and delivery, including books on using humor,
motivating your audience, word choice and presentation.

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