ORALCOM Q2 WEEK 5

DISCUSSION
A good speech requires days or even weeks of preparation depending on the topic and the
availability of materials needed. While many are expert enough to compose their speech a night
before they deliver it, seldom that it became very successful for a beginner writer. For this reason,
careful planning is important to come up with a well-written speech.
When planning for writing your speech, you should consider the following principles:
1. Audience Profile
Knowing your audience specifically their general age, gender, educational level, religion,
language, culture and group membership is one of the most important aspects in developing
your speech. Basically, this is done so that you can tailor-fit your speech content and
delivery to your audience.
Analyzing your audience will help you discover the information you can use to build a
connection between you and members of your audience.

Use the following table to analyze your target audience.

Audience Analysis
Age Bracket
Gender
Educational Background
Place of Residence (city, town, province)
Marital Status
Language spoken
Religious Affiliations/Beliefs
2. Logical Organization
Once you have already analyzed your target audience, the next part is to organize your
speech manuscript. The logical organization or arrangement of thoughts when it comes to
speech writing can be defined as all aspects of your writing that help the reader move
smoothly from one sentence to the next, and from one paragraph to another. Thus, carefully
planning the content of your speech is also necessary.
The written speech has three parts: the introduction, body and conclusion. The role of
introduction and conclusion is mostly similar in many speeches, that is, the introduction
presents the main idea of your speech, while the conclusion reiterates the main idea. The
body offers definitions, examples, or any information that can help you convey your intent
and clarify the main concept of your speech.

The Introduction
The introduction is the most crucial part of the speech. It is generally only 10 to 15
percent of the time the speaker spends speaking. According to Wrench (2012), a good
introduction serves five functions: (1) you should be able to gain audience attention and
interest, (2), it states the purpose of your speech, (3) it establishes your credibility, (4) it
should provide reasons for your audience to listen and (5) your introduction should preview
the main idea of your speech.

The Body
 The body of the speech is the core part of the speech that addresses the main ideas and
principles of the speech. It consists of the main points. This is presented using methods of
organization (Flores 2016).
1. Problem-Solution Order- It explains the problem and suggests a possible solution.
Example: Cleaning up Laguna de Bay

2. Categorical/Topical Order- It divides the topic into subtopics based on the

importance or interest value or simply because the topic requires it.
Example: Importance of promoting the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle program

3. Chronological Order - A historical or time approach which is from the past to the
present. It presents idea in time order.
Example: The significant development of the province of Laguna from Spanish period
to present.

4. Comparison and Contrast Order- It presents comparison and contrast of two or

three points.
Example: Comparison between living in the city and life in the province

5. Spatial/Geographical Order- Going from one place to another, from one direction to
another.
Example: Traveling around the wonders of Batanes islands

6. Causal Order- It involves a discussion of both cause and effect of an issue.

Example: The Fish Kill in Laguna de Bay

Make sure that you move smoothly from one paragraph to another. Transitional words
are used to connect words, phrases or sentences. They help the reader to move from one idea
to the next to build coherent relationships within the text.
Study the following table showing examples of different transitional words and their functions.
Function Examples
Addition Again, also, and, and then, besides, equally important, further,
furthermore, in addition, in the first place, moreover
Comparison Also, in the same way, likewise, similarly
Contrast Although, yet, but, despite that even so, even though, for all that,
however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless,
notwithstanding, on the contrary, on one hand-on the other hand,
otherwise, regardless, still, though
Emphasis certainly, indeed, in fact, of course
Example or as an illustration, for example, for instance, namely, specifically, that
Illustration is, to illustrate
Summary or all in all, altogether, as has been said, finally, in brief, in conclusion, in
Conclusion short, in simpler terms, in summary, on the whole, to summarize
Time Sequence after a while, afterward, again, and then, as long as, at last, at length,
at that time, before, earlier, eventually, finally, first, formerly, in the
past, last, lately, meanwhile, next, now, presently, second, shortly,
simultaneously, since, so far, soon, still, subsequently, then,
thereafter, until, until now, when
Adapted from: The Transitional Devices Table.
https://kielikompassi.jyu.fi/kookit06/corpus/micase/transitionaldevicetable.html

The Conclusion
 After writing the body of your speech following the methods of organization, the last thing
that you need to work on is how to end it.
The conclusion functions as the summarizer of the entire speech. The conclusion has to be
written using different strategies (Tandoc, 2016).
Present a summary
Repeat the key ideas presented
Repeat the central idea for emphasis
Go back to the strategy used in the introduction
Signal the end of your speech
End with an impact
 Thought-provoking questions
 Humor
 Quotation
 A call for action
 A connection to a larger context

3. Duration
No matter how long the speech is, always divide it into five parts: an introduction, the
body (paragraph 2, paragraph 3, and paragraph 4) and a conclusion. This format is
adaptable to a speech of almost any length. By doing this, you can actually monitor the time
and length of your speech or the so-called Duration. Most experts say that the ideal length
of speech is up to 20 minutes. (GrayGrant, 2017).

4. Word Choice
There are a lot of vocabularies available to describe one's idea. However, the speaker
should carefully use the correct word in writing the speech. The use of conversational
language helps put the audience feel at ease and creates a special bond between the
speaker and the audience. However, there are things that you should consider in choosing
your words.
The following words should be avoided in a written speech. (Tandoc, 2016)
a. Jargons or technical terms specific only for a group of people
b. Redundancy or excessive repetition of words
c. Language inappropriate for the audience
d. Language inappropriate for the occasion
Jargons are specific words or phrases used by a certain individual or group which are
difficult for others to understand.
For example, the word idiopathic (which means unknown cause) and hyperventilate
(rapid breathing) are jargons because they are technical terms in medical fields. The word
affidavit (sworn) and circumstantial (specific details) are heard commonly in legal aspect or
terms in in the field of Law. These words can be confusing if you are speaking in front of a
general crowd or audience.
5. Grammatical Correctness
Using correct grammar when you give a speech is important to prevent
misunderstanding and misinterpretation between you and the audience. Good command of
the language helps listeners understand you quickly. Grammar inconsistencies slow down
the communication process and generate negative impressions for the audience, as your
ideas and thoughts are not clear and coherently conveyed.