How to Develop Your First SpeechConsider the following ways to develop your first speech:
1. Tell stories that carry your message.
2. Give examples that clarify your points.
3. Cite experts or highly respected people who support your
point of view.
4. Present facts and statistics that make your ideas credible.
Public Speaking, Eighth Edition, by Michael Osborn, Suzanne Osborn and Randall Osborn. Published by Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 3 Your First Speech: An Overview of Speech Preparation 53
of her speech, she elaborated her points by describing the people of her neighborhood
and the childhood games that exemplified the lessons of sharing. Her conclusion
clarified her message:
I hope you have enjoyed this tour of my neighborhood, this tour of my
past. If you drove down this street tomorrow, you might think it was just
another crowded, gray, urban neighborhood. But for me it is filled with
memories of colorful people who cared for each other and who dreamed great
dreams of a better tomorrow. That street runs right down the center of
my life.
Cause-Effect Design. Should you decide to tell about something that had a
great impact on you, a cause-effect design might be most appropriate. This design
helps you explain how something came about. Maria One Feather, a Native American
student speaker, used such a design in her speech Growing Up Red and Feeling
Blue in White America. She treated the condition of her background as the
cause and its impact on her life as the effect.
Narrative Design. The narrative design structures your speech by developing
a story from beginning to end. It focuses on a sequence of scenes in which
characters interact. The introduction, body, and conclusion all become part of the
story.
Beth Tidmore s dramatic story of her rise as a competitive shooter began with
the story of her mother s commitment to her, described her personal pursuit of
excellence, developed a sketch of her success in rifle competitions, and concluded
with a tribute to her mother s faith. The message of her speech emerged with the
developing story as Beth celebrated the values of commitment, dedication, discipline,
achievement, and family love.
These and other designs to develop your speeches are discussed in detail in
Chapters 9, 14, 16, and 17.
More on Introductions, Bodies, and Conclusions. In addition to
arousing interest and preparing listeners for the rest of the speech, your introduction
should build a good relationship between you and your audience. The best introductions
are framed after the body of the speech has been planned after all, it is
difficult to draw a map if you don t yet know where you are going.
Caution students not to write
out their speeches as essays.
Introduce some of the differences
between writing style and
oral style covered in Chapter 12.
Speaker s Notes 3.2
Ways to Structure Your First Speech
As you design your first speech, keep in mind the following options:
1. Use a categorical design that divides a subject into natural
or traditional parts.
2. Use a cause-effect design that pictures a subject either as
the cause of an effect or as the effect of a cause.
3. Use a narrative design that moves from scene to scene as
it tells a story.
4. Be sure that you have an effective introduction, body, and
conclusion.
Public Speaking, Eighth Edition, by Michael Osborn, Suzanne Osborn and Randall Osborn. Published by Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
54 Part One The Foundations of Public Speaking
The body of the speech is where you satisfy the curiosity aroused in your introduction.
The body includes the main points, the most important ideas in your message.
In a cause-effect design, the body consists of two main points: the explanation
of a cause of some condition and the elaboration of its effect. In a categorical
design, the body develops two or three major divisions of the subject. You won t
have time to cover more than that. In our earlier example of a Swedish neighborhood,
the division into setting, people, and games establishes the main points of
the speech. In a narrative design, the body develops the major scenes necessary to
carry the story.
The conclusion summarizes your main points and ends with reflections on the
meaning of the speech. Good conclusions are easily remembered even eloquent.
Sometimes they quote well-known people who state the point very well. They may
tie back to the introduction, completing a symbolic circle in a way that the audience
finds satisfying. You will find more on developing introductions, bodies, and conclusions
in Chapter 9.
Transitions. As you design your speech, you should also be planning
transitions. Transitions help you move from one point to another. They are bridging
devices, such as having explained the cause, I will now discuss the effect, or
let s now consider another part of this problem, or let me tell you what happened
after I warned him. Transitions also may be used to remind listeners of the point
you have just made or to preview what is going to happen next in the speech. Oral
connectives like first, second, and finally can also work as transitions.
Transitions can sometimes be quite artful. To connect the major section of her
speech, Family Gifts (see Appendix B), Marie DAniello focused on certain key
words. Strength cues her to the fortitude represented by her mother. Glory begins her
narrative concerning her brother s athletic accomplishments. Pride cues her discussion
of her father s character and determination. These key words link the themes of
her speech together.
Step 5: Outline Your Speech
Preparing an outline allows you to put your design down on paper so that you can
see more clearly how it will work. The outline should contain your introduction; the
message you want to get across; the body of your speech, including your main ideas
and their subpoints; and your conclusion.
Full outlines help you during speech preparation, but you should not use them
during presentation. During your presentation, the outline should be imprinted not
on paper but for the most part in your mind. We cover more about outlining in
Chapter 10.
In the following outline for a self-introductory speech, several critical parts
the introduction, message, and conclusion are written out word for word. The
introduction, message, and conclusion set up the meaning of your presentation
and make your entrance into and exit from the speech smooth and graceful.
Therefore, it is important to plan these parts of your presentation carefully, even
transitions Connecting elements used
in speeches.
ESL: Ask ESL students to submit
their formal and key-word outlines
before they present their
speeches. Go over the outlines
with the students.
Public Speaking, Eighth Edition, by Michael Osborn, Suzanne Osborn and Randall Osborn. Published by Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 3 Your First Speech: An Overview of Speech Preparation 55
though you may need to make changes while speaking to adjust to the immediate
situation. To encourage spontaneity, do not try to write the body of the speech
word-for-word.
Free at Last
Rod Nishikawa
Introduction
Attention-Arousing and Orienting Material: Three years ago I presented
the valedictory speech at my high school graduation. As I concluded, I borrowed a
line from Dr. Martin Luther King s I Have a Dream speech: Free at last, free at last,
thank God almighty we re free at last! The words had a joyful, humorous place in
that speech, but for me personally, they were a lie.
Message: I was not yet free and would not be free until I had conquered an
ancient enemy, both outside me and within me that enemy was racial prejudice.
Body
I. When I was eight years old I was exposed to anti-Japanese prejudice.
A. I was a Jap who didn t belong in America.
B. The bully s words burned into my soul.
1. I was ashamed of my heritage.
2. I hated having to live in this country.
[Transition: So I obviously needed some help.]
II. My parents helped me put this experience in perspective.
A. They survived terrible prejudice in their youth during World War II.
B. They taught me to accept the reality of prejudice.
C. They taught me the meaning of gaman: how to bear the burden within and
not show anger.
[Transition: Now, how has gaman helped me?]
III. Practicing gaman has helped me develop inner strength.
A. I rarely experience fear or anger.
B. I have learned to accept myself.
C. I have learned to be proud of my heritage.
Conclusion
Summary Statement: Practicing gaman, a gift from my Japanese roots, has
helped me conquer prejudice.
Concluding Remarks: Although my Japanese ancestors might not have spoken
as boldly as I have today, I am basically an American, which makes me a little outspoken.
Therefore, I can talk to you about racial prejudice and of what it has meant
Rod s three main points are
each supported with facts,
examples, or narratives. The
outline uses Roman numerals to
indicate main points, capital
letters to indicate subpoints,
and Arabic numbers to indicate
sub-subpoints. These numerals
and letters are indented appropriately
to show their relative
importance in the structure of
the speech.
Public Speaking, Eighth Edition, by Michael Osborn, Suzanne Osborn and Randall Osborn. Published by Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
56 Part One The Foundations of Public Speaking
to my life. And because I can talk about it, and share it with you, I am finally, truly
free at last.
Step 6: Practice Your Presentation
You are almost there. After you have developed and outlined your first speech, you
are ready to practice your presentation. An effective presentation spotlights the ideas, not
the speaker. It should sound as though you are talking with the audience, not reading to
them or reciting from memory.
Spotlight the Ideas. The presentation of a speech is the climax of planning
and preparation the time you have earned to stand in the spotlight. Although presentation
is important, it should not overshadow the substance of the speech. Have
you ever heard this kind of exchange?
She s a wonderful speaker what a beautiful voice, what eloquent diction,
what a smooth delivery!
What did she say?
I don t remember, but she sure sounded good!
As you practice speaking from your outline, and when you present your
speech, concentrate on the ideas you have to offer. You should have a vivid realization
of these ideas during your actual presentation.2 Your thoughts should come alive
as you speak.
Speak Naturally. An effective presentation, we noted in Chapter 1, preserves
many of the best qualities of conversation. It sounds natural and spontaneous yet
has a depth, coherence, and quality not normally found in conversation. The best
way to approach the ideal of improved conversation is to present your speech
extemporaneously. An extemporaneous presentation is carefully prepared and
practiced but not written out or memorized. If you write out your speech, you will
be tempted either to memorize it or read it to your audience. Reading or memorizing
almost always results in a stilted presentation. DO NOT READ YOUR SPEECH!
Always keep in mind that audience contact is more important than exact wording. The
only parts of a speech that might be memorized are the introduction, message, conclusion,
plus a few other critical phrases, such as the wording of main points or the
punch lines of humorous stories.
Prepare a Key-Word Outline. If you think you might need a cue-sheet during
your presentation, use a key-word outline, an abbreviated version of your fullsentence
outline. You should use the key-word outline as you practice your speech.
Using the key-word outline will help you sound more conversational and spontaneous.
Never use your full outline as you present your speech. You will lapse into reading
if you do.
As its name suggests, the key-word outline contains only words that will
prompt your memory. It can also contain presentation cues, such as pause or talk
slowly. Although the full outline may require a page or more to complete, the keyword
outline should fit on a single sheet of paper or on one or two index cards.
To prepare it, go through your full-sentence outline and highlight the key-words
in each section. Transfer them to a sheet of paper or index cards to use as prompts
as you speak. The following key-word outline is based on the outline presented
earlier.
ESL: Work with ESL students to
help them overcome the tendency
to speak in word units
rather than thought units.
extemporaneous presentation A form
of presentation in which a speech,
although carefully prepared and practiced,
is not written out or memorized.
key-word outline An abbreviated version
of a formal outline that may be used
in presenting a speech.
Show videotapes of students presenting
speeches that illustrate
both good and poor presentation
styles. Discuss these differences
in class.
Public Speaking, Eighth Edition, by Michael Osborn, Suzanne Osborn and Randall Osborn. Published by Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 3 Your First Speech: An Overview of Speech Preparation 57
Note that Rod s key-word outline
reminds him not only of the
flow of ideas but also of his
presentation plan. It is the
game plan of his speech.
Provide an opportunity for students
to present their speeches
in small groups prior to their
graded presentations. Encourage
constructive criticism in the
groups.
Free at Last
Introduction
Free at last high school valedictory speech
Not free enemy outside and within was racial prejudice
Body
I. Encounter with bully
A. Jap, didn t belong [Mime bully]
B. Words burned in soul
1. Ashamed of heritage
2. Hated living in America [Pause, smile]
II. Parents help
A. Survived much worse
B. Taught me to accept reality
C. Taught me GAMAN [Pause and write word on board]
III. Gaman inner strength
A. No fear or anger [Stress]
B. Accepted self
C. Proud of heritage [Pause]
Conclusion
Gaman from my Japanese roots helps conquer prejudice. Also an American. Can
talk about it: therefore, free at last
Rehearse Your Speech. Speech classrooms often have a speaker s lectern
mounted on a table at the front of the room. Lecterns can seem very formal and can
create a barrier between you and listeners. If you are short, you might almost disappear
behind a lectern. If your gestures are hidden from view, your message may lose
much of the power that body language adds to a speech. For these reasons, you may
wish to speak either to the side or in front of the lectern.
If you plan to use the lectern, place your key-word outline high on its slanted
surface so that you can see your notes easily without having to lower your head. This
will help you maintain eye contact with your listeners. Print your key-word outline
in large letters. If you decide to hold your outline and note cards, don t try to hide
them or look embarrassed if you need to refer to them. Most listeners probably
won t even notice when you use them. Remember, your audience is far more interested
in what you are saying than in any awkwardness you may feel.
Imagine your audience in front of you as you practice. Start with your full outline;
then move to your key-word outline as the ideas become imprinted in your
mind. Maintain eye contact with your imaginary listeners, just as you will during the
actual presentation. Look around the room so that everyone feels included in your
message. Be enthusiastic! Let your voice suggest confidence. Avoid speaking in a
monotone, which never changes pace or pitch; instead, strive for variety and color
Public Speaking, Eighth Edition, by Michael Osborn, Suzanne Osborn and Randall Osborn. Published by Allyn & Bacon.
Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc.
in your vocal presentation. Pause to let important ideas
sink in. Let your face, body, and voice respond to your
ideas as you speak them.
Step 7: Step Up and Do It!
It s your moment to speak. You ve earned it. Now enjoy it
with your listeners.
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