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Effective Speech:
Almost everyone makes speeches of some kind. Effective public speaking is a great art which is mastered by practice. Mastery is aided by good coaching, but many good orators have developed without formal training. A friend who will listen to you and tell you where you need to improve is invaluable. All of us can improve by giving attention to the various details involved in effective speech. You may like to check both your preparation and your delivery for certain qualities.
- PREPARATION:
In preparing a speech consider:
- Simplicity of organization:
Tell the audience what you are going to tell them; tell them; then tell them what you have told them. Have a
simple basis framework with as few main points. Have these points so clearly in mind that you cannot possibly
get lost even if you leave out something you had interred to say.
- Thoroughness:
See that you sufficiently explore the facts involved. Make the ideas your own. Make the speech sound like you.
relate the facts involved to your own experiences and to those of your listeners. Know what you are going
to say so well that you can present it with a feeling of confidence.
- A good beginning:
See that the first few sentences gain the attention of your audience. Make them natural, honest, and yet intriguing.
They should arouse interest and stimulate curiosity. Is there, perhaps, an element of surprise or challenge?
Can you get on a common, easy basis with your audience?
Perhaps a bit of humor puts you at ease with them. Perhaps you and they have something in common, or you
pay a sincere, gracious compliment to the group, or agency, or city.
- Visual material:
Use pictures, charts, drawings or models if they are available.
- Authoritativeness:
Quote from experience, from research or from authority sufficiently to substantiate your claims.
- Human interest:
Is your material entertaining and inspiring as well as educational? To what existing interests of the audience are
you making your appeal? Someone has said that a good speech should have a smile and a tear, as well as an idea.
Is there argument, challenge, or surprise in your talk? Have you enough anecdotes, illustrations and situations in
you talk to make the points clear, enjoyable, and emphatic? Do you use a variety of devices to make the speech interesting?
- Specificity:
Are you specific or do you feal only in generalities?
Do you relate the proposition to your own experience and that of your listeners?
Do you give definite directions where they are needed?
- A strong ending:
Do you maintain suspense and interest to the end?
Do you leave the audience with the main points in mind?
If your talk leads to action, does your audience know just what action is needed?
- DELIVERY:
A good delivery involves:
- Poise:
- Nervousness or a bit of stage fright in advance of your speech should not worry you.
- Sincerely is the most valuable.
- Plat form presence or the speakers appearance on the dais is important.
Here are some helpful hints which will be of aid to your platform presence:
1.Being properly dressed for the occasion will help you fell at case.
2.Speaking directly to the audience gives a much stronger stage presence than reading.
3.Stand straight, stand at lease.
4.Concentrate on what you are saying, not on how you are saying it.
5.Look your audience in the eye.
- Voice:
- Purity of tone gives the voice a pleasing quality and aids its carrying power.
- Strength of voice varies among different individuals.
- Pitch is important.
- Flexibility makes for a pleasing voice.
- Endurance comes with the proper use of the voice.
- Diction:
- Distinct enunciation is necessary if one is to be clearly understood.
- Speed may be too rapid or too slow. A moderate rate of speed is about 140 words a minute.
- Errs� and other mannerisms tend to creep into ones speech.
- Pause:
- Pause, as well as modulation, breaks the monotony of speech.
- Inflection:
Do you inflect your sentences? Do you drop your voice at periods? Do you raise it in asking a question?
Is your voice moving constantly and easily up and down for different words, phrasesm and sentences, or is it on a pitch level?
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- Evaluation and Self-Checking:
Form for evaluating a speech or your own voice recording.
Name of Speaker___________________ Date __________
Poice: Sincerity
Platform presence
Knows material
Confident delivery
Voice: Purity of tone
Strength
Pitch (too high, satisfactory, too low, sufficient change).
Flexibility
Endurance
Diction: Enunciation
Speed (too rapid, satisfactory, too slow)
Absence of errs� or mother mannerisms.
Pause: Used effectively?
Inflection: Is is absent or does it contribute to delivery?
Interest: Did the speaker command your undivided attention? Why?
Clarity: Did you find it difficult to follow the speakers trend of thought? Why?
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