Communications Developing Speech Questions
I’m working on a communications question and need guidance to help me learn.
1. What two major steps are discussed in Chapter 4 for developing your first speech (see
page 62 in textbook)? Provide examples of how you will do this in your first presentation.
2. Explain how will gain attention in your first presentation (see page 67 in textbook).
3. View a TED Talk on www.TED.com. Select a speech on a topic that interests you (include
the title and website address). As you watch the speech, answer the following questions:
(a) How well does the speaker organize his or her talk for effective communication? (b)
How does the speaker control the online environment? (c) How effective is the speaker’s
delivery as it comes across on your computer screen?
page 62 from the textbookFocusing Your Topic
No matter what kind of introductory speech you are assigned, be sure to focus your
presentation sharply so it conforms to the assigned time limit. One of the most com-
mon mistakes students make on their first speech is trying to cover too much.
It would be impossible, for example, to tell your audience everything about your
life in a two- or three-minute speech. A better approach would be to focus on one or
two events that have helped define who you are—competing in the state track meet,
tutoring disadvantaged children, getting your first job, and the like. This allows you
to make a few well-developed points about a clearly defined subject.
On the other hand, avoid the temptation to narrow the focus of your topic too
much. Few listeners would be pleased to hear a two- or three-minute discussion of
advanced trumpet-playing techniques. Such a speech would be too specialized for
most classroom audiences.
Developing Your Topic
Once you have a topic for your speech, be creative in developing it. Think of ways to
structure the speech so it will be interesting and meaningful to your audience. Look,
for example, at the sample speeches with commentary at the end of this chapter. The
first speaker explains aspects of her life by referring to her grandmother’s courtyard,
which she used to visit as a child. The second speaker uses the notion of fearlessness
when introducing one of her classmates. In both cases, the speakers found a creative
way to frame their information.
Another possibility is to think of ways you can make your presentation mysteri-
ous or suspenseful. Suppose you are telling the audience about meeting a celebrity,
visiting a famous place, or participating in a newsworthy event. Rather than identify-
ing the celebrity at the outset, you might save his or her name for the end of your
speech. As your story unfolds, tantalize your classmates with clues about your celeb-
rity’s gender, physical characteristics, special talents, and the like, but keep the name
secret until the last moment.
Audiences are also interested in dangerous situations, adventure, and drama. If
your task is to introduce a fellow student, find out if she or he has ever been in dan-
ger. Suppose your classmate was caught in a flood or spent a year in Africa with the
Peace Corps. The details would make excellent material for a speech.
If you think about it, every person has faced risk, done the unusual, or triumphed
over hardship. Try to find ways to include such fascinating experiences in your
speech.
You can also make your speech interesting by using colorful, descriptive lan-
guage. One speaker used this technique when introducing a fellow student, named
Alexa, to the class. The speaker began by saying:
The spotlight shines. The music blares. The crowd cheers. The colors,
bright and vibrant, bleed together as Alexa and her partner sail around the
dance floor. Her partner touches her hand and her waist, but only briefly.
He then spins her away, and she glides across the floor in what seems like
a single motion. Alexa has worked many weeks for this moment. Alexa,
you see, is a championship ballroom dancer.
page 67 from the text bookof a great deal of practice. As your speech course progresses, you will gain
more experience and will become more comfortable delivering your speeches
extemporaneously.
The first time you rehearse your introductory speech, however, you will probably
struggle. Words may not come easily, and you may forget some things you planned to
say. Don’t become discouraged. Keep going and complete the speech as well as you
can. Concentrate on gaining control of the ideas rather than on trying to learn the
speech word for word. You will improve every time you practice.
For this approach to work, you must rehearse the speech aloud. Looking silently
over your notes is not enough. Speaking the words aloud will help you master the
content of your talk. Once you have a fairly good grasp of the speech, ask friends or
family members to listen and to give constructive feedback. Don’t be shy about ask-
ing. Most people love to give their opinion about something, and it’s crucial that you
rehearse with a live audience before presenting the speech in class.
As you practice, time your speech to make sure it is neither too long nor too
short. Because of nerves, most people talk faster during their first speech than when
they practice it. When you rehearse at home, make certain your speech runs slightly
longer than the minimum time limit. That way, if your speaking rate increases when
you get in front of your classmates, your speech won’t end up being too short.
PRESENTING THE SPEECH
Delivering your first speech can be a nerve-wracking experience. As your class pro-
ceeds and you gain more experience, your confidence (and skill) will grow by leaps
and bounds. We will take a detailed look at speech delivery in Chapter 13, but here
are a few things to concentrate on in your first presentation.
Starting Your Speech
When it is your turn to speak, move to the front of the room and face the audience.
Assume a relaxed but upright posture. Plant your feet a bit less than shoulder-width
apart and allow your arms to hang loosely by your side. Arrange your notes before
you start to speak. Then take a moment to look over your audience and to smile.
This will help you establish rapport with your classmates from the start.
Gestures
Once you are into the speech, feel free to use your hands to gesture, but don’t try to
plan all your gestures ahead of time. If you don’t normally use your hands expressively
during informal conversation, you shouldn’t feel compelled to gesture a lot during
your speech. Whatever gestures you do use should flow naturally from your feelings.
Above all, don’t let your gestures or bodily actions distract listeners from your
message. Do your best to avoid nervous mannerisms such as twisting your hair,
wringing your hands, shifting your weight from one foot to the other, rocking back
and forth, or tapping your fingers on the lectern. No matter how nervous you feel,
try to appear calm and relaxed.
Eye Contact
During your talk, look at your classmates as often as you can. One of the major rea-
sons for speaking extemporaneously is to maintain eye contact with your audience.
In your own experience, you know how much more impressive a speaker is when she
or he looks at the audience while speaking.
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