M S P E A K I N G Speaking Speaking 12 People speak to communicate to a variety of audiences for many different reasons. For example, you may: • need to know where to find the highlighters in the grocery store, so you speak to a store employee to ask where the highlighters are; • be asked to give a speech to your classmates to inform them about sharks; • be asked to perform a skit for a first grade class on how to call 911 for an emergency; • be asked to come to a literature circle prepared to discuss a personal connection you made to the text you read. GIVING SPEECHES: A speech is the ideas and thoughts you have prepared to say to an audience. Speaking Things to remember Think about your Topic, Audience, and Purpose (see explanation at the end of this section) Gather information by: • Looking through books or magazines • Observing people, places and events • Talking or writing to experts • Watching videos, movies and TV programs • Searching the Internet • Recalling past experiences Introducing your topic lets your audience knows where you are headed. Be sure to: • state the thesis in your speech, which clearly indicates the topic and the purpose of your speech in an interesting way. You can grab your audience’s attention by: • asking an interesting question • providing a surprising fact • referring to a current event • telling a personal story that is related to the topic • asking your audience to imagine something related to the topic • using a famous quotation that somehow relates to your topic DO NOT begin your speech with the words: “This speech will be about…” or “In this speech I will explain…” or “I chose this topic because….” Steps in the process of giving a speech Steps 1. Consider TAP 2. Gathering information 3. Prepare an exciting introduction by: • Introducing your topic • Grabbing your audience’s attention Giving a Speech Giving a Speech 13 You can put your outline on note cards, or on a sheet of paper. Use short phrases or just enough words to remind you of what you wanted to say. When you write your speech use the steps in the writing process (refer to the writing tab in your Student Resource Guide). Also remember to keep your purpose and audience in mind and choose the best words to make your speech clear and interesting. It’s a good idea to practice on two different days. Consider: • Practicing in a quiet place where you can listen to yourself • Practicing in front of your friends or fmily and ask for their suggestions • Videotaping or tape-recording yourself to see how you can improve When your ready to give your speech, remember to: • Look at your audience • Stand up tall; don’t sway, lean or slump • Speak loudly • Speak clearly; don’t mumble or use words like ah, dah, or um • Speak slowly – don’t rush 4. Write an outline 5. Write your speech 6. Practice giving your speech 7. Present your speech Topic: Carefully consider the topic of your speech. Sometimes, your teacher will assign you a topic, but other times you may get to choose the topic for your speech. If you get to choose the topic, pick some- thing you’re interested in, enjoy doing or talking about, or know a lot about. Either way, you will need to decide how you are going to narrow the topic and focus your speech. Think about the amount of time you have to deliver your speech and what is important for your audience to know about your topic. Audience: The audience is the person or group of people to whom you will be speaking. When you prepare and deliver your speech you need to keep your audience in mind. It is important to consider how much your audience knows about your topic. Will your speech build on knowledge that they already have or will your speech introduce a new topic? Most likely your audience will have different amounts of background knowledge about your topic, so you will have to take this into consideration as you decide how much information to share. P urpose: The reason you’re giving a speech is called the purpose. The purpose will determine what you say and how you say it. Generally, there are three different purposes for speeches: Informing An informative speech explains a topic to your audience. For example, you may be speaking so that your listeners can learn about snakes or about our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. The goal is to communicate ideas and information so that your audience will become more informed on the subject. You will need to research your topic carefully, consulting several sources of information so that you understand your topic thoroughly. The library is an excellent source of research materials on just about every imaginable topic. Persuading The goal of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience of your opinion by arguing for or against something. For example you may create a speech to convince the cafeteria to carry fruit roll-ups as a snack choice. Persuasive speeches need to present a clear opinion, two or three arguments to support your opinion, and a strong conclusion that reinforces your argument or calls on your audience to take action. Entertaining/Honoring A speech may be intended to amuse or entertain your audience or to honor an occasion such as a graduation or a special event. You generally have the most flexibility with this is type of speech. Anecdotes, examples, and vivid language are especially helpful with this type of speech to capture the interest and attention of your audience. 14 Giving a Speech Giving a Speech You may want to remember TAP as you begin to prepare a speech. 15 ✐ Notes: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ _________________________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________________ _________________________________ ____________________________________ ___________________________________________ . M S P E A K I N G Speaking Speaking 12 People speak to communicate to a variety of audiences for many. speech is the ideas and thoughts you have prepared to say to an audience. Speaking Things to remember Think about your Topic, Audience, and Purpose (see