This is a handout we give to participants in our annual English Public Speaking Workshop.  The workshop has proven very popular, expecially among fourth- and fifth-year students, who will be giving reports and presentations in their professional content courses.
 
 

Speech Organization

Sometime in the future, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps next year, you will have the opportunity to make a public presentation.  Your speech might be a class report, the introduction of a guest at a school club activity, or, after you
graduate, a sales speech or a meeting presentation.  Whatever the occasion, if you want your speech to make sense to your audience, it must be organized well.  Organization is really nothing more than clear thinking, a way for
you to put your ideas together in an orderly way.   One very useful tool to help you organize your thinking is an outline.  An
outline works a little like a road map.  It shows you where to start (the Opening), where you are going (the Conclusion), and how to get there (the Body).

                                                I.   Introduction
                                               II.   Body
                                             III.  Conclusion

You should not, however, prepare your speech in this order.  First, you decide on your topic and your thesis (the thing you want to talk about), and then you prepare the body of the speech.  After you have completed the body, you can work on an introduction that will get the audience's attention and a conclusion that will bring your speech to a strong finish.
 

The Body

The purpose of your speech may be to explain something, to convince the audience of something, or merely to tell a story.  No matter what your purpose is, not matter what the topic, you will have to decide upon what you will tell your audience to enlighten, convince, or entertain them; this is the body of your speech.  For short talks, you should make three to five
main points, with each main point made clearer by two supporting facts, examples, stories, or quotations.

                                            I.  Introduction
                                           II.  Body
                                                 A.  Main Point 1
                                                         1.   Supporting point
                                                         2.   Supporting point
                                                 B.  Main Point 2
                                                         1.  Supporting point
                                                         2.  Supporting point
                                                 C.  Main Point 3
                                                         1.  Supporting point
                                                         2.  Supporting point
                                          III.  Conclusion

Depending on what you want to talk about, describe, or explain, and depending on who you are talking to, you will choose a good way to put your main points in order.  Here are some ways to order your ideas.

   *  From simple to complex (easy to hard)
    e.g. How we can save the environment, at home and as a society

   *  From cause to effects
    e.g. Explaining what would happen if everyone recycled

   *  From effect to causes
    e.g.  Explaining what caused the pollution problem

   *  From problem to solution
    e.g.  Explaining how we should solve the pollution problem

   *  According to physical description
    e.g.  Describing types of environmental pollution

   *  According to time
    e.g.  Describing how the environment has changed over 25 years

Here is an example:

                                           I.  Taiwan is becoming more and more polluted (Introduction)
                                          II.  There are many types of pollution
                                                A.  Water Pollution
                                                        1.  Keelung Harbor
                                                        2.  Tan Sui River
                                                B.  Air Pollution
                                                        1.  Cars
                                                        2.  Factories
                                                C.  Soil Pollution
                                                        1.  Garbage dumps
                                                        2.  Industrial dumping
                                        III.  Everyone should work together to decrease pollution (Conclusion)
 

EXERCISE:  Now, work with a partner and write an outline for "My Life at OCCC".

               I.  _____________________________ (Introduction)
              II. _____________________________
                     A.  _________________________
                          1. _______________________
                          2. _______________________
                     B.  _________________________
                          1. _______________________
                          2. _______________________
                     C.  _________________________
                          1. _______________________
                          2. _______________________
             III.  ____________________________  (Conclusion)
 

The Introduction

Now that you know what you want to say, you can begin to think of how to introduce your topic.  A good introduction will put your audience in a good mood, a mood where they will be ready to understand your explanation, enjoy your description, or believe your argument.

Your introduction has three main purposes:

1.  To let your audience know the purpose (and topic) of your talk.
2.  To make your audience feel good about you and what you are going to say to them.
3.  To make your audience interested in what you are saying.

A good introduction to a speech about pollution in Taiwan will contain one or more of the following:

1.  A reference or greeting to the event and the sponsor (or guests).
 e.g.  "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  I am happy to be here today."

2.  A reference to the speaker (say something about yourself).
 e.g.  "While I am not an expert on the topic, I feel that I speak for many people in Taiwan."

3.  A question to the audience.
 e.g.  "Why has Taiwan, Formosa,  "the beautiful island," become like this?"

4.  A quotation.
 e.g.  "Henry David Thoreau said that,  'Nature is the mother of us all.'"

5.  A shocking statement.
 e.g.  "At this very moment, as we sit here in this meeting room, you and I are being poisoned."

6.  Statistics.
 e.g.  "Recent studies have shown that one out of every 10 people in Taiwan burns their garbage."

7.  An anecdote (a short account of something that happened).
 e.g.  "On my trip up here to Taipei, I encountered an interesting young man on the bus.   After introducing ourselves, we began to talk about ...."
 

EXERCISE:  Think of a good introduction to the speech you outlined in the exercise above.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 

The Conclusion

Now that you have the body and the introduction prepared, you are ready to work out a conclusion.  The conclusion has two main purposes, 1) it summarizes the main ideas and arguments presented in the body of the speech; and 2) it repeats and supports the speaker's purpose and attempts to get the audience to respond positively (to enjoy the story, to understand the explanation, or to believe the argument).

Here are some ideas you might want to include in your conclusion:

1.  A summary of key ideas.
 e.g. "In conclusion, I feel sure that if we all can do these five simple things, pollution in Taiwan will decrease greatly."

2.  A prediction.
 e.g. "In concluding, I wish I could offer more hope for the future.  I'm afraid, however, that unless we each do our part, the beauty that was Formosa will disappear forever."

3.  A quotation, either emotional or factual, from literature or an authority.
 e.g. "As Thoreau once said, 'Simplify, simplify, simplify.'"

4.  An anecdote.
 e.g. "I'd like to close with a true story about how my daughter taught me how to recycle  at home."

5.  A question.
   e.g. "Isn't it time that you and I stopped being part of the problem and became part of the solution?

EXERCISE:  Write a conclusion for the speech you outlined and wrote an
introduction for, above.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Before you've finished preparing for your speech, you must decide on a title for your talk.  Your title should get your listener's interest and attention, indicate the purpose and content of your talk, and be short and simple, perhaps three to ten words.
 

EXERCISE:  Can you think of a good title for the speech you just wrote the conclusion for?

Title: __________________________________________________________
 
 

Presentation Skills
 

The title of this section is "Presentation Skills," but it could easily have been named "Performance skills," because presenting a speech is a lot like acting.  You are standing in front of a group of people, your audience, who will be watching you very carefully and listening very carefully to what you say.  When presenting a speech, you are not as important as your message.  You don't want the audience to get to know you as a friend; you want them to
focus on your message and be entertained, enlightened, or moved to action by what you say.

To help you succeed in getting your message across as effectively as possible, your message has to be supported by how you appear on the stage.  There are a number of important techniques you will find useful, including body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and vocal variety.
 

Body Language

The content of your speech is, of course, very important.  Equally important is how the content is communicated to your audience.  What you say and how you say it should receive equal treatment in preparing for your speech.

When you are speaking, using your hands and arms is the body language the audience sees most clearly.  You can use some basic gestures, or hand movements, to show:

1.  Size, weight, shape, direction, and location of what you are talking about.
 e.g.  "He was a very tall man, with very wide shoulders."

2.  Importance or urgency.
 e.g.  To show your emotion, strike your palm with your other fist.

3.  Enumerating important points
 e.g.  Count on your fingers as you make a series of points.

When you use hand or arm movements, make the gestures large enough for everyone to see them clearly, but not so large that you look silly.

Remember:  it is good to use gestures if they help your audience understand your message, and bad if all they think about is the gestures and not the message.

Even though you use body language every day in casual conversation, you have to practice it when you use it as a public speaking technique.  You want to use gestures that are clear and precise, but which look natural.  To make your movements look natural takes lots of practice.  You can practice in front of a mirror, or, if you have a video camera, tape yourself in action!
 

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions are also an important kind of body language.  By looking at our faces, people can tell when we are happy, angry, concerned, or upset.  You should be aware of your facial expressions, and might even practice those facial expressions which help your speech be more interesting or effective.  If you have chosen a topic that your are really interested in or moved by, then your facial expressions will naturally compliment your speech.  Still, you must be aware of your facial expressions to be sure they are not exaggerated or easily misinterpreted.
 

Eye Contact

Eye contact is needed to establish and maintain an intimate line of communication with the members of the audience.  By moving your eyes around the room and making eye contact with members of the audience as you speak, you make each member of the audience feel as if you are talking to her alone.  This personal connection will make your message much more effective than if the audience felt that your performance had little or nothing to do with them.
 

Vocal Variety

If, when we gave a speech, we used a flat, unchanging voice like the one in your electronic dictionary, nobody would be listening - everyone would be fast asleep!  More importantly, if we talked like a robot, our audience would think that we had no feelings, at least not about the topic of our presentation.  Because we do have feelings about what we talk about, our voice shows it.

If we are excited, we speak very quickly; if we are sad, our voice drops in pitch and slows down.  Those who listed to us, therefore, can get an idea of how we are feeling just from the tone and speed of our speech.  Moreover, the pitch of our voice can actually affect the meaning of what we say.  Try this.  Read the following sentences, putting emphasis on the word in bold prints:

 Yes, I love you.

 Yes, I love you.

 Yes, I love you.

 Yes, I love you.

 Yes, I love you.

As you can see, the pitch of our voice, the pauses we use, and the speed at which we speak all play an important part in effectively communicating our message.  Again, pay attention to your vocal variety, practice it, and use it to your advantage.  If you can't find someone to listen to you practice your speech and give you some help, use a tape recorder and be your own audience!
 

Overcoming Stage Fright

All speakers get stage fright, they all get nervous.  Even the most professional of speakers will have a dry mouth, wet palms, and a strange feeling in their stomach before they speak.  Even though it sounds terrible, being nervous before a speech is a good thing!  It shows that you care about your topic and about making a good impression on the audience.  To be a really good speaker, though, you have to learn to manage your nervousness.

Here are some things you can do to feel more comfortable about making your
speech:

Before speaking,
 a.  Be sure your are truly interested in your topic.
 b.  Be sure you know your topic very well.
 c.  Get to know the room where you will be speaking; speaking in familiar surroundings  is much easier than in a strange setting.
 d. Get to know the people you will be speaking to.  If possible, talk to some of the people who will hear your speech, before you present your speech.  Talking to a group of friends is easier than speaking before a room full of strangers.
 e.  When you prepare for your speech and think of what will happen, be positive.  Think of yourself being successful; imagine that the audience loves your speech.
 f.  Realize that people want you to succeed.  Your audience is there to hear a good speech; they didn't come to see someone fail.

While speaking,

a.  Just before you begin your talk, take a deep breath, and greet your audience with a smile.
b.  Use clear body language.  Making physical gestures is a good way to spend nervous energy.
c.  As you look around the room to make eye contact with people in the audience, don't just move your eyes, move your whole head; the movement will ease neck pain caused by stress.
d.  Don't just stand there, walk around.  Take a few steps to the right, as you talk, stop, and after 10-15 seconds, walk back.  After a while, take a walk in the other direction.
e.  Think about your topic, not about yourself.
 

Evaluating Your Performance

Public speaking, like basketball, singing, or any other skilled activity, gets better with practice.  It's also a good idea to have a good coach, or teacher.  A coach, teacher, or even just someone who watches or listens to us can give us very useful information about how well we are doing, generally, and what we do best and what we need to work on.

This kind of evaluation is much different than criticism.  Criticism is a judgment, a final statement of  "Good" or "Bad."  Evaluation is a critique, an analysis of strong points and shortcomings.  Because evaluations are helpful, you should not fear them.  You should view an evaluation as a good opportunity to learn something about yourself that you can't learn from the
inside.

If your teacher's, classmate's, or friend's evaluation of your performance shows that you are frequently doing something  that makes your speech ineffective, you should try to improve that weak point in your speaking skills.

When you evaluate someone's performance, you should first review the evaluation criteria, so you know what to look and listen for.  You should focus your attention on their performance, using both your ears and your eyes.  Make written notes, so that you can remember what helpful tips you would like to give the speaker.

Begin your evaluation with the good things you saw and heard.  Let the speaker know that you liked her performance and that when you give her some ideas you are trying to be helpful.  When you point out a weakness in someone's performance, it is important that you also offer some ideas on how to solve the problem.