1. How to prepare and perform a good speech
I.
Your vocal image
Our voice is like our second face; it carries our identity and projects as image of us in the mind of
others.
1. Vocal variety : exercises by using unknown language to show excitement, happiness, sadness, surprise
2. Vocal image analysis such Loudness, pitch, voice quality(harsh, clear, thin or rich), articulation(tight
jaw, open mouth, mumbling, enunciation, mis-or pronunciation, timing(slow, fast, unvaried, or varied)
Vocal variety( dull, vital, lifeless, or enthusiastic ) scaled from 1 to 5
3. Some ways to improve your potential:
 Relaxation exercises for head/neck, shoulders, tongue & jaw
 Breathing & posture
 Phonation technique
4. Rules for vocal health
 No smoking, no drugs, no alcohol
 Reduce intake of chocolates and spicy foods
 Avoid milk intake before sleep and 30 minutes before presentation
 Don’t yell/scream, talk over noise, clear your throat, or speak with fried vocal cord or glottal attack
 Drink 3000cc water; have sufficient sleep; rest your voice
II.
Getting started
Choosing a topic
 Options about 1)subjects you know a lot about or 2)subjects you would like to know more about
 Think about unusual experiences or special knowledge you have
 Brainstorming : Jotting down 5 entries under a categories such as unusual experience, skills, special
knowledge, interesting topics, hobbies, people, places, daily events and others.
 Browse through an encyclopedia : Look at the headings and see if a topic catches your eye
 Inventory : Just begin jotting down experience, interests, hobbies.
Determine the purpose
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III.
General purpose : usually to inform or to persuade
Specific purpose : Focus on one aspect of your topic
Phase the central idea :ａ concise statement of what you expect to say
Building your speech
Main points :
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These are the central features of your speech – main point – select them carefully
Target 2-5 main points
Try to keep the main points separate
Try to use the same pattern of wording(parallelism)
Balance the amount of time devoted to main points(5%-10% for the beginning or the end, the rest for the
main body)
Connectives:
Transitions such as now that, so much for; what about….
Internal preview : let the audience know what the speaker will take up next, but they are more detailed
than transitions.
 Internal summaries : the reverse of internal previews, reminding listeners of the main points you’ve just
outlined. Such as summaries.
 Signposts : Very brief statements that indicate exactly where you are in the speech. “The first cause,….
The second cause…”
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2. Beginning your speech
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Get attention and interest : be creative
Relate the topic to the audience
State the importance of your topic
Startle the audience
Question the audience
Begin with a quotation
Tell a story
Reveal the topic and state the topic clearly
Previews the body of the speech
Keep the introduction brief
Don’t worry about exact wording until you’ve fleshed out the main points
Ending your speech
Tow functions : let audience know you are ending your speech; reinforce the central idea.
Signal the end of the speech
1. Direct clues : “In conclusion…”
2. Crescendo endings:
3. Dissolve ending : fade out
4. Reinforce the central idea
a. Summaries your speech
b. End with a quotation
c. Refer to the introduction
d. Make a dramatic statement
 Prepare your conclusion well
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Judging criteria
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Loudness : too quiet / too loud
Pitch : too high / too low
Voice quality : harsh/clear , thin/rich
Articulation : tight jaw/open mouth, mumbling/enunciation, mis-pronunciation/ correct pronunciation
Timing/rate : slow/fast, unvaried/ varied
Vocal Variety : dull/vital, lifeless/enthusiastic