MODULE 3

Unit 1: The Basics of Public Speaking

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1. present ideas persuasively using appropriate languages registers, tone,

facial expressions and gestures.

ENGAGE YOURSELF!

At this point, I think you are ready to learn about public speaking. What do these statements apply to
you?

1. I am excited at the thought of speaking in public.

2. I see myself speaking in public often in the future.
3. I think I can be a very good speaker.
4. The thought of public speaking terrifies me.
5. I would avoid speaking in public as much as I can.
6. No amount of practice can make me a better speaker .

Items 1, 2 and 4, 5 determine your public speaking anxiety. If you answered items 1 and 2 with a yes, you
probably have a low anxiety. If you answered items 4 and 5 with a yes, you most probably have a high public
speaking anxiety. Items 3 and 6 determine your attitude toward public speaking. If you answered item 3 with
a yes, you have a growth mind-set. If you answered item 6 with a yes, you have a closed mind-set.

Do you agree or disagree?

1. "Your ability to communicate with others will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and
in your life." - Brian Tracy

2. “Ninety percent of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” –
Somers White

3. “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.” – Dale Carnegie

4. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
(Re-evaluate your answers after reading engagement.)

You have probably delivered a speech before an audience once, twice, or thrice in high school in the
forms of reporting, research presentations, or creative presentations or you might have read Biblical passages
in church. How did the experience make you feel? If the experience made you wish to speak more in public or
made you confident of yourself, then you belong to the few who do not fear public speaking or who have
overcome it. If the experience made you feel the opposite, you are not alone. Jerry Seinfield was quoted
saying:

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is
number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off
in the casket than delivering the eulogy.”

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 Fear of public speaking is, therefore, common to most people, but despite this fact, many have turned public
speaking into their ticket to success. Brian Tracy phrased this idea in his statement below.

"Your ability to communicate with others will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and in
your life."

What apparently matters is your reaction to fear of public speaking. How should you handle fear?
Mark Twain suggests: “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.”

Your awareness of your fear of public speaking is a good starting point. With your awareness, you
acknowledge that you need to take actions to overcome that fear.

You might also need a strong reason to overcome that fear. While it is true that not all professions
require public speaking skills, you must consider the fact that public speaking is an essential skill in your
academic life. Also, in many professions such as those in business, education, mass media etc., public
speaking skills are a requirement. In some other professions, public speaking skills are an advantage. Most
importantly, public speaking has long been the tool for activism that paved way for social and political
changes.

By this time, you must have decided that public speaking is highly relevant to your academic,
professional, and personal life.

EXPLORE (DIVE IN!):

Analyzing Parts of a Speech

One of the most common concerns that inexperienced public speakers have is that they simply do not
know how to begin a speech or end it. When creating a speech, it’s important to remember that speeches have
three clear parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. At the beginning, it may sound easy to start
preparing a speech, but it can be difficult to plan an introduction for anything that does not yet exist.
Sometimes, new and innovative ideas about how to start a speech can come to speakers as they go through the
research and organization process. Similarly, it is important to find a conclusion well and leave the audience
with a sense of satisfaction.

We will discuss why introductions and conclusions are relevant in this unit, and you will identify the
various ways in which speakers can establish impactful beginnings and endings. There is no “right” way to
start or end a speech, but this unit will provide some useful guides that will make your introductions and
conclusions as a speaker much easier for you and more effective your audience.
Ted Sorensen, former President John F. Kennedy’s presidential adviser, lawyer, and well-known
speechwriter said, “A speech can ignite a fire, change the minds of men, open their eyes, change their votes,
bring hope to their lives, and change the world in all these ways.”

A speech is a formal address which is given to an audience. Speeches may be written for facts,
persuasion or entertainment. Humorous, amusing speeches often include anecdotes (short, amusing stories of
real events). Entertaining speeches are nothing like an informative speech given by a scientist or historian to
teach the audience anything. A speech written to convince an audience may be a dialogue of debate or a
speech given by a president seeking to motivate a nation to vote or take action.

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 When persuading an audience, it is important to focus on the members of the audience who are
undecided about the issue. There is no need to work to persuade those who are already in agreement, and
those who have already made their minds up. Although discourses can be written and delivered in many
different ways, they usually share the same basic format.

The introduction includes a hook to catch the attention of the audience, a glimpse of what will be
covered in the speech, why this subject is relevant, and why it should be listened to by the audience. A hook
can be a personal story, a joke or a shocking statistic to spark interest from the audience.

The body contains the key points of the speaker backed by evidence, descriptions, examples and/or
statistics explained in a straightforward and succinct manner, and counter-arguments are made. The speaker
makes a well-thought-out case by thinking about the claims of their opponents, and answering them with
stronger points to support their stance.

The conclusion reminds the audience of the key points made and concludes with a final, powerful
thought or clear call for action to inspire the audience to do something about this problem. It is important to
articulate clear goals when concluding a persuasive speech, whether the speaker wants a signed petition, a
product purchased or boycotted, or some other specific action taken.

The following are some pointers that will help you formulate your speech’s introduction, body and
conclusion.

I. INTRODUCTION
The introduction of a speech is extremely important as it needs to set the topic and 
intention, create the rationale why the audience will listen to you and set the tone for the  rest of the speech.
Here are some points to remember:
 Your introduction should catch the attention and interest of your audience right away.
 Introduce yourself in the introduction to establish your credibility and the authority to speak on your
particular subject.
 Your introduction should provide a preview of what your audience can expect to hear for the duration
of your speech.
 It’s probably easier to compose your last introduction as you prepare your speech, after you’ve
written the rest of your speech.
 It’s probably easier to compose your last introduction as you prepare your speech, after you’ve
written the rest of your speech.

The significance of introductions also causes speakers to mainly focus on them, taking
care of every detail. While it is essential to have some ideas and observations about the intro, specifically the
statement of thesis, it is always better to wait until most of the speech is written before really diving into the
crafting of the introduction. This may not sound intuitive, but remember, the intro is intended to introduce
your speech and set up what is to come. It’s hard to add something you have not yet created. This is why
initially working on your main points can help to bring about an even stronger introduction.

II. BODY

Once you have captured your audience’s attention with an attention-getter and superb introduction,
it’s time to move into your speech’s real meat-and-potatoes: the body. The body of your speech is the point at
which you go into full detail about each of your main points. The body is where you tell your story. It will

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 take up nearly three quarters of your entire speaking time, because this is where you can go into depth about
your key points.

Here are some pointers to remember:

 Organize your thoughts into a coherent, clear flow of ideas.

 Each main point of your speech should support your speech’s purpose.
 Use various examples to illustrate your key points of speech, from research, facts and figures to
personal anecdotes and references.
 Don’t be anxious to let your disposition come through; know your audience and modify your
approach accordingly. The body of your speech should be inventive and appealing.
 Don’t stray too far from your outline; you’ll easily lose interest in your audience of you start
wandering off track into points or stories that don’t support the intent or goal of your speech.
 You don’t want to look too verbose or sound chaotic.

Speakers can use a variety of different organizational patters including categorical/topical,

comparison/contrast, spatial, chronological, biographical, causal, problem-cause-solution, and psychological.
Ultimately, speakers must really think about which organizational pattern best suits a specific speech topic.

III. CONCLUSION

It is understandable to feel relieved at the end of a speech, but remember that as a speaker, the last
chance you’ve got to drive your ideas home is your conclusion. When a speaker chooses to end the speech
with an ineffective conclusion—or no conclusion at all – the speech loses the created energy, and the
audience remains confused and disappointed.

Here are some points to consider:

 Use your conclusion as an opportunity to sum up your key points of your speech.
 Do not duplicate your main points word for word; rather, paraphrase the key themes and arguments
you have just presented.
 Consider ending your speech with an additional anecdote or quotation that captures the theme of your
speech.
 Do not bring into your argument any new points or supporting facts because it would confuse your
audience.
 Use trigger phrases such as “in conclusion” or “in summary” to prepare your audience for the end of
your speech.
 Write your conclusion simultaneously with the introduction (after writing the body) so that the
introduction and conclusion complement each other.

The conclusion of your speech summarizes your purpose and main points while leaving a lasting impression
with your audience.

** TRANSITIONS

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  Transitions are used to show interconnections between main points.
 Transition types include time, equality, causality, comparison and contrast, and summary.
 After you determine the main points of your speech, order them logically and then determine how
you will transition from one point to the next.

Transition Words

also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, following this, further, furthermore, in
Addition
addition, in the same way, additionally, likewise, moreover, similarly
accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose, hence, otherwise,
Consequence
so then, subsequently, therefore, thus, thereupon, wherefore
Generalizing as a rule, as usual, for the most part, generally, generally speaking, ordinarily, usually
chiefly, especially, for instance, in particular, markedly, namely, particularly, including,
Exemplifying
specifically, such as
for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration, illustrated with, as an
Illustration
example, in this case
Emphasis above all, chiefly, with attention to, especially, particularly, singularly
comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover,
Similarity
together with
aside from, barring, besides, except, excepting, excluding, exclusive of, other than,
Exception
outside of, save
in essence, in other words, namely, that is, that is to say, in short, in brief, to put it
Restatement
differently
contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise, on one hand, on the other
Contrast and
hand, on the contrary, nevertheless, rather, similarly, yet, but, however, still,
Comparison
nevertheless, in contrast
at first, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time, for now, for the time
Sequence being, the next step, in time, in turn, later on, meanwhile, next, then, soon, the meantime,
later, while, earlier, simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion, with this in mind
first, second, third…
generally, furthermore, finally
in the first place, also, lastly
Common Sequence
in the first place, pursuing this further, finally
Patterns
to be sure, additionally, lastly
in the first place, just in the same way, finally
basically, similarly, as well
Summarizing after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in any case, in any event,

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 in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis, in the
long run, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally
Diversion by the way, incidentally
here, there, over there, beyond, nearly, opposite, under, above, to the left, to the right, in
Direction
the distance
above, behind, by, near, throughout, across, below, down, off, to the right, against,
Location beneath, in back of, onto, under, along, beside, in front of, on top of, among, between,
inside, outside, around, beyond, into, over

Below are some of the guide questions based on http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-evaluation-1-how-to-

study-critique-speech/ that would help you in analyzing or formulating your own speech.

 What is the speaker’s goal? Is it to educate, to motivate, to persuade, or to entertain?

 What is the primary message being delivered?
 Why is this person delivering this speech? Are they the right person?
 Was the objective achieved?

A. The Audience and Context for the Speech

 Where and when is the speech being delivered?
 What are the key demographic features of the audience? Technical? Students? Elderly?
Athletes? Business leaders?
 How large is the audience?

 In addition to the live audience, is there an external target audience? (e.g. on the Internet or
mass media)

B. Speech Content and Structure

1. The Speech Opening
 Was a hook used effectively to draw the audience into the speech? Or did the speaker open with a
dry “It’s great to be here today.“
 Did the speech open with a story? A joke? A startling statistic? A controversial statement?
A powerful visual?
 Did the speech opening clearly establish the intent of the presentation?

 Was the opening memorable?

2. The Speech Body

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  Was the presentation focused? i.e. Did all arguments, stories, anecdotes relate back to the primary
objective?
 Were examples or statistics provided to support the arguments?
 Were metaphors and symbolism use to improve understanding?
 Was the speech organized logically? Was it easy to follow?
 Did the speaker transition smoothly from one part of the presentation to the next?

3. The Speech Conclusion

Like the opening, the words, body language, and visuals in the speech conclusion are all critical to speaking
success.
 Was the conclusion concise?
 Was the conclusion memorable?
 If appropriate, was there a call-to-action?

C. Delivery Skills and Techniques

Delivery skills are like a gigantic toolbox — the best speakers know precisely when to use every tool and for
what purpose.

 Was the speaker enthusiastic? How can you tell?

 Was there audience interaction? Was it effective?
 Was humor used?

 Was it safe and appropriate given the audience? Was it relevant to the speech?
 Were appropriate pauses used before and after the punch lines, phrases, or words?
 Would an additional visual aid help to convey the message?
 Did the speaker’s posture display confidence and poise?
 Does the speaker have any distracting mannerisms?
 Was the speaker easy to hear?
 Were loud and soft variations used appropriately?
 Did the speaker articulate clearly?
 Were sentences short and easy to understand?

In making the different parts of a speech more interesting for you and four your audience, there are
some ways on how to get attention. These are the following:

POSSIBLE ATTENTION GETTERS

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 These will help you start brain storming ideas for how to begin your speech.  While not a complete list, these
are some of the most common forms of attention getters:

1. Quotation:
Quotations are a great way to start a speech, so let’s look at an example that could be used for a speech on
deception:

Oliver Goldsmith, a sixteenth-century writer, poet, and physician, once noted that “the true use of speech is
not so much to express our wants as to conceal them.”

2. Referring to a current news event that relates to your topic

This is often an effective way to capture attention, as it immediately makes the audience aware of how
relevant the topic is in today’s world. For example, consider this attention-getter for a persuasive speech on
frivolous lawsuits:

On January 10, 2007, Scott Anthony Gomez Jr. and a fellow inmate escaped from a Pueblo, Colorado, jail.
During their escape the duo attempted to rappel from the roof of the jail using a makeshift ladder of bed
sheets. During Gomez’s attempt to scale the building, he slipped, fell forty feet, and injured his back. After
being quickly apprehended, Gomez filed a lawsuit against the jail for making it too easy for him to escape.

3. Historical Reference

You may also capture your listeners’ attention by referring to a historical event related to your topic.
Obviously, this strategy is closely related to the previous one, except that instead of a recent news event you
are reaching further back in history to find a relevant reference. For example, if you are giving a speech on the
Iraq War that began in 2003, you could refer back to the Vietnam War as way of making a comparison:

During the 1960s and ’70s, the United States intervened in the civil strife between North and South Vietnam.
The result was a long-running war of attrition in which many American lives were lost and the country of
Vietnam suffered tremendous damage and destruction. Today, we see a similar war being waged in Iraq.
American lives are being lost, and stability has not yet returned to the region.

4. Anecdote

Another device you can use to start a speech is to tell an anecdote related to the speech’s topic. An  anecdote is
a brief account or story of an interesting or humorous event. Notice the emphasis here is on the word “brief.”
A common mistake speakers make when telling an anecdote is to make the anecdote too long. Remember,
your entire introduction should only be 10 to 15 percent of your speech, so your attention-getter must be very
short.

One type of anecdote is a real story that emphasizes a speech’s basic message. For example, here is an
anecdote a speaker could use to begin a speech on how disconnected people are from the real world because
of technology:

In July 2009, a high school girl named Alexa Longueira was walking along a main boulevard near her home
on Staten Island, New York, typing in a message on her cell phone. Not paying attention to the world around
her, she took a step and fell right into an open manhole.Whitney, L. (2009, July 13). Don’t text while

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 walking? Girl learns the hard way. CNET News Wireless. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-
10285466-94.html

A second type of anecdote is a parable or fable. A parable or fable is an allegorical anecdote designed to
teach general life lessons. The most widely known parables for most Americans are those given in the Bible
and the best-known fables are Aesop’s Fables (http://www.aesopfables.com). For the same speech on how
disconnected people are with the real world because of technology, the speaker could have used the Fable of
The Boy and the Filberts:

The ancient Greek writer Aesop told a fable about a boy who put his hand into a pitcher of filberts. The boy
grabbed as many of the delicious nuts as he possibly could. But when he tried to pull them out, his hand
wouldn’t fit through the neck of the pitcher because he was grasping so many filberts. Instead of dropping
some of them so that his hand would fit, he burst into tears and cried about his predicament. The moral of the
story? “Don’t try to do too much at once.”Aesop (1881). Aesop’s fables. New York, NY: Wm. L. Allison.
Retrieved from http://www.litscape.com/author/Aesop/The_Boy_and_the_Filberts.html

5. Startling Statement

Often, startling statements come in the form of statistics and strange facts. The goal of a good startling
statistic is that it surprises the audience and gets them engaged in your topic. For example, if you’re giving a
speech about oil conservation, you could start by saying,

“A Boeing 747 airliner holds 57,285 gallons of fuel.” You could start a speech on the psychology of dreams
by noting, “The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.”

A strange fact, on the other hand, is a statement that does not involve numbers but is equally surprising to
most audiences.

For example, you could start a speech on the gambling industry by saying, “There are no clocks in any
casinos in Las Vegas.” You could start a speech on the Harlem Globetrotters by saying, “In 2000, Pope John
Paul II became the most famous honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters.” All four of these examples
came from a great website for strange facts (http://www.strangefacts.com).

6. Question

Another strategy for getting your audience’s attention is to ask them a question. There are two types of
questions commonly used as attention-getters: response questions and rhetorical questions. A response
question is a question that the audience is expected to answer in some manner.

For example, you could ask your audience, “Please raise your hand if you have ever thought about
backpacking in Europe” or “Have you ever voted for the Electoral College? If so, stand up.” In both of these
cases, the speaker wants her or his audience to respond.

A rhetorical question, on the other hand, is a question to which no actual reply is expected.

For example, a speaker talking about the importance of mass testing could start by asking the audience, “I
have two questions that I’d like you to think about. How many students on this campus agree on
implementing the mass testing for Covid 19? Of those who agree, are you willing to do it your own benefit?”

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 In this case, the speaker does not expect the audience to give an estimate of the numbers of students that fit
into each category but rather to think about the questions as the speech goes on.

7. Humor

Humor is another effective method for gaining an audience’s attention. Humor is an amazing tool when used
properly. We cannot begin to explain all the amazing facets of humor within this text, but we can say that
humor is a great way of focusing an audience on what you are saying.

Humor can be integrated into the aforementioned attention-getting devices. You could make use of a
humorous anecdote, quotation or actual event. You need to make sure that your humor is important and
related to your subject. Make sure that having humor in your speech does not give you the right to give
offensive remarks that would affect your audience.

For example, here’s a humorous quotation from Nicolas Chamfort, a French author during the sixteenth
century, “The only thing that stops God from sending another flood is that the first one was useless.” While
this quotation could be great for some audiences, other audiences may find this humorous quotation offensive
(e.g., religious audiences).

8. Personal Reference

Some of the best speeches are ones that come from personal knowledge and experience. If you are an expert
or have first-hand experience related to your topic, sharing this information with the audience is a great way
to show that you are credible during your attention-getter.

For example, if you had a gastric bypass surgery and you wanted to give an informative speech about the
procedure, you could introduce your speech in this way:

In the fall of 2008, I decided that it was time that I took my life into my own hands. After suffering for years
with the disease of obesity, I decided to take a leap of faith and get a gastric bypass in an attempt to finally
beat the disease.

The next examples show how you may write your conclusion to avoid leaving hanging questions to your
audience. This will also help them understand and know that you end up your speech.

1. Restatement of the Thesis

When we restate the thesis statement at the conclusion of our speech, we’re attempting to reemphasize what
the overarching main idea of the speech has been. 

Suppose your thesis statement was, “I will analyze Barack Obama’s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech,
‘A World That Stands as One.’” You could restate the thesis in this fashion at the conclusion of your speech:
“In the past few minutes, I have analyzed Barack Obama’s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, ‘A World
That Stands as One.’” Notice the shift in tense: the statement has gone from the future tense (this is what I
will speak about) to the past tense (this is what I have spoken about). Restating the thesis in your conclusion
reminds the audience of the major purpose or goal of your speech, helping them remember it better.

2. Review of Main Points

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 Today, we have differentiated between the terms biological sex and gender, examined the history of gender
research in communication, and analyzed a series of research findings on the topic.

3. Concluding Device
a. Conclude with a Challenge
A challenge is a call to engage in some kind of activity that requires a contest or special effort. In a speech on
the necessity of fund-raising, a speaker could conclude by challenging the audience to raise 10 percent more
than their original projections.

b. Conclude with a Quotation

When using a quotation, you need to think about whether your goal is to end on a persuasive note or an
informative note. Some quotations will have a clear call to action, while other quotations summarize or
provoke thought. For example, let’s say you are delivering an informative speech about dissident writers in
the former Soviet Union. You could end by citing this quotation from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “A great
writer is, so to speak, a second government in his country. And for that reason no regime has ever loved great
writers. Solzhenitsyn, A. (1964). 

c. Conclude with a Summary

When a speaker ends with a summary, he or she is simply elongating the review of the main points. While
this may not be the most exciting concluding device, it can be useful for information that was highly technical
or complex or for speeches lasting longer than thirty minutes. Typically, for short speeches (like those in your
class), this summary device should be avoided.

d. Conclude by Visualizing the Future

For example, if a speaker proposes that a solution to illiteracy is hiring more reading specialists in public
schools, the speaker could ask her or his audience to imagine a world without illiteracy. In this use of
visualization, the goal is to persuade people to adopt the speaker’s point of view. By showing that the
speaker’s vision of the future is a positive one, the conclusion should help to persuade the audience to help
create this future.

e. Conclude with an Appeal for Action

When a speaker concludes by asking the audience “to do” or “to think” in a specific manner, the speaker
wants to see an actual change. Whether the speaker appeals for people to eat more fruit, buy a car, vote for a
candidate, oppose the death penalty, or sing more in the shower, the speaker is asking the audience to engage
in action.

f. Conclude by Inspiration
The ultimate goal of an inspiration concluding device is similar to an “appeal for action” but the ultimate goal
is more lofty or ambiguous; the goal is to stir someone’s emotions in a specific manner.

g. Conclude with Advice

Advice is essentially a speaker’s opinion about what should or should not be done. The problem with opinions
is that everyone has one, and one person’s opinion is not necessarily any more correct than another’s. There
needs to be a really good reason your opinion—and therefore your advice—should matter to your audience.
If, for example, you are an expert in nuclear physics, you might conclude a speech on energy by giving advice
about the benefits of nuclear energy.

h. Conclude by Proposing a Solution

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 For example, perhaps a speaker has been discussing the problems associated with the disappearance of art
education in the United States. The speaker could then propose a solution of creating more community-based
art experiences for school children as a way to fill this gap.

i. Conclude with a Question

Another way you can end a speech is to ask a rhetorical question that forces the audience to ponder an idea.
Maybe you are giving a speech on the importance of the environment, so you end the speech by saying,
“Think about your children’s future. What kind of world do you want them raised in? A world that is clean,
vibrant, and beautiful—or one that is filled with smog, pollution, filth, and disease?” Notice that you aren’t
actually asking the audience to verbally or nonverbally answer the question; the goal of this question is to
force the audience into thinking about what kind of world they want for their children.

j. Conclude with a Reference to Audience

The last concluding device discussed by Miller (1946) was a reference to one’s audience. This concluding
device is when a speaker attempts to answer the basic audience question, “What’s in it for me?” The goal of
this concluding device is to spell out the direct benefits a behavior or thought change has for audience
members.
For example, a speaker talking about stress reduction techniques could conclude by clearly listing all the
physical health benefits stress reduction offers (e.g., improved reflexes, improved immune system, improved
hearing, reduction in blood pressure). In this case, the speaker is clearly spelling out why audience members
should care—what’s in it for them!

Before you write and deliver your own speech, be reminded of the ABC’s and 3 Ps of Public Speaking.

Below is the ABC’s of effective public speaking. What type of speaker are you? Do you have
limitations? Do you strictly follow the rules in speaking? With this list, it will definitely help you to
become more confident in speaking.
THE ABC’S OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Amiability It refers to being friendly with the audience.

Brevity It means the speech should be short but substantial.
Confidence This term may be explained as a speaker being in control of himself, of his subject
matter, and of his audience.
Diction It refers to proper choice of words.
Enthusiasm It refers to the earnestness and sincerity of the speaker to share his topic with his
audience.
Fluency It means smooth discussion of one’s topic.
It refers to the quality of a speaker which means no stammering, no uncomfortable
pauses, and no groping for words.
Gestures It refers to body movements that help emphasize ideas.
The use of these by a speaker allows him to be natural and not so stiff or rigid.
Harsh comments Harsh comments antagonize audience.
should be avoided.
Illustrations Illustrations (visual, verbal, or literary) cement key ideas.
Anecdotal examples are usually enjoyed by the audience.
Statistics can impress audience.
Joviality It is synonymous to being happy or jolly.
Audiences enjoy a humorous speaker.

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 Amusing doesn’t necessarily mean funny. Adding interesting facts such as taboos in
some cultures or personal anecdotes related to the topic and delivered with dramatic
voice can work, too.
Knowledge It refers to a speaker’s mastery of his subject matter.
It strongly cements a speaker’s credibility.
Liaison It refers to establishing good relations with the audience.
Mannerisms should be Mannerisms distract and may lessen the credibility of the speaker.
avoided.
Naturalness It refers to being at ease or comfortable in delivering a speech.
In most contexts, speakers make use of conversational tone.
Openings should be Openings catch the attention of the audience; hence, attention should be given to
interesting. how a speech is introduced.
Poise It is said to be the most immediate manifestation of the credibility of the speaker.
Includes: no pocketing of hands, no mannerisms, good stage management, strong
eye contact
Questioning attitude It is one of the effective ways of getting the audience to participate actively and
directly in the speaking event especially the yes-no type of question.

Repetition Key concepts can be stressed by repetition given vocal variety.

Substance It refers to good content.
Termination Clincher should be interesting, memorable, or dramatic.
The last concepts/ideas are strongly retained by the audience.
Understanding It means that a speaker must make sure that the language or the terms he or she uses
have the same meaning with the audience.
The speaker applies the register that fits the audience.

Vitality of words It asserts that the speaker should make use of contemporary language or terms.

“We” attitude It is the mark of an effective speaker that specifies that he casts his or her speech in
such a way that an action or a general achievement is achieved with the audience’s
involvement.
Ex. “You can change the society…” BETTER: “We can change our society…”
“You are fools if…” BETTER: We are fools if …”
Xenophobia must be Xenophobia refers to the feeling of being overwhelmed and intimidated by
controlled. strangers.
Anxiety before a speech is natural. One has to work around it by preparing well.

Yielding attitude It refers to the attitude of the speaker whereby he entertains the ideas of his
audience. This can be done by foreseeing possible arguments from the audience,
acknowledging these probable arguments, before launching to his own stand on the
matter.
“While there is truth in…”

Zest An energetic speaker is contagious.

The 3 Ps of Public Speaking

Prepare---Practice---Present
“Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”--- Gerald R. Ford

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 Prepare: Organize your content
Things to prepare before a speech or presentation:
1. Connecting with the audience.
2. Overcoming speaking anxiety
3. Responding appropriately to the audience needs
4. Honing your non-verbal communication skills
5. Avoiding common, yet costly public speaking mistakes

Cicero believed that the process of eloquent speech preparation consists of five steps:
1. Invention- development and refinement of an argument
2. Arrangement- creation of the structure
3. Style-the process of determining how to present an argument
4. Memory- the process of learning and memorizing the speech
5. Delivery- The process of making effective use of voice and body language

Practice: Work on Feeling like your best self

“ If I don’t practice the way I should, I won’t play the way I know I can”--- Ivan Lendl
1. Practice deep breathing
2. Practice shifting focus outwards
3. Practice visualization
4. Practice on focusing on facts, not fears
5. Practice to build your speech on clarity, not complexity

Public Speaking is a skill, it requires constant practice in order to be improved. The more you talk in public,
the more you train your mind and body to recognize speaking as a familiar and safe situation, the more
confident you feel in the spotlight.

TIPS:
Practice alone
 Prepare cue cards
 Talk to yourself
 Talk in front of the mirror

Practice in front of other people

Always seek feedback from your audience at the end of the presentation. Ask for opinion on topics such as:
 How convincing and intelligible your speaking was
 How interesting, useful and clear different parts of your presentation were
 How well you answered questions at the end of the speech
 What was their overall impression of your speech

Present: Now It’s Time to focus on Your Audience

Here are some tips that will allow you to improve your presentation even more:
 Relax before you get up to talk

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  Greet your audience with a smile
 Do not rush through your presentation
 Make yourself be heard
 Face your audience at all time
 Talk to people, not at them
 Claim attention
 Do not stick your hands in your pockets
 Never apologize for anything
 Be your best self
 Have fun

You can never go wrong with the help of the ABC’s and the 3 Ps in public speaking. Be an effective
speaker NOW!

EXPLAIN
To prepare you in the evaluation task, watch the speech entitled, “Dananjaya Hettiarachchi World
Champion of Public Speaking 2014 - Full Speech”. A copy of this video is attached on this the thread (for
OBL); check module 3 folder, module 3, unit 1 file name (for CBL)

Identify the different parts of the speech. Write your own analysis about the speech by using the guide
questions presented in this unit. This formative task will help you in the final task of this unit.

A. Introduction
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
B. Body
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
C. Conclusion
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

D. Delivery and Techniques

________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

ELABORATE

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 Using your simplified story pitch in module 2 and the concepts you learned in this module, draft a persuasive
speech on any topic that YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT. You may also identify in your story pitch your
introduction, body, and conclusion. This formative task will help you in the final task of this unit. Remember:
Your speech will be delivered thru Pecha Kucha.

EVALUATE: (GET TESTED!)

Write your final draft of the persuasive speech.

 Prepare – Practice – Present! This is the main objective of this Unit. In every speaking engagement,
preparation is very important because you also need to compose yourself and be able to think of the
best topic that you could comfortably present in front of the audience. From the written speech that
you have PREPARED. You are given the time to PRACTICE.

TASK 3
PUBLIC SPEAKING
You are now ready to PRESENT your speech thru Pecha Kucha. Record your presentation through a
smartphone or any available video recorder, then save your video recording in the flash drive (for
CBL) pass in your google classroom Module 3 bin for OBL.
Before passing, make sure you follow the instructions below:
1. Make sure you are seen in the video because the rubric requires eye contact and physical
delivery.
2. A sample output is given. Please watch it.
3. Your Pecha Kucha and your speech are simultaneously shown and recorded so please plan
carefully. You may use zoom, google meet, or other applications.
4. You will be graded using the rubric below.

Speech Delivery Rubric

Criteria Very Good (10) Good (8) Fair (6) Needs Improvement(4)
Vocal Delivery Speech is delivered in Speech is delivered in Speech is Speaker uses no vocal
conversational manner conversational manner understandable, but variety; speaks in a
with appropriate with appropriate volume, speaker uses too many monotone. Lack of
volume, vocal variety, vocal variety, rate and vocal pauses (uhs or enunciation.
rate and enunciation. enunciation. Only isolated ums); words are used Mispronunciations.
Speech is free of examples of vocal pauses repeatedly (like, you
mispronunciations and or mispronunciations. know) words are
verbal pauses are not mispronounced; Lack
noticeable. of enunciation
Eye contact Speaker maintains Speaker maintains eye Speaker maintains only The speaker lacks eye
consistent eye contact contact throughout speech, partial eye contact; contact and reads speech
throughout speech, only but frequently reads from mostly reads directly directly from notes.
occasionally glancing at notes. from notes
notes.
Physical Delivery Gestures and movements Gestures and/or movement Gestures and/or The speaker uses gestures
add to the delivery of the are mostly free from movements distract and movement that
speech. Arm or hand distraction but do not add from speech, but there distract from the speech.
movements are used to the delivery of the are moments of For example: leans on a
deliberately to speech. distraction-free podium, chews gum, paces
emphasize points. delivery. throughout the speech,
Nervous mannerisms are plays with hair or jewelry.

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 avoided.
Pecha Kucha The presentation is The presentation has one The presentation has The presentation has more
Technicality within 6:40. Power point or two technicality three to five than five technicality
has 20 slides with 20 lapse/lapses (either 20- technicality lapses (either 20-seond
second-time per slide. seond time lapse, number lapse/lapses (either 20- time lapse, number of
(The presentation has no of slides or does not meet/ seond time lapse, slides or does not meet/
technicality goes beyond 6:40 content number of slides or goes beyond 6:40 content
lapse/lapses.) presentation – 3-second does not meet/ goes presentation – 3-second
rule – before and after is beyond 6:40 content rule – before and after is
not given deduction) presentation – 3-second not given deduction)
rule – before and after
is not given deduction)
Pecha Kucha The images/text chosen The images/text chosen The images/text chosen The images/text chosen
Visual Appeal and are very appropriate. It are appropriate. It is are not so appropriate. are not appropriate. It is
creativity is very evident that the evident that the student It is not much evident evident that the student
student considered very considered very well the that the student did not consider the topic
well the topic in topic in choosing the considered very well in choosing the images/
choosing the images/ images/ text. the topic in choosing text.
text. the images/ text.

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