LESSON 6 – Principles of Speech Writing

The Speech Writing Process

Just like events planning, or any other activities, writing an effective speech follows certain steps
or processes. The process for writing is not chronological or linear; rather, it is recursive. That means you
have the opportunity to repeat a writing procedure indefinitely, or produce multiple drafts first before you
can settle on the right one. Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram.

The following are the components of the speech writing process.

 Audience analysis entails looking into the profile of your target audience. This is done so you
can tailor-fit your speech content and delivery to your audience. The profile includes the
following information.

 demography (age range, male-female ratio, educational background and affiliations or

degree program taken, nationality, economic status, academic or corporate designations)
 situation (time, venue, occasion, and size)
 psychology (values, beliefs, attitudes, preferences, cultural and racial ideologies, and
needs).

 The purpose for writing and delivering the speech can be classified into three—to inform, to
entertain, or to persuade.

 An informative speech provides the audience with a clear understanding of the concept
or idea presented by the speaker.
 An entertainment speech provides the audience with amusement.
 A persuasive speech provides the audience with well-argued ideas that can influence
their own beliefs and decisions.
 The purpose can be general and specific. Study the examples below to see the differences.

General Purpose Specific Purpose

• To inform Grade 11 students about the process of conducting an

automated student government election
• To inform Grade 11 students about the definition and relevance of
To inform information literacy today

• To inform Grade 11 students about the importance of effective

money management

General Purpose Specific Purpose

• To entertain Grade 11 students with his/her funny

experiences in automated election
• To entertain Grade 11 students with interesting
To entertain observations of people who lack information literacy
• To entertain Grade 11 students with the success stories of
the people in the community
• To persuade the school administrators to switch from
manual to automated student government election
• To persuade Grade 11 students to develop information
To persuade literacy skills
• To persuade the school administrators to promote financial
literacy among students
 The topic is your focal point of your speech, which can be determined once you have decided
on your purpose.
If you are free to decide on a topic, choose one that really interests you. There are a
variety of strategies used in selecting a topic, such as using your personal experiences,
discussing with your family members or friends, free writing, listing, asking questions, or
semantic webbing.
 Narrowing down a topic means making your main idea more specific and focused. The
strategies in selecting a topic can also be used when you narrow down a topic.
In the example below, “Defining and developing effective money management skills of
Grade 11 students” is the specific topic out of a general one, which is “Effective money
management.”

General Purpose To inform

To inform Grade 11 students on the importance of effective money

Specific purpose management

Topic Financial literacy or effective money management

 Effective money management
Effective money management of Grade 11 students
Narrowing down a topic Developing an effective money management of Grade 11 students
through listing
Defining and developing effective money management skills of
Grade 11 students

 Data gathering is the stage where you collect ideas, information, sources, and references
relevant or related to your specific topic. This can be done by visiting the library, browsing the
web, observing a certain phenomenon or event related to your topic, or conducting an interview
or survey. The data that you will gather will be very useful in making your speech informative,
entertaining, or persuasive.

 Writing patterns, in general, are structures that will help you organize the ideas related to your
topic. Examples are biographical, categorical/topical, causal, chronological,
comparison/contrast, problem-solution, and spatial.

Below are different writing patterns from which you can select the one that best suits your topic
and/or purpose.

Pattern Descriptions Examples

To inform my audience about my

grandfather, the late former President
Specific Purpose Ramon Magsaysay
Presents
descriptions of
Biographical your life or of a
person, famous or Describing the life and works of my
not grandfather, the late former President
Specific Topic Ramon Magsaysay

To persuade the community members to

reduce, reuse, and recycle as means of
Specific Purpose eliminating garbage and protecting the
environment
Presents related
Categorical/
categories
Topical
supporting the topic Why the community members should
promote reducing, reusing, and recycling
Specific Topic

To inform my audience on the effects of

Specific Purpose overeating
Presents cause-
Causal Explaining the possible effects of
effect relationships
Specific Topic overeating to one’s health
 To inform my audience about the
significant events in the 1986 EDSA
Specific Purpose Revolution or People Power

Presents the idea in

Chronological
time order Describing the significant events
before, during, and after the 1986
Specific Topic EDSA Revolution or People Power

To persuade the audience that living in

the Philippines is better than living in
Specific Purpose Australia
Presents
Comparison/ comparison/
contrast contrast of two or
three points Explaining why the
Specific Topic Philippines is more habitable than
Australia

To persuade the audience to support

the educational
Specific Purpose programs of the national government
Presents an
identified problem,
Problem-solution its causes, and Explaining the reasons for supporting
recommended
the government’s educational programs
solutions
Specific Topic seen as the primary means of
increasing the literacy rate in the
Philippines

 An outline is a hierarchical list that shows the relationship of your ideas. Experts in public speaking
state that once your outline is ready, two-thirds of your speech writing is finished. A good outline
helps you see that all the ideas are in line with your main idea or message. The elements of an
outline include introduction, body, and conclusion. Write your outline based on how you want your
ideas to develop. Below are some of the suggested formats.

 Table format
Purpose To persuade

To persuade the community members to reduce, reuse, and recycle as means of

Specific purpose eliminating garbage and protecting the environment

Promoting the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling in eliminating

Topic wastes and protecting the environment

Pattern Problem-solution

Share facts on the current situation of the environment.

Introduction State the message of the speech (specific topic).

Discuss how improper waste disposal becomes an environmental problem.

Explain how reducing, reusing, and recycling would eliminate wastes and protect
Body
the environment.
 State the specific purpose of your speech again.
Conclusion Call for action.

 List format

1.0
As of today, there is an alarming increase of wastes in our community.
1.1 According to Solid Waste Management Office, if we do not take immediate action, we
might face more perils caused by natural calamities.
1.2 Now, I am going to talk about how to eliminate wastes and protect the environment.
2.0 Improper waste disposal causes environmental problems.
2.1 Wastes contaminate the soil.
2.2 Wastes contaminate the water.
2.3 Wastes can cause floods.

3.0 There are ways to eliminate wastes and protect the environment.
3.1 Reducing, reusing, and recycling can help eliminate wastes.
3.2 People should start doing these at home.

4.0 We must act now.

4.1 This solution should be supported by the local government.
4.2 Let us learn from the lessons in natural calamities we have experienced.

 The body of the speech provides explanations, examples, or any details that can help you
deliver your purpose and explain the main idea of your speech.
One major consideration in developing the body of your speech is the focus or central idea.
The body of your speech should only have one central idea.
The following are some strategies to highlight your main idea.
 Present real-life or practical examples
 Show statistics
 Present comparisons
 Share ideas from the experts or practitioners

 The introduction is the foundation of your speech. Here, your primary goal is to get the
attention of your audience and present the subject or main idea of your speech. Your first few
words should do so.
The following are some strategies.
 Use a real-life experience and connect that experience to your subject.
 Use practical examples and explain their connection to your subject.
 Start with a familiar or strong quote and then explain what it means.
 Use facts or statistics and highlight their importance to your subject.
 Tell a personal story to illustrate your point.

 The conclusion restates the main idea of your speech. Furthermore, it provides a summary,
emphasizes the message, and calls for action. While the primary goal of the introduction is to
 get the attention of your audience, the conclusion aims to leave the audience with a memorable
statement.
The following are some strategies.

 Begin your conclusion with a restatement of your message.

 Use positive examples, encouraging words, or memorable lines from songs or stories
familiar to your audience.
 Ask a question or series of questions that can make your audience reflect or ponder.

 Editing/Revising your written speech involves correcting errors in mechanics, such as

grammar, punctuation, capitalization, unity, coherence, and others. Andrew Dlugan (2013), an
awardwinning public speaker.

Six power principles for speech editing.

 Edit for focus.
“So, what’s the point? What’s the message of the speech?”
Ensure that everything you have written, from introduction to conclusion, is related to
your central message.

 Edit for clarity.

“I don’t understand the message because the examples or supporting details were confusing.”
Make all ideas in your speech clear by arranging them in logical order (e.g., main idea
first then supporting details, or supporting details first then main idea).

 Edit for concision.

“The speech was all over the place; the speaker kept talking endlessly as if no one was
listening to him/her.”
Keep your speech short, simple, and clear by eliminating unrelated stories and
sentences and by using simple words.

 Edit for continuity.

“The speech was too difficult to follow; I was lost in the middle.”

Keep the flow of your presentation smooth by adding transition words and
phrases.

 Edit for variety.

“I didn’t enjoy the speech because it was boring.”
Add spice to your speech by shifting tone and style from formal to conversational and
vice-versa, moving around the stage, or adding humor.

 Edit for impact and beauty.

“There’s nothing really special about the speech.”

Make your speech memorable by using these strategies: surprise the audience, use vivid
descriptive images, write well-crafted and memorable lines, and use figures of speech.
  Rehearsing gives you an opportunity to identify what works and what does not work for you
and for your target audience. Some strategies include reading your speech aloud, recording
for your own analysis or for your peers or coaches to give feedback on your delivery. The best
thing to remember at this stage is: “Constant practice makes perfect.”

Some Guidelines in Speech Writing

1. Keep your words short and simple. Your speech is meant to be heard by your audience, not read.
2. Avoid jargon, acronyms, or technical words because they can confuse your audience.
3. Make your speech more personal. Use the personal pronoun “I,” but take care not to overuse it.
When you need to emphasize collectiveness with your audience, use the personal pronoun “we.”
4. Use active verbs and contractions because they add to the personal and conversational tone of
your speech.
5. Be sensitive of your audience. Be very careful with your language, jokes, and nonverbal cues.
6. Use metaphors and other figures of speech to effectively convey your point.
7. Manage your time well; make sure that the speech falls under the time limit.

Reference:
Oral Communication in Context For Senior High School. Copyright © 2016
by C & E Publishing, Inc., Philippe John Fresnillo Sipacio and Anne Richie
Garcia Balgos