Tutors 21 | - Freelance Writer
Jan 05, 2024 | #1
QUESTION I - Laid back speeches
My speech teacher says my speeches are too "laid back" and that I do not take my topics seriously enough. I write the way I talk and do not know how to change that. What do I do?
Answer
It looks to me as if you may have forgotten at least one the two cardinal rules of speech writing.
First, know your topic. Second, remember to whom you are speaking. It is not enough to simply know your topic. If you do not create a speech that is appropriate for the audience and situation, then all is lost. If you know your topic, and know it well, there should be no difficulty in gathering enough material to fill the time you have been allotted. If you are a class clown, leave the humor alone. Simply stick to the topic you have been assigned. This is not to say that you have to slick back your hair, wear horned-rimmed glasses, and present your topic as if it were a funeral dirge. It just means stick to the topic and deliver a speech that is appropriate for the audience you have been given. Your own character traits are not even an issue. This is an assignment, and you must think of it that way, not as an "on stage" opportunity for you to "talk." Be of good cheer. There are assignments, in speech writing, in which you can play and have a good time. It is just that, for every assignment, you must consider the audience that will be receiving your speech and the reason they would want to hear it. If it is inappropriate to "tell it the way you talk," then try another technique. Write the speech as if you are writing it for someone else to present. That might help you to keep some of your own "laid back" personality out of the text.
QUESTION II - Too little time to speak?
My speech teacher has assigned me a huge topic and has given me only 5 minutes to speak. What do I do?
Answer
That is really not a tough question. In these cases, read all you can about your topic and jot down major points as you read. Then, put the reading away and number your major points, in order of importance. Include only the top five points in your speech and you will be just fine. This situation is becoming more and more common as we get farther and farther into the Information Age. Some have termed this "Information Overload." Access to the Internet has made it possible to run a search on any topic and gather current research from around the world. The research often includes huge studies on every minute detail of the topic. It is impossible to put all of this information into a five minute speech. What you can do, and this is highly recommended, is create a handout for your audience. Both MS-Word and PowerPoint have the capability to produce very nice handouts, including graphics. If you are not familiar with them, the time it takes you to learn will be well spent. Your handout can include web addresses to relevant research for each of the major points about a topic, not just the five or so you chose for your speech. The preparation of such a handout speaks to professionalism and will result in your earning more points toward your grade for this speech. So, never let the magnitude of a topic dissuade you from writing your speech. Simply take that as an opportunity to showcase your professionalism by creating collateral reading lists. Your audience and your teacher will all appreciate your efforts and your grade will reflect it.
QUESTION III - Kinds of speeches
I have heard of different kinds of speeches, and I am just wondering what the main types are and what is the difference between them? Are informal and formal different kinds of speeches? What about informational and educational?
Answer
Your question is a good one, and should help to clarify this issue for many people confused by the multitude of divisions that can be made in the world of speeches. If you search the web, you will find hundreds of different kinds of speeches, ranging from the toast to the hour-long lecture. By looking at the most basic categories, we can apply some order to this seemingly chaotic field.
The four major divisions into which almost all of the smaller speech-types can be placed are informative, persuasive, entertaining, and narrative. The informative speech involves the presentation of information in as objective a way as possible. Explaining how lightning is generated, or how the structure of government works, are both good examples. A persuasive speech deals with some issue and argues for a certain position or perspective, with the goal of convincing people to adopt the same position. A speech which extols everyone to vote for the Republicans would certainly be an example of a persuasive speech. An entertaining speech can be based on almost anything, but should come off sounding more like an extended stand-up comedy routine than anything else, because the purpose is to delight the audience, not to teach or convince them. The final type, the narrative speech, tells a story, and often takes the form of an extended anecdote or even an oral short-story.
It is important to keep in mind that aspects of one kind of speech can appear in another; your persuasive speech can have entertaining elements, as well as informative. These categories are most helpful when you are first writing your speech, because they help you to underline the speech's main purpose. Do you need people to understand something, or do you need them to believe your position? Are they expecting a captivating story, or do they want to be amused by your speech? After deciding on the basic speech type, other categories can be considered: should it be written in a formal or informal style? How long should it be? Should it be entirely prepared, based on basic notes, or presented off-the-cuff? The answers to all of these questions depend on two major factors, the first of which is your audience, and the second of which is yourself! Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you to mould a speech that you will feel comfortable giving, and that others will enjoy hearing.
QUESTION IV - Starting my speech
I am having a really hard time with the start of my speech. I have looked at different ways to start and there seems to be a lot of options. What do you think?
Response: Sometimes having too many choices is more difficult than having too few, and this is definitely one of those times. There are so many different ways to begin a speech, and so much "common wisdom" about the best way to do it, that everything you hear seems to contradict everything else: Start by introducing yourself and greeting the audience; save the introductions for later and start with a joke; begin with a little piece of a suspenseful story to hook your audience; start with a famous quote or dictionary definition to ground your speech in authority.... All of these options are widely recommended, but they are also all mutually exclusive! I am pleased to say that each one has its proper place, and that knowing which one is best for your situation is key to hitting the right tone with your opening.
The traditional opening for a speech runs something like "Ladies and gentlemen..." appended to whoever else happens to be in attendance, which may include judges, teachers, fellow students, and important individuals. After this you introduce yourself, your topic, and then start in on the content of your speech proper. There are times when this opening is appropriate, especially in the case where you are saying all of this to show that you know the proper conventions of greeting and address, like in a contest or in a class. However, notice how formal this is, and how repetitive it can be when a succession of speakers all uses it. If the situation permits using another opening, I would highly recommend it, since this one is so predictable and relatively empty.
Leading with a joke, or a funny story, is a great idea of your speech is on a light topic, or any topic that you plan to treat lightly. However, don't begin a deathly serious speech with a one-liner; if you plan to tell a sad story about how your best friend died of cancer, nothing will work against the rest of your speech like a funny opening. Starting with a quotation can be useful in a persuasive speech, especially if it comes from a notable figure speaking on your topic, whether for or against your point of view. However, make sure to avoid the common trap of using the most overdone quotations. "I have a dream" was a fantastically effective line in Martin Luther King, Junior's famous speech, but it has appeared in so many speeches since that it has lost its rhetorical power. A quotation from a dictionary to define a term is often a strong way to begin an informative speech, but you have to be certain the term you choose is not so complex as to lose listeners from the beginning, and no so easy that it really didn't need to be defined at all. As is the case with most aspects of speech writing, context is the key, and knowing what you are trying to accomplish will provide a good guide to what device you will use to begin.
Answers by Academic Eve, academiceve92@gmail.com
My speech teacher says my speeches are too "laid back" and that I do not take my topics seriously enough. I write the way I talk and do not know how to change that. What do I do?
Answer
It looks to me as if you may have forgotten at least one the two cardinal rules of speech writing.First, know your topic. Second, remember to whom you are speaking. It is not enough to simply know your topic. If you do not create a speech that is appropriate for the audience and situation, then all is lost. If you know your topic, and know it well, there should be no difficulty in gathering enough material to fill the time you have been allotted. If you are a class clown, leave the humor alone. Simply stick to the topic you have been assigned. This is not to say that you have to slick back your hair, wear horned-rimmed glasses, and present your topic as if it were a funeral dirge. It just means stick to the topic and deliver a speech that is appropriate for the audience you have been given. Your own character traits are not even an issue. This is an assignment, and you must think of it that way, not as an "on stage" opportunity for you to "talk." Be of good cheer. There are assignments, in speech writing, in which you can play and have a good time. It is just that, for every assignment, you must consider the audience that will be receiving your speech and the reason they would want to hear it. If it is inappropriate to "tell it the way you talk," then try another technique. Write the speech as if you are writing it for someone else to present. That might help you to keep some of your own "laid back" personality out of the text.
QUESTION II - Too little time to speak?
My speech teacher has assigned me a huge topic and has given me only 5 minutes to speak. What do I do?
Answer
That is really not a tough question. In these cases, read all you can about your topic and jot down major points as you read. Then, put the reading away and number your major points, in order of importance. Include only the top five points in your speech and you will be just fine. This situation is becoming more and more common as we get farther and farther into the Information Age. Some have termed this "Information Overload." Access to the Internet has made it possible to run a search on any topic and gather current research from around the world. The research often includes huge studies on every minute detail of the topic. It is impossible to put all of this information into a five minute speech. What you can do, and this is highly recommended, is create a handout for your audience. Both MS-Word and PowerPoint have the capability to produce very nice handouts, including graphics. If you are not familiar with them, the time it takes you to learn will be well spent. Your handout can include web addresses to relevant research for each of the major points about a topic, not just the five or so you chose for your speech. The preparation of such a handout speaks to professionalism and will result in your earning more points toward your grade for this speech. So, never let the magnitude of a topic dissuade you from writing your speech. Simply take that as an opportunity to showcase your professionalism by creating collateral reading lists. Your audience and your teacher will all appreciate your efforts and your grade will reflect it.
QUESTION III - Kinds of speeches
I have heard of different kinds of speeches, and I am just wondering what the main types are and what is the difference between them? Are informal and formal different kinds of speeches? What about informational and educational?
Answer
Your question is a good one, and should help to clarify this issue for many people confused by the multitude of divisions that can be made in the world of speeches. If you search the web, you will find hundreds of different kinds of speeches, ranging from the toast to the hour-long lecture. By looking at the most basic categories, we can apply some order to this seemingly chaotic field.
The four major divisions into which almost all of the smaller speech-types can be placed are informative, persuasive, entertaining, and narrative. The informative speech involves the presentation of information in as objective a way as possible. Explaining how lightning is generated, or how the structure of government works, are both good examples. A persuasive speech deals with some issue and argues for a certain position or perspective, with the goal of convincing people to adopt the same position. A speech which extols everyone to vote for the Republicans would certainly be an example of a persuasive speech. An entertaining speech can be based on almost anything, but should come off sounding more like an extended stand-up comedy routine than anything else, because the purpose is to delight the audience, not to teach or convince them. The final type, the narrative speech, tells a story, and often takes the form of an extended anecdote or even an oral short-story.
It is important to keep in mind that aspects of one kind of speech can appear in another; your persuasive speech can have entertaining elements, as well as informative. These categories are most helpful when you are first writing your speech, because they help you to underline the speech's main purpose. Do you need people to understand something, or do you need them to believe your position? Are they expecting a captivating story, or do they want to be amused by your speech? After deciding on the basic speech type, other categories can be considered: should it be written in a formal or informal style? How long should it be? Should it be entirely prepared, based on basic notes, or presented off-the-cuff? The answers to all of these questions depend on two major factors, the first of which is your audience, and the second of which is yourself! Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you to mould a speech that you will feel comfortable giving, and that others will enjoy hearing.
QUESTION IV - Starting my speech
I am having a really hard time with the start of my speech. I have looked at different ways to start and there seems to be a lot of options. What do you think?
Response: Sometimes having too many choices is more difficult than having too few, and this is definitely one of those times. There are so many different ways to begin a speech, and so much "common wisdom" about the best way to do it, that everything you hear seems to contradict everything else: Start by introducing yourself and greeting the audience; save the introductions for later and start with a joke; begin with a little piece of a suspenseful story to hook your audience; start with a famous quote or dictionary definition to ground your speech in authority.... All of these options are widely recommended, but they are also all mutually exclusive! I am pleased to say that each one has its proper place, and that knowing which one is best for your situation is key to hitting the right tone with your opening.
The traditional opening for a speech runs something like "Ladies and gentlemen..." appended to whoever else happens to be in attendance, which may include judges, teachers, fellow students, and important individuals. After this you introduce yourself, your topic, and then start in on the content of your speech proper. There are times when this opening is appropriate, especially in the case where you are saying all of this to show that you know the proper conventions of greeting and address, like in a contest or in a class. However, notice how formal this is, and how repetitive it can be when a succession of speakers all uses it. If the situation permits using another opening, I would highly recommend it, since this one is so predictable and relatively empty.
Leading with a joke, or a funny story, is a great idea of your speech is on a light topic, or any topic that you plan to treat lightly. However, don't begin a deathly serious speech with a one-liner; if you plan to tell a sad story about how your best friend died of cancer, nothing will work against the rest of your speech like a funny opening. Starting with a quotation can be useful in a persuasive speech, especially if it comes from a notable figure speaking on your topic, whether for or against your point of view. However, make sure to avoid the common trap of using the most overdone quotations. "I have a dream" was a fantastically effective line in Martin Luther King, Junior's famous speech, but it has appeared in so many speeches since that it has lost its rhetorical power. A quotation from a dictionary to define a term is often a strong way to begin an informative speech, but you have to be certain the term you choose is not so complex as to lose listeners from the beginning, and no so easy that it really didn't need to be defined at all. As is the case with most aspects of speech writing, context is the key, and knowing what you are trying to accomplish will provide a good guide to what device you will use to begin.
Answers by Academic Eve, academiceve92@gmail.com