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Tuesday, September 30, 2003 Presenting Your Speech
Formats of Delivery: impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript, memorized (Decide on the
method of presentation you will use--usually extemporaneous with a few notes. Most manuscript
speeches sound as if they are being read. Memorized speeches sound memorized, and there is
always the danger of forgetting.)
Give an example of each of these formats of delivery (what sort of speech would suit each?) see
p 45 & 243-245 in your book. IE. Bush’s speech last week which was it?
 Impromptu ~ No specific preparations Main disadvantages are that it focuses on appearances
– lacks details
Hints on how to approach the impromptu:

Draw on life's experiences and knowledge.

Brainstorm the topic on a sheet of paper.

Think your perspective through, selecting from and expanding into headings, key words
or points from the brainstorming session.

Approximately three or four headings should be sufficient to sustain the required
impromptu speech. Jot these down on paper.

Decide upon the structure or sequence of the talk by numbering your headings. The first
one you wrote down may not be the most appropriate to begin your speech

Transfer the first of your headings to a palm card and add as many points related to it as
needed. When writing, try to express yourself using key words and phrases which can be
recalled at a glance when you are speaking.

Do palm cards for the other headings.

Recap on the headings and end with a definite statement, rhetorical question or perhaps a
relevant quotation.

Prepare your opening last. Inevitably it will emerge as your preparation takes place.

Open with a definite statement, or turn the topic into a rhetorical question followed by a
comment that gives some indication of what is to follow.

Avoid repetition!

Close on a decisive note!
The impromptu speech is intended to reveal speakers' ability to develop a point of view on a
general topic, and to organise a three-minute presentation within a limited preparation time (four
minutes).
If you are known as an experienced presenter or as an expert on a particular subject, you will
certainly be asked to give an impromptu speech at one time or another. Rather than declining or
becoming tongue-tied, you should view this with enthusiasm as a great opportunity to shine as a
speaker. How can you make sure that this will be the successful outcome?
Never, never apologize or make excuses. The minute a presenter starts to apologize and make
excuses, he or she robs him or herself of credibility, and the audience prepares for a mediocre or
average presentation. Think of yourself as the hero or heroine and give the very best speech you
can give on such short notice. You wouldn’t have been asked if you weren’t up to it.

Manuscript ~ read the whole bloody thing – main advantage is that you can control the timing
precisely – important if recording a speech. Difficult to sound natural – difficult to respond to
feedback from audience. Impossible to move about.
This may lessen your speaker anxiety and help you accurately communicate your technical data,
but such a speech can become monotonous, wooden, and boring to your audience. Imagine what
school would be like if all your teachers read their lectures without writing on the board, creating
short class projects, asking and answering questions, using the overhead projector, or ever
making eye contact. Your audience will not be able to maintain interest in a speech read from a
manuscript. However, if you are presenting purely statistical information, you will need to read
from a manuscript.

Extemporaneous ~ lectures etc – preparation is important - good outline allows feedback
disadvantage is that you may stumble and grope for words
A. have a stated clear preference for the method of delivery memorize at least three parts of your
speech
1. memorize your opening lines – at least the first few lines
2. memorize your closing lines
3. memorize your major propositions and the order you will present them in
 Memorized ~ Allows attentions to style. Disadvantage is that you may forget your speech –
problems with adjusting to feedback.
The least effective type of oral presentation for technical communication is the memorized speech.
This is a well-prepared speech that has been committed to memory. Although such preparation
might make you feel less anxious, too often these speeches sound mechanical and impersonal.
They are stiff, formal, and allow no speaker-audience interaction. Moreover, technical data,
statistics, and definitions do not lend themselves easily to memorization. You might think you’ve
memorized your technical information, but odds are against it.
In which way will you remember your presentation?
Your voice (see pp 246 – 249) will have a lot to do with your presentation
Our voice is a critical part of our message.
Sometimes listeners make judgements about our level of professionalism and our trustworthiness
simply from the sound of our voice. If we truly want to take charge of our communication style,
we must develop our verbal skills.
Your voice should express conviction, vitality and enthusiasm to seize attention. A weak voice
is dull and uninteresting. As you develop your vocal power, you will improve the quality of your
voice -- even for those times you choose to speak very softly.
The source of power in your voice is your diaphragm which is a group of muscles and tendons
located between the chest and the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm controls the action of the
lungs, the "bellows" of speech. A column of air is forced from the lungs, through the trachea and
to the larynx, where tone is generated. The tone then resonates in the holes in the head and the
organs of articulation further define the sound.
With proper use of your diaphragm, your upper abdomen (not your upper chest) will expand
when you inhale and contract when you exhale. If you do not use your diaphragm properly, your
breathing will be shallow and will not support your voice adequately.
The four steps in the production of voice are:
·
Breathing
·
Phonation
·
Resonance
·
Articulation
Voice Exercises
Before you speak, prepare your voice with the following exercises. Continued practice will
permanently improve the sound of your voice.
Relax - Remember this is going to be FUN!
·
Yawn a few times.
·
Raise your shoulders and hold them tightly for 10 seconds - then release them and
relax.
·
Clench your fists (tighten your entire body) and hold your muscles tight for 10
seconds - release and relax.
Breathe - Without a continuous flow of oxygen your entire body will become extremely tense.
KEEP BREATHING!
·
·
Pant like a dog. FEEL your diaphragm muscles functioning.
Place your hands below your rib cage and around your sides. With your
thumbs pointed towards your back and your fingers around your stomach,
FEEL your stomach fill with air and PUSH it out.
Project - Imagine the gas pedal on your car. You are about to accelerate.
·
You can say any sentence but think of starting out slowly and then stepping
firmly on the gas.
·
Stand on one side of the room and say your name and address to someone
on the other side.
Resonance - The depth and quality of your voice project professionalism.
·
Remember Tarzan? Give a strong Tarzan yell. Let you voice create the
warbling affect.
·
Rattling your vocal cords - this is a very deep gargle effect. You must
totally relax your throat and slowly let the air flow out. If done correctly, you
will feel a deep vibration of your vocal cords. For many people this takes
considerable practice but don't give up because the results are noticeable.
Slow Down, You’re Talking Too Fast!
Fast speech is like fine print. It’s easy to ignore. Radio and television commercials sometimes
rely on this. At the end of an otherwise great offer you hear an announcer running through a list
of restrictions and qualifications that water down the offer. This part of the commercial is spoken
so fast that you can barely understand it. More importantly, you tend to tune out.
Listeners tune out if speakers don't make listening comfortable. It's the speaker's job to make it
easy and comfortable for the audience to listen.
Pauses Punctuate Speech
If you habitually talk fast, you need a variety of ways to punctuate your speech, and the most
natural punctuation for speech is the pause you take when you reach for a breath. Writing
without punctuation is ambiguous and cumbersome. Speech, without the punctuation of pauses,
is unclear and hard to listen to. It makes listeners uncomfortable, not just because of the speed
itself. The unrelenting stream of sound never gives us a chance to rest and ponder the movement
of the speaker's thought.
Here's how to gain some verbal punctuation:
Look people in the eye when speaking. That will slow you down because you get feedback
from your listener. You can see whether or not your listener understands what you're saying.
That sense of connection with your target will help you pace your words so they hit the mark.
Breathe more often. You will have more energy for your voice. You will feel calmer. You will
have enough air to keep the energy in your voice right through to the end of the phrase.
Click here to read an article on breathing.
Pause between phrases. The pauses will give your listeners a chance to digest what you've said.
Speech that comes from a person who is breathing deeply and regularly is easier to hear and
understand. Click here to read an article on pausing.
Slowing down is a question of punctuation. Make sure you punctuate your speech by controlling
and varying your pace, using focused pauses, and taking more frequent breaths. You'll not only
hold the attention of your audience, you'll also deliver your points more powerfully and
persuasively.
Volume You need not be loud to be heard – can be boring loud all the time a soft voice can draw
the audience in as they need to listen more closely
Pitch Vocal pitch is how high or low your voice sounds. A monotone is boring.
Range You would need to tape record yourself to get a sense of pitch range
Tempo The rate at which you produce sound Most speakers average between 120 and 180 words
per minute. President Kennedy spoke at 180/m whilst Martin Luther King started his “I have a
dream” speech at 92 words per minute and spoke at 145/ at conclusion.
Articulation for example saying Dint instead of didn’t Lemme instead of Let me
Many errors in articulation result from a simple flaws: laziness
Pause – effectived timing can greatly enhance the impact of your message.
Of the four main characteristics of effective delivery which is most suited for you? For the others
in your group?
(Natural, reinforces the message, varied, conversational)
Observation,

Active mindfulness ~ involves the degree to which speakers and audiences are consciously
aware of the transactions between them. If someone responds with a look of puzzlement –
requires open-mindness to ideas contrary or unfamiliar to the way you think -

Selective attention ~ making a conscious choice to focus on some people and some
messages, rather than others

Sensorial involvement ~ a process that involves listening with all the sense, not simply the
sense of hearing ie. Audience movements


(audience role) Comprehension ~
(audience role) Retention

(audience role) Bias