Fundamentals of Public Speaking

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.

The following are the components of the speech writing process.

1. 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)
2. The purpose for writing and delivering the speech can be classified into threeto 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
a. Biographical-Presents descriptions of your life or of a person, famous or not
b. Categorical/ Topical- Presents related categories supporting the topic
c. Causal- Presents cause-effect relationships
d. Chronological- Presents the idea in time order
e. Comparison/ contrast-Presents comparison/ contrast of two or three points
 f. Problem-solution- Presents an identified problem, its causes, and recommended solutions
6. 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.
a. Table format

b. 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 Q
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.

10. Editing/Revising your written speech involves correcting errors in mechanics, such as grammar, punctuation,
capitalization, unity, coherence, and others.
Andrew Dlugan (2013), an award-winning public speaker, lists six power principles for speech editing.

11. 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.

Principles of Speech Delivery

Insights on Public Speaking
According to Stephen Lucas (2011), author of The Art of Public Speaking, a good delivery means that you are
capable and able to present your message in a clear, coherent, and interesting way. In addition to this, he
also says:
Good deliveryconveys the speakers ideas clearly, interestingly, and without distracting the audience. Most
audiences prefer delivery that combines a certain degree of formality with the best attributes of good conversation
directness, spontaneity, animation, vocal and facial expressiveness, and a lively sense of communication (p. 244).
As a student of public speaking, you should know that public speaking is not simply reading your speech or
talking about your topic. It requires making connections with your audience and presenting yourself formally
to the public. There are types of speeches according to purpose and delivery from which you can choose the
best one or the most appropriate in a given situation.
TYPES OF SPEECH ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
1. An informative speech provides the audience with a clear understanding of a concept or idea. The lectures of
your teachers are the best examples of this type.
2. An entertainment speech amuses the audience. The humorous speeches of comedians and performers are
the best examples of this type.
3. A persuasive speech seeks to provide the audience with favorable or acceptable ideas that can influence their
own ideas and decisions. The campaign speeches of the running candidates for government posts are the
best examples of this type.
Types of Speech According to Delivery

1. Extemporaneous
Description
Speaking with limited preparation Delivered conversationally
Guided by notes or outline Most popular type
Speaking Situations
When you are a candidate for a post in a student government and you deliver your campaign speech before a
voting public
When you are assigned to present a topic/output in class
Advantages
Helps you look confident Engages the audience
Disadvantages
May not have adequate time to plan, organize, and rehearse
Tips
Create an outline
Organize your points logically (most important to least important or vice versa)
Use facts and real-life experiences as your examples
Manage your time well
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

2. Impromptu
Description
Speaking without advanced preparation
Unrehearsed speech
Spoken conversationally
Speaking Situations
In an event where you are asked to say a few words
First day at work or in class, or during an interview
Advantages
Spontaneous or natural speaking
More focused and brief
Disadvantages
Tendency to be disorganized
Lacks connection with the audience
Nerve-racking for inexperienced speakers and beginners
Tips
Once you are requested to say something, pause for a moment to plan in your head what to say.
State your main point briefly and deliver it at a pace your audience can follow.
End by saying thank you.

3. Manuscript
Description
Speaking with advanced preparation
Planned and rehearsed speech
Reading aloud a written message
Speaking Situations
Newscasting with a TelePrompter or an autocue device
Presenting the legal proceedings and verdict in court
Reading the rules and criteria in a contest
Advantages Exact repetition of the written words
 Guided speech Boring and uninteresting presentation
Disadvantages Lacks audience rapport or connection
 Tips
Rehearse the speech over and over again until you sound natural.
Observe accomplished news anchors and note how conversational they sound when they deliver the news.

4. Memorized
Description
Speaking with advanced preparation
Planned and rehearsed speech
Reciting a written message word-for-word from memory
Speaking Situations
When you perform in a stage play
When you deliver a declamation, oratorical, or literary piece
When an actor or actress in a scene performs a script from memory
Advantages
Exact repetition of the written words from memory
Free to move around the stage
Disadvantages
Speakers might end up speaking in a monotone pattern. Alternatively, he/she might take a fast pace.
When the speaker cannot control his/her stage fright, he/she might have difficulty remembering his/her
memorized speech.
Tips
Rehearse the speech over and over again until you sound natural and feel confident.
Observe how actors/actresses perform their script in a theater, television, or movie scenes.

More Tips for Effective Speech Delivery

1. Use a conversational style more often. This is the style that is more natural; it is the style that you always use
when you express yourself with your family and friends. Audience members do not like the speaker to sound
unnatural or exaggerated.
2. Look your audience members in the eye so they will feel that they are part of your speech. Eye contact should
be maintained to keep the attention of your audience and enhance your delivery.
3. Remember to adjust your volume to the size of the audience and the venue. When addressing a large
audience, modulate your voice in such a way that you speak loudly without sounding like shouting or yelling.
4. Vary your rate or speed to keep your audience interested and to avoid a monotone pattern. The audience
might get bored if you speak very slowly and they might get confused if you speak very fast. Hence, your rate
should be at an appropriate speed.
5. Master your voice and find your pitch level (high or low). If you have a high pitch level, modulate or slightly
move it down. If you have a low pitch level, modulate or slightly move it up. Your performance will definitely
be affected if you do not modulate.
6. Use pauses when you emphasize the most important words, phrases, or sentences. Your pauses should not
last for three seconds. Otherwise, it will result in dead air or a moment of awkward silence.
7. Pronounce and enunciate words correctly. You will confuse the audience if you mispronounce words, and it
could distract them and affect your credibility.
8. Avoid fillers or expressions that substitute actual words in your speech because these words are distracting.
Examples of fillers are like, um, ah, uh, and er. To reduce the use of these fillers, detect the instances
when you use them: Do you generally use fillers after each sentence, between different ideas, or whenever
you make transitions? Then, instead of using them the next time you deliver a speech, simply stop and
pause.
9. Start your speech by standing straight and balancing your weight. This will give a positive first impression.
10. Use precise movements. Avoid distracting mannerisms like swaying back and forth, leaning on the podium,
licking or biting your lips, playing with your wristwatch or jewelry, scratching parts of your body, frowning,
and others. Observe your mannerisms and learn how to avoid them when speaking in public.
11. Avoid having a poker face or a highly animated face. These facial expressions appear distracting and may
even be annoying. Instead, follow the most highly suggested tip: smile. However, make sure that the meaning
of your speech reflects in your facial expressions; do not smile if you are talking about something sad.
12. Dress properly and appropriately. Wearing the proper attire will make you look more confident and
professional. Make sure not to overdress, as this may distract your audience.
13. Observe ethics by coming prepared, being honest with your words, being polite, avoiding offensive words
and back-biting or talking negative things about other people, or copying someones work without proper
documentation.
14. Breathe in and out to relax before your speech. Most importantly, have fun.