Projection:

• refers to the force of a person's voice
• speaker must speak at a minimum to reach the farthest person in the audience
• projection should vary: increase projection at major points

 

Pitch:

• avoid sounding monotone by varying pitch
• modulate the pitch with the importance of ideas

 

Articulation

• each syllable of each word you speak should be clearly articulated
• avoid dropping of ends of words especially "ing"
• to avoid dropping ends of words keep your head up when finishing sentences and avoid looking down to notes

 

Pronunciation

• practice pronouncing difficult words before your speech

 

Timing

• the rate of delivery- average is about 160 words per minute
• by varying the rate you can emphasize various parts of the speech
• a speech does have natural pauses- especially after an important point is made

 

DELIVERY (Physical)

Posture

• good posture creates a positive visual impression and prevents fatigue
• good posture is not rigid but relaxed
• avoid leaning

Movement

• avoid excessive movement it distracts the audience
• a good rule is to stay with in a few feet in all directions
• keep your movement purposeful

Gesture

• gesture should complement the verbal message and improve comprehension
• consider body language

Visual Contact

• use eye contact to establish rapport with audience
• in a large group give the impression that all are included

Facial Expression

• be comfortable and relaxed
• practice before a mirror- don't force expressions

CONTENT

Purpose

• convey the purpose in your introduction- a one sentence thesis statement

Clarity

• make sure vocabulary is comprehensible
• use jargon sparingly and explain if all don't understand
• illustrate difficult concepts with examples
• avoid too many lengthy sentences
• avoid digressions

Development

• speech should be logical and well-organized
• the pattern is determined in purpose and should follow through to the end
• present points in a sustained pattern without long pauses
• if the pattern of speech is complicated use visual to help audience

Transitions

• use transitional words and phrases to aid the listener: furthermore, consequently, therefore, in conclusion

Segmentation

• speech should have three clearly defined segments:

  The introduction-informs the audience of your objectives and creates expectations

  The body contains the main points, ideas, arguments presented logically-the longest part

  The conclusion should be brief to review the main points- no new information here

Visual Aids

• boardwork, overheads, slides powerpoint
• plan to have each visual serve one specific purpose
• visual should enhance presentation
• leave a visual up long enough for note taker, but remove when moving to different subject
• ensure that the person in the back can see the visual

Ability to Answer Questions

• an effective speech should prompt questions
• address questions at the end rather than allow interruptions to your plan
• maintain visual contact with the questioner
• a longer response should be addressed to the entire audience

General Effectiveness

Were the speaker's goals achieved?

Was the material presented in a relaxed, professional manner?

Could the speech be easily heard and understood?

Was time used effectively?

Was the general impression created positive?

PLEASE NOTE:

Information on this site is authorized for use only by the students of this course.Students have permission to copy any of the content. For copyright information of the linked sites please see the respective authors.

copyright 2003Karen E.Hamilton

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