Generous Actually Tell Public Speaking Assignmen

Assignment 1: NOTING A FEW OF THE FRUSTRATIONS IN THE PROCESS

It is impossible to prepare and give a speech (even for me) without having points along the way when you have walls and obstacles to overcome. I am most often slowed in preparing a speech when it comes to finding a good strong ending. I want the closing to be just right. So I usually spend extra time on that part of the speech.

What are some of the points along the way of your work on this Information Speech that were a bit challenging? Jot down at least three areas where you were still a bit insecure in how to go about it. I will individually write back to you on tips for dealing with whatever areas you identify. Give me at least three places where I can hopefully boost your proficiency.

Assignment 2:

Let’s have a little fun. If I were speaking on the topic of “traffic problems,” I would try to connect to the audience by referring to a traffic problem that bothers me. I want to hear yours.

For this discussion board, do this. Describe what happens when you drive that drives you crazy. What do other drivers do that makes you want to smack ’em? Share your peeve and remember that what ticks you off will likely connect with an audience as well. So share your driver’s pet peeve and get it off your chest. This is the kind of human interest material that makes a good speech interesting.

Assignment 3: FINDING THE KEY TO SPECIAL OCCASIONS SPEECHES

Let me repeat myself for emphasis. Here is the key to a great special occasion speech: Tell a brief story. If you are asked to say a few words at the wedding of your niece and her new husband, tell a brief story about the niece and you. Tell something you and she did when you were children. People like a fun short story. Don’t use abstract words such as “She is nice…she is kind…she is generous.” Actually tell something she did, or you and she did together. That’s what people want at special occasions such as weddings, funerals, birthday parties, commemoration services, promotion events, etc.

Try your hand at it. Select a person from your family who will probably get married in a few months or years and tell me a fun story about them. Give a first name only and then tell your story in a few paragraphs. Share enough for me to get the flow of the story, but don’t overdo it. About three or four paragraphs, a half page worth will be about right. I will return a few pointers if you need to beef the story up.

Assignment 4:

If I could give you only two pieces of advice on how to make a speech successful, I would say it in two brief suggestions. “Be prepared.” “Be confident.” Preparation helps with confidence but nothing will save you if you are winging it. In fact, I tell students that I can spot a lack of preparation far faster than I can a lack of confidence. It shows up within seconds and hurts the credibility of the speech so greatly. But if you will study and prepare the content of your speech (My rule of thumb is an hour of study and preparation for every five minutes I am up.) you will help yourself a lot when it comes to pulling off a good delivery.

For this discussion, let’s reflect out loud on what can boost personal confidence in the delivery process. We have covered quite a bit of territory on that over the past modules. Out of your own thinking and reflection, come up with at least three things that you feel help a person deliver the speech with confidence. If your answers overlap with those of others, no problem.

Assignment 5:

In my experience as a public speaker, I have found that helping people with memory aids is one of the best ways to make a speech memorable. If I can, I use alliteration to begin all my points. I might also use an acronym with each letter of the word being the letter that begins my five or so points. That way audience members can remember the speech better.

For this discussion, respond to this, “Think of a speech that you can remember from the past. What make it easy to remember? Was it the speaker’s style? Was it a great story he or she told? Was it how they organized it? What make it stick in your mind? I will be curious to see what glued it to your memory. Describe the content briefly and then tell us why it stuck.

Assignment 6: REFLECTING ON WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD

Instead of looking in the text, do this one out of your own mind. There are any number of things that can make a speech seem jerky and disorganized. You may include something you learned by reading the chapter, but add to that. What else do you hear people do when speaking publically that makes the speech less than free flowing? Jot down at least six things that a speaker can do that create this lack of continuity in a speech.

Assignment 7: SMOOTHING OUT THE FLOW

For this exercise, you are to put the content from Chapter 9 in your own words. Dr. Lucas mentions four types of connectives that make the flow of a speech smoother. For each of the four, write down a definition that shows your understanding of the idea.

TRANSITIONS:

INTERNAL PREVIEW:

INTERNAL SUMMARY:

SIGNPOSTS:

Assignment 8: CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Let’s focus a little more on strategic organization. In this case, let’s start with a subject and work back in the other direction. This chapter sets forth four types of strategic organizations: TIME LINE SPEECHES, PROCESS SPEECHES, SPATIAL SPEECHES, PROBLEM-SOLUTION SPEECHES.

Here is a definition of each:

TIME LINE: Usually associated with speeches on a historical event, this outline follows a time line to help the audience see how various components fit together.

PROCESS: This approach to an outline simply follows the steps involved in a building or developmental process.

SPATIAL: This strategic approach allows the audience to visualize actual 3-D dimensions or at least to see a space-related explanation of the topic.

PROBLEM-SOLUTION: This approach is often used by politicians and involves posing a problem and then offering a solution to it. It is one of the most commonly use types of speech today.

For each of the topics cited below, tell which of these four approaches would probably be the best strategy for developing the outline of the speech.

1. EXPLAINING HOW TO MAKE DIRT PUDDING
2. DEALING WITH VIOLENCE IN OUR CITIES
3. POINTING OUT SEVERAL KEY TOURIST SITES ON A MAP OF CALIFORNIA
4. DESCRIBING KEY EVENTS IN THE VIETNAM WAR
5. LAYING OUT A SOFTBALL DIAMOND FOR A COLLEGE TEAM
6. SHOWING THE STAGES OF BUILDING A CAR
7. ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF REQUIRING SCHOOL UNIFORMS