TOPIC 6
INTRODUCTION
You have spent much time in gathering the important information and organising them in a pattern deemed most appropriate to be delivered to your listeners. Additionally, to help the audience follow your thoughts, you have also prepared some audio-visual aids to be used in your presentation. The big day is drawing nearer and you start to be worried. What should you do? The remaining several days should be used to practice your presentation. As the wise saying goes „Practice makes perfect‰; you should systematically plan your rehearsal. So, how do you go about it?
Topic
6
Delivering a
Speech
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Identify the effective ways of practicing a speech delivery prior to
actual presentation;
2. Explain vital elements in voice control in speech making;
3. Identify and use appropriate body language in speech making;
4. Present a speech effectively; and
5. Identify and use a public announcement system and audio-visual
aids effectively in a speech presentation.
TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
47
PRACTICE
Practice is essential in every performance, including stage performances such as
singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments, sports performances, and
also public speaking. Unfortunately, many speakers do not practice their
presentation prior to the actual delivery. This makes their speeches less than
perfect with blunders here and there. Small mistakes sometimes are not
noticeable by the audience, but bigger ones will spoil the presentation. If the
speaker himself is unsure of his words, how is he going to convince the
audience? Therefore, it is imperative for the speaker to make himself familiar
with his substance, organisation and presentation approaches before sharing it
with the audience. The only way to be familiar with his speech is to practice it.
The more he practices, the more confident he will feel.
A speaker who wants to deliver a perfect speech must seriously practice the
presentation several times prior to the actual day. The question is how frequent
must he practice? Some say between three and six times is sufficient. If it is fewer
than three times, the speaker will not be able to identify his weaknesses. If more
than six times, the speaker will be over confident. Thus, in short, one should keep
on practicing until he feels comfortable with his presentation and makes a very
limited number of small mistakes that are unnoticeable by the audience.
What is the correct way to practice? It is suggested that while practicing, try to
memorise the ideas, not the text of your speech. The biggest mistake made by
most novice speakers is trying to remember everything that they wrote in the
speech text, word for word. And this is not an easy task.
Then, prepare note cards to for every idea memorised. The speaker must practice
using the same note cards that he is going to use in the actual delivery. Do not
make mistakes by using manuscript while practicing and then replacing them
with note cards in the actual delivery. This will create a lot of problem since the
speaker is not familiar with the note cards. Thus, use the same note cards, while
practicing and in the actual delivery.
Push yourself through your words, starting from your practice sessions. This will
make your expressions more meaningful and livelier, and not merely reading out
something from a newspaper to your audience. By pushing through your words,
you will be more enthusiastic in your presentation and this will produce natural
voice control and meaningful body movements.
Obviously, a speaker does not need any special practice for his body language.
This is because body movements should come naturally as a result of his
enthusiasm and understanding of his own words. Premeditated body
6.1
4 8 TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
movements are unnatural and fake. If possible, record your practice sessions. The
best is to use a video recorder but if this is unavailable, audio recording is the
second choice. After your delivery, play back your recorded sessions and criticise
yourself. This will help you to identify your strong points and also your mistakes
that need swift attention. Another alternative is to practice in front of a pseudo
audience. Pseudo audiences are those who will not be attending your actual
presentation as the audience. Hence, your close friends, spouse, and committee
members can serve as a pseudo audience. Get them to attend your practice
sessions, observe your presentation and give some comments, focusing on your
strengths and weaknesses. Some speakers even practice in front of a big mirror in
order to see their own presentation.
Finally, time yourself while practicing. Be sure you are able to conclude your
speech in an allotted time. Do not exceed the time allocated to you and
conversely do not finish too soon. If you far exceed the time limit, try to cut short
some elaborations, merge some points, or reduce the number of your sub points.
If you finish your presentation too early, perhaps your information is insufficient.
You would need to search for more information, add more examples, or
elaborate more of your points.
PREPARING NOTE CARDS
It has been mentioned earlier that a speaker should use note cards, not texts in
his presentations. In addition, the speaker should familiarise himself with the
note cards while practicing his speeches. The same cards must be use in the
actual speech presentation. Why do we recommend cards instead of sheets of
paper? The obvious reason is that cards are easier to manage. They are heavier
than paper and are not easily blown off by the wind if you are to present your
speech in a hall equipped only with fans. Additionally, cards can be handled in
one hand even though there is no rostrum prepared for you, while the other
hand can be used for gestures.
6.2
ACTIVITY 6.1
1. Why is it important to practice your speech before the actual
event?
2. Explain steps to be considered in practicing your speech.
3. Practice the presentation of the speech that you have planned
in the previous activities.
TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
49
Figure 6.1: Example of note cards
How do these note cards look like? What is the correct size of the cards? A
speaker can choose either to use a stack of 5‰ X 7‰ or 3‰ X 5‰ cards. Nonetheless,
5‰ X 7‰ cards are more recommended since you do not have to cramp everything
on one small space. You can write bigger in bigger font on the cards and this will
make your writing more visible and easier to read even if you have to stand and
deliver from a dim corner of a stage.
What should be written on the cards? Avoid using note cards to replicate your
speech texts. That is to say, do not write too many things on one page of your
card. Remember, psychologically the more you write, the more you tend to read.
Eventually, your speech will no more be extemporaneous, as you will be reading
from your small texts. Therefore, only write your main ideas and sub-points on
your note cards. Be sure your writing is big and clear enough so that they are
readable. Besides that, your cards can also contain some important facts and
quotations that need accuracy. It is recommended that you use one card for one
main idea. Thus, if you have four main ideas to be shared with your audience,
you need to prepare and use four note cards. Do not clutter your cards by writing
too many things on it. This will make it difficult to be read. Arrange these cards
according to the main ideas. It is better to number the cards. While delivering
your speech refer to your cards occasionally. At any rate, do not rely too much on
the cards. Figure 6.1 shows the example of note cards.
These cards should be placed on the rostrum. If possible do not hold the cards in
your hands unless there is no rostrum provided.
5 0 TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
CONTROLLING YOUR VOICE
Your voice is an important asset for you as a public speaker and a speakersÊ voice
needs to be controlled in order to make his meanings precise.
There are six elements in voice control that need to be mastered by public
speakers. The elements are shown in Figure 6.2.
Figure 6.2: Voice control elements
The explanations are as follows:
(a) Volume
A good speaker must speak loud and clear enough so that every one in the
audience can hear him. Nonetheless, speaking loudly does not mean
shouting at the audience. Shouting at the audience will only irritate them.
Thus, if you are facing a big crowd, use the public announcement system
effectively. At any rate, a speaker can learn to use a correct level of volume
through practice.
6.3
ACTIVITY 6.2
1. Prepare your own note cards for the speech that you have
planned in the previous activities.
2. Use these note cards in you practice.
TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
51
(b) Pitch
Some people refer to pitch as intonation. In speech making, intonation is
very important as it stresses the important parts of the message. Speakers
normally increase their pitch to stress a point. This will create effects on the
audience. Thus, it functions like a bolded word or phrase in written
sentences. Nothing creates boredom more than a monotonous speech.
Therefore, try to use a variety of pitch levels while delivering your points.
This skill definitely needs some training.
(c) Rate
Every language and dialect has its own proper rate of speech. The speech
rate of American English for instance is about 120 words per minute
whereas French is about 140 words per minute. Standard Malay language is
spoken at about 130 words per minute. Nonetheless, this speech rate is
influenced by the mother tongue dialect of the speaker. For example,
Tamils who are used to speaking Tamil at a higher speech rate will also
increase the rate when they speak Malay. A Kelantanese whose dialect is
slower than the standard Malay will speak Malay at a lower rate. However,
an effective speaker will use a variety of speech rates while making his
points. Similar to pitch, different ranges in speech rate will increase the
effectiveness of the speech. Speakers normally embark on their delivery by
using a slower rate, and speeding up a little bit to stress a point. The
speaker later reduces his rate to gather attention and subsequently speeds
up again to stress the next important point. This will go on until the end of
the speech. Similar to other talents, this skill needs training and exposure.
(d) Pauses
Pauses refer to the short breaks in between words, similar to a comma in
written sentences. At times, speakers need to pause to seek an appropriate
word to be said next. Pauses can also help the audience to grasp the
utterances of the speaker. At any rate, the speaker must be aware that
pausing at a wrong place will spoil the sentence, blight the meaning and
thus, fail to get the message across. On the other hand, pauses when used at
appropriate places, will allow the audience to follow ideas easily.
(e) Repetition
Repetition is one of the most popular rhetorical techniques used by most
speakers. Some speakers repeat the same word or phrase several times, yet
some prefer to repeat the word with its synonym. The purpose is to
emphasise the words and to establish cadence. This will consequently
increase the effectiveness of the presentation.
5 2 TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
(f) Pronunciation
Pronunciation refers to the correct way of uttering a particular term or
word. It is imperative for a speaker to articulate his words correctly.
Improper or incorrect pronunciation of certain words in a speech will lead
to confusion since the audience may assign different meanings to the
words. Thus, the speaker must learn and practice to pronounce the words
as accurately as possible in order to avoid misunderstanding.
BODY LANGUAGE
Besides voice, body language is another important factor that determines the
success of speech delivery. Sometimes, even before the speaker opens his mouth
to speak, the way he behaves in the function has already ÂsaidÊ something to the
audience. Figure 6.3 below illustrates some aspects of body language that you, as
a speaker, should consider while delivering your speech.
Figure 6.3: Body language in delivering speech
6.4
SELF-CHECK 6.1
1. List all the six elements of voice in speech making.
2. Why is it important for a speaker to control his voice in a
speech presentation?
TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
53
The explanations are as follows:
(a) Appearance
„Appearance‰ refers to a few things. One of it is your arrival time. A
speaker must be punctual. He should never be late for his speaking
engagement. In fact a speaker should reach the venue at least 15 minutes
ahead of the scheduled time for him to speak. This will give him ample
time to catch his breath, rearrange his note cards, check and recheck the
microphone and audio-visual equipments, and focus his thoughts. A
speaker who arrives late will make the audience wait in vain and
consequently lose their interest in the subject matter. Worse still if the
speaker is invited to talk about time management! No one will listen to him.
Another thing under „appearance‰ is the speakerÊs attire. The speaker must
wear proper clothes that are suitable for the function. Suitability here is
gauged from two perspectives: colour and pattern. Both must be
conservative. Apparently, the colour and the pattern of the speakerÊs
clothes cannot be too striking as this will distract the audienceÊs attention.
(b) Movements
The way the speaker approaches and departs from the speaking position or
rostrum is also important. A speaker should walk confidently towards the
speaking position after he has been invited to deliver the speech. Audience
evaluation towards the speaker starts once the host mention his name. The
audience will observe every step that the speaker takes, from his seat to the
speaking position. Once the speaker finishes his speaking task, he should
walk confidently back to his seat. The audienceÊs evaluation on the speaker
does not end until he gets back to his seat. Thus, a clumsy, inelegant,
panicky, or even an Âover confidentÊ speaker will turn the audience off.
(c) Posture
Next is the speakerÊs posture. The speaker must stand up straight while
delivering his speech. By standing up straight, the speaker looks more
serious in his words and also it will be easier for him to control his voice.
Just imagine a speaker who is leaning onto the lectern while delivering an
important topic. Will you believe him?
(d) Gestures
The speakerÊs hand movements must be coordinated to support his
message. Avoid meaningless gestures. Obviously any hand movements
before your audience must be accurately coordinated to enhance the
meanings of spoken words. Thus, the gestures must be natural, not faked.
Of course, not every word uttered must be supported with gestures.
5 4 TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
Gestures are only needed occasionally, on a specific word or phrase to
establish emphasis. If gestures are not necessary, rest both hands on the
lectern.
(e) Facial Expression
Our face is in fact the only part of the body that can portray 33 types of
feelings. Sadness, surprise, love, hate, dislike, disappointment, etc. can only
be depicted by our face. Therefore, if we want the audience to really
understand our message, we need to use our face to amplify the meanings
of our words. Nonetheless, facial expression must be natural. It should be
the product of the speakerÊs passionate endeavour to share the message
with the audience. Never contradict the facial expressions with the spoken
words. This will only leave the audience puzzled.
Since eye contact is part of the facial espression, it is vital in communication
as it tells the audience how confident the speaker is. Speakers who are not
confident will find it hard to convince the audience. Therefore, eye contact
must be established and maintained throughout the entire speech. The
speaker should look at the audience on the right, on the left, in the front
and the back rows. Make the eye contact balanced and not skewed to only
one direction. Let everyone in the audience feel that the speaker is directing
the message at him.
(f) The Use of the Rostrum
The rostrum or lectern is actually a place for speakers to put his note cards
and to rest their hands whenever gestures are not necessary. Never abuse
the rostrum by leaning onto it or even banging it.
USING THE MICROPHONE
The public announcement (PA) system is an essential tool for speakers, especially
before a big crowd or audience. This is particularly true when the speaker needs
to present his speeches in venues with poor acoustics. The system basically
consists of a microphone(s), an amplifier, and speaker(s) (refer to Figure 6.4).
6.5
SELF-CHECK 6.2
1. Explain the importance of body language in public speaking.
2. Elaborate on the six main aspects in body language.
TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
55
Figure 6.4: A complete PA system helps in delivering a speech better
There are a few things that need to be understood by speakers when dealing with
the device. Firstly, the speaker must know how to switch on the microphone. The
microphone comes in different models and designs. Some have an on/off switch
on the body and some without. Some come with cables and some are wireless.
Anyhow, as a speaker you need to know whether the microphone is ready to be
used. How do you do this? Never tap or knock the microphone. A trained
speaker will only puff the microphone to make sure it is working well.
Additionally, a speaker must also know how to adjust the volume of the PA
system. The adjustment knob is at the amplifier. The suitable level of the volume
depends on the loudness of the speakerÊs voice, the size of the audience, the size
of the hall or room, the acoustics of the venue, how much noise surrounding the
place, etc. Normally, at important functions, there will be a technician on standby
to assist a speaker. Otherwise you can get the master of ceremonies to help
you with the adjustment. At any rate, a wrongly adjusted volume level will
annoy the audience and thus, interrupt the transfer of meaning between the
speaker and the audience.
Besides that, the speaker must also know how to adjust the height of the
microphone to suit his height. The height of the microphone must always be
below the speakerÊs chin with the tip of the microphone always pointing to the
speakerÊs mouth. This will make it easier for the speaker to speak into the
microphone. Furthermore, the speaker must also adjust the distance between his
mouth and the microphone. The proper distance is approximately six inches.
Never get too close or too far from the microphone. Otherwise, the device will
not function well and this defeats the purpose of using it.
5 6 TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
USING AUDIO VISUAL AIDS
Another important tool in speech presentations are the audio-visual aids. In short,
audio-visual aids (AVA) are simply anything that you use in your presentation in
order for you to make your points easier to be imparted to the audience. Since
these equipments are supposed to assist you in your presentation, they should be
used occasionally and should never substitute you as the main presenter. Bear in
mind that the use of AVA is not compulsory. The need to use AVA depends very
much on the topic, the audience and the situation.
The most popular AVA used in public speaking are overhead projectors (OHP)
and transparencies, white boards, flip charts, slide projectors, posters,
photographs, audio compact discs, video compact discs, real objects, models, cut
away view models and power-points (see Figure 6.5). The selection of these
equipments is determined by their availability, and the availability of other
facilities such as electricity, a screen and the speakerÊs skill in handling them
effectively. It is of no use if the speaker prepares wonderful power-points but is
not skillful in incorporating them in his presentation. The AVA will not only fail
to assist the speaker but in fact, may ruin his presentation. Sometimes, AVA that
is too attractive and fascinating will compete with the speaker to get centre stage.
Consequently, the audienceÊs minds are focused on the AVA and the speaker is
left speaking alone.
Accordingly, regardless of whatever type of AVA is being used in the
presentation, the main functions are to assist and facilitate the speaker in getting
his message across to the audience. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a
thousand words. Hence, showing a picture will help the audience to create vivid
imagery in their minds without having to describe the message with words.
Nevertheless, the speaker needs to practice how to incorporate these AVA in his
presentation so that he will get the best out of them.
6.6
ACTIVITY 6.3
1. Why do you need to use a microphone in your presentation?
2. Explain how to use a microphone effectively.
TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
57
Figure 6.5 A speaker is using one of the AVA in delivering his speech
HANDLING QUESTIONS
Most speech presentations, especially informative speeches, are followed by a
question and answer (Q&A) session. This session is held in order to provide
opportunities for the audience to seek clarification, to give comments or to air
their opinions on matters pertaining to the subject matter presented. Some
speakers are quite nervous in conducting this session since they regard this
session as yielding opportunities for the audience to attack them. Nonetheless, if
the speaker is well prepared, masters the topic well and knows how to handle
questions, this session is very beneficial to the audience.
First of all, the speaker must listen carefully to the questions directed to him. If
possible, note down the questions on a piece of paper. Never depend on your
ability to memorise the questions, especially when the moderator allows a few
6.7
ACTIVITY 6.4
1. What are the factors that need to be considered in using AVA?
2. Organise the AVA for your presentation based on the topic
that you have prepared in the previous activities.
5 8 TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
questions to be accumulated before handing the session over to you to answer.
Try to understand the question, that is, what the member of the audience is
asking and wants to know. Repeat the question if you are unsure.
If you do not understand the question, get the person who asked it to explain
what he means. If the question is too long, divide it into several parts and deal
with them one by one. If possible, relate the answers with your main ideas in the
speech presentation. If the member of the audience is stating his opinion instead
of asking a question, it is your prerogative whether to respond or not. If you
choose to respond, state your stand whether you agree or disagree with the
opinion. If they give you comments, appreciate the comments. If the comments
are true, admit them. If otherwise, explain where the comments are invalid and
unacceptable. If you do not know the answer to some of the questions, admit
your inability to answer. Normally the audience will appreciate your sincerity.
Practice is an inevitable part of speech presentation.
Voice control is a skill that needs to be developed by public speakers.
There are six elements of voice control that a speaker should consider when
delivering a speech: (a) volume, (b) pitch, (c) rate, (d) pauses, (e)
pronunciation, and (f) repetition.
Body language is vital in public speaking since it helps in imparting the
message to the audience.
There are six aspects of body language that a speaker should consider when
delivering a speech: (a) appearance, (b) movements, (c) gestures, (d) posture,
(e) facial expressions, and (f) the use of rostrum.
ACTIVITY 6.5
1. Why is the Q&A session important in public speaking?
2. Predict some questions that might arise from your speech that
you are working on. Write down the questions. Try to respond
to each of them.
TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
59
A good speaker presents his speech from the note cards, not a manuscript or
texts.
A microphone, along with a good PA system is of a great help if used
effectively in a speech.
AVA will assist speakers to get their message across.
The Q&A session is an opportunity for the speaker to explain his main ideas
further to the audience.
Audio-visual aids
Body language
Gestures
Loudness
Microphone
Note cards
Pause
Pitch
Posture
Practice
Pronunciation
Pseudo-audience
Public announcement system
Question and answer session
Repetition
Speech rate
Voice control
Volume
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Lucas, S.E. (2005). The art of public speaking. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
6 0 TOPIC 6 DELIVERING A SPEECH
Phillips, G.M. (2005). Speaking in public and private. Indianapolis: Bobs-Merill
Educational Publishing.
Walter, O.M and Scott R.L. (2003). Thinking and speaking: A guide to intelligent
oral communication. 8th. ed. New York: Mac Millan Publishing.
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