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
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
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
Abdul Mua'ti @ Zamri Ahmad. (2008).
Panduan pengucapan awam. Edisi kedua.
Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Gibson, J.W. (2004). Speech
communication: Fundamentals and practice. 9th. ed.
Englewood Cliffs : Prentice Hall.
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.
TOPIC 7
INTRODUCTION
Besides speaking to inform, there are
occasions when we need to go beyond
merely giving information to persuading
our audience so that they will change
their beliefs, attitudes or actions over
certain issues or developments. This kind of
speech requires a different approach in
order to create the desired outcomes.
These speeches are called persuasive
speeches.
DEFINING A PERSUASIVE SPEECH
As stated earlier in this module, a
persuasive speech is a speech presented with
the intention to influence the audience.
In other words, the aim of these speeches
is to change the audience. Normally,
there are three types of changes targeted by
speakers delivering persuasive speeches:
(a) Changes in beliefs;
(b) Changes in attitudes; and
(c) Changes in actions or behaviours.
7.1
Topic
7
Persuasive
Speeches
ACTIVITY .1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic you should be
able to:
1. Differentiate between persuasive and
informative speeches,
2. Explain methods of organising
materials based on a persuasive
speech structure, and
3. Identify effective techniques of
delivering a persuasive speech.
6 2 TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
Some speakers attempt to focus on only
one type of change at a time, but there
are instances where speakers try to
combine a few types of changes at one go. It
goes without saying that, it is more
challenging to convince an audience to
change a few things in one single
speech. As a matter of fact, it is much easier to
change someoneÊs belief than his
attitude. Similarly, changing an attitude is
easier than changing a behaviour or
soliciting action. At any rate, any effort to
change people needs consistency. Thus,
it is too ambitious to change an audience
through only one speech. Sometimes, even
after listening to a series of speeches,
an audience may still not be convinced
to change what they believe in. What
more if we try to change their attitudes
and behaviours. These changes demand
more meticulous approaches, taking into
consideration the receiversÊ
psychological and sociological factors.
Among examples of persuasive speeches
are those delivered during political
campaigns, buy local products campaigns,
quit smoking campaigns, anti-drug
abuse campaigns, road safety campaigns,
cleanliness campaigns, blood donation
campaigns, etc. Please note that in
these campaigns, the speaker aims to change
either the audiencesÊ belief, attitude,
or behaviour, or even all three. For example,
in a quit smoking campaign, the speakerÊs
intention is to make the audience
believe that smoking is bad for their
health. So, the speaker tries to change the
audiencesÊ beliefs from thinking that
smoking is harmless to being convinced
that smoking is downright hazardous.
Subsequently, the speaker will advance a
step further by attempting to change the
audiencesÊ attitude from being fond of
cigarettes to dislike or total aversion.
Finally, the speaker will move to the last
step, that is, to change the audiencesÊ
behaviour or action, and make them stop
smoking altogether. Nevertheless, please
note that it is almost impossible to
achieve the objectives of bringing these
changes amongst the audience through
only one single speech.
Obviously, persuasive speeches are one
notch harder than informative speeches. In
an informative speech, the objective of
the speaker is only to inform the audience
of his subject matter but in a
persuasive speech, the speaker does not only inform
but also tries to influence the audience
so that they come to an agreement with his
proposal. Besides the examples provided
earlier, speeches to inspire, to motivate
and to create awareness are all
considered as persuasive speeches. And even sales
speeches, speeches presented in order to
influence people to buy certain products
or services are also regarded as from
the same category.
ACTIVITY 7.1
Identify a persuasive speech that you
have heard before. What do
you think is the objective of the
speaker?
TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
63
PERSUASIVE SPEECH FORMAT
There are a few formats that are
normally used in structuring a persuasive
speech as shown in Figure 7.1.
Figure 7.1: Persuasive speech formats
The explanations are as follows.
(a) Motivated Sequence Format
In this format, the speech materials are
organised based on the motivated
sequence (by Allan H. Monroe). This
format is suitable for motivational
speeches, sales pitches, and certain
social action campaigns. The format is
shown in Table 7.1.
Table 7.1: Motivated Sequence Format of
Persuasive Speech
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings
2. Salutations
3. Attention getter
II. BODY
1. Needs or significant problem(s)
2. Proposal of possible solution(s)
III. CONCLUSION
1. Visualisation of success by adopting
the proposal
2. Audience to adopt the proposal
7.2
6 4 TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
Please note that in this format,
especially in the body of, the speech, the
speaker needs to make his audience feel
the need or the problem. Bear in
mind that people will not change until
they see the need for them to change.
Thus, the speaker must make the audience
realise and admit that they are
facing a problem that needs to be solved
or experiencing a need that has to be
filled. This vital part of a persuasive
speech must be planned and presented
as clearly as possible, and if
necessary, by using audio-visual aids. A
combination of emotional and logical
appeals is to be recommended for this.
Once the audience realises the problem
they are facing or the needs they are
having, the speaker must now offer them
his proposal on how to solve or
satisfy the problem or need. The
proposal suggested must be presented in
detail and arranged systematically in
order to avoid any ambiguity and
doubt. As a result, the audience will be
attracted to consider the proposal.
Incomplete, vague, and illogical
proposals will definitely be rejected by the
audience.
Next, in the conclusion, the speaker
must play with the audienceÊ
imagination by getting them to visualise
the benefits and positive outcomes
of adopting his proposal. These benefits
and outcomes must be inline with
the audiencesÊ values. Thus, it is
imperative for the speaker to understand
and take into consideration his
audiencesÊ sentiments and emotional states.
Values such as dignity, love, happiness,
etc. can easily touch their hearts.
Finally, the speaker needs to motivate
the audience to adopt his/her
proposal through appeals, challenges,
enticements, etc. suitable with the
mood of the presentation and the issue
at hand.
(b) Negative-positive Format
This format (see Table 7.2) is not only
suitable for sales pitches and
speeches to create awareness, it is also
good in situations where the
audience is more educated and are able
to contemplate and think deeply
before making a decision.
TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
65
Table 7.2: Negative-positive Format of
Persuasive Speech
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings
2. Salutations
3. Attention getter
II. BODY
1. Weaknesses or shortcomings of the
issue
2. Strengths or positives of the issue
III. CONCLUSION
1. Motivate audience to adopt the
proposal since
the positives outweigh the shortcomings
Through this format, especially in the
body of the speech, the speaker
initially presents all the negatives or
shortcomings of the issue. Then the
speaker will proceed to discuss the
strengths or the positives of his
proposal. Finally, the speaker will
motivate the audience to adopt the
proposal after they can see that the
strengths or positives outweigh the
shortcomings.
For example, in a speech to persuade
mothers to breastfeed their babies, the
speaker tries to persuade his audience
to adopt his proposal to practice
breastfeeding. Thus, in the first part
of the speech, the speaker provides his
audience with all the disadvantages of
feeding babies with formula milk.
For instance, it is costly to buy
formula milk, it is difficult to ensure
cleanliness during the preparation, its
lack of nutrients as compared to
mothersÊ milk, etc.
Subsequently, the speaker provides the
audience with information on the
benefits of using mothersÊ milk. For
instance, its richness in nutrients,
vitamins, and colostrum contents
required by babies, its cleanliness, its
compatibility in terms of temperature,
its ability to foster a close
psychological and emotional relationship
between mother and baby, its
ability to act as natural contraceptive,
etc.
Lastly, after the audience have been
presented with the facts and are made
to know that the strengths outweigh the
disadvantages, the speaker must
motivate the audience to adopt his
proposal to practice breastfeeding.
6 6 TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
(c) ÂYesterday-today-tomorrowÊ Format.
In this structure, the speaker will take
the audience back in time, to visit the
past. Then the speaker will bring the
audience back to the current setting.
Lastly, the speaker will try to project
what will happen in the future. While
the audience is captivated in the time
adventure, the speaker will motivate
them to adopt his proposal.
This particular format is suitable for
speeches delivered in order to create
awareness or inspire the audience to
take certain action. The format is
shown in Table 7.3.
Table 7.3: ÂYesterday-today-tomorrowÊ
Format of Persuasive Speech
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings.
2. Salutations.
3. Attention getter.
II. BODY
1. The situation in the past.
2. Current developments.
3. Projection for the future.
III. CONCLUSION
1. Motivate audience to adopt proposal
in order for
the future projection to take place.
For example, the speaker wants to create
awareness on the importance of
inculcating patriotism amongst the
youths. Firstly, in the body of the
speech the speaker will bring the
audience back to the colonial era when the
country was ruled by foreign powers. The
speaker will highlight the hard
lives experienced by the people, and how
the people suffered from losing
everything that they had including their
dignity and self-esteem. The
speaker also revealed the misery faced
by those who fought for the freedom
and independence of our country.
Then the speaker brings the audience
back to the current situation. The
speaker stresses on the easy lives of
todayÊs youths. The speaker also
discusses the meanings of freedom from
colonisation to the youths and
how the youths today appreciate
independence.
Finally, the speaker tries to help the
audience to visualise how meaningless
independence will be if todayÊs youths
fail to appreciate it and work hard to
fulfil the demands of self-government.
The speaker stresses that carelessness,
TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
67
lack of patriotism and unwillingness to
sacrifice to defend the country from
threats, be it political or economic
will lead to the country being reoccupied
again in the near future.
DELIVERING A PERSUASIVE SPEECH
Unlike an informative speech, a
persuasive speech requires a different method of
presentation. This is due to its main
objective to create effects in the audienceÊs
minds that consequently move them to
change their beliefs, attitudes or actions.
At least three elements need to be given
special attention by persuasive speakers in
order to make their speeches effective.
The three elements are shown in Figure 7.2.
Figure 7.2: Elements in delivering
persuasive speech
7.3
ACTIVITY 7.2
1. Choose a type of persuasive speech to
be presented to your
audience.
2. Develop your speech structure based
on one of the formats
discussed.
3. Search for your materials and prepare
your AVA if necessary.
6 8 TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
(a) Effective Voice Control
One of the strengths a persuasive
speaker needs is the ability to control his
voice. A speakerÊs ability to vary his
intonation will touch the audienceÊs
hearts besides being able to manipulate
certain emotions. Undeniably this
ability requires a certain amount of
exposure and training.
(b) Fluency in Language Use or Style
The speakerÊs ability to choose and use
appropriate words and terminology
is vital in persuasive speeches. These
words are able to touch the audiencesÊ
hearts as well as convey accurate
meanings intended by the speaker.
Furthermore, the speakerÊs ability to
employ certain rhetorical techniques
well, is always an advantage.
(c) Effective Use of Audio-visual Aids
The used of audio-visual aids for
certain topics will boost the effectiveness of
a presentation. This is due to the
capability of the equipment to stimulate the
audiencesÊ various senses. Not only are
the audience able to listen to the
speakerÊs words but they also are able
to see with their own eyes, smell or
even touch with their hands. As a
result, the speakers are able to create vivid
imagery in the audiencesÊ minds of the
issue being discussed. This will
eventually lead to the audienceÊs
willingness to adopt the speakerÊs proposal.
A persuasive speech is a speech
presented in order to change the audienceÊs
beliefs, attitudes and actions.
A persuasive speech has a totally
different format from the informative speech.
There are three formats normally used in
structuring persuasive speeches: a)
motivated sequence format, b)
negative-positive format, and c) Âyesterdaytoday-
tomorrowÊ format.
Persuasive speeches require different
presentation approaches since it is vital
for speakers to create vivid imagery in
the audiencesÊ minds.
ACTIVITY 7.3
1. Practice your persuasive speech
presentation.
2. Present your persuasive speech before
your class. Get your
audience to comment. Are they persuaded?
TOPIC 7 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES
69
There are three important elements to
consider while delivering a persuasive
speech: a) effective voice control, b)
effective use of AVAs, and c) fliency in
language or style.
AVAÊs are necessary to be used for
certain topics to help create the effects.
Actions
Attitudes
Beliefs
Inspirational
Motivated sequence
Motivational
Negative-positive format
Persuasive
Rhetorical techniques
Vivid imagery
ÂYesterday-today-tomorrowÊ format
Abdul Mua'ti @ Zamri Ahmad. (2008).
Panduan pengucapan awam. Edisi kedua.
Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Gibson, J.W. (2004). Speech
Communication: Fundamentals and practice. 9th. ed.
Englewood Cliffs : Prentice Hall.
Lucas, S.E. (2005). The art of public
speaking. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
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.
TOPIC 8
INTRODUCTION
It is normal practice in formal and
non-formal organisations to host functions. These
functions are held to serve various
purposes pertaining to the nature of the
organisation. In holding these
functions, information is disseminated through
speeches. These speeches are unique in
the sense that they are structured to address
the objective of the functions. Some
examples of speeches delivered at these
functions are speeches by the chairman
of the event (usually called the chairmanÊs
remarks), speeches to introduce a
speaker, speeches to present an award, speeches of
acceptance by recipients and speeches to
officiate formal functions.
Topic
8
Special
Occasion
Speeches
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be
able to:
1. Identify the effective ways of
preparing speeches for different
occasions;
2. Differentiate between the structures
for special occasion speeches
and informative and persuasive speeches;
and
3. Arrange materials to form a speech
structure suitable for a
particular occasion.
TOPIC 8 SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECHES
71
CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS
This speech is very common in formal and
informal functions. This is because in
whatever type of functions, there must
be a person who leads the event, called
chairman of the occasion. He is the one
who is instrumental in organising the
event, according to the planned
programme, from beginning to end. To begin the
function, the chairman must first
present a brief speech. This speech must be very
brief, just to get the ball rolling. The
format of this speech is shown in Table 8.1.
Table 8.1: Format of ChairmanÊs Remarks
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings
2. Salutations
3. Attention getter (optional)
II. BODY
1. Welcome guests and audience
2. Introduce the function
a. The name of the function
b. Theme (if any)
c. Objective of the function /
expectations
d. Procedure of the function
III. COMMENCEMENT
Introduce and invite the session
moderator or presenter
_________________________________________________
IV. CONCLUSION
1. Gratitude
2. Emphasis on the expectations of the
function
3. Other announcements (if any)
4. Adjournment
Please note that in the speeches of the
chairman of the function, there is a section
called commencement. In this section,
the chairman introduces and officially
invites the speaker to the speaking
position. Normally in a big and elaborate
function (normally more than one day),
the events are divided into several
sessions. For instance, in an academic
function such as conferences, working
paper presentations are divided into a
few sessions. Each session is chaired by a
session moderator. Thus in such functions,
the session moderator will be the one
responsible to introduce and invite the
speakers or paper presenters to speak.
The role of the chairman is limited to
merely opening the function formally
before handing over the events to the
session moderator. It is expected that the
chairman introduces briefly the session
moderator, for instance by providing his
8.1
7 2 TOPIC 8 SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECHES
name, designation and position. The
session moderator will also conduct the
question-answer session and once
everything is settled, will hand the
proceedings back to the chairman. The
chairman will then conclude the function
and bring it to adjournment.
On the other hand, for simple occasions
such as a half a day function, the
chairman will normally conduct the
entire event. There is no need for session
moderators to be appointed. The chairman
will start the function formally, and
then introduce and invite the speakers
or paper presenters to the podium. After
the speech or the presentation, the
chairman will conduct the question-answer
session and later conclude and adjourn
the event.
INTRODUCING A SPEAKER
More often than not, the chairman of the
events or the session moderator will
also be responsible for introducing and
inviting the guest speaker or paper
presenter to the podium. In carrying out
this task, the chairman or the moderator
is expected to adopt the format as shown
in Table 8.2.
Table 8.2: Format of Speech to Introduce
Speakers
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings
2. Salutations
3. Attention getter (optional)
II. BODY
1. Why this time?
2. Why this audience?
3. Why this subject / topic?
4. Why this speaker?
III. CONCLUSION
1. Introduce and invite the speaker
formally
8.2
ACTIVITY 8.1
Your organisation is conducting a
two-day seminar on education.
There will be five paper presentation
sessions throughout the event.
You have been identified to be the
chairman of the event. Prepare a
text that you are going to read when
performing your duty as the
chairman.
TOPIC 8 SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECHES
73
Please note that in the body of the
speech, the chairman should answer four
questions. Each of the questions should
be answered in three or four sentences. In
responding to the first question (why
this time?), the chairman should try to relate
the issue to be presented with current
developments. For the second question (why
this audience?), the chairman should try
to show how this issue is relevant to the
audience. Next, for the third question
(why this subject or topic?), the chairman
should try to explain to the audience the
significance of the issue and why this
particular issue needs to be discussed.
For the final question (why this speaker?),
the chairman should briefly provide some
personal information regarding the
speaker. This information should explain
to the audience what qualifies the
speaker to present the topic. In other
words, the chairman should put forward only
the speakerÊs personal information which
is relevant to the topic.
In introducing the speaker, the chairman
should try his best to set the stage. As a
matter of fact, the success of the
function depends very much on the ability of the
chairman to set the stage and manage the
situation. Should the chairman fail to
create the mood for the event, he may in
fact be ruining the entire function.
More often than not, the chairman is
also expected to do a bit of summarising or
summing up once the speaker has ended
his speech. This extraction must be very
brief. In doing so, the chairman must
emphasise the essence of the entire speech
and not simply reviewing it. For this
purpose, the chairman should be able to use
his own words. What matters most is his
ability to pick up on the core of the
issue presented and relate that to the
audience.
A SPEECH TO PRESENT AN AWARD
This speech is presented in an event
organised to honour someone, for example,
a best student, an exemplary worker, or
an outstanding citizen, etc. The main aim
of this event is to pay tribute to the
recipient. The format of this speech is shown
in Table 8.3.
8.3
ACTIVITY 8.2
You are to introduce a guest speaker
invited to deliver a speech in a
function in your organisation. Prepare a
text of your speech to
introduce the speaker
7 4 TOPIC 8 SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECHES
Table 8.3: A format of Speech to Honour
Someone
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings
2. Salutations
3. Attention getter (optional)
II. DISCUSSION
1. State the objectives of the award
2. Brief history of the awarding
organization
3. Review past receivers (if any)
4. Brief biodata of the current receiver
5. Information on the award
III. CONCLUSION
1. Presenting the award formally
Nevertheless, a few things need to be
considered. For instance, never over- praise
the recipient. In addition, do not over
emphasise the value of the award. The
chairman should not mention those who
almost won the award, unless there are
prizes for runners up, third position
and so on. An award- giving ceremony does
not normally require humour as it is
more often a formal and solemn affair.
A SPEECH ON RECEIVING AN AWARD
This type of speech is given by the
award or prize recipient. The main aim of the
event is to provide an opportunity for
the recipient to express his gratitude to
those who have selected him to win the
award. Some recipients are very
emotional on being so fortunate to be
selected, and some are speechless.
Nonetheless, bear in mind that this
speech should be brief. As a guide, the format
of this speech should be as shown in
Table 8.4.
8.4
ACTIVITY 8.3
Your organisation is planning to have an
award giving ceremony for
excellent workers next month. You are
appointed to run the entire
event. There will be three awards to be
given to three recipients for
their top performance throughout 2009.
Prepare your text.
TOPIC 8 SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECHES
75
Table 8.4: A Format of Speech to Receive
an Award
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings
2. Salutations
II. BODY
1. Express sincere appreciation to the
awarding party
2. Thank those who were instrumental in
providing
their assistance and cooperation that
led to the award
3. Disclose future plans with the award
received
III. CONCLUSION
1. Restate briefly your
appreciation/gratitude
In a very formal setting and for a very
significant award, the recipient can reveal
to the audience the secret of his
success or the personal qualities that earned him
the prize. Hopefully this will inspire the
audience to work their way up to be the
future recipients of the prestigious
award.
A SPEECH TO OFFICIATE
Pomp and ceremony are part and parcel of
human civilisation, so that most
occasions call for some degree of
formality and procedure. The same goes for the
opening and closing of a formal
function. Normally, a distinguished guest of
honour is invited to solemnise an event
officially, and along with this comes a
speech. The format of a speech to
officiate an event is shown in Table 8.5.
8.5
ACTIVITY 8.4
You are selected as one of the
recipients of „The excellent worker
award‰ of your organisation. The great
event will be held next
week. You will be given five minutes to
deliver a speech after the
award giving. Prepare the text of your
speech.
7 6 TOPIC 8 SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECHES
Table 8.5: A Format of a Speech to
Officiate
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Greetings
2. Salutations
3. Attention getter (optional)
II. BODY
1. Welcome the crowd
2. Introduce the function
a. Name of the function
b. Theme (if any)
c. Objective
d. Procedure
III. CONCLUSION
1. Expectation and prediction of the
outcome of the
function
2. Formal statement of official opening
Please remember that this type of speech
needs to be brief. There are speakers who
tend to take the opportunity to be long
winded, or touch on matters that should be
discussed only by the paper presenters.
Sometimes an entire programme needs to
be rescheduled just because the opening
speech dragged on into the paper
presentation session. Bear in mind that
the main aim of an opening speech is just to
solemnise the function, and is not a key
note speech or a major oration.
ACTIVITY 8.5
Your general manager is invited to
officiate a conference organised
by your unit. The function will be held
in two weeksÊ time. You
have been directed by your immediate
boss to prepare a text to be
read by your general manager during the
official opening of the
event. Prepare an appropriate speech of
suitable length.
TOPIC 8 SPECIAL OCCASION SPEECHES
77
Speeches delivered at different functions
require different structures.
The structure of a speech must be suited
to the objective of the function.
A speech should not be long-winded but
straight to point to address the
objectives of the function.
Any speech should be prepared carefully
by the speaker or the speech writer.
A chairmanÊs remarks
A speech to introduce a speaker
A speech to officiate functions
A speech to present an award
An acceptance speech
Session moderator
Special occasion speeches
Abdul Mua'ti @ Zamri Ahmad. (2008).
Panduan pengucapan awam. Edisi kedua.
Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Gibson, J.W. (2004). Speech
communication: Fundamentals and practice. 9th. ed.
Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Lucas, S.E. (2005). The art of public
speaking. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
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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