Preparing Your Speech

PREPARING YOUR SPEECH

Preparing your talk:

1.  Think about how your talk will begin and how it will end. Try to create an interesting opening sentence that captures the audience’s attention. Devise a good way to conclude your speech and fix this clearly in your mind. With a good start and finish you can easily fill in the rest of your speech.

2.  For the body of your speech, select a few main points and expand on them with the use of examples, stories or anecdotes. You should make a point, say it again in different words, illustrate the point, and then state it once more in order to be clearly understood.

3.  After writing your speech you will need to practice it. Practice is important as it allows you to become familiar with the contents, so you will not need to read the speech from a piece of paper, and so that you will know it will fit into the time allowed.

Presenting your speech:

1.  You should begin your speech with ‘Teachers and fellow students...’

2.  If you think you will need notes you can write a brief speech outline on some palm cards. Refer to them only when you need them.

3.  While speaking, make eye contact with various members of the audience.

4.  Do not worry about what to do with your hands. Leave them at your sides.

5.  Using your voice. You will need to speak clearly in to the microphone. Think in terms of friendliness, confidence and a desire to communicate. Try to relax so you can remove any tension from your voice. If you feel your voice quivering, pause and take a deep breath and then continue.

6.  A good speech is always well prepared, and a well prepared speech does not have any part words, such as err, um, yeah, ok, etc in them!

7.  When you finish your speech, do not end it with ‘Thank you’. Just move away from the lectern and sit down.

·  Don’t be discouraged at a poor beginning or mistakes within your speech.... it’s the finish that counts!