how to give speech

Speech Class Mondos ESL/EFL World

© 2008 Steven Mondy 1

There Are Three Messages in a Speech The Physical Message

Not all communication in a speech comes from words.

The way you stand, where you look, how you use

your hands and vary your voice send a message as

well.

Physical Message Story Message Visual Message

The Story Message A speech is like a story. It has a beginning,

middle, and an end, all connected together

into a single message. Keeping the parts in

order, and connecting them together is

sometimes called the story message.

The Visual Message Speech is not just about what you say.

What you show and how you show it is

as important as what you say. We call

this the visual message.

1996 Speaking of Speech by David Harrington & Charles LeBeau


©2008 Steven Mondy 2

Why Do We Need Posture and Eye Contact?

Look at these common posture and eye contact errors. See if you can guess which of the labels from the box

match the descriptions below.

*The pendulum *The surfer *The leaning tower of Pisa *Talking to the wall

*The hula dancer *The birdwatcher *The star gazer *The soldier

*Washing your hands

1. Swaying from side to side is poor speech posture because it

communicates that you are also swaying back and forth between ideas.

o We call this……“the pendulum”………..

2. Leaning to one side is poor speech posture because it is too relaxed, and make the

audience feel that you aren’t serious about your speech.

o We call this……………………….………..

3. Looking up at the ceiling while giving a speech is poor eye contact because it shows that you

aren’t well prepared and you don’t know what to say.

o We call this……………………….………..

4. Moving your shoulders and upper body around as you speak is poor speech posture. It makes

the audience feel that you are not calm and confident about your message.

o We call this……………………….……….

1996 Speaking of Speech by David Harrington & Charles LeBau



5. Swinging your hips back and forth and from side to side is poor speech posture because

it shows that you are nervous and not comfortable with your message.

o We call this……………………….………..

6. Rubbing your hands together as if you were washing them or playing with something in your

hands is considered poor speech posture because it shows that you are nervous.

o We call this……………………….………..

7. Looking out the window or staring at the back of the room is poor eye contact for

speech because it seems that you are not interested in your audience.

o We call this……………………….………..

8. Facing the wall or blackboard while speaking is poor eye contact because it seems

that you’re afraid of your audience.

o We call this……………………….………..

9. Standing stiffly at attention with your feet together and your hands at your side is poor speech

posture because you look nervous and uncomfortable in your role as speaker.

o We call this……………………….………..

1996 Speaking of Speech by David Harrington & Charles LeBau



An Experience You Had as a Child Section A: Noticing

What do you think about the speaking notes that Maria used to make her speech? Using her speech as a

guide, complete the “Personal Experience Speech” preparation worksheet below.

“Stinging Experience”

Introduction In my hands I have a jar1 of honey. If you look closely, you

can see part of the honey beehive2 in the jar. You are probably

wondering3 why I brought a jar of honey to show you today. Every

time I see honey, it reminds4 me of a Stinging Experience I had

when I was in the 6th grade.

Body

As a child I grew up on a farm not far Kuala Lumpur5. One warm summer day, my

friend and I were walking home from school. We happened6 to see a beehive in a tree.

We had just studied in school about bee colonies7 and how bees make honey. This was

my chance to show off to my mother and father what I had learned from school.

It looked easy! I found a stick about two meters long. I handed it to my friend and

told her to sneak8 up to the tree and hit the hive with a stick. I said I would wait until

the bees came out and then I could grab9 the hive and run away with it.

I soon learned a very important lesson. I learned that things don’t always work out

the way you plan them. My friend pushed the hive down from the tree and ran at full

speed up a nearby hill. The bees didn’t go after her. However, they were all over me

instantly. They stung10 my arms; they flew down my blouse and stung me. They flew

up my skirt and stung me; they got in my hair and stung me.

Conclusion

That was the first and last beehive that I ever touched. Maybe now you can

understand why this jar of honey I brought to show you reminds me of a very ‘stinging

experience’. Thank you.



Section B: Vocabulary and Phrases1. Jar: a round container, usually one that has a wide mouth and a lid. Typically made of glass, plastic or ceramic.

2. Beehive: a structure housing a colony of bees

3. Wonder (wondering): to be curious to know something.

4. Remind (reminds): to cause a person to remember or think of something.

5. Kuala Lumpur: the capital city of Malaysia

6. Colony (Bee colonies): a group of animals or insects of the same kind living together and dependant on each other.

7. We happened to~: a happening without any planning or something is done or seen without warning.

8. Sneak: to go or act in a secretive way.

9. Grab: to take hold of something

10. Sting (stung): to prick the skin and inject a small amount of a poisonous or irritating substance.

Section C: Personal Experience Speech ~ Preparation Worksheet

Look at the Maria’s speech and try and answer the questions below. The first one has been done for you.

1. What type of experience was it? Stinging, painful, unpleasant and scary

2. Where was she? On a farm not far from Kuala Lumpur

3. When was she there?

4. Who was with her?

5. What was she doing?

6. Why was she there?

7. How was she feeling?

8. Why did she feel that way?

9. What was her goal?

10. How did she react?

11. How did the story end?

12. Why will she never forget this experience?



Section D: Prepare Your Own Speech

Now think about your own personal experience. Choose an experience to write about, and then answer the

following questions.

1. What type of experience was it?

2. Where were you?

3. When were you there?

4. Who was with you?

5. What were you doing?

6. Why were you there?

7. How were you feeling?

8. Why did you feel that way?

9. What was your goal?

10. How did you react?


12. Why will you never forget this experience?



Section E: Write Your Own Speech,

Use this page to write your own “personal experience” speech.

“………………………………”

Introduction

Body

Conclusion



Personal Experience Section A: Noticing

What do you think about the speaking notes that Francisco used to make her speech? Using her speech as a

guide, complete the “Personal Experience Speech” preparation worksheet below.

“Escape to be Free”

Introduction Do you think it is possible to have an experience

that is dangerous, happy, uncomfortable, and very scary

at the same time? I had and I’ll remember it for the rest

of my life.

Body

I escaped1 from Cuba2 three years ago, at the age of 18, with my 15-year old

brother Jose. My father wanted us to live in a free country, get a good education, and

have many opportunities3. In Cuba, there was no hope for a good future. My father put

Jose and me on a raft4 in the middle of the night. He told us that a city called Key West5

in the United States was only about 90 miles north of Cuba. Our trip from Havana6 to

Key West took three days. We were all alone without food or water. I thought that we

were going to starve7, drown, or be eaten by sharks. I tried to comfort my brother Jose

by telling him how much better our lives would be when we finally got to Miami8. I

made myself feel better by thinking that we would go to heaven9 and meet my parents

there one day. By some miracle, the U.S. Coast Guard10 rescued us several miles from

Key West. The immigration11 authorities notified12 our relatives in Miami. They picked

us up in Key West and we went to live with them in Miami. After two years we saw our

parents again. They finally escaped from Cuba also. That was a very happy day for me.

Conclusion

Now that you know my experience, I think you can understand why it was scary,

sad dangerous, uncomfortable and finally happy at the same time. I didn’t know it then,

but it was the most important personal experience in my life. It was important because

without that experience, I wouldn’t be here today in a free and wonderful country

talking to all of you. Thank you.



Section B: Vocabulary and Phrases1. Escape (Escaped): free oneself, get away from captivity

2. Cuba: otherwise known as the Republic of Cuba; communist country in the West Indies.

3. Opportunity (Opportunities): chance

4. Raft: a flat bottomed rubber or plastic boat

5. Key West: a city South West of Florida U.S.A.

6. Havana: the capital city of Cuba

7. Starve: to weaken or die through lack of food

8. Miami: a city and port South East of Florida U.S.A.

9. Heaven: a place or condition of supreme happiness and peace

10. U.S. Coast Guard: a U.S. military service that enforces laws and acts in marine emergencies.

11. Immigration: the control point at a border crossing where people entering a country must stop to have their passports officially

checked.

12. Notify (Notified): to inform or war somebody officially about something


Look at the Francisco’s speech and try and answer the questions below. The first one has been done for you.

1. What type of experience was it? Dangerous, scary, uncomfortable

2. Where were they?

3. When were they there? 3 years ago, 18 and 15 years old

4. Who was there?

5. What were they doing? Their father put them on a raft to the United States

6. Why were they there?

7. How were they feeling? Alone, scared, uncomfortable.

8. Why did they feel that way?

9. What was their goal? Arrive in Key West, freedom, opportunities

10. How did they react?


12. Why will they never forget this experience?




Now think about your own personal experience. Choose an experience to write about, and then answer the

following questions.

1. What type of experience was it?

2. Where were you?

3. When were you there?

4. Who was with you?

5. What were you doing?

6. Why were you there?

7. How were you feeling?

8. Why did you feel that way?

9. What was your goal?

10. How did you react?


12. Why will you never forget this experience?




Use this page to write your own “personal experience” speech.

“………………………………”

Introduction

Body

Conclusion



Meaningful Object Section A: Noticing

What do you think about the speaking notes that Henry used to make his speech? Using his speech as a

guide, complete the “Meaningful Object Speech” preparation worksheet below.

“Gemstones: A way of life”

Introduction In my hand I have an object in which spirits live! They float through the

bluish-green stone and live forever. Would you like to see an object in which

spirits live? I will now show it to you.

Body

This is a turquoise1 gemstone2. It is from the southwestern United States. My father

gave this to me for my 6th birthday. We were living on the Navajo reservation3. The

stone is 170 years old. It’s oval shaped, the size of a small coin and weighs about 56

grams.

My great grandfather first polished4 this turquoise stone when he was a young man

in the summer of 1831. I want you to know that turquoise stone is a mineral5 of

aluminum and copper; when it is polished, it becomes a brilliant6 bluish-green

gemstone.

This turquoise stone has a very special meaning for me, because it represents7 the

Navajo way of life. For the Navajo, all the things of our earth contain the spirits8 of all

the life forms that have touched them. When I look at this stone, its spirits help my

mind to see scenes from the past: my grandfather’s mud hut, the cedar wood fires, our

struggle9 for survival, the desert flowers and cactus, and the human spirit of the Navajo.

All these things belong to me in the memory of this stone.

Conclusion I wanted to share this turquoise stone with all of you because we all need to

realize10 that man must work with nature to change life for the better. I think you now

understand why this magnificent11 object has special meaning for me. In this gemstone,

many wonderful memories and spirits from the past can live again.



Section B: Vocabulary and Phrases1. Turquoise: a bright greenish-blue color

2. Gemstone: a precious stone

3. Navajo reservation: an area of land set aside for the Navajo Native Americans.

4. Polish (polished): to make something smooth and shiny

5. Mineral: a naturally occurring substance in rocks

6. Brilliant: extremely bright and shining

7. Represent (Represents): to stand for something

8. Spirit (Spirits): a vital force that is in all living things

9. Struggle: to try very hard to deal with a challenge, problem, or difficulty

10. Realize: to know or to understand

11. Magnificent: beautiful, impressive or exceptionally goo


Look at the Maria’s speech and try and answer the questions below. The first one has been done for you.

Part A: Objective Information

1. What is it? Turquoise gemstone

2. How old is it? 170 years old

3. Where is it from?

4. When did he get it?

5. How did he get it?

6. Why did he get it?

7. What size is it?

8. How much does it weigh?

9. What is it made of?

10. ……………………..? (Think of another question)

Part B: Subjective Information

1. Why does it have a special meaning for him?

2. Why does he feel strongly about it?

3. Why does he want to share it with the class?




A meaningful object can be a painting, picture, a piece of clothing, or jewelry. How would you describe it?

Why does it have special meaning to you? Now think about your own meaningful object.

1. Choose an object that has special meaning to you.

2. Using the questions below, prepare a speech about this object. Be sure to include all information that

will help the audience understand why the object is meaningful to you.

3. Bring your meaningful object to class (or a picture of it) and give a speech about it.

Part A: Objective Information

1. What is it?

2. How old is it?

3. Where is it from?

4. When did you get it?

5. How did you get it?

6. Why did you get it?

7. What size is it?

8. How much does it weigh?

9. What is it made of?

10. ……………………..? (Think of another question)

Part B: Subjective Information

1. Why does it have a special meaning for you?

2. Why do you feel strongly about it?

3. Why do you want to share it with the class?




Use this page to write your own “meaningful object” speech.

“………………………………”

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

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