Chapter 8 - Organizing Your Speech

I thought the book did a great job in Chapter 8 discussing the importance of organizing your speech.  The four main parts include the introduction, body, transitions, and conclusion.  I am hoping that once I use this organized arrangement several times, it will become “second nature” to me and I can apply to discussions and speeches at work.  Next month, our unit will participate in a meeting, and my supervisor notified me that I was to lead the meeting.  I must admit I was a bit nervous until I read this chapter in the book.  Now I feel confident that I can provide a clear message to our unit.  I plan to develop an outline for the meeting and include the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, main ideas and subpoints.  The pattern of organization will be classified as “topical.”  I also did not realize that transitions were most beneficial if used between the introduction and the first main point, between the main points, and between the last main point and the conclusion.

Speech Buddy Videos

I actually enjoyed all of the videos.  The few that I found to be most helpful in any of my future speeches is the ability to “mix” my supporting materials to include narrative, example, definition, testimony, facts and statistics as much as possible.  The ability to diversify and use several types of supporting materials will ensure I will have made a strong connection with the audience finding my speech valuable.  The seven patterns of organization were extremely helpful as well.  Depending on my topic, it will be important to choose the one pattern that will be best to ensure organization of my speech.  I also like the idea of using a Power Point presentation for facts and statistics rather than transparencies.  Power Point presentations look much more professional and are easier to see and understand than transparency presentations.  Presentations on Power Point seem to lend speaker credibility.

Discussion Question #2 - Facts and Statistics

Facts and statistics are most effective when the speaker talks about a “hot topic” and uses credible facts and statistics to back his or her claim (logical appeals).  Facts are effective to use in a speech when the specific fact is something that happened in the past, and can be verified through a credible course.  For example, if you wanted to find out when the U.S. Supreme Court banned segregation in interstate bus travel, you would look for a credible source such as http://www.history-timelines.org/.  Statistics can be used successfully to make comparisons.  For example, if you are interested in researching how many California teens vs. adults die each year in auto accidents, you could search the California Highway Patrol (CHP) death statistic log.  Facts and Statistics would not be beneficial  if the speaker wanted to appeal to our emotions (pathos) or mythos which focuses on the values and beliefs embedded in cultural narratives or stories.

Chapter 5 – Using Demographic Information

Creating an audience by using specific demographic information is very powerful because the speakers invites and chooses individuals to participate based on specific characteristics.  For example, if I worked for UC Davis Medical Center (UCD), and my goal was to educate high school students on the endless medical careers available, I would visit high schools and speak about all of the many careers in the medical field.  Too many people think that the medical field just consists of nurses and doctors.  There are so many other medical career options!  I would leave behind a handout stating the different opportunities within UCD along with a contact telephone number encouraging students to call and meet with UCD staff to learn more about potential careers and the education requirements.  Sierra College used this approach with their free workshops.  Participation is specific.  For example, if you are interested in learning how to use your scientific calculator more efficiently, you can attend a workshop and the speaker will show you what all of those lovely buttons do on your calculator.

Chapter 5 - Speech Buddy Videos

In the drinking speech video, Matthew used too many statistics during his speech; therefore, I became confused.  I liked the opening demonstration of the reenactment of the sounds of someone getting sick after drinking too much.  He mumbled most of his words, and did not appear to have passion in his voice.  While most of the statistics are probably accurate, his speech would have had more of an impact on me if he would have used three top statistics and if he would have spoken with more confidence.  The use of the transparencies was a good idea, and for visual learners, could have added more meaning to the seriousness of drinking too much.  I found the transparencies distracting.  Courtney spoke with confidence, and I believed in her speech topic.  She owned her speech.  Early on in the speech, she cited three ways that light pollution affects all of us.  She kept her speech simple which made it easier for me to remain interested and focused on her speech.

 Max

Chapter 5 Post

Hello,

The importance of audience analysis is to learn as much as possible about the audience so the speaker can design messages that will appeal to the mass of the audience.  The speaker must know who he or she is talking to.  For example, is the audience primarily made-up of primarily retirees?  High school graduates?  Does the audience involve people with disabilities?  In order for the speaker to adapt to the audience, the speaker must deliver a message and communicate with an audience who is genuinely interested in receiving “relevant” messages that they can benefit and apply to their own lives.  Choosing the correct setting for your speech is also important.  For example, if you are delivering a speech to a group of first-year law students, you might want to consider giving your speech in the local law school auditorium.  For my next speech, I plan to develop a research questionnaire that will include closed- and open-ended questions that will give me more information about the audience and individual interests.  I like the idea of using a few quotes I noted in the questionnaires to ensure that I connect with the audience which will help support some of my main points. 

Cheryl

Sierra College Library has so Much to Offer!

Hello,

I had no idea that when I ever did a “Google” search for speech that I was only scratching the surface of my resources.  It has never occurred to me to go to the Sierra College library.  It says in our text book that “books” remain a key source of information which most includes “peer review.” Peer review is important because it contributes toward the credibility of the article.  I will utilize the library’s online catalog entry.  For the most current information, I could look for journals, magazines, and newspapers.  The library provides access to full-text databases of articles from periodicals.  I didn’t know that government publications existed!  Utilizing reference materials is another area I would enjoy exploring for my next speech.  My Sierra Counselor suggested I take a library reference class this semester.  After reaching Chapter 6, I can definitely understand why becoming familiar with the campus library would contribute significantly to the quality of my next speech.  

Max

Chapter 6 - Speech Buddy Videos

Hello,

For my next speech topic, I will need to gather my research information carefully.  The research and the author(s) I plan to use will be evaluated for soundness and credibility.  I will also research the author.  I will take note if there is a pattern of topics the author like to talk about.  What are his/her views?  Do they make sense to me?  Can the facts be supported?  Learning about the author will assist me in the evaluation process.  I have heard that the library offers an amazing array of resources, and would like to consider learning more about all of the data bases of information available to me.  I thought that the suggestion about recording the bibliographic information was extremely helpful.  Recording the information would not only keep me organized, but would prevent duplicate work.  I really liked Dory’s speech.  Everyone has a personal story, and after listening to her speech, I learned that my parents did not teach me that family is an important part of life which is really sad. 

Max

Research Interviews

Hello,

I worked part-time for a marketing research firm in Sacramento.  My main responsibility was to interview people over the telephone to see if they met the pertinent criteria to participate in a particular focus group.  A lengthy contact list was provided to me of people who possessed the necessary experience that would qualify them to participate in a focus group.  I contacted each person and asked many specific questions.  The questions were very specific which helped me choose only the most qualified participants.  One problem is that it took at least 50 – 100 telephone calls just to form one focus group.  It would have been more helpful if the person who provided me with the list would have provided a much narrower list because many did not qualify.  I would suggest asking and stating the most challenging question(s) first instead of waiting for the middle or end of the interview.  This would have saved me time.

Max

Speech Buddy Videos

Hello,

I feel the visualization technique is a great place to start when I begin practicing a speech.  It is an opportunity to memorize, rehearse, and develop a feel for what type of speech I want to deliver.  I will definitely use the releasing tension breathing techniques before and after a speech.  My shoulders are my tense area, and using this breathing technique will help alleviate my stress.  What I liked about the 2.2 speech was that the speaker had a nice relaxed way of moving around while giving her speech.  She did not stay in one place which made it interesting.  I thought the “Intro Jessica” was very successful.  The speaker had a nice smile, she looked very relaxed, she appeared as though she was talking to everyone individually, her energy was positive and humorous, she is a very likeable person, she had a cherry demeanor, and I loved her energy.  She intertwined several life-lessons and gave a pep-talk about “rolling with the punches.”

Max

Benefits of Knowing Your Audience

Hello,

Some speakers actually target and choose the demographics of their audience.  For example, I’ve heard Stan Atkinson and his business partner talking on KFBK Newstalk radio about reverse mortgages.  The audience of KFBK listeners are generally older.  Stan and his partner are looking for established homeowners who might be close to retirement.  Their goal is to reach as many people as possible through their radio advertisement, and share with the audience how they can save money by committing to a reverse mortgage.    Essentially, while their commercial is airing, they are speaking to literally thousands of people, and inviting them to participate in their upcoming seminar. 

Once the seminar has been conducted, Stan and his partner will have made their topic relevant by targeting an older audience.  They have a better chance of selling their product because they were careful with choosing the best radio station to deliver their message and reach their targeted audience.  Stan, former news anchor for KCRA is a celebrity, and he has the ability to capture many peoples attention just by his name.  Since most people find him credible, he will have a very good chance of connecting with his audience, and developing a successful business.  Thank you for reading my blog!

Max

Why I am Apprehensive About Public Speaking

Hello,

What makes me apprehensive about public speaking is the possibility of an audience questioning my ideas in my speech.  Every person in the audience will have their own opinion, likes and dislikes, and views; therefore, the topic I choose must be a neutral non controversial topic.  I recognize that the first thing I must do is build a common ground with the audience.  For example, most people are dog lovers.  I could deliver a speech that included dog trivia or something fun and interesting that most people wouldn’t know about dogs.  I can visualize myself giving a heart-warming speech about the man’s best friend, and hope that my passionate energy and/or humor will be felt by the audience.  I can reduce my level of uneasiness and fearfulness by choosing a topic that I believe in and feel good about.  This will allow me to deliver my speech in the most comfortable way.  Once I gain more confidence, I will experiment with different topics.  Thank you for reading my blog!

Chery.