Researching Your Speech
Additional Resources
Outline Checklist
Speech Lab Info
Contact:
|
OUTLINING YOUR SPEECHOnce you
have thoroughly researched your speech and gathered your information, you are
ready to begin a draft of an outline. Every good outline has a well-developed introduction,
body, and conclusion. A. ATTENTION GAINER ü Do not let the first words out of
your mouth be ordinary! "Hi, my name
is…" or "Today I would like to talk about…" or "Have you
ever…?” are all statements we expect to hear. Try starting with a story, poem,
inspirational quotation, hypothetical example, or a string of shocking
statistics instead. “According to the CDC, ¼ ounce of this substance can infect the entire
planet. It can live for up to ten years on a kickball or rake, and it is right
around the corner on your next hike through the woods. What is this substance?
(take guesses from audience) Urushiol – the oil in poison ivy, oak, and sumac.” B. THESIS ü Somewhere in your introduction, you
should have one clear statement that sums up your entire purpose. You aren’t
merely “announcing a topic” but conveying your “goal” for the speech. "In the few minutes, I intend to persuade you that antibiotics are
over-prescribed" “Today I hope to shed light on the forces that shaped Hitler’s life—not
to in anyway justify his actions, but so that we might better understand them.
” C. RELEVANCY APPEAL ü Somewhere in your introduction, you
want to tell your specific audience why they should care about your message.
Think about those demographic and situational factors in audience analysis.
Chances are, if it's interesting to you--it's relevant to them. Tell them why. “As college students, we are in close quarters and often share viruses.
We’re also very busy and likely to want a `quick fix’ to whatever ails us.
Unfortunately, we may be weakening our immunity by our overuse of antibiotics.” D. CREDIBILITY STATEMENT ü If you have some unique tie to your
topic, you'll want to mention it in your introduction. “I have battled social anxiety disorder for six years, and I think it is
important that we all understand what people who have this disorder
experience.” E. PREVIEW ü This should be the very last
statement in your introduction. This is the roadmap of your 2-4 main points. "Today, I'd like to first explain to you the causes of Social
Anxiety Disorder, second the symptoms, and finally, potential treatments for
this disorder" THE BODY OF YOUR SPEECH The body of
your speech should be organized into 2-4 key main points. You will name these
in your preview and review statements.
In class, you should have learned about various organizational patterns
(topical, chronological, etc.) and you should have a general idea of how your
information breaks down into a logical structure. If you need more help, go here. GROUPING: v Always have between 2-4 main points w/2-4
subpoints. If you have a list of 7 subpoints, think about how to regroup that
list into 2-4 larger areas. Your audience will have a difficult time paying
attention to and absorbing long lists of information. v Go to the 3rd level of
development (in the sample below, the little "a" and "b").
This will help you know that you have adequately developed ideas. The number of subpoints and the amount of
support that you'll have for each subpoint will vary. LABELING: v If you have a main point labeled “background
information,” "statistics," or "basic facts" you have more
work to do! Figure out what the statistics or facts tell you so that you can turn
them into a more specific claim or point. v Keep your subpoints to key words
only. If you write out everything that you're going to say, you'll feel
obligated to stick to that wording. In order to keep your delivery
conversational and extemporaneous, force yourself to use only key words. TRANSITIONS: v Between each of your main points,
you’ll want to have a transition. Review of previous point and preview of next
one. Transitions are necessary to help
your audience synthesize what you're saying and "get back on board"
if they've tuned out. Even though these are functional statements, they still
can and should sound conversational. For example, “Unfortunately,
Hitler’s mental illness was only fed by his philosophical mentors. CITATIONS: v Include citations (e.g., Smith, 1994
Time article) after the statistics, stories, examples, or quotations
noted in your outline. This will remind you to cite your sources within your
speech. As a general rule, a speaker with a well-developed and supported
message will cite 2-3 different sources for each main point. Your structure will
look something like this: A. MAINT
POINT #1 1. SUBPOINT a. Support or Sub-Subpoint b. Support or Sub-Subpoint 2. SUBPOINT a. Support or Sub-Subpoint b. Support or Sub-Subpoint Transition: review/preview B.
1. SUBPOINT c. Support or Sub-Subpoint d. Support or Sub-Subpoint Etc. In other words… A. Leading causes of influenza 1. Poor Handwashing a.
statistics on this (Center for Disease Control) b. quote
from Dr. Andrew Smith 2.Poor health habits =
decreased immunity a. sleep
patterns for college students (National Institute of Health) b. study on
eating behaviors linked to influenza (American Medical
Association) – show chart c. personal
observations in the dorm 3. Myths regarding the
causes of influenza a. cold
weather myth b. quote
from Dr. Andrew Smith Transition: understanding the causes helps you know how to treat influenza B.
Treatment 1. Etc. Don’t
linger in the conclusion. Once you’ve indicated that you’re wrapping up, stick
to that bargain! A. REVIEW OF MAIN POINTS ü Just like your preview… remind us
what we've heard so that we can take in the big picture. B. VIVID CONCLUSION: ü Again, do not let your last words be
ordinary. Leave a lasting thought about what you've said--a quote, a story, an image.
Slow down vocally and convey to us that you're ending your message. Wait a
second or two to allow us to process that you're finished and applaud. Do not
make a face or say "so," "that's it," or "thank
you"--just hold our gaze until we applaud and then walk confidently to
your seat. TIP: When you finish
your outline, run it through the outline checklist
or run it by your professor or someone at the speech lab. If you want to get an
A on your speech, you will probably need to go through many drafts in order to
really fine-tune your message. |
