THE SPEECH:

Basics, Structure, Types,

and Delivery

Understanding the basics, structure, and types of speeches; mastering proper speech delivery
English Elective 7: Advanced Grammar | Grade 9 | Hanna Regine Valencerina, LPT
 TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
 What is a Speech?
 Types of Speeches according to Purpose
 The Basics of Speech Writing: Structure
and Tips
 Speech Delivery Made Easy: Rehearsing
Your Speech for an Effective Presenta
tion
THE SPEECH
 Speech Delivery: Body Language
What is a Speech?
 a formal address or discourse delivered to an audience.
 a form of communication in spoken language, made by a speaker b
efore an audience for a given purpose.
Example:
“The headmistress made a speech about how much they would miss her."
Synonyms:
talk, address, lecture, discourse, oration, disquisition, peroration, declamation, delivera
nce, presentation; valedictory; sermon, homily; harangue, diatribe, tirade, rant; monolo
gue, soliloquy, recitation; effusion, outpouring; salutatory; informal spiel; rare allocutio
n, predication.
"an after-dinner speech"
Types of Speeches according to Purpose
The four basic types of speeches are:
 to inform,
 to instruct/demonstrate,
 to entertain, and
 to persuade.

These are not mutually exclusive of one another.

You may have several purposes in mind when giving your speech presentation.
For example, you may try to inform in an entertaining style. Another speaker might inform the a
udience and try to persuade them to act on the information.
Effective preparation requires identifying the purpose of your speech. Once you’ve ide
ntified your purpose, you can move on to the objective of your speech.
Types of Speeches according to Purpose

There are also other types of speeches:

 Oratorical Speech
 Special Occasion Speech
 Motivational Speech
 Debate Speech
 Forensic Speech
 However, the principle purpose of a speech will generall
y fall into one of four basic types:

1. INFORMATIVE – This speech serves to provide intere

sting and useful information to your audience.

Some examples of informative speeches:

 A teacher telling students about earthquakes
 A student talking about her SEIP
THE SPEECH  A travelogue about the Island Garden City of Samal
 A computer programmer speaking about new software
 2. DEMONSTRATIVE – This has many similarities with a
n informative speech. A demonstrative speech also teac
hes you something. The main difference lies in including
a demonstration of how to do the thing you’re teaching.

Some examples of demonstrative speeches:

 How to start your own blog
 How to bake a cake
 How to write a speech
THE SPEECH
 3. Persuasive – A persuasive speech works to convince
people to change in some way: they think, the way they d
o something, or to start doing something that they are not
currently doing.

Some examples of persuasive speeches:

 Become an organ donor
 Improve your health through better eating
 Television violence is negatively influencing our children
THE SPEECH
 Become a volunteer and change the world
 4. Entertaining — The after-dinner speech is a typical ex
ample of an entertaining speech. The speaker provides p
leasure and enjoyment that make the audience laugh or i
dentify with anecdotal information.

Some examples of entertaining speeches:

 Excuses for any occasion
 Explaining patintero to an American
 Things you wouldn’t know without the movies
THE SPEECH
The Basics of Speech Writing: Structure &
Tips
1. Pick Your Main Ideas
Don't try to put too many ideas into your speech.
Research shows that people remember very little from speeches, so j
ust give them one or two ideas to hang onto.
Remember, you only have a few minutes for your speech!
The Basics of Speech Writing: Structure &
Tips
2. Write Like You Talk
Remember that you're writing a speech, not an essay. People will hear the speech, not read it. Th
e more conversational you can make it sound, the better.
So try these tips:

• Use short sentences. It's better to write two simple sentences than one long, complicated sent
ence.
• Don't use big words that you wouldn't use when talking to someone.
• Always read your speech aloud while you're writing it. You'll hear right away if you sound like a
book or a real person talking!
The Basics of Speech Writing: Structure &
Tips
3. Use Concrete Words and Examples
Concrete details keep people interested. For instance, which is more
effective?
A vague sentence like: "Open play spaces for children's sports are in
short supply." should be replaced with a more concrete one like: "We
need more baseball and soccer fields for our kids."
The Basics of Speech Writing: Structure &
Tips
4. Get Your Facts Together
You want people to believe that you know what you're talking about! So you'll need to do some re
search.

For instance, let's say your big issue is the environment. You promise to pass a law that says all
new cars must run on electricity, not gas. That will cut down on air pollution! But it would help if yo
u had a few facts: How much bad air does one car create each year? How many new cars are sol
d in the U.S. every year? So how much will pollution be cut every year?
Use the library or the Internet to do research. Your new policy proposal will sound really strong if
you have the facts to back it up.
The Basics of Speech Writing: Structure &
Tips
5. Persuade With a Classic Structure
In a speech where you're trying to persuade someone, the classic structure is called "Problem-So
lution".

In the first part of your speech you say, "Here's a problem, here's why things are so terrible."
Then, in the second part of your speech you say, "Here's what we can do to make things better."
Sometimes it helps to persuade people if you have statistics or other facts in your speech. And so
metimes you can persuade people by quoting someone else that the audience likes and respects
.
The Basics of Speech Writing: Structure &
Tips
6. Simplify
After you've written a first draft of your speech, go back and look for words you c
an cut. Cutting words in the speech can make your points more clear.

One speechwriter for a U.S. Senator has a sign above her desk that says:
"Fewer Words = Clearer Point."
It helps her remember to always simplify a speech by cutting out words.
Speech Delivery Made Easy: Rehearsing Your
Speech for an Effective Presentation
You have done your research, written your speech,
and now it is time to rehearse it.

One of the most important benefits of rehearsing a speech

is the building of self-confidence.

While the ultimate goal of rehearsing is to find errors and

to make adjustments, the goal of building confidence in yourself
and in your material is extremely important.

The more comfortable you are with your material,

the better your delivery will be.
 Step-by-step Approach for
Speech Rehearsal

1. Practice in front of a mirror.

In addition to hearing you speak, it is also important to see how others will see you.

If you are going to use gestures during your speech, this is the time when you will not
ice how they will look at an audience. You may find that you need to make adjustmen
ts.

Are you facial expressions appropriate to the words you are using? Practice making
THE SPEECH a mistake as well, perhaps using the wrong fact or misstating it.
 Step-by-step Approach for
Speech Rehearsal

2. Ask one person to be your audience.

Ask someone you know who will give you honest feedback to listen, and wat
ch, your rehearsal.

Even if you watch your videotape or listen to your recording a hundred time
s, you will still miss something that a different pair of eyes and ears will disce
rn.
THE SPEECH
It is always desirable to get the benefit of someone else's opinion.
 Step-by-step Approach for
Speech Rehearsal

3. Monitor your mannerisms.

You should pay particular attention to your mannerisms.

typically do not notice, or even know we have, certain manneris

ms.
However, watching ourselves on videotape will provide you with
THE SPEECH an excellent opportunity to see yourself in action and notice so
me mannerisms that perhaps should be avoided.
 Step-by-step Approach for
Speech Rehearsal
4. Be sure to practice with your visual ai
ds.
This is a common mistake beginning public speakers make. They assume th
at the important part is to practice their verbal delivery and that it is easy to r
efer to visual aids. Not so.

You want to ensure that you know exactly how, and when , you are going to
incorporate your visual aids into your speech.
THE SPEECH
Make notes in your speech on when you will use which aid.
 Step-by-step Approach for
Speech Rehearsal
5. Prepare all the Materials You Need for yo
ur
Speech the Day Before
An important part of your rehearsal process will be the preparati
on of materials you will have during the delivery of your speech.

Most speakers use one of two options: a printed version of the

THE SPEECH entire speech, word for word, or note cards.
Speech Delivery: Body Language
We communicate in a number of ways, and body language is indeed a universal language.

The way you communicate with your body can, without overstating the issue, either ensure a successful deli
very or ruin your chances of ever bonding with an audience.

Your speech does not begin the moment you start speaking at a podium.
Your speech begins the moment the audience sees you.

This could be while you are walking toward the stage or across the stage to the podium.

First impressions are vitally important for a public speaker, and the audience will form an opinion about befor
e you speak even your first word.
Speech Delivery: Body Language
Eye Contact
It is an established fact of public speaking that the more eye contact you make with an audience,
the more effective you message will be communicated.

Try to select several members of the audience and make eye contact with them throughout the s
peech. It could be people you know well who are there to support you, or you can select a strang
er.

However, be careful not to make eye contact with the same person constantly unless they are a c
lose friend and have given you permission to do so. Too much eye contact with the same person
will make that person uncomfortable.
Speech Delivery: Body Language
Eye Contact
Eye contact also serves one other important purpose: it gives you fee
dback during a speech.
You will be able to read the body language of your audience just as th
ey are reading your body language.
If you sense that your message is not getting through clearly enough,
or you sense other thoughts about the audience, you can make any n
ecessary adjustments.
Speech Delivery: Body Language
Gestures
If you are nervous, it is best to keep your hands on the podium at all times, out of sight of the audi
ence.
Nervous people tend to have shaky hands, and this will be seen by the audience.
You should refrain from drinking water during a speech if you are nervous because your hands wi
ll be shaking and the glass will too.
If the speaker feels that the audience is noticing this, it will make the speaker even more nervous.
However, if you are comfortable using your hands to make gestures during a speech, it is a powe
rful way of communicating your message.
Speech Delivery: Body Language
Stage Movement
You should keep stage movements at a minimum. No one wants to see someon
e moving back and forth on a stage while they are giving a speech. It will look am
ateurish.
The simple rule of thumb is to move when it is required, and not much more than
that. If a podium has been provided for you, use it. Do not leave the podium and
walk around the stage. This is especially true if you are nervous. The podium will
help you to maintain your calmness throughout the speech.