Suggestions--what makes a good speech? (1 Viewer)

[nerd_2b]

What makes a gr8 speech, on journeys?? In terms of layout??

 

[Aquawhite]

I have a speech to do on poetry on week 3 back ^_^. A speech should kind of be set out with a need to argue and portray a point... like an essay. A speech is similar to a spoken essay.

 

[annabackwards]

My english speeches are always my essay for the question with a "Good morning/afternoon teachers and fellow students" at the beginning and a "Thank you for listening" at the end.

The teacher's don't care about it being interesting, just that you argue your thesis/point well so don't have any meaningless BS in the introduction to make it interesting.

For example, in our last english speech the essays that achieved the highest marks (19s and 20s) didn't have any meaningless BS and those that did got no higher than 17 because they spent too much time going on about nonsense.

Just be sure to make i contact with the audience and you'll be find

 

[LordPc]

pretty much write an essay and then trim it down to the essential information. it is a speech, so it has to flow a little more than an essay. try to make concepts and ideas lead into the next a little more than you would in essays.

My english speeches are always my essay for the question with a "Good morning/afternoon teachers and fellow students" at the beginning and a "Thank you for listening" at the end.

The teacher's don't care about it being interesting, just that you argue your thesis/point well so don't have any meaningless BS in the introduction to make it interesting.

For example, in our last english speech the essays that achieved the highest marks (19s and 20s) didn't have any meaningless BS and those that did got no higher than 17 because they spent too much time going on about nonsense.

Just be sure to make i contact with the audience and you'll be find

IMO, these kind of statements are boring. I mean, everyone says that and really, you dont really mean it. even if you did mean it, you did you have it written it down and planned to say it ahead of time?

if you have ever been in the presence of a great speaker, you would know they talk casually infront of a crowd of people, or a class of students and they dont read off palm cards. they know what they are saying. eg, if I told you to talk about your favourite book or game or tv show you would be able to talk about it without having to look at notes, and a speech should be similar. a free flowing one sided conversation about a topic.

so know your speech and be casual. at the very most have your speech summarised into one or two dot points per paragraph, so that you are talking and not looking down at your notes, and just say what you know. maybe pace around a little, that looks really good if you can do it, just a bit though, not too much.

 

[-may-cat-]

All great speeches usually contain some form of cat performance.

 

[drowning_pocoyo]

do u guys have to do aditional material?

school speeches is just an essay read out loud. so start with a sentence that directly answers your question. Make it clear and strong. Then list each aditional material and also comment how it will support your statement (your thesis which u just wrote). Then each mainbody paragraph should have a topic explore the text in depth and provide evidence to your thesis. Conclusion should simply restate your argument, why u thik your question is true and should link your texts to it.

hope this helped good luck : )

 

[meera.]

My english speeches are always my essay for the question with a "Good morning/afternoon teachers and fellow students" at the beginning and a "Thank you for listening" at the end.

Honestly, I wouldn't greet the audience or thank them. I've been doing debating and public speaking for years, and that sort of stuff annoys the adjudicators, or any kind of marker. It sounds quite childish by senior school. You could acknowledge the audience by saying something like, "Members of the audience ...", if you don't want to seem impolite. Saying thanks at the end of a speech can also ruin a strong ending, and that's not what you want. Aim to finish with a strong statement, and make it loud. That way, they'll remember you .​

 

[Kendall_Gilroy]

Make sure you wear eyeliner

 

[annabackwards]

IMO, these kind of statements are boring. I mean, everyone says that and really, you dont really mean it. even if you did mean it, you did you have it written it down and planned to say it ahead of time?

Honestly, I wouldn't greet the audience or thank them.

They might be boring but I only greet them because i have to. It's kind of hard not to greet/thank them when "engaging your audience" is in criteria. Unless you want to ask a hypothetical question, I don't know how else you would do it.

 

[khorne]

A good, captivating introduction, is always a plus (to get away from the monotonous introductions of "goood morning...I will be talking about blah blah") and make sure it's coherent, and flows easily.

 

[LordPc]

They might be boring but I only greet them because i have to. It's kind of hard not to greet/thank them when "engaging your audience" is in criteria. Unless you want to ask a hypothetical question, I don't know how else you would do it.

"Good morning/afternoon teachers and fellow students" and "Thank you for listening"

I meant that precise wording. in my experience many people greet and end like that, word for word. after the 3rd or 4th speech its just annoying.

opening with a rhetorical question is also common. I guess there are some internet guides or something which say its a good way to open, but usually they arent done quite right.

but honestly, how hard is it to open with something else, something unique?

"greetings, greetings and salutations to you all. Now I dont know about you, but at night I usually lay awake for a couple minutes and just ponder for a little while. And just few nights ago I was thinking "why do buses come in threes? . . . so we shall part ways now, but at the very least you now know exactly why buses come in threes." *walk off*

just anything that is different and engaging in any way like that is much much better than the very standard and boring

"Good morning/afternoon teachers and fellow students. Why do buses come in threes? Well maybe it is because... thank you for listening to why buses come in threes"

 

[want2beasenior]

I have never said "good morning/afternoon" in a speech and have always gotten close to full marks. It wastes time and audience interaction is achieved through eye contact, rhetorical questions etc.

Would you write "thank you for reading" at the bottom of an essay?

 

[annabackwards]

I have never said "good morning/afternoon" in a speech and have always gotten close to full marks. It wastes time and audience interaction is achieved through eye contact, rhetorical questions etc.

Would you write "thank you for reading" at the bottom of an essay?

No, but i would if it was in the criteria.

 

[drowning_pocoyo]

high school speeches are just essay read out loud so saying stuff like that IMO is kinda time wasting, what they are looking for is analysis and how u are able to tie it to your thesis.

 

[-may-cat-]

high school speeches are just essay read out loud so saying stuff like that IMO is kinda time wasting, what they are looking for is analysis and how u are able to tie it to your thesis.

Saying things like "thank you for listening" etc are pointless, but that doesn't mean engaging with your audience is a waste of time; a large proportion of marks are often allocated to the delivery of the speech, it is after all a speech, not an essay.

Good ways to engage with your audience include using:
- anecdotes
- rhetorical questions
- Some colloquialism
- hand gestures
- handouts and overheads
- appropriate use of the first person
- appropriate use of second person
- appropriate use of humour and wit

Many of these elements would be completely inappropriate if used in an essay, however they are appropriate in a speech since engaging with the audience is important. It shows the marker that you understand the text type and realise you are not just being asked to write a standard essay with greetings slapped on both ends.

EDIT: mk lordpc

 

[LordPc]

One thing to add to may cat's post is the use of 2nd person aswell. you can use 1st person as she stated but it is also engaging to talk directly to the audience with the use of 2nd person.