Preparing Your Speech Academic Juniors
Reminders… 3-5 minute speech Topic of your choice / must take a side In case you have experienced snow day forgetfulness… 3-5 minute speech Topic of your choice / must take a side 2 Verbal source citations Include counterargument Must be framed Your goals: -Continue improving as a public speaker -Connect with your esteemed audience
Preparing your introduction
The “standard” intro format Introduction A. Attention getter: Pull the audience in with something interesting. Don’t be a snooze from the get-go. (a personal story, interesting stats, a quote, etc.) B. Introduction of topic: Give the audience a brief glimpse at what you are talking about, maybe some background info they need to best understand your topic. C. Credibility statement: What gives you the authority to speak on this topic? What will connect you with the audience and make them want to listen to you? D. Thesis/preview statement: 1) Is your transition between the introduction and the body of the speech and 2) it provides a concrete base of your main points so listeners know what you will cover.
Here is the catch – Framing!
What does it mean to frame your speech? Coming full circle Simply put, bringing up something (a story, a current event, a quote, etc.) in your introduction and revisiting it in your conclusion
Story about fav. lunch freshman year Compare freshman lunch to current For example, if you were speaking about the recent changes to school lunches… Intro: Story about fav. lunch freshman year Main point 1 Main point 2 Main point 3 Compare freshman lunch to current Concl:
The Body
“Standard” Body format – 3 to 5 points II. Main Point #1 - Clear statement telling the audience what this section is about. A. Sub-point: Details supporting main point 1. (You can have as many sub-points as you need) B. Citation/Source material – “According to a 2014 study conducted by UCLA…” C. Transition – So important when speaking! Make sure you smoothly connect with your next point. *Must have at least 3 main point sections for the body of your speech
The counterargument
What does it mean to address the counterargument? Acknowledging an opposing viewpoint Example: “Although many people believe the restrictions placed on student lunches will produce positive results, I will tell you many reasons why this isn’t the case…” Wondering where to put your counterargument? Consider using it as a transition from your introduction to your first main point If you feel that you have a more effective placement for your particular speech, go with your gut!
The Conclusion
A “standard” conclusion format Don’t forget to frame! Reference your introduction once more. III. Conclusion A. Summary: Use this moment to revisit what you want the audience to remember. Make this meaningful. It should be something more than, “Today we talked about X, Y, Z.” B. Clincher: You need to have a strong ending. This is the perfect place to complete the task of framing. Refer back to your attention getter, end with a strong quotation, create a strong image, etc.
Let’s look at an example!