SPEECH WRITING & PERFORMANCE TIPS SPONSORED BY THE OFFICERS AND VETERANS OF MAC SPEECH AND DEBATE

WHEN PERFORMING Use good posture. Look confident. Make eye contact with the entire audience and/or the judges. Nervous gestures such as: Frequent yet inconsistent movement Awkward hand gestures may be unappealing to the audience and will detract from your points.

WHEN PERFORMING Use voice inflection. Voice inflection is when the tone in your voice varies in order to engage the audience and keep them interested in your speech. Try to go for a formal yet conversational tempo to engage the audience and make your speech more personal.

VOICE & ARTICULATION Things to keep in mind Volume is the level of loudness in which you speak Keep a volume appropriate to your speech. i.e.: If you are at a dramatic and emotional part in your speech you might want to lower your volume to emphasize your point. Pace is the speed in which you speak your material. Use a natural and steady pace to the point where we can understand you without you having to speak to slowly. Pronunciation is the practice of articulately saying words in the manner in which they are intended to be spoken.

DRAMATIC APPROPRIATENESS Dramatic appropriateness is important. Be conscious of where your dramatic pauses are and where you put emphasis on.

SPEECH ORGANIZATION Organize your speech in a way that is easy to understand. Make sure you yourself understand the material. Quickly establish your context or motive.

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN WRITING YOUR SPEECH If you are making an argument, why do you want them to agree with you? How can your audience benefit from what you have to say?

RHETORICAL STRATEGIES EthosPathosLogos

PATHOS Appeals to emotion

ETHOS Appeals to character or credibility

LOGOS Appeals to logistics

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Use strong transitions Use statistics and quotations sparingly Cite sources