Speech

Speech Study Guide

Chapter Eight: Delivery and Apprehension

Objectives 1. Understand effective delivery, including using voice effectively when delivering a speech. 2. Discuss the importance of articulation and pronunciation in the delivery of a speech. 3. Explain how body language and appearance are also critical parts of effective delivery. 4. Understand the nature of public speaking apprehension and how to handle it as a speaker. 8.1 Characteristics of Effective Delivery Most have experienced speeches that held the audience’s attention and focus until the end. Likewise, most have experienced speeches that were boring and did not hold the focus of the audience. In all likelihood, the more effective speaker held their listener’s attention through the delivery of the speech. Delivery is how a message is communicated nonverbally through a speaker’s voice and body. Nonverbal com unication includes all speech elements other than the actual words themselves. These elements are used in voice and body language . Keep in mind that while good delivery is important, it is no substitute for sound ideas. Poor ideas can be delivered well and great ideas can be delivered poorly. Having an effective delivery means remaining audience-centered, avoiding behaviors that distract from the message, and promoting the listeners’ understanding. Below are some of the characteristics of voice and body language: • Voice includes pitch, volume, rate, quality, articulation, pronunciation, and pauses. • Body language includes appearance, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and posture and poise. 8.2 Conversational Effective delivery is both conversational and animated. Conversational simply means that the audience perceives a speaker is talking with them, and not performing in front of them or reading to them. It is as if the speaker is talking directly to the listener, as if they are having a conversation. A key part of conversational speaking is spontaneity , which is the ability to sound natural, as though the speaker is really thinking about the ideas and getting them across to the audience. Another key part of the conversational style is for speakers to learn the ideas of a speech before giving it, rather than trying to memorize every word. As speakers read and create an outline, they will absorb those ideas and as they practice delivering the speech, they can focus on getting the message conveyed in a natural, conversational style. 8.3 Animated Many individuals have experienced a professor reading a well-structured lecture while looking, mostly, at the lecture notes rather than the students. That professor seldom made eye contact with the audience and made very few gestures other than turning the page. While the material was well written, it was still dry and boring due to the lack of animation. An animated speech is lively and

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