Public Speaking Unit 6: Make Your Speech Interesting (2) PDF

English for Public Speaking Unit 6: Make your Speech Interesting (2) Activity: Telling Jokes Use the first part of this lesson to have all or some students come to the front of the class to tell their jokes or funny stories from the homework assignment. Repetition, contrast and pause This week we...

English for Public Speaking Unit 6: Make your Speech Interesting (2) Activity: Telling Jokes Use the first part of this lesson to have all or some students come to the front of the class to tell their jokes or funny stories from the homework assignment. Repetition, contrast and pause This week we will learn a few more techniques, which can make your speech more interesting and memorable. Repeat the Key Point A technique used frequently by politicians, a word needs to be said on average 5 times before the audience begins to take in what is being said. List some key words for your own topic that may be useful to repeat often. __________________ __________________ __________________ Dramatic Contrast Contrasting two points, such as “Ten years ago we had a reputation for excellence. Today, we are in danger of losing that reputation.” Or, “A rich person might travel abroad five times in one year, other people may feel very lucky to travel abroad just one time in five years.” Pause at the Right Moment This adds impact to sentence just before or after the pause. This is a good literary technique to use for the key message of your speech. Don’t be afraid to wait 3-5 seconds before speaking, adding maximum impact to your words. Video: Watch the video “Mastering the pause to improve your public speaking skills” by GetBetterAtSpeaking Youtube channel. Note when are the best times to use pauses in speech and discuss after the video Now let students practice the following sentence. (Pause) I have something important to tell you (pause). Do you want to know the best way to find love? (Pause) The best way is (pause) learn to love yourself first (pause). 6.1 Epiphora and Anaphora If you could easily highlight key messages in your speech, would you do it? If there were a simple way to be more memorable, would you do it? If you could craft speech phrases that are more quotable, would you do it? What is Epiphora? A Definition… “Epiphora (or epistrophe) is the Greek term used to describe the repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences.” Epiphora Speech Examples In each of these examples, note how the repeated words (in bold) are central to the speaker’s message.  A Guide for Using Epiphora in Your Speeches Guideline #1 – Don’t overdo it. Like many other rhetorical devices, the impact is strongest when they stand out. For this reason, use epiphora sparingly. In many speeches, one use is adequate. In many famous speeches (like those quoted above), it is common to find one or two examples of epiphora, but only very long speeches tend to have more than that. Guideline #2 – Choose words key to your message. Did you notice how the repeated words above were central to each speaker’s message?  Malcolm X: “Europeans”  Martin Luther King Jr: “together” These words were not randomly selected. In the same way, you should choose key words for your message and build epiphora around them. Guideline #3 – Use pauses and vocal emphasis. For maximum impact, use your vocal powers to draw attention to the repeated words. In this way, the words help build up an emphatic cadence that your audience will long remember. Write your own epiphora examples for your speech topic 1. 2. What is Anaphora? A Definition… Anaphora is the Greek term used to describe the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. Anaphora in “I Have a Dream” and “We Shall Fight” In August, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave us one of the richest speech examples for anaphora. This includes “I have a dream …” and many other repetition-laden passages, including: Another famous anaphora passage was delivered in the midst of World War II by Winston Churchill in the House of Commons, June 4, 1940: A Guide for Using Anaphora in Your Speeches Guideline 1: Don’t overdo it. It is best to use anaphora sparingly within a speech. If you use it over and over again in every paragraph, its impact may be reduced. In most speeches, once or twice is probably enough. Instead, use anaphora strategically to highlight a passage which is central to your core message. There’s no rule that says where this should be, but opening or closing a speech with anaphora is common.  Guideline #2: Emphasize your delivery. When speech examples are written out (as in this article), the anaphora is obvious. In a spoken speech, however, your audience doesn’t have this luxury. To achieve maximum effect, be sure to emphasize the repetitive words in your delivery. Enunciate clearly. Pause appropriately. Add vocal power if it makes sense to do so. Guideline 3: Choose simple, yet important words to repeat. In most cases the speaker should choose to repeat common, one-syllable words. Simple language is always a good choice, but this is especially so for repeated words. But “simple” doesn’t mean the words are negligible. Consider:  King: “Now is the time …” and “I have a dream …”  Churchill: “We shall fight …”  Pope John Paul II: “I hope that …” In each case, the repeated words echo key themes of the speech. King was sharing his dream and believed that the time had come for action. Churchill served notice that Britain was ready to fight. Pope John Paul II expressed hope for the future. Guideline 4: Consider combining anaphora with other rhetorical devices. To craft a really memorable passage, try using anaphora with another rhetorical device, such as:  the rule of three  epiphora Rule of Three When you combine anaphora with the rule of three, the result is strong unity between the three statements. For example: Epiphora With anaphora and epiphora combined, you get sentences which begin and end with the same words. This focuses the attention on the connecting words in the middle, and magnifies the similarities or differences. For example: You should talk more to improve your English You should read more to improve your English You should listen more to improve your English Write your own example of anaphora for your speech topic 1. ________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Assignment 2 Free topic structured speech Put together everything learned so far to create a structured speech, following the structure practiced on page 12. Try to use as many techniques as possible to make your speech interesting and memorable. Speech time: between 2:00 and 4:00 minutes Speech Date: 2 weeks after this class Assignment score: 10 points