“The wise ones fashioned a speech with their thoughts, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.” Buddha
The above-mentioned quotation applies to all forms of speeches, the regular ones, the ones that are given to persuade the audience, and so on. Mostly, students are not that fond of writing. They even get their academic projects done by taking Dissertation Help, or academic assistance with other such academic projects. This eases their academic load to quite some extent and enables them to focus on other activities as well.
However; what happens when a student is asked to deliver a speech or when an individual is told to give his opinion on a certain topic in front of an audience? Well; it might be a little difficult to find an answer to these questions a few decades ago when there was no internet. But, after the introduction of the internet, it has become quite easy. Just as students search for “How To Write A Dissertation Introduction”, people can look for how to structure a speech. This post is an answer to one such question.
What is speech?
In a regular way, speech is any form of expression in which an individual gets to express his thoughts by articulating sound. A regular speech is an expression that you speak casually and it might not impact or influence a lot of people except for the one whom you are in conversation with.
However; when a speech is being delivered in a formal way in front of a large audience then each word uttered through your mouth has importance. This is why a formal speech has to be written and spoken quite carefully because it has the power to persuade, convince, and make people believe a certain topic. A speech cannot be neutral, it has to have a point either in favor of or in opposition to the topic of discussion. As it is said; let thy speech be better than silence or be silent.
Difference between a speech and a debate:
Some people confuse speech and debate as the same things but there are some prominent differences between the two. Some of them are as follows;
· Speech vs. debate- main difference:
The main difference between a speech and a debate is that speech is given by an individual to give his perspective regarding a certain topic. On the other hand, a debate is between two people; each trying to make his stance stronger.
· Speech vs. debate- audience participation:
Speech is delivered to the audience but the debate is a form of discussion that allows the audience to be part of the ongoing debate.
· Speech vs. debate- a place of presentation:
Speech is given on political platforms, on memorable occasions, on educational platforms, and so on. On the other hand; the debate is used to compete in educational institutes or political forums.
Factors to consider while writing a speech:
It seems uncontroversial that written and oral texts are produced and processed differently (Cuenca, 2017), this is why there is a special technique for writing a speech. There are two main factors that have to be considered while writing a speech;
- Its structure.
- Its effectiveness.
The structure of speech constitutes of three main parts, which are as follows;
- Introduction: This is an extremely crucial part as it allows the speaker to form contact with the audience instantly. An introduction must contain the following three components;
- Start with a joke, an astonishing fact, or a trending topic to grab the attention of the audience.
- Try to form a connection with the audience with your oratory skills and confidence.
- Give a preview of the main points that you are willing to discuss in the main topic.
- Body: Try to present the topic in a brief manner if possible, and present it in the form of points just to make it easy for the audience to catch up with you.
- Conclusion: Give the speech a sense of completion and closure along with the summary of the main ideas. A conclusion must be short than an introduction and obviously the main body.
Writing is a skill that gets polished the more we practice it (helpwithdissertation.co.uk, 2022). Besides that; the speech can be made effective by following the below-mentioned tips;
- Highlight the purpose of the speech and maintain the theme throughout the content.
- Know your audience and shape your speech accordingly.
- Write your message in strong, clear, and concise wording so that it will leave an impact on the minds of the audience.
- Pick a tone and keep it consistent throughout.
- Make sure that your writing has rhythm and smoothness. It must not be jumping from one point to another abruptly.
Fears of delivering a speech and ways to overcome it:
The most common fears that are seen in people while delivering a speech are as follows;
- Nervousness or panicking.
- Shaking hands.
- Quavering voice.
- Confused eyes.
These are the fears that can be overcome in the following few ways;
- Keep practicing.
- Say the word out loud.
- Watch yourself in a mirror while practicing.
- Deliver a speech in front of your family and friends.
- Breathe deeply when panicking.
Tips to present a speech eloquently:
Now comes the final and extremely vital part of speech presentation, which is the way of delivery. The following few tips will help a speaker in delivering a speech eloquently;
- Keeps your posture straight and upright.
- Keep your chin up and face your audience confidently.
- Speak words loudly and utter each word clearly.
- Use appropriate gestures along with the words.
Conclusion:
A strong speech has the power to change the perspective of people and to convince them on a certain topic. Writing a speech and delivering it perfectly is also an art. Both factors play an integral role in the perfect delivery of the speech. Hopefully; the above-mentioned post will help the readers in writing a perfect speech.
Bibliography
Cuenca, L. C.-J. (2017, Dec 31st). Discourse Markers in Speech:Characteristics and Challenges for Corpus Annotation. Dialogue and Discourse , 149-166.
helpwithdissertation.co.uk. (2022, Nov 25th). How to Write a Dissertation Proposal in Professional Way? https://www.helpwithdissertation.co.uk/blog/how-to-write-a-dissertation-proposal-in-professional-way/ .
