Week 4 Oral Communication in Context

Content Standards The learner realizes the rigors of crafting one’s speech.

Topic Outline Principles of Speech Writing

 The speech writing process
 Guidelines in speech writing

Learning Competencies The learners will be able to…

- be knowledgeable about the different principles and guidelines in speech
writing
- plan their own speech

The Speech Writing Process

Just like events planning, or any other activities, writing an effective speech follows certain steps or processes.
The process for writing is not chronological or linear; rather, it is recursive. That means you have the
opportunity to repeat a writing procedure indefinitely, or produce multiple drafts first before you can settle on
the right one. Figure 1 shows the
schematic diagram.

The following are the components of the speech writing process.

• Audience analysis entails looking into the profile of your target audience. This is done so you can
tailor-fit your speech content and delivery to your audience. The profile includes the following
information.
 demography (age range, male-female ratio, educational background and affiliations or degree
program taken, nationality, economic status, academic or corporate designations)
 situation (time, venue, occasion, and size)
 psychology (values, beliefs, attitudes, preferences, cultural and racial ideologies, and needs)
A sample checklist is presented below.

• The purpose for writing and delivering the

speech can be classified into three—to
inform, to entertain, or to persuade.
 An informative speech
provides the audience with a clear
understanding of the
concept or idea presented by the
speaker.
 An entertainment speech provides the audience with amusement.
 A persuasive speech provides the audience with well-argued ideas that can influence their own
beliefs and decisions.
The purpose can be general and specific.
• The topic is your focal point of your speech, which can be determined once you have decided on your
purpose. If you are free to decide on a topic, choose one that really interests you. There are a variety of
strategies used in selecting a topic, such as using your personal experiences, discussing with your family
members or friends, free writing, listing, asking questions, or semantic webbing.
• Narrowing down a topic means making your main idea more specific and focused. The strategies in
selecting a topic can also be used when you narrow down a topic. In the example below, “Defining and
developing effective money management skills of Grade 11 students” is the specific topic out of a
general one, which is “Effective money management.”
• Data gathering is the stage where you collect ideas, information, sources, and references relevant or
related to your specific topic. This can be done by visiting the library, browsing the web, observing a
certain phenomenon or event related to your topic, or conducting an interview or survey. The data that
you will gather will be very useful in making your speech informative, entertaining, or persuasive.
• Writing patterns, in general, are structures that will help you organize the ideas related to your topic.
Examples are biographical, categorical/topical, causal, chronological, comparison/contrast, problem-
solution, and spatial.
Below are different writing patterns from which you can select the one that best suits your topic and/or
purpose.
• An outline is a hierarchical list that shows the relationship of your ideas. Experts in public speaking
state that once your outline is ready, two-thirds of your speech writing is finished. A good outline helps
you see that all the ideas are in line with your main idea or message. The elements of an outline include
introduction, body, and conclusion. Write your outline based on how you want your ideas to develop.
Below are some of the suggested formats.
• The body of the speech provides explanations, examples, or any details that can help you deliver your
purpose and explain the main idea of your speech.
One major consideration in developing the body of your speech is the focus or central idea. The body of
your speech should only have one central idea.
The following are some strategies to highlight your main idea.
 Present real-life or practical examples
 Show statistics
 Present comparisons
 Share ideas from the experts or practitioners
• The introduction is the foundation of your speech. Here, your primary goal is to get the attention of
your audience and present the subject or main idea of your speech. Your first few words should do so.
The following are some strategies.
 Use a real-life experience and connect that experience to your subject.
 Use practical examples and explain their connection to your subject.
 Start with a familiar or strong quote and then explain what it means.
 Use facts or statistics and highlight their importance to your subject.
 Tell a personal story to illustrate your point.

• The conclusion restates the main idea of your speech. Furthermore, it provides a summary, emphasizes
the message, and calls for action. While the primary goal of the introduction is to get the attention of
your audience, the conclusion aims to leave the audience with a memorable statement.
The following are some strategies.
 Begin your conclusion with a restatement of your message.
 Use positive examples, encouraging words, or memorable lines from songs or stories familiar to
your audience.
 Ask a question or series of questions that can make your audience reflect or ponder.
• Editing/Revising your written speech involves correcting errors in mechanics, such as grammar,
punctuation, capitalization, unity, coherence, and others. Andrew Dlugan (2013), an award winning
public speaker, lists six power principles for speech editing.
 Edit for focus.
“So, what’s the point? What’s the message of the speech?”
Ensure that everything you have written, from introduction to conclusion, is related to your central
message.
 Edit for clarity.
“I don’t understand the message because the examples or supporting details were confusing.”
Make all ideas in your speech clear by arranging them in logical order (e.g., main idea firs then
supporting details, or supporting details first then main idea).
 Edit for concision.
 “The speech was all over the place; the speaker kept talking endlessly as if no one was listening to
him/her.”
Keep your speech short, simple, and clear by eliminating unrelated stories and sentences and by
using simple words.
 Edit for continuity.
“The speech was too difficult to follow; I was lost in the middle.”
Keep the flow of your presentation smooth by adding transition words and phrases.
 Edit for variety.
“I didn’t enjoy the speech because it was boring.”
Add spice to your speech by shifting tone and style from formal to conversational and vice-versa,
moving around the stage, or adding humor.
 Edit for impact and beauty.
“There’s nothing really special about the speech.”
Make your speech memorable by using these strategies: surprise the audience, use vivid descriptive
images, write well-crafted and memorable lines, and use figures of speech.
• Rehearsing gives you an opportunity to identify what works and what does not work for you and for
your target audience. Some strategies include reading your speech aloud, recording for your own
analysis or for your peers or coaches to give feedback on your delivery. The best thing to remember at
this stage is: “Constant practice makes perfect.”
Some Guidelines in Speech Writing
1. Keep your words short and simple. Your speech is meant to be heard by your audience, not read.
2. Avoid jargon, acronyms, or technical words because they can confuse your audience.
3. Make your speech more personal. Use the personal pronoun “I,” but take care not to overuse it.
When you need to emphasize collectiveness with your audience, use the personal pronoun “we.”
4. Use active verbs and contractions because they add to the personal and conversational tone of your
speech.
5. Be sensitive of your audience. Be very careful with your language, jokes, and nonverbal cues.
6. Use metaphors and other figures of speech to effectively convey your point.
7. Manage your time well; make sure that the speech falls under the time limit.
 WEEK 4 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
NAME:
STRAND:
FOR ONLINE / ONLINE MODULAR / MODULAR, PASS THIS PAGE ONLY
 What were your thoughts or ideas about the types of speeches, according to purpose, prior to the
discussion of this lesson? (5 points)

 What new or additional ideas did you learn after taking up this lesson? (5 points)

Write T if the statement is true; write F if it is false.

__________1. An outline determines whether your supporting ideas match your main idea or not.
__________2. Any speech should include an introduction, body, and conclusion.
__________3. In the introduction, you explain the importance of your topic by giving examples.
__________4. Knowing the audience and the occasion is crucial in writing a speech.
__________5. Rehearsing is a major requirement.
__________6. Speech writing is a recursive process.
__________7. The approach that you will use in your introduction can determine the success of your speech.
__________8. The primary objective of speech writing is getting the right or appropriate topic.
__________9. The purpose of the speech will help you identify ideas that will support your main idea or
message.
__________10. Word choice is one consideration in writing a speech.

Following the speech writing process, prepare/plan your own speech. As you go along, make sure to fill in the
details in the columns with the ideas you have decided on. (50 points)

A. General audience analysis: Who will be your audience?

 Age-range
Educational Background
Language Spoken
Gender

B. Identify your general and specific purpose. Use the sheet below.

General Purpose
Specific Purpose

C. Using the space below, provide your own speech. Include the title/topic. Minimum of 200 words.