Principles of Public Speaking
Planning any discourse depends on the point of view being used by the speaker:
1. Historical point of view: chronology is the key here. Discuss origins and primary functions of the topic at hand.
2. Technical point of view: design and methodology are the keys here. Discuss rationale, methodology, design, and technique (perhaps in a historical, or chronological point of view).
3. Sociological point of view: social is the key here. Discuss the social function or advancements, thinking about how this topic fits into society at large.
4. Literary point of view: the fictive is the role here. Discuss the topic’s development in myths, legends, novels, poems, films, etc.
Organizing an informational discourse:
1. Focus on the following questions: what is the overall aim of your speech? What are its specific goals What is the core idea you want to get across to your audience?
2. What are your persuasive elements? (if any)
3. Understanding different audiences: What is your audience? How will you transform you topic to fit the audience (think about a topic such as adolescent pregnancy: if you’re talking to adolescents or parents of adolescents you might vary your approach).
4. How will you introduce your topic (think of being a little captivating!)
5. Develop your body: what are the most important facts?
6. Concluding your speech: what do you want to leave your audience thinking about?
7. Improve your oral performance by practicing! (Perhaps practice reading poetry or prose aloud! Or write your speech and read it to an audio/video recording system. Listen to your performance and revise your performance accordingly)
8. Visuals! Do you need visuals to help explain your topic? If so, what are the most effective images or information you want to convey. Remember: don’t overwhelm your audience with too much to look at or read. They’ll be paying attention more to what’s on the screen than what you’re saying
9. Do it by memory. After you’re practiced a bit, try rehearsing your presentation from memory!
10. Listen! Find a podcast that interests you or listen to a book on tape or some other audio presentation. What qualities can you use in your own presentations?