Unit 6 Preparing a Speech
Topical Highlights
1． General Requirements for Preparing a Speech: planning delivery, paraphrasing key points, considering the audience, practicing speaking 2． Ways of Preparing a Speech: speaking without references, speaking with short notes, speaking with audio-visual aids, speaking from the text, reading the full text 3． Points for Attention in Preparing a Speech: easy to remember, complete and balanced, considerate, com Allocation
15 min. 30 sec.
(Trsp. No.l) (Trsp. No.2) (Trsp. No.3-6) (Trsp. 7-8)
1 min. 30 sec. 2 min. 30 sec. 8 min. 2 min. 30 sec. 5 min.
Ex. 6-2. Summary (1 min.) Thanks to the chairman —> purpose of the presentation —> process —> shifting to the major subject Part 1 (4 min.) Common phenomenon in the ionosphere over Southeast Asia—»illustration —> overhead projector Part 2 (5 min.) Changes in the seasons and the ionosphere in the east and the west —> changing patterns of the ionosphere of Wuhan Part 3 (5 min.) Patterns of f f of Wuhan area in the past 30 years —> data processing method (mid-term value, maximum value year, stable year, which is higher?) —> empirical formula —> conclusion —> projector Results and Conclusion (30 sec.) Discussion and Defense (4 min. and 30 sec.)
Theme Presentation 1. General Requirements for Preparing a Speech
1) Planning Delivery Careful planning and preparation will help guarantee that a speaker's message is clearly presented and is easy to follow. When preparing a speech, the speaker should keep in mind that it is often not easy for listeners to follow the structure of oral presentation and to keep track of what has been said. So the speaker should try to use an organizational pattern that is suitable for his purpose.
2. Ways of Preparing a Speech
Different speakers adopt different ways in the delivery of a speech. On the basis of international academic conference practice, and according to the language competence of speakers, some effective ways of preparing a speech can be summarized as follows.
2) Speaking with Short Notes In this type of delivery, the speaker makes a brief outline of his speech that lists the sub-titles and the topical sentences of each paragraph as the guide to presentation, which is also called speech program. For example, if a speaker is going to give a 15-minute speech concerning writing papers on economics, then he might need such an outline with the time allocation for each part of the speech.
2) Paraphrasing Key Points When preparing a speech, the speaker should anticipate points where his listeners will need special guidance. Forecasting and summarizing key points will help listeners focus on his ideas. Think about concepts that may be especially difficult for listeners to understand. Try to present those concepts repeatedly using different wording each time so that the listeners can better identify with the materials and ideas. Paraphrasing (i.e., highlighting key points in various ways) in this case is a useful tool.
Ex. 6-1 A Speech Program for Writing Papers on Economics
Content
Writing Papers on Economics Greetings & Thanks Importance of Writing Subject Selection Idea Formulation/Practical Investigation/Main Argumentation Result/Conclusion/Summary Questions & Answers or Discussion
3) Considering the Audience During planning, the speaker should keep listeners in mind. If the audience is expecting a fifteenminute speech, he should tailor his presentation to that expectation. If he knows the environment is going to be uncomfortable for the audience, he should try to adapt his speech topic and length to accommodate2 the physical situation.
When he can go through the speech without forgetting any point or without hesitating unduly5 in putting his thoughts into words, his preparation is done. As he practices speaking from his outline, however, the speaker should preserve a mental image of his listeners and project his speech as though he were actually talking to them. The good speaker talks with audience, not at them.
1) Speaking without References This is an ideal way of presentation in which the speaker can use the working language as fluently as he uses his mother tongue. This kind of speech is one delivered on the spur of the moment without lengthy preparation. The speaker relies entirely on previous knowledge and skills.