The Bograt
boredofuni
My mate in my ancient history class did a speech and was penalised for his erratic hand gestures. Teacher said she thought he was playing tennis.
-
Looking for HSC notes and resources? Check out our Notes & Resources page
How to give good orals? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Redp3n
- Start date
cro_angel
<3<3<3
yeh just make sure that u dont write it then leave it till the next day.. read it over and over and over and over and over and over (etc) till you recite it in ur sleep.. confidence always wins marks cuz u wont be looking at ur cards as much
mmm i have to do a speech for croatian without any palm cards... 8 mins i think argh
mmm i have to do a speech for croatian without any palm cards... 8 mins i think argh
smegger_em
Clever Cookie
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2002
- Messages
- 404
- Gender
- Female
- HSC
- 2002
My major tip is this:
Corny gimicks. There will be point allocation for presentation and audience engagment, and with a dumb gimick (like wearing a dress if you are a guy and can think of a way to make it seem vaugly relevant) will make those marks automatic.
OK, so maybe i exagerate with the dress thing, but it really does help. I did a speach on crime fiction, regurgiutating the exact same info as the rest of the class, but i also had a dodgy overhead which had a short crime fiction comic story that i had made up about our evil librarian, and i got much better marks. naturally, this works best in English, because english teachers are usually either insane or have terrible sences of humor.
And i guess all the other stuff people were saying, know your spech inside out incase you get lost, visual aids to break up the monotonby, dont fake hand guestures, use some vasaline....
Corny gimicks. There will be point allocation for presentation and audience engagment, and with a dumb gimick (like wearing a dress if you are a guy and can think of a way to make it seem vaugly relevant) will make those marks automatic.
OK, so maybe i exagerate with the dress thing, but it really does help. I did a speach on crime fiction, regurgiutating the exact same info as the rest of the class, but i also had a dodgy overhead which had a short crime fiction comic story that i had made up about our evil librarian, and i got much better marks. naturally, this works best in English, because english teachers are usually either insane or have terrible sences of humor.
And i guess all the other stuff people were saying, know your spech inside out incase you get lost, visual aids to break up the monotonby, dont fake hand guestures, use some vasaline....
spin spin sugar
it's gotta be big
LOL this has to be the best thread title ever!
seriously though, sammeh's advice is really great
seriously though, sammeh's advice is really great
cro_angel
<3<3<3
vaseline?
Grey Council
Legend
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2003
- Messages
- 1,426
- Gender
- Male
- HSC
- 2004
why, don't you prefer vaseline? 
BODY LANGUAGE
Body Language includes hand and arm gestures, facial expression (including eye contact which is covered in a separate Tutorial) and any other body movement. It is all non-verbal communication.
Body Language in a speech serves 3 purposes.
1. It illustrates and emphasises what you are saying in your speech.
2. It makes a speech more interesting, ie it will assist in keeping the audiences attention.
3. It helps release nervous energy which goes towards settling the nerves.
Actions speak louder than words / Seeing is believing
An American University (UCLA) research into communications showed that an audience is influenced by a speaker in the following percentages:
- Spoken Words 7 %
- Voice 38 %
- Body Language 55 %
ie incredibly, spoken words account for only 7% of what will be believed.
So how you say the spoken words is important, in order to get your message across and believed, but even more important than that is your Body Language.
An audience will be unimpressed if the speaker is not giving everything theyve got ie with voice and body.
A speakers voice and body language should match the spoken word. He/she should be speaking with everything that he/she has got eg enthusiasm, passion, sincerity, emotion with both voice and body. For example say out loud:
This is what I believe
First say it with no with passion and secondly with passion in the voice and with fully body language particularly the use of arms and facial expression. Feel the difference? The audience will be influenced very little on the words alone. They will be more influenced by the tone of what you say and the body language they see.
Its important to use body language within your range of what is natural. If you want to expand the parameters of your range, exaggerate and be theatrical while speaking at a Speaking Club.
If a speaker is speaking sincerely on a topic but standing stiffly without any body language, the audience will believe what they see and not think the speaker is sincere and therefore ignore the message.
The body language should always match the words at the appropriate moment. The most difficult aspect is appearing natural when first incorporating body language into speeches. Rehearsing will help but dont worry if at first you have to force the body language to happen rather than it occurring naturally. Rehearsing in front of a mirror is a good idea.
Keeping your hands by your side or resting them on the lectern will have them ready for action. This is better than having them in your pockets or clenched behind your back where they arent in a position to be ready to start working.
Avoid pacing, rocking, swaying, or leaning / slouching on the lectern as this will be distracting to the audience, a sign of nerves and will prevent the upper body from using body language. If the bottom half of the body is moving, the top half of the body (the important half) will not be able to spring into action naturally. Practice finding a stance that is comfortable. If it is comfortable for you then the audience will also find it comfortable. Except when you want to walk from one place to the other, keep from the hips down unwaveringly still. When you have increased your confidence from speaking in front of an audience several times, you will find that your hands, arms and body will start to move naturally. This is less likely to happen if there isnt a solid platform (ie bottom half of the body).
Dont be afraid to make large, bold gestures. The larger the audience the larger that the gestures and body movement needs to be in order to be effective.
Further reading: http://www.freeweddingspeech.com/body_language.php
this should be a sticky.
BODY LANGUAGE
Body Language includes hand and arm gestures, facial expression (including eye contact which is covered in a separate Tutorial) and any other body movement. It is all non-verbal communication.
Body Language in a speech serves 3 purposes.
1. It illustrates and emphasises what you are saying in your speech.
2. It makes a speech more interesting, ie it will assist in keeping the audiences attention.
3. It helps release nervous energy which goes towards settling the nerves.
Actions speak louder than words / Seeing is believing
An American University (UCLA) research into communications showed that an audience is influenced by a speaker in the following percentages:
- Spoken Words 7 %
- Voice 38 %
- Body Language 55 %
ie incredibly, spoken words account for only 7% of what will be believed.
So how you say the spoken words is important, in order to get your message across and believed, but even more important than that is your Body Language.
An audience will be unimpressed if the speaker is not giving everything theyve got ie with voice and body.
A speakers voice and body language should match the spoken word. He/she should be speaking with everything that he/she has got eg enthusiasm, passion, sincerity, emotion with both voice and body. For example say out loud:
This is what I believe
First say it with no with passion and secondly with passion in the voice and with fully body language particularly the use of arms and facial expression. Feel the difference? The audience will be influenced very little on the words alone. They will be more influenced by the tone of what you say and the body language they see.
Its important to use body language within your range of what is natural. If you want to expand the parameters of your range, exaggerate and be theatrical while speaking at a Speaking Club.
If a speaker is speaking sincerely on a topic but standing stiffly without any body language, the audience will believe what they see and not think the speaker is sincere and therefore ignore the message.
The body language should always match the words at the appropriate moment. The most difficult aspect is appearing natural when first incorporating body language into speeches. Rehearsing will help but dont worry if at first you have to force the body language to happen rather than it occurring naturally. Rehearsing in front of a mirror is a good idea.
Keeping your hands by your side or resting them on the lectern will have them ready for action. This is better than having them in your pockets or clenched behind your back where they arent in a position to be ready to start working.
Avoid pacing, rocking, swaying, or leaning / slouching on the lectern as this will be distracting to the audience, a sign of nerves and will prevent the upper body from using body language. If the bottom half of the body is moving, the top half of the body (the important half) will not be able to spring into action naturally. Practice finding a stance that is comfortable. If it is comfortable for you then the audience will also find it comfortable. Except when you want to walk from one place to the other, keep from the hips down unwaveringly still. When you have increased your confidence from speaking in front of an audience several times, you will find that your hands, arms and body will start to move naturally. This is less likely to happen if there isnt a solid platform (ie bottom half of the body).
Dont be afraid to make large, bold gestures. The larger the audience the larger that the gestures and body movement needs to be in order to be effective.
Further reading: http://www.freeweddingspeech.com/body_language.php
this should be a sticky.
Skillo
is in a theatre near you
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2003
- Messages
- 947
- Gender
- Female
- HSC
- 2004
HUMOUR HUMOUR HUMOUR...but only in the right context.
Start with a quote, scene description or dramatic monologue. Esp the last...got me 95% with my first English assessment the dramatic monologue.
I don't like starting with rhetorical questions because its too common. You've got to make the audience and teacher find your speech unique.
Oh, and don't laugh or piss yourself. That is not good.
Start with a quote, scene description or dramatic monologue. Esp the last...got me 95% with my first English assessment the dramatic monologue.
I don't like starting with rhetorical questions because its too common. You've got to make the audience and teacher find your speech unique.
Oh, and don't laugh or piss yourself. That is not good.
LiKe A FiSh
Member
be natural.dont get up there and say a speech as if you dont believe in it, even if you do
there are 2 types of speakers
1) John Howard (soory young liberals) well meaning and tries hard with presentation, but comes off as disjointed from the topic at hand and lacks passion, and in doing so loses its effect
2) Marky-Mark Latham: Very strong, passionate and down to earth....something could bore the expletives out of him but he'll give it a go....people listen, and dont nod off...A real confidence builder
oh and then theres the.sorry its gunna be 3
3) Delta at the Arias: dont repeat yourself constantly and DONT SAY THANKYOU!!!!!!!!GRRRRRRRRRRRR
Speaking comes naturally to some people, dont be put off by others, dont learn your speech so much by rote that it seems fake and for goodness sake
DONT.plEASE DONT TRY AND DO HAND GESTURES TO GET EXTRA MARKS.......it puts people off.....gestures and expression come naturally, just pretend you're talking to your group and the hands will start flying on their own
PEACE BE WITH YOU
there are 2 types of speakers
1) John Howard (soory young liberals) well meaning and tries hard with presentation, but comes off as disjointed from the topic at hand and lacks passion, and in doing so loses its effect
2) Marky-Mark Latham: Very strong, passionate and down to earth....something could bore the expletives out of him but he'll give it a go....people listen, and dont nod off...A real confidence builder
oh and then theres the.sorry its gunna be 3
3) Delta at the Arias: dont repeat yourself constantly and DONT SAY THANKYOU!!!!!!!!GRRRRRRRRRRRR
Speaking comes naturally to some people, dont be put off by others, dont learn your speech so much by rote that it seems fake and for goodness sake
DONT.plEASE DONT TRY AND DO HAND GESTURES TO GET EXTRA MARKS.......it puts people off.....gestures and expression come naturally, just pretend you're talking to your group and the hands will start flying on their own
PEACE BE WITH YOU
Last edited:
Style Bonus
New Member
An important thing that I think should be mentioned is that you should speak appropriately to your audience.
In school, your audience is often just a small classroom of people you know so you should speak like it. Excessive posturing becomes unnecessary and a more intimate, casual-but-serious character will often serve you better than the proper, argumentative debating style.
For in-classroom speeches, I find it is much more appealing to do your speech without palm cards. Just know your stuff and figure out a logical, linking progression so that your points lead into each other, allowing you to remember them with minimal effort. In lower grades, I've been able to get away with not writing a speech at all, just getting up and telling what I know, but I don't advise that in Senior Years.
In the classroom, you should speak like you are speaking to a room of fellow classmates, informing them of what you know. As opposed to a debate or an address where you should speak with more formality.
In school, your audience is often just a small classroom of people you know so you should speak like it. Excessive posturing becomes unnecessary and a more intimate, casual-but-serious character will often serve you better than the proper, argumentative debating style.
For in-classroom speeches, I find it is much more appealing to do your speech without palm cards. Just know your stuff and figure out a logical, linking progression so that your points lead into each other, allowing you to remember them with minimal effort. In lower grades, I've been able to get away with not writing a speech at all, just getting up and telling what I know, but I don't advise that in Senior Years.
In the classroom, you should speak like you are speaking to a room of fellow classmates, informing them of what you know. As opposed to a debate or an address where you should speak with more formality.
bluesky100
Carly :-)
Props - I always like using props - keeps your audience maintaining attention. I used a neat diagram for my issues work last yr done on SARS (see attached image) by the end people where whining "Miss I wanna do mine again" to "I didn't know we were supposed to put this much effort into it".
overwhelming
Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 248
dont memorise..
just speak
If you are really nervous, try listening to low-tempo music b4 the delivery.
elizabethy
I'm the best !!
i always loved orals!!
DopeyB
Member
You sound just like my gf
olay
Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2003
- Messages
- 532
- Gender
- Female
- HSC
- 2004
i always try and think up something waqt for my speeches...just so ppl keep awake heahea. a few i've done before...well i chucked minties at ppl [aww yeah bribery ] hehe and tied it in to the topic at hand [change..and how the minties (potentially) changed ppl].. this other time i did sthg on discrimination and full made my class my subjects of my experiment i almost made this gurl cry!!!! O_O mm...this other time i put together this tape of all this music [bout 20 secs each] and timed my speech to be synchronised with it, talking bout the music. the other thing is be interested in what your on about, make it something u wanna tell ppl about - all of these are things i love/am passionate about: anti discrimination, my dad/parents [the change thing..], music and all the marks turned out rather dandy.
heahea. a few i've done before...well i chucked minties at ppl [aww yeah bribery ] hehe and tied it in to the topic at hand [change..and how the minties (potentially) changed ppl].. this other time i did sthg on discrimination and full made my class my subjects of my experiment i almost made this gurl cry!!!! O_O mm...this other time i put together this tape of all this music [bout 20 secs each] and timed my speech to be synchronised with it, talking bout the music. the other thing is be interested in what your on about, make it something u wanna tell ppl about - all of these are things i love/am passionate about: anti discrimination, my dad/parents [the change thing..], music and all the marks turned out rather dandy.
uhhh im no expert on speeches, in fact im probably the worse speech maker ever BUT as a part of the audience, i have a pet hate of when ppl start with "good morning teacher and fellow students"
Last edited: