Delivering a Persuasive Speech
Delivering a Persuasive Speech Douglas A. Parker August 13, 2001 | Amazon Products | |Subject(s): Language Arts/Reading and Public Speaking |Links of Note | |[pic] | |Overview: Students need to understand that how they say something and how they physically present |Persuasive Essay Topics form| | | |themselves are just as important as what they say.
By understanding the dynamics involved in effective |Curious Castle Classroom. | | | |persuasive speaking, students will improve their overall confidence in communicating. | | | | |Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to improve students’ oral persuasion techniques by understanding |Writing the Persuasive | | | |the appropriate speaking skills.
The lesson is presented in second person, making it more meaningful as a |EssayCurious Castle | | | |resource for the students, and easier for the teacher to use as a handout. |Classroom | | | |Objectives: Students will be able to: | | | | |1) Demonstrate the appropriate classroom public speaking and listening skills (e. . , body language, |[pic] | | | |articulation, listening to be able to identify specific examples of the speaker’s coordination of talking |[pic] | | | |and action) that would be necessary to influence or change someone’s mind or way of thinking about a | | | | |topic. | | | |2) Define the elements of persuasion. | | | | |3) Recognize the elements of personal credibility. | | | | |4) Develop methods to analyze other students’ speeches. | | | | |5) Understand outlining main ideas. | | | |6) Create a persuasive speech. | | | | |Resources/Materials: Teacher-prepared topics for persuasive speeches. | | | | |Assessments: The Class will assess each speaker’s performance in terms of voice and body coordination, | | | | |and in terms of persuasiveness.
Each class can develop performance assessments such as rubrics to | | | | |facilitate this process. | | | | |Teacher’s Anticipatory Set: | | | | |During class discussion, define and explain how people make decisions based on what they see and hear. | | | |Explain that sometimes we have to use skills to convince others about our positions. Have the students | | | | |recall and list their own experiences trying to convince their friends about something, and then ask them | | | | |to share these with the class. | | | | | | | | |Activities and Procedures: Delivering a Persuasive Speech | | | | | | | | | |The Procedure | | | | |Pick a proposition that not everyone would agree with such as: “nuclear power plants are superior energy | | | | |sources. ” Write a 6 to 8 – minute speech in outline form to persuade the group. | | | | |The Lesson: Your Voice and Body are Your Best Tools | | | | |You are a natural persuader! You have done it all your life.
Every time you enter a conversation, you | | | | |engage in elementary persuasion techniques. It is true, that any time you make a statement of fact, you | | | | |are asserting its validity and assuming that your listener agrees. | | | | |This speech goes further than a normal conversational assertion: now you have to assume that not everyone | | | | |will agree with you from the start, and it is your job to make them see things your way.
The goal of this | | | | |speech is to change someone’s mind or way of thinking about a topic. This is not a speech to sell, as you | | | | |do not ask that the listener do anything except to agree with you or to begin to listen to your way of | | | | |thinking. Your message is, of course, very important in this speech, but your voice and body language are | | | | |even more important. Here you will see how your delivery can help. | | | |There are several important aspects of presentation to keep in mind: | | | | |1) Body language – make sure that you have a proper posture. If your shoulders are sagging and your legs | | | | |are crossed, you will not appear as being sincere and people just will not accept your message. | | | | |2) Articulation – articulation means how your total vocal process works. There are several steps to this | | | | |entire process.
First, you need air from the lungs, your vocal cords in your larynx must be working, your | | | | |mouth and tongue must be in sync, and you have to make sure that you have got some saliva in your mouth to | | | | |keep things oiled. You should be aware of your physical makeup to be able to understand how you speak. | | | | |3) Pronunciation – pronounce each word. Avoid slang, except to make a point, and do not slur your words. | | | | |Avoid saying, “you know. | | | | |4) Pitch – pitch refers to the highs and lows of your voice. Whatever you do, avoid a monotone! | | | | |5) Speed – your speed, or pace, is an important variable to control. Between 140-160 words per minute is | | | | |the normal pace for a persuasive speech. Any faster and you may appear to be glib; any slower and you | | | | |sound like you are lecturing.
If you are not sure about your speed, tape yourself for one minute and then | | | | |replay it and count the number of words you used in the minute! The human ear and brain can compile and | | | | |decode over 400 spoken words per minute, so if you are going too slow your listeners’ minds are going to | | | | |start to wander as the brains finds other ways to keep themselves occupied. | | | | |6) Pauses – the pause, or caesura, is a critical persuasive tool. When you want to emphasize a certain | | | | |word, just pause for one second before; this highlights the word.
If you really want to punch it, pause | | | | |before and after the word! | | | | |7) Volume – volume is another good tool for persuasive speech, but you should use it with caution. If you | | | | |scream all the way through your speech, people will become accustomed to it and it will lose its | | | | |effectiveness. On the other hand, a few well-timed shouts can liven up the old speech! Try to “project” | | | | |or throw your voice out over the entire group – speak to the last row. | | | |8) Quality – quality of voice is gauged by the overall impact that your voice has on your listeners. | | | | |Quality of voice is the net caliber of your voice, its character and attributes. Try to keep your vocal | | | | |quality high; it is what separates your voice from everyone else’s. | | | | |9) Variance – variance of vocal elements is your most important consideration of all! One of the most | | | | |persuasive speakers in modern history was Winston Churchill.
One of his most remarkable qualities was his | | | | |ability to vary the elements of his voice. He would start with a slow, laconic voice and then switch gears| | | | |to a more rapid pace. People were light-headed after listening to him! Even if you have no desire to run | | | | |for political office, you can still use the tools of variance. Change your pitch, volume, and speed at | | | | |least once every 30 seconds, if only for just one word. Never go more than one paragraph without a vocal | | | | |variance.
This keeps your group locked into your speech, if for no other reason than it sounds | | | | |interesting! Let the words speak for themselves; reflect their nature through your voice. If you use the | | | | |word “strangle,” say it with a hint of menace in your voice. If you say the word “heave,” let the group | | | | |feel the onomatopoeic force behind it. If you say the word “bulldozer,” make it sound like a titan | | | | |earthmover, not like a baby with a shovel. | | | |The Strategy: Appear Rational | | | | |When you are trying to convince someone of something, you must first establish your credibility, or in | | | | |other words, you must sell yourself before you sell your message. If people feel that you are not being | | | | |reasonable or rational, you do not stand a chance. You must be committed to the ideals and goals of your | | | | |speech and what you are saying. Do not use words such as “maybe” or “might”- use positive words such as | | | | |”will” and “must. | | | | |You are the authority figure in this speech, so you had better supply enough information to prove your | | | | |points so that you can seem knowledgeable, and you had better know your material cold. People can usually | | | | |spot someone who is trying to “wing” a speech. You should also appear to be truthful -even when you are | | | | |really stretching a point. If you do not appear to be earnest, even if your message is the 100% truth, | | | | |people will doubt your word and tune out your speech. | | | |Lastly, do not be afraid to show a little emotion – this is not a sterile or static speech. Your body and | | | | |voice must match the tone of your words. If your language is strong, you must present a physical force to | | | | |go along with your delivery. | | | | |The Comments and Goals | | | | |Self-control? | | | | |You cannot sit back and let your words do all of the talking.
You must use your total self to deliver your| | | | |message, and this means that you will have to expose a little of your personality to the group. Your group| | | | |will be supportive. | | | | |The Group Reaction | | | | |The group has two major criteria to consider after each member’s speech. First, the delivery. Were the | | | | |speaker’s body, words, and actions in synchronization and harmony? Did one support the other or was there | | | | |tension between the body and the voice?
Secondly, were you persuaded? Why or why not? Discuss what makes| | | | |a persuasive speech work and how the intangibles effect a positive outcome. | | | | |More Information? | | | | |For more information and help with public speaking, contact: | | | | |http://capital. net/~bps2/ | |
