Effective Speech Writing Essay

Physical appearance affects delivery very much. It shapes first impressions when a person sees you. When it comes to dressing for public speaking, the clothes chosen must not be flashy, so as to turn off the audience from you. You want to dress simply but elegantly. The way in which a person presents their physical appearance tells people a little about that person’s character and personality. Sometimes the item a person carries says a lot about them; for example if the person is always carrying a suitcase, they can be viewed as very serious minded. I remember attending a conference, and the guest speaker was pastors from a well known church. On first glance he was very relaxed; his clothes were very well put together, stylish and very appropriate for the audience. He had a smile on his face and did not even have a paper or pen in his hand, when he got up to speak, but when he began to speak, everyone was listening, no one moved, no one spoke in hushed tones, it as if he held the audience in a trance. Because of his laid back attitude and his casual way of dressing and the fact that he knew what he was talking about enhanced his effective delivery. His personality was warm and very inviting. I believed if he had dressed any differently in addressing the audience who were all teens; the effectiveness of his delivery would not have been effective at all. Question 4 Movement enhances delivery by keeping the audience interest. Movement in public speaking emphasizes what the speaker is trying to say. When hand gestures are used, it conveys to the audience the speaker’s enthusiasm and the audience is able to image what Effective Speech Writing 4 the speaker is talking about. Hand gestures tend to excite the speaker and help to keep the audience interested in what the speaker is saying. Emphatic gestures also help to stress key points within the person’s speech. Eye contact reveals a lot about a person and helps to maintain a connection with the audience that you are presenting to. Not making eye contact can be seen on the part of the speaker as a failure to connect with the audience and in some cases makes the speaker seem unsure of the subject matter that they are talking about. Eye contact keeps the audience interested and makes the audience feel as is you are connecting with them, giving the sense that you are very knowledgeable about your subject matter. Keeping and maintaining eye contact with your audience is very important as you receive instantaneous feedback as to how effective you are. You are able with eye contact to immediately see if a point is lost on your audience, if they are bored or becoming restless. This helps you to know when it is time to stop your speech, to use a little humor or take a break in between. Once the skill of maintaining visual contact is achieved, it will help in keeping your audience interested in what you are saying. Question 5 Bill Cosby’s delivery can be seen as a very effective. This is a celebrity who is very good at public speaking. His ability to keep the audience entertained, while being serious is pure genius. His delivery was flawless. He exuded self-confidence and poise. As he mentioned in the speech, this is not his first time speaking at a college campus. His delivery showed knowledge and skill about the various subject matters that he touched Effective Speech Writing 5 upon. The pitch of his voice was very pleasant, he paused in between speaking, which seemed to be very effective, it was as if he was building anticipation, while at the same time keeping his audience interested in what he was saying. He made eye contact a number of times and his humor came through in his speech and you are able to glimpse his personality. His physical appearance was very appropriate. It was as if he was identifying with the graduating class, by donning a graduating gown too. This was a very effective way of capturing the audience’s attention and keeping it. He did not move around a lot during the speech, but there was a lot of hand movement and you could see the facial expression on his face and hear the enthusiasm in his speech. The kind of speech he did was an impromptu speech which most people dread doing. But he was prepared and gave a very good and interesting speech. Question 6 I would evaluate my delivery strength in that I make eye contact, I use a lot of hand gestures and I try to connect with my audience. I find that I am better at impromptu speech versus manuscript speech. I tend not to do well at the latter. One of my weaknesses is that I tend to gesticulate a lot, which can be very distracting to people and takes away the focus of what I am saying. Sometimes I get very nervous and tend to hold a pencil in my hand and fiddle with it while I talk, which can be very distracting for people. I can improve my weaknesses by practicing before I give a speech, so that I can improve my delivery. Also I can try to focus on my speech and practice gesticulating at the appropriate parts instead of Effective Speech Writing 6 gesticulating throughout my speech. But the most effective way to gain strength in my weak areas is to practice as much as I can, in front of friends and family. I can also overcome my weaknesses by becoming more knowledgeable, about the subject matter, which will help me during my speech. Also if I follow the instructions and deliver my speeches extemporaneously, I will become better, and will be better able to connect with my audience, as this kind of speech delivery. Source: Effective Public Speaking – Let Your Body do the Talking retrieved April 2, 2008 fromhttp://ezinearticles. com/? Effective-Public-Speaking—Let-Your-Body-Do-The-Talking&id=482746