HOW TO OPEN AND END A
SPEECH?
What could be more encouraging than watching your listeners’
faces begin to register interest, attention, and pleasure?
A well-given introduction, is an excellent confidence booster.
In most speech situations, the introduction has four objectives:
-Get the attention and interest of your audience
-Reveal the topic of your speech
-Establish your credibility and goodwill
-Preview the body of the speech
I.Get attention and Interest
Different strategies exist and work well, among which the following: P.178
*Relate the topic to the audience
*State the importance of your topic
*Startle the audience
*Arouse the curiosity of the audience
*Question the Audience
*Begin with a quotation
*Tell a story
*Use Visual Aids
II REVEAL THE TOPIC P.183
III. ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY AND
GOODWILL P.184
IV. PREVIEW THE BODY OF THE SPEECH
P.185
V. THE CONCLUSION
The conclusion has two major functions:
-To let the audience know you are ending the speech
-To reinforce the audience’s understanding of, or
commitment to, the central idea.
V. 1. HOW TO SIGNAL THE END OF THE SPEECH
*Use common expressions: In conclusion, My purpose has been,
let me end by saying.
*Use of the voice, the tone, pacing, intonation, and rythm
* One of the strategy to perform the conclusion perfectly is to use the
musical crescendo: a conclusion in which the speech builds to a
zenith of power and intensity;
V. 2. REINFORCE THE CENTRAL IDEA P. 190-191
The second major function of a conclusion is to reinforce the understanding of, or
commitment to, the central idea.
*Summarize your speech: Restate the main points is the easiest way to end a speech.
*End with a quotation: it is one of the most and effective devices to conclude a
speech
*Make a Dramatic Statement: you can use your own dramatic statement. The
example of Patrick Henry’s legendary « Liberty or Death » Oration
*Refer to the introduction: conclude by referring to ideas in the introduction. P. 192
Practice is better than theory!
Exercise: P. 195/ 1
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