Make a detailed outline

SPC 120 Public Speaking

Icebreaker: Manuscript Speech Delivery

Task: Prepare a 3-5 minute speech that you will deliver using a manuscript 

The below excerpt is from Professor Stephen Boyd, a leading expert in Public Speaking. He is Professor Emeritus of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, and presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. Below are some of Dr. Boyd’s tips for

· Write in short sentences. Keep grammatical construction simple.

· Feel free to use contractions. Speaking is more personal than writing.

· Choose words that create pictures. Alliteration, where initial sounds and sounds within words are repeated, is one way to do that. Ex. “Don’t trifle with the truth.” 

· Develop metaphors or similes. Ex. Pro football player Joe Walters described playing a three-hour football game like “…being in five 30 mph car crashes.”

Steps in the assignment:

I. You will prepare a manuscript speech, which is a speech that you will deliver using excerpts from a famous, previously written/delivered speech.

II. Plan to visit the library or the library databases, to gather credible biographical information about the speaker, circumstances, and/or subject of the speech.

A. The Assignment folder provides a link to a website that contains many famous short speeches. (You may use any resource that you like.) Read through these speeches to select the speech you intend to excerpt and use as the topic of your presentation.

B. Consult with a Reference Librarian if you are unsure of how to use the library resources to gather the background information regarding the speaker/subject you have chosen.

III. Prepare your Speech Outline.

A. Introduction, where you will grab your listeners attention, reveal your topic (bio/background info will come in handy), tell us why the topic is important for us to know, and preview the main ideas that will be covered in the Body.

B. The Body is where you will use the excerpts that you have selected. Each excerpt should highlight one of your Main Ideas. Ex.

I. One of the main themes of JFK’s Innaugural Address was the concept of civic responsibility.

A. As a veteran of World War II, he was able to credibly ask his listeners to participate in civic duties.

B. “Ask not what you country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country… (continue with the excerpt, word-for-word, until you have illustrated the entire concept).”

C. End with a Bang in your Conclusion. Signal that you are wrapping up, summarize the main ideas of your speech, and wrap things up with a pithy close. (Hint: “That’s it!” or “Thank you for listening.” are NOT pithy!)

IV. Some other Secrets for Success:

A. As you transcribe the excerpts, I recommend that you double space the text – it will make it easier to read.

B. Give yourself wide margins and use them to add symbols to remind yourself to pause, gesture, advance your slide (Powerpoint, Prezi, Google slideshow), make eye-contact, etc.

C. End each page at the end of a sentence or paragraph. That way you are not required to turn a page in the middle of a sentence, which can be awkward!

D. Make your bottom margin at least 2.5 inches high. This will help you avoid lowering your head while you deliver your speech, which results in the audience seeing you making a nodding-gesture.

IV. Prepare your slides or visual aid

A. Feel free to include a picture/photo of the person you researched for the brief biography that you will deliver in your Introduction

B. If using Slides, you must include the text of the excerpts that you will deliver. (Example provided)

1. You will not read from the slide!

2. This is for the convenience of the audience to read along.

C. If creating a hand-out, I recommend that you include a digital photo of the original speaker, as well as the text of your excerpts. (Example provided)

V. Practice!

A. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security because you are reading this speech!

1. It takes a lot of practice to avoid lapsing into a monotone while you read aloud.

2. Practice your timing using the slides that you prepare.

3. This Icebreaker must fall within the required timeframe (3-5 mins)!

B. Ask your practice audience for feedback and use that feedback to revise your speech.