Chapter 9 or 13 Concept

Because I did not use a Power Point presentation for my last speech, I am excited to use Power Point for my informative speech along with other visuals such as pictures. I thought about using a picture for my attention getter because audiences are usually attracted to “show” rather than “tell”. I believe adding commentary to the pictures will also capture the audience’s attention because they need guidance as to what the picture represents. I will make sure that the picture for the attention getter is flawless because first impressions are everything. In fact, all the pictures should be flawless to show my audience that I retrieved the pictures from a reliable source.

Introduction and Conclusion

The first part of an introduction begins with the attention getter. The attention getter grabs the audience’s focus towards the speaker. It is important to remember that the attention getter should not be very long because it could lose the audience’s attention towards the actual topic. Stating the purpose of the speech is next and this tells the audience what message the speaker is trying to come across. A purpose can be stated directly, but some speakers are able to incorporate stories that indicate the basic idea that a speaker is trying to convey. Establishing credibility can come before or after the purpose and this allows the audience to trust the information that is being conveyed from the speaker. The thesis is next and this usually consists of a preview of the main points. The thesis explains the argument or point and is supported by a preview of main points.

The last part of a speech is the introduction and it consists of three main parts: review of main points, reinforcement of the purpose, and closure. Reviewing the main points allows the audience to remember what was covered. Restating the purpose reminds the audience of why the speech was implemented and also has an affect on their reaction to the speech. Closure is a sign to the audience that the speech has ended. Closure must be graceful and smooth and must leave a memorable mark upon the audience.

I hope that I am able to incorporate a captivating attention getter in my informative speech. My informative speech is about income analysis and I was thinking about starting with a statistic about the financial income of SJSU students and their families. I hope that I can use a skewed distribution graph to show the audience where they lie upon this graph and give a brief description of the graph before going into bigger details about it. I believe I struggle with the conclusion the most. I believe I struggle with providing closure because I do not think I am good at leaving something memorable for the audience to remember. Perhaps I will figure out a dramatic statement about Bill Gates’s placement on the skewed graph compared to a typical student’s place, which is a very large difference in distance.

Video 9 & 13

In video 9.1, I learned the attention getter is a very important element in any speech because the audience needs to be captivated in order to sustain attention. In video 9.2, I learned that providing closure is very important because it lets the audience know that the speech is coming to an end. Restating the purpose and thesis is also important as a reminder of what kind of effect the speech was suppose to have on the audience. In video 13.1A, Evan’s speech about Techno Music was very informative. It sounded like he did his research very thoroughly because it was surprising to find out that techno music originated in Detroit. However, Evan’s hand gestures were a bit distracting. In video 13.1B, Janine’s speech about the Kodak Camera was also very informative. I really enjoyed her attention getter because she had a very simple and yet intriguing visual that certainly caught my attention. However, I thought she was a bit mono tone and her facial expressions were a bit blank. In video 13.1 “Use It”, I found that Katherine’s speech was fast pace, but very informative as well. I was never fully informed of what “Kosher” was until I heard her speech. From this video, I learned that using different visuals such as transparencies and card board projects can support a speech very well.

Chapter 7 & 8 Topic of Interest

One topic that I found interesting was the complete-sentence outline. In the past, I have always used this type of outline before the working outline because I have many ideas that I want to jot down quickly before I forget it. Writing simple or one worded sentences, like in the working outline, leaves me confused the next time I read it. I believe key words are important because it helps when implementing a speech, but using key words in a working outline confuses me. Although I believe the working outline provides good organization before the complete-sentence outline, but it is not useful for specific content.

Chapter 7 & 8 Videos

Video 7.1 has shown me different uses of support to help my speech. I like to use examples in my speeches because it helps my audience understand a confusing idea that I present. However, I have learned that examples make generalizations from only one point of view. I also like using facts and statistics because it supports my speech with significant information and numbers. Video 7.2 discusses the media credibility of newspapers, journals, and magazines. Although I dislike reading the newspaper on a daily basis, I have realized that newspapers are a very reliable source because it is current and there are also online newspapers. I believe I will use newspapers as a credible source for my next speech because it deals with income analysis. Video 8.1 discusses seven different types of organization patterns. I enjoy using the topical pattern because it simple applies to most speech topics that I have done in the past. However, after watching and reading about the cause-and-effect pattern, I would like to try it in perhaps my next speech. Finally, video 8.2 has shown me the importance of transitions. Using different transition words allows the audience to know that the speaker is moving on to the next main point, sub-point, or conclusion. This is important in a speech because using transition words does not leave the audience confused about where a speaker starts or leaves off from a different idea. Using transition words will benefit me because I do not think I use enough of them.

Facts and Statistics Effectiveness

Facts and statistics can be very beneficial in a speech because it allows the audience to think the speaker is knowledgeable about his or her topic. It shows that a speaker has done his or her research thoroughly if the facts or statistics are from a credible source. However, facts and statistics are usually beneficial for certain types of speeches. For example, facts and statistics come in handy when planning for a persuasive speech. Persuasive speeches call for the audience’s trust and reliability in a speaker. By providing facts and statistics from a reliable source, the audience finds the speaker more believable. In some cases, using facts and statistics in an informative speech can be beneficial. However, the point of an informative speech is, of course, to inform. By providing statistics, the audience may think that the speaker is biased. For example, when conducting a speech about cars, a speaker would not want to provide a dramatic air pollution statistic because it goes off topic and hints that the speaker is trying to persuade the audience to stop air pollution. Thus, facts and statistics should be carefully considered when incorporated in a speech.

Cultural Artifact Self-Evaluation

The Cultural Artifact Speech proceeded better than I had hoped for. I admit that I was nervous, but it was fun explaining about a cultural artifact that has long been a tradition in my family. Overall, I was comfortable in front of the audience. I was a bit nervous in the beginning and I felt very uncomfortable in my flats. However, as I started getting use to staring at everyone, I felt less nervous. I was quite confident with my speech because I enjoyed describing and informing facts to people. Although I forgot to bring up my visual aid, I did not let that mistake break me down and lower my confidence.

I believe I achieved the purpose of my speech very well. I presented the purpose openly with directness and I am sure that it was easy to comprehend. I also provided information such as history, tradition, and benefits to support my purpose. In order to improve the content of my next speech, I will state my sources. I was not aware that I needed to include my sources unless I said a quote. Although I did not mention any of my citations during this speech, I now realize that providing my sources allows for better credibility and makes the audience more confident in what I am telling them. In order to improve the delivery of my next speech, I will practice in front of larger audiences. I believe this will benefit me because it is a better method than just staring at my reflection all day or in front of one or two people.

The first thing that I noticed about my delivery was my confidence in the beginning. I suppose it was because my attention getter was in another language so no one could think negatively about what I said for a few seconds. I built off of this confidence and my delivery was good until I forgot the visual aid. However, I kept talking without looking at my note cards as I went to get my visual aid. I believe that that was good delivery even though it was not recorded on film.
As I watched my video, I noticed that I stuttered and said several vocal fillers such as "uh," or, "um". I felt like my stutters and vocal fillers were rather distracting because I did not even notice them as I was doing the speech. However, I did notice these fillers as I was watching the video. I also said the words "red envelope" too many times and that was quite distracting, not to mention annoying. I noticed that I was doing some odd gestures with my hands as well. I tended to wave my right hand many times in a weird fashion that looked like I wanted money. I did not pace around as much as I did while I practiced, but I did shuffle my legs many times. I also noticed that my eye contact was usually on the note cards. Although I stared at the audience every now and then, I tended to look up and down at frequent intervals. I would rate my eye contact as a six on a scale from one to ten.

On a scale from A-F, I would give myself a C based on what I noticed from my video. Although I felt like I did an adequate job for my first speech, there were some big mistakes that I noticed. The biggest mistake was when I did not incorporate my sources into my speech, which makes me lose credibility. If I could do the speech again, I definitely would have organized my speech with more support from my citations. Forgetting my visual aid was another down fall because that was a significant element to this speech. It was ironic because before I arrived to class, I also forgot my visual aid with only twenty minutes to go to my dorm and back to class. I rushed to get my visual aid from my dorm and I still forgot it as I presented my speech. If I could do the speech again, I would hold the red envelope along with the rest of my note cards so I would not forget it. Lastly, I believe my weird gestures and shuffling gave me my hypothetical grade. It was annoying and distracted the audience. If I could prepare for the speech again, I would set aside more time to stop my nervous habits so that I could get a better grade.