Module 17: Principles of Speech Delivery

Objective: At the end of this module, I can use the principles of effective speech delivery focusing on articulation;
modulation; stage presence; facial expressions; gestures, and movements; rapport with the audience; and appropriate use
of visual aids.

Ask the students: 1. Have you ever tried delivering a speech in public? Or watch someone do it?
2. What do you think are the things a speaker should consider or possess when delivering a speech?
Or what are the important things you look for to be able to say that someone is a good speaker? Why?

What is a speech?

 Speech is the formal talk that the speaker addresses through spoken language/words in front of an audience
gathered in a place to hear the message.

Speech refers to:

Speaking with a clear voice, in a way that makes speech interesting and meaningful
Speaking without hesitating too much or without repeating words or sounds
Being able to make sounds like ‘k’ and ‘t’ clearly so people can understand what you say
 
What is speech delivery?

 Delivery refers to the presentation of the speech you have researched, organized, outlined, and practiced. Delivery
is important, of course, because it is what is most immediate to the audience. Delivery relies on both verbal
communication and nonverbal communication.

Importance of an Effective Speech Delivery:

 Delivery can communicate your confidence and preparedness to your audience. Effective delivery shows your
audience that you have researched your topic and understand what you are speaking about. An effective delivery
allows you to pull it all together—to showcase your work and to speak with confidence during your delivery.

What are the principles of speech delivery?

 Principles of Speech Delivery: Combination of elements of public speaking in order to convey your
speech/message diligently and effectively to an audience.

The Principles of Speech Delivery

A. Articulation
 (Book def.) An act process, process, or means of putting something into words or the clear and
accurate pronunciation of words especially in public speaking.
 Refers to pronouncing the words and speaking with clear diction that effectively transmits the
message of the speaker. You must fully open your mouth in order to distinctly enunciate the different
words.
 Articulation is the physical production of particular speech sounds.

WORDS MISARTICULATION

OUGHT TO OTTA

DIDN’T DINT

HAVE TO HAFTA

WANT TO WANNA

GOING TO GONNA
Coherence – comes from Latin word cohaerentia meaning “to stick together”. This refers to the logical order of
ideas expressed.
Coherence of body, voice and content directly influences your level of authenticity perceived by the
audience. Therefore, the triangle of coherence in public speaking always needs to be in a state of
balance.
The Triangle of Coherence in Public Speaking by Florian Mueck
Content: Technical, entertaining, emotional, inspirational
Body: Facial expressions, hand and arm gestures, leg and entire body
Voice: Loud, soft, fast, slow, high pitch, low pitch, pauses
How do you achieve coherence in your speech?
You plan the order of ideas you will articulate or express.

Different Patterns of Organization:

 Chronological Pattern– arranges information accdg. to progression of time, either forward or
backward. When using a chronological pattern, each main section of information represents a
particular period of time, and the sub-points contained within each main section refer to
significant events that occurred within that time frame.
 Sequential Pattern – similar to a chronological pattern but arranges information accdg. to step-
by-step sequence that describes a particular process. Ex: Wine making
 Spatial Pattern – arranges information accdg. to how things fit together in physical space. Ex: A
writer wishes to describe the forms of entertainment for tourists in different location in a city or
place.
 Compare-Contrast Pattern - arranges information according to how two or more things are
similar to or different from one another or both. Ex: Whether to attend a two-year college or a
four-year university. One way is to compare and contrast or create one section for similarities and
another section for differences.
 Advantages-Disadvantages Pattern – organizes information about a topic by dividing it up into its
‘good’ and ‘bad’ or pro’s and con’s. It is effective to use when a writer wishes to objectively discuss
both sides of an issue without taking persuasive stance. Ex: State the adv and disadv of attending
a two-year college.
 Cause-Effect Pattern – it is used to show the difference cause sand effects of various conditions.
This pattern is effective when writing a persuasive document.
 Problem-Solution Pattern – divides information into two main sections, one that describes a
problem and one that describes a solution. This pattern is typically used in persuasive writing
where the writer’s general purpose is to convince the reader to support a certain cause of action.
Ex: Persuade readers to ride a bicycle.
 Topic Pattern – the most commonly used format. It arranges information accgd to different sub-
topics within a larger topic or the ‘types’ of things that fall within a larger category. Ex: Describe
various types of wine. By color, by region in which they were made, by brand etc.

Factors that Affect Articulation:

a. Dialect – refers to a variety of a language distinguished by variations of accent, grammar, or
vocabulary.
Dialects are usually based on regional or ethnic speech pattern.
Ex: In Pennsylvania, you might hear people say ‘they are going to red up the room’ which means ‘to
clean the room’
b. Accent – refers to the degree of prominence of the way syllables are spoken in words.
Ex: When Australian says ‘undah’ instead of ‘under’.
c. Regionalism – is a type of expression as when someone says “The dog wants walked” instead of “The
dog wants to go for a walk.”

Why Is It Important to be able to Articulate well?

We are often judged by how well we speak in general. A mispronounced word will obliterate a speaker’s
credibility, and the audience’s attention will be focused on the fault rather than the message.

B. Modulation
 (Book def.) to change the sound of your voice by making it quieter, higher, lower, etc and to change
or adjust so that it exists in a balanced or proper amount.
 The capability to adjust or manipulate the resonance and timbre of vocal tone. Everyone’s voice is
different. Some people have very distinguishing voices and do not have to work very hard on their
voice presentation, but others need some help with speaking.
 a. Volume – the loudness or softness of the speaker’s voice. You do not want to speak loudly or they
will think you are being rude, crude, or uncouth or speak too softly because the audience will not be
able to hear and understand what you are saying especially if the venue is in a wide area.
b. Pitch – this is the highness or lowness of a speaker’s voice. You do not want to go too high or too
low, but try not to become monotone.
Inflection – are variations, turns, and slides in pitch to achieve the meaning.
Ex: When you raise your pitch at the end of a sentence that is a question. Or when you lower your
pitch at sentences ending with a period.
c. Tempo/Pace – this refers to the speed at which a person talks. We usually speak at a rate between
120-150 words per minute. Just remember: 1. Talking so slowly will bore your listeners and it might
resemble a monotonous appeal.
2. Try not to speak so fast that your speech is not
understood.
d. Pauses – refers to the momentary breaks in the voice delivery of a speech.
1. Learning how to do this properly will give you more poise and confidence when delivering
your speech.
2. Try to avoid filling in those moments with a vocalized pauses like “uh” and “um”.
e. Vocal Variety – Vocal variety is in a speaker’s rate, pitch, and volume that give the voice variety and
expressions. It makes your speech more interesting and thus make the audience listen to you.

Why is it important to modulate your voice?

It is necessary to vary the pitch, rate, and tone, and volume of your voice to avoid sounding monotonous and
to convey various nuances of meanings.

C. Stage Presence (dig further)

 The sum total of all the qualities that keep your audience engaged while you deliver a speech. It’s the
ability to envelop the audience about the topic of your speech and in turn express what the audience
feels.
The Spheres of Stage Presence:
a. Appearance and Comfort – You must be dressed according to the occasion. Your dress should reflect
your confident side at all times.
Ex: If it is an speech for a corporate meet, then you must be dressed formally but if you are making
a speech to spread some awareness to college students, you can dress more relaxed and casual.
b. Body Posture and Attitude – Right from the moment you step on stage your body language matters.
The way you stand, your posture, use of hand gestures must be well noted and taken care of. Your
attitude must be positive, that is, keep in mind that the audience is intelligent and you must be ready
to respond to any interaction on their part too.
c. Tone of the Speech – You can play with different styles, as is suitable to the topic of your speech.
Voice modulation, use of examples, a peck of humour is important in engaging the audience.
d. Stage space – it is a smart move on the part of a speaker to use different parts of stage at different
levels. You may even give up the stage for a while to get amongst the audience.

Tips on Developing your Stage Presence

 Relax
 Practice/Prepare: Record yourself when practicing your speech to know the things to develop, what
to remove , or if there are additional information needed. Practice makes perfect.
 Desire: Have the passion to share your story or topic on-stage and inspire them.
 Study: Learn from legendary speakers, performers and adapt their way of having a great stage
presence.

Why is it important to have stage presence?

Stage presence capture the audience’s full attention, drawing them into your speech and making them feel some
emotion from your piece.
D. Facial Expressions (dig further)
 (Book def.) This is a gesture executed with facial muscles. Your face reveals a lot about what you think
or how you feel. It is your most basic visual aid.
 The speaker ought to ensure that his/her facial expressions do not contradict his/her verbal
message. Always remember to smile and allow various emotions to show in your eyes to inspire
enthusiasm with your audience and show them your sincerity about your topic.

Why is it important to convey proper facial expressions?

Your audience gathers a lot of information from your facial expressions. If your facial expressions and your
spoken words conflict, the audience is likely to believe your face. So make sure that your facial expressions mesh
with the feelings and ideas being expressed. It builds a connection with your audience. It shows sincerity and
credibility to the message and conveys the feelings of the speaker.

E. Gestures (dig further)

 (Book definition) These refer to the movements or positions of the hand, arm, body, head or face that
is expressive of an idea, opinion, emotion, etc.

Why is it important to incorporate gestures when delivering a speech?

It helps you emphasize a point, express emotions, call attention to ideas, release tensions and engage your
audience. However, too much gesturing and body movement might seem theatrical and insincere and even
distract your audience from your message. *Be natural and act naturally on stage.

F. Rapport with the Audience (dig further)

 (Book def.) This refers to the speaker’s connection with the audience. This connection is characterized
By harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity.
 Building rapport is defined as engaging with the audience and connecting with them.

Ways to Establish Rapport with the Audience (aside from what’s in the book):
 First impression matters
 Take note of what has gone on in the room before
 Focus on the audience and their understanding rather than yourself
 Read the audience
 Create texture and dynamics in your presentation
 Talk to people before your presentation begins
 Have your audience’s best interest at heart
 Establish eye contact
 Speak simply and with conviction
 Dress appropriately
 Avoid using humour or language that might offend them
 Tell stories to engage their imaginations

Eye contact – this means direct visual contact with eyes of another person. Try to avoid looking in only one area
of the room. Look briefly from one person to another or scan the audience. Make the audience believe in what
you are talking about with your eyes.

Why is it important to rapport with the audience?

Building rapport with the audience is important because it creates trust, heightens engagement, shows people
why what you have to say is important and relevant to them, establishes common ground and helps you connect
at a human level not just at an intellectual one.

G. Audio-visual presentation (dig further)

 (Book def.)These are devices such as films, video and audio clips, slide presentations, models, and
blackboard notes that accompany verbal messages to help audiences comprehend, appreciate, and
retain information better.
 Types of Audiovisual Aids :

 Charts and graphs

There are a number of different types of charts and graphs that serve a variety of purposes such as pie
charts, line graphs, bar charts, flow charts and organizational charts. Be sure to pick the one which best
conveys the points you are trying to make.
Use pie charts to present figures, outcomes of surveys and percentages of achievements in their context.
Use bars, timelines or charts to compare data, to demonstrate how something has developed over a period of time, to
illustrate a series of steps or processes.
Use an organography to provide insight to the structure or the communication and command levels of and organization,
process or program.
Use a flip chart if you do not have an electronic component to note or draw the main
points, arguments, theories or controversies of your visual aid speech topic for small audiences.
 Slides
Microsoft PowerPoint is the standard for slide software today. Using PowerPoint, you can create highly
sophisticated slides with audio, video, animations and much more. An old-fashioned overhead projector
can still do the job, though.
Use slides to illustrate for instance travel adventures, collections, historial sights, Power Point-
presentations or the major points of your speech for small or larger groups.
 Overheads
An overhead beamer projector is a very popular instrument to support visual aid speech topics. Use
overheads to show for example how a machine, building or a plane has been built, to present a
complex problem with its solution and benefits, and to illustrate processes, procedures, and steps in a
sequence.
 Flipcharts
Flipcharts should only be used when you need to record information or ideas during your speech (such as
taking an audience survey). Using a flipchart as a pre-prepared visual aid will seem unprofessional in
most situations.
 Audio and video
DVD’s and CD’s that relate to your topic will add interest and variety to your presentation. However, don’t
use up too much of your speech time playing these. Remember, the audience is there to see you, not your
media.
Use DVD’s and videotapes to emphasize the main points of your speeches about for
instance matches, movies, journeys, hiking trails, or instructions.
 Handouts are a good idea in a couple of situations: 1) Your topic is too complex for the
audience to easily understand from just your spoken words, and 2) If you need to ensure that the
audience will remember the information long after your speech. Be careful when using handouts,
however. They tend to be distrating to audience members if you don’t refer to them often. The
audience also can get ahead of you by skipping to later sections of the handout.

 Props
Props fall into two categories: objects and models. Objects are the actual physical item that you are
speaking about. Models are representations of the item that you are speaking about. No matter which type
you use, props are good to refer to if they help clarify your messages and increase understanding.
 Posters
Use a poster to highlight the key points of your visuals aid speech topics. When you talk about
a country, city, a very expensive drawing, or your home or automobile etc. you can show a picture printed
on a poster.
Five tips for your presentation:
Prepare your visual aid informative speech topics adequately.
Practice several times aloud in front of family and friends.
Check if your electronic component is running. Have a backup option in mind.
Constantly check if your public can see and understand what you say and present. Every member of the
audience must have the possibility to see your visual aids, hold them up as long as needed.
Point to parts in your visual aid speech topics when you talk about the features.

Why is it important to use audiovisual aids in speech delivery?

 To hold the audience’s attention – by getting the audience involved visually as well as orally, you are
more likely to keep their interest.
 To serve as a memory aid or learning device – people learn in different ways, some people easily recall
spoken information, others written information. No matter what style they prefer, the more you expose your
audience to the information, the more likely they are to remember it.
  To replace your speaking notes – This doesn’t mean reading directly from your visual aid. However, a
PowerPoint presentation or slide show will have keywords that you can use to structure your
extemporaneous speech.
 To help indicate transitions – When you switch slides, for example, it reinforces the transitions between
the two ideas indicated on the slide.

Why is it important to effectively use the principles of speech delivery?

 Delivery can communicate your confidence and preparedness to your audience.

 Effective delivery shows your audience that you have researched your topic and understand
what you are speaking about.

 Effective speech delivery is an important part of public speaking. No matter how inspiring,

informative or persuasive the speech you have written, poor delivery will leave your audience
feeling flat, and your presentation will be less than memorable.

How can we apply these principles of speech delivery?

1. Go through your preparation outline aloud to check how you have written translates into spoken discourse. Is it too
long? Is it too short?

2. Prepare your speaking outline.

3.Practice the speech aloud several times using only the speaking outline. Talk through all your examples, stories, or
quotes
4.Polish and refine your delivery. Practice in front of a mirror or video camera.
5.Give your speech a dress rehearsal under conditions as close as possible to those you will face in class
6.Start as early as you can and practice as much as possible if you can.

Additional information for principles of speech delivery . (Dig further, expand knowledge) page 161. (PRINCE)

Read: “How to Improve Speaking Voice”. Page 165 of book, watch the links. (PRINCE PADOWNLOAD)

Evaluation to test their knowledge. Pp. 160, 163, 164, 165 in the book.