Page 317 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

284 Part 3 Putting Theory Into Practice

An electronic version of manuscript speaking involves the use of a Tele-
PrompTer. To avoid the appearance of reading verbatim from a written speech,
for instance, public fi gures, newscasters, and actors frequently use a Tele-
PrompTer instead of a written manuscript. As you can see in the photograph
on page 283 the text is not visible to the audience. Thus, nonverbal contact with
the audience is better than with a manuscript. Nevertheless, to effectively use a
TelePrompTer requires direction and practice. As with any manuscript speech,
the goal is to sound natural.

Memorized Delivery
A speaker using memorized delivery writes out the speech and commits it to
memory before presenting it without notes. Most audiences don’t expect a mem-
orized speech unless they are watching a professional speaker, an actor deliver-
ing lines in a play, or a student competing in a speech tournament. Although
memorization allows the speaker to concentrate on eye contact, movement, and
gesture, it does so at a price. You may forget parts of your speech, and it requires
a greater investment of time than any other method.
If you must write a speech to be memorized, keep the organization simple and
memorable. A good rule of thumb is to memorize the speech in small chunks.
Practice reciting your speech from the beginning through as far as you have
it memorized. The repetition of earlier parts will help fi x them in your mind.
Don’t panic if you forget a part of the speech. Try to ad-lib for a bit, and often
the next section will come to mind. Finally, try to make your delivery of the
speech sound as spontaneous and unrehearsed as possible.

Impromptu Delivery

There will inevitably be times when you will be expected to give an impromptu
speech—a spontaneous, unrehearsed method of speaking. Usually, these short
speeches are given in response to someone who asks you to say a few words,
make a toast, or respond to an inquiry in class or at work. No one knows better
than you the chances that you’ll be asked to say a few words at a social occasion
or in a professional setting. With this in mind, we offer the following suggestions:

Forewarned is Forearmed. If there is even the slightest chance you’ll be
asked to speak, you should prepare in advance. Does this mean that you should
write out a speech? Not really. What we are talking about here is anticipating
what you might be asked to say based on the context in which you’ll fi nd your-
self. This will, at the very least, enable you to mentally rehearse your response.
Should you not be asked to speak, you’ll only be better prepared for the next
time one of these occasions to speak pops up.

Get Organized. The thing that impresses people the most about people who
speak effectively off-the-cuff is organization. One of the most effective patterns
for organizing au impromptu speech is to (1) introduce the points we want to
make, (2) expand on the points, and (3) conclude with a summary of those
points. This harks back to the “tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em, tell ’em,
and then tell ’em what you told ’em” sequence introduced in Chapter 9. Con-
sider a classroom example, in which the instructor asks, “What’s your take on
the effects of rap lyrics on violence?” One student responds: “I have two points