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Rhetorical Advices for the Philosophical Youth Conference

  • European school of Luxembourg-Mamer: Youth Conference 2016

    Managing a speech notes(Conway)

     

    A simple guide to public speaking for Chairs/Speakers:

     

    Step 1: Group discussions and brainstorming

    • YOU steer the meeting, allowing each person to be heard while ensuring that things do not go off track too much. The Reporter is a key ally here as he/she takes down the essentials, ensuring that all voices and views are heard and noted. Her/his notes will be the basis for your 7minute speech (sounds short, but is not in reality)

    Step 2: Organising the key ideas N.B. If you are going to use a Power Point*, keep ideas on the screen limited to essentials: YOU are more important than the screen so your job is to “flesh out” the point and your audience is to look at YOU most of the time.

    Any other writing you keep for yourself for use on the lectern.

    Audience awareness: No matter what, your first and main aim is to maintain audience attention so organize the speech logically with a beginning, a middle, and an end. In other words, tell your audience what you’re about to tell them, then tell them it in detail, and then summarize what you’ve told them.

    * Visual Aids: Keep the following in mind:

    • Visual aids should be simple on the eye.
    • Keep text to a minimum—otherwise your audience won’t know whether to read or to listen to YOU.
    • A few effective slides or charts can help your audience but too many will distract them.

    Step 3: DELIVERY:

    BODY SPEAK:

    • Stand straight and relaxed.
    • Slow your breath down, and breathe mainly through your nose.
    • Allow your eyes to scan the audience from time to time. Look fat the sympathetic and attentive eyes of friends, teachers and your group.
    • Speak more slowly than usual.
    • Speak more loudly than usual. Allow yourself some pauses (take a drink of water now and again).
    • Ensure you smile on occasion (vary facial expressions as appropriate to your text).
    • Use gestures, but make them large: avoid nervous fidgeting (and do not chew gum!
    • Enjoy yourself and your 7 minutes of power!

    THE 7 MINUTE SPEECH:

    • Keep within the 7 minute timeline.
    • Start with a paced Fellow Students, Teachers, Parents…………….
    • AT LEAST: Tell the audience what the problem is, what various ideas have been put forward, including where there was disagreement and consensus. Finish with any proposed solutions/actions that can be taken
    • AT BEST: Take your time. Vary your tone and modulation; vary your sentence structures e.g. use question form on occasion (remember to give an answer!); use a little drama nownagain, including humour or a joke; end or begin with a rhetorical question, a quotation, etc. If your voice has dipped at times, readjust it as you approach the end. Just make sure the audience knows you are finished.
    • Perhaps finish with a strong and motivating appeal for action. End with a Thank you to your audience. Leave them smiling and/or feeling the gravity of your points.

    Step 3: Practicing within a limited time

    You should know your speech well enough to speak naturally during your presentation and glance only occasionally at your notes. Here are some tips for practicing:

    • Practice your speech at least three times, and practice in front of your group for feedback. YOUR GROUP WILL SIT AS FAR FROM YOU AS POSSIBLE.
    • Pace yourself. Your audience will want to hear what you have to say, so speak clearly!
    • Gestures, movement, and eye contact can add to your impact, but make sure that they’re natural and relevant.
    • You will have a lectern on the stage. You may put your notes on it, but you may move from it if you wish give a greater sense of intimacy with your audience.

    QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

    A well-handled question-and-answer session can strengthen your credibility, demonstrate your knowledge, and give you a chance to clarify and expand on your ideas.

    If you need time to think, say something like “That’s an interesting question….” Or “Do you mind repeating your question”.

    If someone is aggressive or antagonistic, simply say, “I’d be happy to talk with you about this in greater depth afterward, but I have limited time and need to address additional questions.”

    IT CAN BE A GOOD IDEA (IF IN HUGE DOUBT) TO HAND THE QUESTION OVER TO A MEMBER OF YOUR ORIGINAL GROUP I.E. “I THINK THAT …………..MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION MORE FULLY THAN I”

    SO, GROUP MEMBERS: KEEP ALERT!! YOUR SPEAKER MY ASK FOR YOUR HELP!