I talk a lot about Speech on this blog because I consider it an excellent way to learn communications skills, same as being a salesperson for years or learning to act.
My philosophy has three parts; Talking, Thinking, and Testing. Talking, again, is about communication and poise (talking through your composure and staying composed). Thinking is about philosophy and planning far into the future based on ideals, and testing is about the numbers and getting out and trying things so you can see how to get better at them.
In my Charisma Major I focus on these three components, and right now I'm working on Talking/Poise. I often get asked why speech? Obviously it helps make me a more charismatic communicator, but so does selling cars really well or being a stellar actor.
It's partially personal, I've done speech, know what to expect, and it's something I'm good at. Much better at than selling cars or acting (though I am getting into Dramatic Interp this year...). But the rational (read: thinking) reason to do Speech is that speech has much more variety than sales or acting. True, you can go out and try to sell all sorts of things, but not at once. Likewise, acting requires a plethora of skills and abilities, but it also requires either contacts or a degree from an established institution. Both of those fields are limited by their established nature, in a way. You need to go through the channels to get the benefits.
I like speech because I can go out and in one weekend (If I'm ridiculously good :)) Give six impromptu speeches, six Extemporaneous speeches (Impromptu based on current events with 1/2 hour prep), six persuasive speeches, six After Dinner speeches (funny persuades), six Dramatic Interpretations and six Informative speeches. The three different types of Speech teach how to talk in the three different languages of my philosophy; Limited prep (impromptu and extemp, as well as Debate in many ways) teach how to test and use what you know, Public Address (informative, persuasive, partially after dinner) teach how to communicate learning, and Interp teaches you how to get feelings across and all the nuances of connecting with your audience.
Now, obviously I won't be doing six events at once, but I will be working on those three different areas at any given time. So in one week of working on my current speeches I'm learning all the aspects of communication if I do one event from each of the three areas. I bet you could do that in Sales or Theatre, but it requires a lot more background work before you can do it. In speech, it's almost a given.
It's pretty much the same thing that motivates me into a lot of my activities; it's the easiest way to achieve all of my goals for the moment at once that I've found. Once I start doing an interpretation event I'll be learning everything there is to know about applied communications every weekend I take my events out, or every time I go in to coach.
That's why I do speech. Shortest distance between me now and more charismatic communicator me.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Impromptu Part IIb-Thesis/Argument Contd
I'll elaborate on why the thesis and argument are the most important parts of the speech.
You could be talking on any topic, from a sentence your friend just said to an excerpt from shakespeare, and give an impromptu speech. Why give an impromptu speech, why analyze your topic at all, if you're not going to give your personal interpretation. And don't tell me you're just analyzing it from society's perspective, it's about YOU and how you feel about the topic. Your thesis is the summation of your feelings on the entire topic. It's your chance to say 'Here's what x means.' Your argument is your defense of your feelings on the topic.
The thesis and argument are the most important parts of your impromptu speech because they are the reason for the speech. They're why you want to talk about the topic and why what you think is true makes sense. Even if you're just talking about the topic because you're doing College Forensics and needed another event, you're doing college forensics! So you're giving an impromptu speech because you care enough to do forensics! Make it count!
That's what the thesis and argument are all about: making your speech important. Here's where you say 'This is the topic. I agree, because of this.' Or disagree or whatever. The entire point of the speech is not to give good examples, or to have perfect structure. It's just getting your point across, period.
That's why I like impromptu so much. It's all about YOU, your interpretation, and your ability to defend it. Your argument is a summary of your entire belief system with regards to the topic, your examples are just case studies of times when you've recognized your feelings elsewhere. What matters is what you think, and how you say it. That's what verbal communication is all about, and impromptu is verbal communication at its finest.
The Thesis and Argument is why you're talking about the topic at all. Without a good, clear thesis and a solid argument there is no reason to give a speech, period. So your thesis and argument should be the focus of your work on impromptu speaking and the entire point of why you've decided to speak up.
Later today I'll go on to cover the second most important part of Impromptu speaking, the main example.
You could be talking on any topic, from a sentence your friend just said to an excerpt from shakespeare, and give an impromptu speech. Why give an impromptu speech, why analyze your topic at all, if you're not going to give your personal interpretation. And don't tell me you're just analyzing it from society's perspective, it's about YOU and how you feel about the topic. Your thesis is the summation of your feelings on the entire topic. It's your chance to say 'Here's what x means.' Your argument is your defense of your feelings on the topic.
The thesis and argument are the most important parts of your impromptu speech because they are the reason for the speech. They're why you want to talk about the topic and why what you think is true makes sense. Even if you're just talking about the topic because you're doing College Forensics and needed another event, you're doing college forensics! So you're giving an impromptu speech because you care enough to do forensics! Make it count!
That's what the thesis and argument are all about: making your speech important. Here's where you say 'This is the topic. I agree, because of this.' Or disagree or whatever. The entire point of the speech is not to give good examples, or to have perfect structure. It's just getting your point across, period.
That's why I like impromptu so much. It's all about YOU, your interpretation, and your ability to defend it. Your argument is a summary of your entire belief system with regards to the topic, your examples are just case studies of times when you've recognized your feelings elsewhere. What matters is what you think, and how you say it. That's what verbal communication is all about, and impromptu is verbal communication at its finest.
The Thesis and Argument is why you're talking about the topic at all. Without a good, clear thesis and a solid argument there is no reason to give a speech, period. So your thesis and argument should be the focus of your work on impromptu speaking and the entire point of why you've decided to speak up.
Later today I'll go on to cover the second most important part of Impromptu speaking, the main example.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Impromptu Part II : Thesis and Argument
The most important part of impromptu speaking are your Thesis and Argument.
It's all about the subject.
The trick to Impromptu speaking is knowing how to adapt your examples to your topic. Notice that it's not about the examples, it's about the topic and the adaptation. A wide variety of examples definitely helps, but if you know a single example really well you can make it work if you try hard enough.
For instance, say you're giving an impromptu speech on the following quotation:
"Greed is good."- Wall Street
The Thesis Statement.
You could just say 'Of course it's saying greed is good,' and go on to agree or disagree with that. That would be your thesis statement.
A better thesis would go more in-depth and say "The quotation is saying that 'Greed, meaning wanting more than you need to survive, is good' Or 'Greed, unquenchable thirst for more, is good.' Make sure you define ambiguous terms like 'Greed' or 'Honor' or 'life.' Summarize.
The important thing in the thesis statement is to clearly articulate your interpretation of the subject. Note that it is Not about the 'correct' interpretation of the subject. It is about whatever interpretation works for you, but it should be true. This is much more important with more ambiguous quotations, but true at a basic level. Every quotation is open to (mis)interpretation. If you make your thesis statement interesting, your speech will be interesting.
Then you agree or disagree with your interpretation of the subject. This is usually combined with a sort of pre-preview of your main points; make your argument while stating your (dis)agreement. For example,
"So we need to look at today's quotation, "Greed is Good," from Wall Street. This quotation claims that Greed, an unquenchable thirst for more, is a positive trait. This is true because greed allows us to ignore rationality, and because greed allows us to empathize with other people's struggles."
Make clear assertions here. Do not say 'First we'll look at why greed is good, second we'll look at why greed may not be good.' The audience should know exactly what you're going to say. Greed lets us ignore rationality, greed allows us to empathize, greed is good. Simple, clear, intriguing. Empathy through greed? Say wha? Now I'm interested.
Practice:
Go to www.quotationspage.com and get a few random quotations. Don't use a stopwatch for this part, but look at the quotations, notice the ambiguous terms, and summarize it as quickly as possible.
Example: "Action is Elegance"- William Shakespeare
Elegance, Action, and The relationship between the two all need definition. Good quotation :).
Action is taking immediate steps to achieve your goals. Elegance is being stylish and powerful at the same time. Taking immediate steps to achieve your goals is the best way to be stylish and powerful at the same time. Bam, thesis. Again, it's a good impromptu quotation because it's short and yet wholly ambiguous. Thank you, Shakespeare.
Try running this same quotation five or six times and you'll see how a finals round looks: everyone makes an immediate, probably different, interpretation of the exact same quotation.
Tomorrow we'll look at the second most important part of Impromptu, the Main Example.
It's all about the subject.
The trick to Impromptu speaking is knowing how to adapt your examples to your topic. Notice that it's not about the examples, it's about the topic and the adaptation. A wide variety of examples definitely helps, but if you know a single example really well you can make it work if you try hard enough.
For instance, say you're giving an impromptu speech on the following quotation:
"Greed is good."- Wall Street
The Thesis Statement.
You could just say 'Of course it's saying greed is good,' and go on to agree or disagree with that. That would be your thesis statement.
A better thesis would go more in-depth and say "The quotation is saying that 'Greed, meaning wanting more than you need to survive, is good' Or 'Greed, unquenchable thirst for more, is good.' Make sure you define ambiguous terms like 'Greed' or 'Honor' or 'life.' Summarize.
The important thing in the thesis statement is to clearly articulate your interpretation of the subject. Note that it is Not about the 'correct' interpretation of the subject. It is about whatever interpretation works for you, but it should be true. This is much more important with more ambiguous quotations, but true at a basic level. Every quotation is open to (mis)interpretation. If you make your thesis statement interesting, your speech will be interesting.
Then you agree or disagree with your interpretation of the subject. This is usually combined with a sort of pre-preview of your main points; make your argument while stating your (dis)agreement. For example,
"So we need to look at today's quotation, "Greed is Good," from Wall Street. This quotation claims that Greed, an unquenchable thirst for more, is a positive trait. This is true because greed allows us to ignore rationality, and because greed allows us to empathize with other people's struggles."
Make clear assertions here. Do not say 'First we'll look at why greed is good, second we'll look at why greed may not be good.' The audience should know exactly what you're going to say. Greed lets us ignore rationality, greed allows us to empathize, greed is good. Simple, clear, intriguing. Empathy through greed? Say wha? Now I'm interested.
Practice:
Go to www.quotationspage.com and get a few random quotations. Don't use a stopwatch for this part, but look at the quotations, notice the ambiguous terms, and summarize it as quickly as possible.
Example: "Action is Elegance"- William Shakespeare
Elegance, Action, and The relationship between the two all need definition. Good quotation :).
Action is taking immediate steps to achieve your goals. Elegance is being stylish and powerful at the same time. Taking immediate steps to achieve your goals is the best way to be stylish and powerful at the same time. Bam, thesis. Again, it's a good impromptu quotation because it's short and yet wholly ambiguous. Thank you, Shakespeare.
Try running this same quotation five or six times and you'll see how a finals round looks: everyone makes an immediate, probably different, interpretation of the exact same quotation.
Tomorrow we'll look at the second most important part of Impromptu, the Main Example.
Impromptu Part I: How to give an Impromptu Speech
Today we're going to start a week-long series on the basics of Impromptu. Today I'll give you an overview, tomorrow we'll go over the most important part of impromptu, the thesis. Thursday I'll briefly cover the 2nd most important part and get started on examples, and then I'll go over how to find and use good examples.
An impromptu speech is any speech on a topic without time for preparation. I extend this definition to include short prep times, under five minutes usually.
I do impromptu speaking in College forensics and am qualified to nationals (read: made it into finals several times and done well. Considered in the top 10% of impromptu speakers.) In college, we get 7 minutes to prepare and speak, usually broken up into less than 2 minutes of prep and around 5 minutes of speaking.
Here's what you need to know:
First, Impromptu speech organization usually goes like this, just because it's effective:
Intro: Main Example. (under 30s, clear example which illustrates your interpretation. However, directly before transitioning into statement introduce controversy: Answer Why this is worth talking about.)
Statement of Subject. (Read the quotation, state the subject, tell us exactly what you're talking about)
Interpretation of subject (thesis statement, what does the subject mean.)
Agree/Disagree with interpretation (one sentence, yea or nay.)
Preview of Speech (Cover the main points.)
I. Point one of speech
A. Example 1 (subpoint 1-A)
B. Example 2 (s. 2-A)
Review of point 1, Transition to point 2 (link back to main example.)
II. Point Two of speech
A. Example 1 (s. 1-B)
B. Example 2 (s. 2-B)
Review of point 2, transition to conclusion.
Conclusion:
Restate subject (Today we looked at the (quotation, subject, etc.)
Thesis (We interpreted this to mean...)
Review points one and two,
link back into main example.
This is a very common organization just because you have justification for everything: Your main example justifies your thesis, arguement, transition and conclusion. The subpoints justify the points of the argument. Nothing non-essential.
Prep notecards using this format.
Intro:
Qt
A/D
I.
A.
B.
II.
A.
B.
That's all you need. The rest is just stuff to remember. Tomorrow we'll cover the most important single part of your impromptu: the Thesis and Argument.
An impromptu speech is any speech on a topic without time for preparation. I extend this definition to include short prep times, under five minutes usually.
I do impromptu speaking in College forensics and am qualified to nationals (read: made it into finals several times and done well. Considered in the top 10% of impromptu speakers.) In college, we get 7 minutes to prepare and speak, usually broken up into less than 2 minutes of prep and around 5 minutes of speaking.
Here's what you need to know:
First, Impromptu speech organization usually goes like this, just because it's effective:
Intro: Main Example. (under 30s, clear example which illustrates your interpretation. However, directly before transitioning into statement introduce controversy: Answer Why this is worth talking about.)
Statement of Subject. (Read the quotation, state the subject, tell us exactly what you're talking about)
Interpretation of subject (thesis statement, what does the subject mean.)
Agree/Disagree with interpretation (one sentence, yea or nay.)
Preview of Speech (Cover the main points.)
I. Point one of speech
A. Example 1 (subpoint 1-A)
B. Example 2 (s. 2-A)
Review of point 1, Transition to point 2 (link back to main example.)
II. Point Two of speech
A. Example 1 (s. 1-B)
B. Example 2 (s. 2-B)
Review of point 2, transition to conclusion.
Conclusion:
Restate subject (Today we looked at the (quotation, subject, etc.)
Thesis (We interpreted this to mean...)
Review points one and two,
link back into main example.
This is a very common organization just because you have justification for everything: Your main example justifies your thesis, arguement, transition and conclusion. The subpoints justify the points of the argument. Nothing non-essential.
Prep notecards using this format.
Intro:
Qt
A/D
I.
A.
B.
II.
A.
B.
That's all you need. The rest is just stuff to remember. Tomorrow we'll cover the most important single part of your impromptu: the Thesis and Argument.
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