As in the case of letter writing, essay writing and story writing, knowing how to write a good speech is an extremely important skill for students of all disciplines and levels to learn. Speech writing is often a required part of coursework and examinations in English language and literature courses, but it can also be pivotal to many other disciplines, such as law, debating, theatre studies, science and religious studies. In addition, knowledge of key speech writing methods is likely to be extremely helpful in numerous personal and business situations throughout the writer's life.
How to plan a speech
More than for perhaps any other academic form of writing, planning is absolutely essential to writing a successful speech. Speeches must be particularly well structured and flow seamlessly as they are usually spoken aloud rather than read, so keeping the audience with you and enabling them to follow your argument is absolutely essential. A good plan lays the foundation for this central structure.
To plan your speech, first form a brainstorm showing all the different areas you would like to mention, and around each fill in the details and any anecdotes or quotes you want to remember to include. Then work out the most logical order of your different points.
Speech writing: structure
The structure of your speech will vary depending on the specific occasion it is written for. If it is a social or public speech, you may wish to follow a chronological order, describing events from their beginnings, through interesting periods with anecdotes and details, to the present and perhaps commenting on future possibilities.
For a structural technique to keep the tone light and the audience interested, it is helpful to structure your speech so that serious or meaningful sections are interspersed with jokes and lighter sections.
If it is an academic speech, whether for a debate or an academic essay writing assignment, it is important that your speech structure strongly defines and outlines your argument.
Start with a strong introduction clearly laying out your main points, then devote a clear separate section of the speech to expanding on each point, reminding the audience each time that you are addressing a new idea, and finish with a conclusion that reminds the audience of what you have said and finally puts it neatly together. It is always advisable to try and finish a speech with a punchy or memorable final sentence.
How to write a speech with style
The style and tone of a speech will depend upon its occasion andits aim. For a social, light speech such as a wedding or birthday address, it is often advisable to ensure lots of direct contact with the audience throughout to keep the crowd with you. This can be achieved through direct address and rhetorical questions.
For an academic essay or a debate speech, it is important to use the style of your speech to demonstrate that you are fully aware of both your purpose and your audience. It is usually successful to adopt a formal style of speech, with no abbreviations or colloquialisms. In a debate, it is usual to address the audience as 'ladies and gentlemen' and the chairperson as 'Mr. or Madam Chair'. (If in doubt, check the etiquette of the specific occasion beforehand to be sure).
The tone of your speech
To show your command of your subject matter and respect for your audience, it is necessary to ensure you adopt the correct tone when speech writing. This can be achieved both by the content of the speech and the sort of vocabulary you choose to use. Jokes might be excellent for a conspiratorial tone, or secrets for a confidential tone, but for a formal tone it is best to remain serious and keep your language polite and measured.
Referring politely to the audience is often an excellent way to set the tone and to remind the reader that you are in command of the speech writing medium.
And finally…
Most importantly of all, a speech ought to be practised. Whether you will really be presenting it or not, ensure that you perform your speech to somebody out loud and ask for their feedback – you will be amazed how great a difference it can make hearing something spoken aloud rather than simply read.
Essay Writing
How to plan a speech
More than for perhaps any other academic form of writing, planning is absolutely essential to writing a successful speech. Speeches must be particularly well structured and flow seamlessly as they are usually spoken aloud rather than read, so keeping the audience with you and enabling them to follow your argument is absolutely essential. A good plan lays the foundation for this central structure.
To plan your speech, first form a brainstorm showing all the different areas you would like to mention, and around each fill in the details and any anecdotes or quotes you want to remember to include. Then work out the most logical order of your different points.
Speech writing: structure
The structure of your speech will vary depending on the specific occasion it is written for. If it is a social or public speech, you may wish to follow a chronological order, describing events from their beginnings, through interesting periods with anecdotes and details, to the present and perhaps commenting on future possibilities.
For a structural technique to keep the tone light and the audience interested, it is helpful to structure your speech so that serious or meaningful sections are interspersed with jokes and lighter sections.
If it is an academic speech, whether for a debate or an academic essay writing assignment, it is important that your speech structure strongly defines and outlines your argument.
Start with a strong introduction clearly laying out your main points, then devote a clear separate section of the speech to expanding on each point, reminding the audience each time that you are addressing a new idea, and finish with a conclusion that reminds the audience of what you have said and finally puts it neatly together. It is always advisable to try and finish a speech with a punchy or memorable final sentence.
How to write a speech with style
The style and tone of a speech will depend upon its occasion andits aim. For a social, light speech such as a wedding or birthday address, it is often advisable to ensure lots of direct contact with the audience throughout to keep the crowd with you. This can be achieved through direct address and rhetorical questions.
For an academic essay or a debate speech, it is important to use the style of your speech to demonstrate that you are fully aware of both your purpose and your audience. It is usually successful to adopt a formal style of speech, with no abbreviations or colloquialisms. In a debate, it is usual to address the audience as 'ladies and gentlemen' and the chairperson as 'Mr. or Madam Chair'. (If in doubt, check the etiquette of the specific occasion beforehand to be sure).
The tone of your speech
To show your command of your subject matter and respect for your audience, it is necessary to ensure you adopt the correct tone when speech writing. This can be achieved both by the content of the speech and the sort of vocabulary you choose to use. Jokes might be excellent for a conspiratorial tone, or secrets for a confidential tone, but for a formal tone it is best to remain serious and keep your language polite and measured.
Referring politely to the audience is often an excellent way to set the tone and to remind the reader that you are in command of the speech writing medium.
And finally…
Most importantly of all, a speech ought to be practised. Whether you will really be presenting it or not, ensure that you perform your speech to somebody out loud and ask for their feedback – you will be amazed how great a difference it can make hearing something spoken aloud rather than simply read.
Essay Writing
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