A Speech Must Have an Objective

This is probably the most important requirement of all. There is no point in making speeches unless they accomplish something. In preparing a speech the first step is to determine what you want the audience to know or do, in other words, what attitude do you want the audience to have after listening to the speech?

A speech may inform, persuade, activate, or celebrate. It may also amuse or enter­tain. That particular kind of speech will not be considered here, but this does not rule out the use of some humor in the other kinds of speeches.

An informative speech is one that tells the audience something it does not know or that it does not understand.

A persuasive speech is designed to convince the audience about the merits of some idea. Such a speech could try to convince people that the tamperproof ID card previ­ously mentioned could easily be adopted and implemented. A similar speech could convince people of the need for a higher sales tax or better funding for the police force's crime-fighting efforts.

A persuasive speech appeals to the audience's self-interest. You might mention that more money for police protection will make the listeners families safer.

An activating speech is designed to get the listener to do something. Direct and spe­cific action is suggested and urged. A basic principle of persuasion is that a speaker should provide an audience with a specific course of action to take: write to a congres­sional representative, vote for a candidate, purchase a product, take steps to conserve energy.

A celebratory speech is designed to honor some person or event. Such speeches are often trite and boring, but they don't have to be. If a person is being honored for life­time professional achievement, why not start out with an anecdote that best exempli­fies the feats being honored? This is much better than a chronological account of the person's life as if it were being read from an obituary.

Events like grand openings, anniversaries, and retirements usually have friendly, receptive audience. In such cases, you can be more emotional and get away with some platitudes, which will probably be warmly received. When you prepare such a speech, however, keep it brief. Five minutes should be ample.

□ Vocabulary:

waste - пустаятрата; растрачивание

regardless of - невзираяна

perceive - воспринимать

platitude - плоскость, банальность

self-evident - самоочевидный

ruleout - исключать

persuade–убеждать

implement - осуществить

urge - призывать, настоятельнопобуждать

exemplify - иллюстрировать, служитьпримером

feat - подвиг

obituary - некролог

getawaywith - сходить с рук

ample - предостаточно

flat - вялый, бесцветный

merits - достоинства

purchase - покупать

Exercises

1) Find the English equivalents in the text. Use them in sentences of your own:

 

касаться к.-л.; требование; экономить энергию; развлекать; более высокий налог с продаж; финансирование; голосовать за кандидата; восприимчивый; принять меры.

2) Find in the text the words which describe or mean the following:

 

1. the use of something, for example, money or skills, in a way that is not effective, useful, or sensible -

2. without being affected by different situations, problems etc. -

3. clearly true and needing no more proof -

4. to make someone decide to do something, especially by giving them reasons why they should do it. or asking them many times to do it -

5. to strongly suggest that someone do something -

6. a report in a newspaper about the life of someone who has just died -

7. more than enough -

8.good features of something such as a plan or system -

3) Translate the following words into Russian. Use them in sentences of your own:

 

1. to persuade

a persuader

persuasion

persuadable

persuasive

persuasiveness

2. an appeal

to appeal

appealing

4) Translate the following sentences into Russian:

 

1. Working as a secretary is a waste of your talent.

2. The law requires equal treatment for all, regardless of race, religion, or sex.

3. Doctors ruled out the possibility of surgery.

4. She wouldn't agree, despite our efforts to persuade her.

5. He urged patience in the negotiations.

6. This case exemplifies the difficulty in diagnosing unusual illnesses.

7.You will have ample time to complete the text.

8. Board members met last week to discuss the merits of opening a new branch.

5)Match the words which are close in their meaning:

persuasive	stimulate
conserve (v)	actuating
self-evident	preserve (v)
ample	apparent
urge (v)	abundant

6) Match the words having the opposite meaning:

conserve (v)	insufficient
self-evident	ineffective
ample	discourage
urge (v)	obscure
persuasive	waste (v)

7) Complete the following sentences (point; convey; perceived; arouse; accomplish; merits; urged; merits; persuasive):

 

1. A speech must_____idea and_____some emotion in the audience.

2.The person who is asked to speak is_______as an expert on a given subject.

3. There is no__________in making speeches unless they______something.

4. A_____speech is designed to convince the audience about the______ofsome idea.

5. Direct and specific action is suggested and____.

8) Paraphrase the italicizedwords:

 

1....it is a waste of the speaker's breath and the audience's time.

2.They don't want platitudes.

3. You can be more emotional and get away with some platitudes.

4. An economist should offer more than the flat statement that the economy is in trouble.

9) Translate the following into Russian. Make up 4 sentences of your own according to the models:

 

1. There is no point in making speeches unless they accomplish something.

2. Why not start out with an anecdote that best exemplifies the feats being honored?

3. An activating speech is designed to get the listener to do something.

4.This is much better than a chronological account of the person's life as if itbeing read from an obituary.

10) Insert prepositions (away with; of; in; for; to; with):

 

1. A similar speech could convince people__________the need_______a highersales tax or better funding____the police force's crime-fighting efforts.

2._____such cases, you can be more emotional and get__________some platitudes.

3. A basic principle_persuasion is that a speaker should provide an audience_____a specific course______action to take.

4. This does not rule____the use_____some humor_____the otherkinds_____speeches.

5. A persuasive speech appeals______the audiences self-interest.