What makes something average? More importantly what makes a speech average? Average is a word we use to describe something that is very basic. In school something that is average is usually graded in the C range. So how does one make that C into a B? How does one make B into an A?
Connection probably the most important aspect of a speech. In order to connect with the audience the speaker must make eye contact with each person. This connection can go a long way with the success of the speech. No one wants to listen to a speech that they don't feel connected to. The audience must feel what the speaker is trying to convey through other physical means.
A C speaker will utilize eye contact with moderation. Every once in while scanning the audience, but spending more time focused on their notes or on something other than their audience. This causes the audience to feel disconnectedness from the speaker. A B speaker will utilize eye contact much more often, referring to his, or her, notes only occasionally. This causes the audience to make more of a connection with speaker B more so than speaker C. An A speaker will most likely hardly ever glance at his, or her, notes and will maintain eye contact throughout the whole speech. Here is a video from Paul Ryan explaining good ways to give a speech!
Not only is eye contact important, but so is one's gestures and body positioning. This also helps with the speaker connect with the audience. When using gestures one should use them wisely. A C speaker will use minimal gestures and occasionally move every once in a while, but very little. This can be seen as not being engaging, or nervousness. A B speaker will move more and use gestures appropriately and with moderation. An A speaker will use gestures to their full potential and also move with the flow of their speech, but not so much as to distract from the words of the speech.
I think your introduction is good. It opens your blog post up and shows the question that you are going to be answering and you do a good job of answering that question throughout the rest of the post. I think it would be beneficial to also discuss why connection is important and how it makes a speech better.
ReplyDeleteI agree that making that connection with the audience is one of the biggest factors that goes into making a speech effective. In a TED talk I recently watched, a psychology professor talked about how our postures convey certain messages about us that we may not even realize. Even us sitting in class shows a little bit about us--nervous or shy people tend to make themselves smaller and cross their legs, while more confident people naturally make themselves appear bigger by sitting in a very open and comfortable position. How a person carries themselves while giving a speech and how much they move or gesture definitely plays a huge part in how the audience receives the message.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you compared the speakers to grades! Interesting approach, and it most definitely got the point across. It would seem a little hard to differentiate if you wrote description words. I agree with you in regards to connection with your audience to deliver an effective speech. Who wouldn't fall asleep listening to someone who was reading directly from their paper, with no engagement in what they are speaking about?
ReplyDeleteYour approach to explain how eye contact and gestures for speaking was very straightforward and thus easy to understand. You explained what each grade range entailed in terms of commitment to delivery to dispel any ambiguity. When we give speeches, I think the eye contact and body language is a factor that many people do not focus on because they are so worried about just finishing the speech. So a great speech is from someone who is in control enough to consciously remember that they need to maintain eye contact and keep up this communication with their audience.
ReplyDeleteI liked your connection of grades to a person's speech. I think that eye contact and body language are both very strong indicators of a great speech. The speakers that connect with their audience with eye contact and positive body language will be the ones that the listeners will remember. If you could provide an example of a speech that you've heard that would really tie your whole concept together by letting the readers of this blog post see a good example of eye contact and body language.
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