COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION MAJOR IN ENGLISH

Second Semester, AY 2023-2024
EL 109: SPEECH AND THEATER ARTS

TERM MIDTERMS
MODULE NO. 4
MODULE TITLE PUBLIC SPEAKING AND ARGUMENTATION

INTRODUCTION
This module will discuss the fundamentals of Public Speaking and Argumentation specifically on
the preparation and delivery of speeches, mode of speeches, stage fright, and effective
communicative strategies in public speaking.

I. OBJECTIVES
At the end of the end of this module, students should be able to:
a. dicuss the fundamentals of public speaking;
b. describe how public speaking shapes them as a student and as an individual; and
c. apply the fundamentals of public speaking through series of activities.

II. DATE AND TIME ALLOTMENT

March 19, 2024 (1 hour and 30 minutes).

III. LECTURES
PUBLIC SPEAKING – it is both an art and science of communication done before an audience.
*art – craft a message/piece (artfully)
*science – it has time-tested principles on human communication

How did Public Speaking develop?

It was formalized as an art by the SOPHISTS (students of Aristotle) who considered style
and delivery as the most important aspects of public speaking regardless of the kind of audience
one had.

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

1. Speakers must refrain from any communication that may be defined as constituting a
clear and present danger.
2. Speakers must refrain from using language that will defame the character of another.
*Defamation – is the provable damage done to a person character or reputation.

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Tell the truth (by citing sources)
2. Keep your information in perspective (important and related information)
3. Resist personal attacks against those who oppose your ideas
4. Give the source for all information
5. Disclose the complete picture

PREPARING THE SPEECH:

A well-organized speech is simple and readily intelligible to the listeners. These characteristics
should be foremost in your mind as you go about preparing your speech. The preparation of a
speech involved SIX (6) BASIC STEPS:

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1. Knowing your audience
2. Choosing the topic
3. Determining your purpose
4. Collecting your supporting materials
5. Making the outline
6. Writing the speech

WRITING THE SPEECH:

Writing the speech becomes simple if your outline is adequate. With a detailed outline as
a guide, the speech will almost develop itself because it becomes easier to move from
one point to the next. It will prevent you from going off tangent.

The speech has THREE (3) PARTS: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

A. INTRODUCTION – is the beginning of the speech. The opening words of a speech

are often the most important for these will have a psychological effect on the audience.

Purpose: To arouse the attention and goodwill of your audience and to present the
subject matter or problem to them.
• You may start your speech with QUESTION/PUZZLING STATEMENT, SHORT
QUOTATIONS, ANECDOTE (short amusing story), and APPROPRIATE JOKE
OR HUMOR.

B. BODY OF THE SPEECH – contains ideas about your topic. This is the main part
of the speech; the substance of the speech; paragraphs are united with a single idea.
This is enriched by the following: concrete illustrations, descriptions, comparison and
contrasts, rich data, facts or even statistics, pictures, visual aids, direct or various
experiences.

C. CONCLUSION – it brings the entire speech to focus on the central idea. All that
you have said – main points, subordinate points and supporting materials – should be
pulled together in this part to give a final impact on the proposition and to make a lasting
impression on the audience.
• Useful ways of concluding a speech: giving a challenge, giving a summary,
appealing to the emotions, visualizing the future or even leaving a question.
• The average length of the conclusion is approximately at least five (5) percent of
the entire speech and it must be shorter than the body of the speech.

MODES OF SPEECH DELIVERY:

1. EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEECH – is a mode of delivery where the speaker builds

his compositions prior to presentation but creates his language during the time of
speaking. The preparation, extensive and painstaking, entails the making of an outline,
sometimes writing the entire speech WITHOUT memorizing it and a lot of oral rehearsals.

2. IMPROMPTU SPEECH – is one given WITHOUT previous preparation. The

speaker is asked or prompted for some reason to talk on the spur of the moment. Start
by referring to the situation or to something said by a previous speaker; integrate it with
your main point; support the main point with an anecdote or other forms, then restate your
main point.

3. READING FROM MANUSCRIPT/MEMORIZED SPEECH – is appropriate or

required in cases where the speaker’s words may reflect the official policy of a business

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 or nation. This kind of speech delivery is precise in thought and language, if properly
presented. One should be a speaker, not a reader.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXTEMPORANEOUS AND IMPROMPTU SPEECH:

Extemporaneous Speech is given while using prepared notes and a few minutes to half
an hour can be given to the speaker to prepare. On the other hand, an Impromptu
Speech is spoken immediately and without preparation.

NOTE: It is not necessary to memorize either the impromptu or extemporaneous

speeches.

CONTROLLING STAGE FRIGHT

STAGE FRIGHT – is an emotion – oftentimes fear of the audience – arising from the
difficulty in coping with a situation. In its severe form, stage fright can make your mind go
blank. This is the first problem that besets a speaker or a performer.

Stage fright comes from feeling “inadequate” to meet a situation; from fear of not living up
to the expectation of the audience; fear of forgetting; and fear of failure. The problem of
stage fright besets not only the inexperienced but also experienced.

Some PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS of STAGE FRIGHT are: thumping of the heart,

gasping, tense muscles, dry mouth, profuse perspiration, irregular breathing, quivering
voice, stomach pain, shaking legs, and stuttering.

To CONTROL stage fright, adapt the following guide to your specific needs:

DAYS BEFORE THE SPEECH:

a) Choose a subject that interests you, one that you know very well, and one that you
can talk enthusiastically about.
b) Know your subject thoroughly. Be well prepared.
c) Learn the sequence of your speech.
d) Practice aloud.

ON THE DAY OF YOUR SPEECH:

a) Chat with others. Keep your mind off the speech to make you feel relaxed.
b) Concentrate on the proceedings. Listen to the speakers.
c) Breathe slowly and regularly. This has a calming effect on the whole body.
d) Walk to the platform confidently. Regardless of how you feel, walk with POISE and
CONFIDENCE.
e) Pause before starting.

WHILE SPEAKING:
a) Have eye to eye contact with your audience.
b) Make sure that you can be heard throughout the room.
c) Move about.
d) Concentrate on your subject and audience. Do not be self-conscious; instead, be
eager to share your ideas with your audience.
e) Consult your note card where your final speech outline is written down, in case you
forget.
f) Do not rush your speech.

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INCREASING COMMUNICATIVE EFFECTIVENESS

Communicative effectiveness can be increased by means of appearance and bodily

action. Bodily action and appearance ARE NOT mere decorations of speech. They are
INTEGRAL PARTS of the communication process.

A. Clothes and Personal Appearance – dress appropriately and let your clothes be
in harmony with the occasion.
B. Posture and Poise – a speaker’s posture and poise include STANDING,
WALKING and SITTING. No single posture is best for everyone but we can definitely say
that a speaker’s good posture should look NATURAL, neither tense nor rigid; alert yet at
ease and should allow freedom of bodily movements and ease of breathing.
C. Gestures and Body Language – natural gestures used freely can add to the
message. Every speaker gives “two” speeches simultaneously – one with words and one
with action. The size of the audience determines the expanse of action.

*KINESICS – a study of bodily motions (as a form of communication).

BASIC HAND GESTURES:

I. EMPHATIC GESTURES – help the speaker stress what he/she is saying.

i. POINTING
ii. DIVIDING – this indicates separation or distinction of a series of facts or ideas.
iii. DESCRIBING/IMITATING
iv. APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL
v. GIVING AND RECEIVING
vi. REJECTING OR RESTRAINING
vii. EMPHASIZING
II. TRANSITIONAL GESTURES – moving fingers to enumerate points

HEAD AND FACIAL GESTURES

• Audience ordinarily pays more attention to this more than the arm and hand movement.
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