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Brendan
I am a professional educator by trade, but by my definition, I am much more than that. I wear many hats; including, but not limited to, Father, Husband, Son, Step-Father, Ex-Husband, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Super Geek (love technology), Trainer, Coach, Student, Writer, Dreamer, and Leader. For fun I am an avid golfer and consider myself a blessed individual because I have the greatest wife in the world that loves to golf with me.
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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Lesson 16 Using Language "Style" for Your Speech

The purpose of this lesson is to help you understand and learn how language style influences speech. Style refers to both the specific words choices and the rhetorical devices (techniques of language) used to express ideas and achieve your speech purpose.


Of course rhetoric doesn't doesn't move mountains, but it is the catalyst of action.


To quote one of my favorite authors Thomas Sowell, he states, “The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.”
Good use of rhetoric creates action and results! 
(Quote by me, Professor Brendan Dalley)


and one more quote by your mother.
"It's not what you say, it's how you say it." 
(Usually said to you after getting in trouble for back-talking or teasing a younger sibling)


Giving a speech is not like reading out of a textbook. 


Effective speeches:
  • Use familiar words, easy-to-follow sentences, and straight forward syntax. (Again, know your audience)
  • Make much frequent use of repetition and transitions than written text.
  • Are more clearly organized and have a specific pattern to help listeners follow along.
  • Are much more interactive and can be changed/altered by the feedback (verbals/nonverbals) of the audience.
Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS)


It is of utmost preponderance that the the assemblage apprehends your exposition; do endeavor for elementariness of your elocution. 


In other words,
Make sure your audience understands you. Strive for simplicity of expression in your speeches.


Be Concise
  • Use fewer words words to express your thoughts.
  • Use contractions
    (I'm instead of I am, he's instead of he is, Dalley's the best instead of Dalley is the best, etc.).
    This creates a speech that is more easily understood and allows for better flow.
A Sentence Fragment (yes that was just a fragment)
It's okay to use sentence fragments and short phrases when giving a speech (but not in written language).


Often sentence fragments coupled with tone and body movement enhances the "feeling" of the speech and can give it some personality (your personality).


Repetition is the Mother of Skill and Remembering
Good speeches often repeat key words and phrases. 
Repetition adds emphasis to main ideas, helps listeners follow the speaker's logic, creates a style to the speech.


Transitions
Transitional statements help the audience follow along with the flow and intent of the speech. The use of good transitions helps to connect main ideas to supporting details to other main ideas to other supporting details. 
Think of transitions as street signs that are telling you where you are going (or in my case a GPS that talks in a sexy computer voice).


We Like Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns in speech (I, you, me, we, us) are great to use when speaking because it personalizes the speech and can help audience members connect to you as the speaker and to the message.


Use Culturally Sensitive Language you Hippy!
As a public speaker it's critical to be sensitive to cultural variations.
Here are some things to be aware of:
Biased Language. This refers to language that relies on unfounded assumptions, negative descriptions, or stereotypes a given group's age, class, gender, disability, geographic, ethnic, racial, or religious characteristics.
Colloquial Language. Refers to language/sayings that are specific to a certain region or group of people. Use of colloquial language can help you "hit the nail on the head" with your speech, or just might make look "dumb as a load of coal." If you're not getting what I'm saying than there's a good chance you are "as slow as mud" or just "too dumb to pound sand in a rat hole."
Need some enLightenment, Click Here 


Don't be Sexist. Steer clear from referring to everyone as "he" or being generic when referring to stereotypical jobs. All nurses are not females, and not all construction workers are males. No longer is there such thing as "chairmen" it's now "chairperson." If you're struggling with this, then go ahead and struggle, but it's not going to change. 


Sensitive to Disabilities. A disability does not define a person. There are many different types of mental and physical disabilities, so be aware of language that will accord dignity, respect, and fairness.


Choose Concrete over Abstract
Use concrete words that are specific, tangible, and definite. Use a Thesaurus and Dictionary to help you understand and use this.
The opposite of concrete is abstract. Abstract words are general and nonspecific. The problem with using abstract words is these words can be left to the interpretation of individual audience members, which may confuse and frustrate listeners. 
If audience members start of ask questions in their head like, "What did he mean by that?", then they are not listening to what you just said.
Examples of Abstract Words:

  • old
  • bad
  • a lot
  • short
  • good
  • thing
  • big
  • long
  • new
  • late
Let me add some clarity by looking at Abstract vs. Concrete phrase.
Abstract: The road was rough.
Concrete: The road was pitted with muddy craters and basketball size boulders.


Paint a Picture with Words
Using vivid images to paint a mental picture for the audience will get their imaginations involved. Key words to help you do this: (taken from Dictionary.com)
Similes: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”
Metaphors: a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”
Analogy: a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based: the analogy between the heart and a pump.


Side Note-Stay away from overly used similes, metaphors, or analogies. These are also known as Cliches.
Select words that are colorful and concrete.

Here are some other for you to look up:
Personification 
Understatement 
Irony 
Allusion 
Hyperbole 
Onomatopoeia 


A good rule is to use words that appeal to the 5 senses


Use Appropriate Language
Enough said with this. Don't be using language that offends others.
NO *#$%#! SWEARING!


Ewes Language Correctly
Credibility can be lost when you use words incorrectly. 
A malapropism occurs when one uses a word or phrase in the place of one that sounds similar but has a different meaning. "It's a strange receptacle" is wrong. It should say, "It's a strange spectacle."
Be careful of connotative meaning of words. A connotative word is a word that bear different associations or feelings when used. For example, you may consider yourself big-boned or husky, but not fat.


Be Confident and Convincing


Active Voice
Use and active voice not a passive voice. An active voice is when the subject performs the action. An example would be:
Passive: A test was announced by Professor Dalley for Monday.
Active: Professor Dalley announced a test for Monday.


Use I, Me, My
The "I" language will often create an impression of conviction and ownership. Remember, act credible, and by using "I" in an active voice, it can show confidence. People follow confident people. People believe confident people.


Avoid Wimpy Speech
Avoid phrases that show lack of decision, confidence or understanding, such as:
I'm not sure, but…
I may not be right, but…
I think….
This might….
….or at least I thought.
….wasn't it?
….is that okay?


Leave a Lasting Impression


Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
As stated earlier, repetition is the mother of skill and remembering. 
A form of repetition called anaphora, you the speaker repeats a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. An example of this is Dr. Martin Luther King's speech, "I Have a Dream" where he repeats the phrase "I have a dream" numerous times.
Repetition reinforces key ideas and can be used to create a thematic focus of your speech.


Similar to repetition is alliteration.  
Alliteration occurs when a series of words in a row (or close to a row) have the same first consonant sound. For example, “She sells sea-shells down by the sea-short” or “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers” are both alliterative phrases.
Word of Caution- when alliteration is poorly crafted, it can distract from from a message.


Use Parallelism


Parallelism is not just a mathematical expression. In language it refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, or sentences in a similar form.


For more information on parallelism Click Here 


In conclusion, a well crafted speech that uses appropriate language style and rhetorical devices will help you to convey a message that will be considered unforgettable. 


Rhetoric can be the seed of hope that just may blossom into action and produce the fruit of results!
- Brendan Dalley


Questions
  1. Why would it be important to use personal pronouns in your speech? Is there a time that you might not want to use personal pronouns? Why?
  2. How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is…..okay, you got it, but when or how does repetition become harmful to your speech?

36 comments:

Dana Raine said...

Repetition is an important part of any speech. When an audience cannot re-read your words, you have to do it for them. The most important part of your speech should be repeated in order to allow your audience to understand your words, and keep them in their heads. Repetition allows you to emphasize a certain point or theme. I have listened to speeches that had not apparent organization. They didn’t use repetition, and I didn’t come away with any specific idea from their speech. Of course, like anything else, repletion can be over used. It is important to have a purpose for your repetition. If you repeat something, I think it should always come with a new idea that is being built upon the original idea. That way, your audience won’t feel like you are just saying the same thing over and over again.

Penelope Davis said...

Like it said above, “repetition is the mother of skill and remembering”. Repetition will help the audience remember your speech and purpose. I believe repetition also keeps the speech alive and interesting. I know that sometimes when I’ve been listening to a speech and something is repeated a few times, it catches my attention, and I pay more attention to what is being said. Repetition helps to leave a last impression. Having repetition in your speech will help your audience members later on remember your speech and purpose. For example, years later they still remember that phrase you kept repeating over and over and over again, and that was able to spark their memory for what was said in the rest of the entire speech. With repetition, the audience is more prone to listen more intently and take note of the intent of your speech. Repetition can become harmful when your point is hidden behind your repetitiveness. For example, when attempting to get your point across, you end up repeating what you just said in a different way, causing your speech to lose effectiveness.

Catharine Carter said...

Repetition is good when you're trying to get people to remember something. That's why actors go over their lines over and over and over and over and over... again. Unless an actor has photographic memory, and not many do, they can't look at their script once and be able to go out on stage or in front of the camera and be able to deliver their lines perfectly. They have to sit and repeat their lines over and over and over and over (and yes, I'm making a point) again. And in order to be affective, saying their lines out loud is helpful as well. Also, going over their lines with someone else gives them someone to work off of. All of those techniques apply to giving a speech as well. Going over it before you present it, especially in front of an audience of sorts will help you. But the question was posed to repetition in a speech. It will allow the audience to grasp on to what you're saying better. However, it can be like the point I made a few lines up, saying things over and over and over and over and over (so I've made my point again) could also be viewed as a stalling technique, like saying um or uh or like or anything that people say when they're thinking or stalling to drag out the time. So repetition can be a good and a bad thing.

Cindy Rueckert said...

I feel that personal pronouns are tools that really draw the audience in to the speaker. Using words like, "I", "we", and "us" seem to bring the speaker and the listeners on the same level. Human beings - especially adults - do not like to be told what to do or bossed around. People like to come to their own realizations and make their own life-changing decisions based on their own desire and determination. Using personal pronouns to talk about the human experience in a "we" or "us" sense usually comes across better to the audience. It connects the speaker and the listeners.
Sometimes personal pronouns are not preferred or suggested to be used. At times adding in your own thoughts and perspective cause people to view you as overly critical or as a know-it-all. Sometimes you quote a professional, and there is no need for explanation or expansion. But for the most part, I feel that using personal pronouns is a really good tool to use in most public speaking situations.

mckena said...

I think personal pronouns builds trust and personalizes your speech. It is important to use it because it connects you to the audience. It makes the audience understand more. Not to mention it makes it way more interesting. When the speaker shares a story it makes an impact. If the story is about them personally it really make the audience connect and catches there attention. People sympathize and need emotion so if you share your personal feelings or experiences you connect with the audience. That is so important when you are talking to a group of people. They need to feel comfortable with you in order for your speech to impact them. There are times it’s not appropriate though and it’s important to understand and pay attention to when it’s a good idea to use personal experiences. When you are giving informative stuff it’s probably a good idea not to share your opinion. Sometimes sharing your personal stories can cause controversy. Therefore it’s just important to be careful about it.

Kahri Golden said...

When you use repetition in your speech, you have a higher chance of leaving a lasting impression in their minds. The first thing we think of when we hear Martin Luther King Jr., our thoughts automatically go to the words “I have a dream,”. He used that phrase over and over again to leave an impression in our minds. He wanted those words to be memorable in his speech. I think repetition is good because if you say something over and over then people will remember those words. There comes a point though, where repetition can become annoying. I think that if you are going to repeat something then it needs to be the right words. No one wants to listen to an annoying phrase. “I have a dream” is classy and it actually has meaning to it. In conclusion, you should try and use repetition, but only in the right ways.

Machi Johnson said...

Question 2
Repetition is an extremely helpful in any speech as well as anytime you are wanting to either get a point across, or help people remember something specific. People hear so many things every single day, in every speech, and lecture. It's difficult sometimes to remember what you should be taking out of all of them, and what is the main point or most important part. If there is something that is repeated over and over, it is always going to be engraved into the audiences mind as long as they remember that specific speech. Repetition even works for something as simple as studying. I know whenever I take a few minutes to review notes everyday the way I remember everything is by repeating everything that I read over and over to myself until I can remember it. The same applies for an audience being given a speech and it is a great tool to use.

Maureena Hoyt said...

How is repetition helpful in your speech? Well like you said in the lesson, repetition reinforces key ideas! I like when speeches have a little repetition in them. It helps me to remember and think of what their key ideas are. I think that it provides emphasis on what you are talking about and how important it is to remember that key idea. It can become harmful if you use it too much. When you keep repeating the same thing over and over I think that people get a little bored with it. So you have to know when to use it and when not to use it. There are times in a speech where you can throw it in and it’s a good thing. But when you are throwing it in just to burn a little time on the clock it seriously becomes just plain annoying.

Yvonne Chen said...

2. I had to pick this topic because it stuck with me, maybe because of the repetition. As you can see, repetition is definitely a good way to make a lasting impression. However, do not overkill repetition because it will get irritating and attention will be lost. It’s hard to distinguish when you have been too repetitive due to the definition of the word. It is important to remind the audience of the message once in a while throughout the speech to bring them back in, in case of misleading thoughts. The emphasis of the body can be so long, the audience also loses focus on what exactly they are trying to grasp; something basic can easily turn complicated if not steered back to the right direction. Just like “practice makes perfect”, repetition is also capable of making a lasting impression, whether through messages or physical skills.

Nathan Hanks said...

When I give a talk or a speech I try to think of the room as very small and everyone in the room already knows me and likes me. I use phrases like "you guys." This helps me to calm down and remember my message and use my note-cards less. Making the audience your friend makes it easier to personally connect. Pronouns help avoid repetition. Not that repetition is bad, because if I am giving a persuasive speech, it makes it easier for me to circle back to the main point. Repetition becomes harmful when you are using it to kill time or when it is used to much. When I show my snakes I am asked the same nine questions over and over again. I do my best to answer those questions in a non-repetitive way that makes the person feel as if they are the only one whose ever asked that question. Even when I get really dumb questions like, "Where's the batteries." Doing this helps me to enjoy people more and want to take my snakes out again.

Holly Marie said...

Repetition is important in a speech because it gives the audience a clear and almost obvious answer to the what the point of your speech is and makes it so they will remember after your speech! I think if you used it wisely it could also be used as a good transistioner, to repeat the main idea then shift to a sub-topic. It can also help you stay on course and plan out your next move. It can turn unfavorable though, if you are repeating yourself every sentence then it makes you sound like you are using a filler statement and quite frankly, it is annoying! It is important to make the distinction between what you can repeat and what you shouldn't. For instance, you should not repeat the same statistic or fact, it makes it sound like that is the only supporting evidence you have! Instead, repeat facts that are maybe worded different or from different sources but about the same thing. DO repeat your main idea and the pros to what your telling them especially if you are giving a persuasive speech, you will want to repeat your stand multiple times, it will give you strength and credibility!

Mike Sheffield said...

The use of personal pronouns can be a double-edged sword. It can be one of the most powerful tools that you can possess if used properly. On the other side of the spectrum, in the wrong environment it could also be harmful to your speech. The proper use of personal pronouns can make a foreign topic and speaker seem familiar and comfortable. By using the pronouns that indicate inclusion like “us” or “we” it helps make bring the group together and give a foundation to build from. Using pronouns like “we” and “us” have to be used properly however because if you literally do have nothing in common with the audience with which you are speaking, they may take offense or discredit you off the bat. If ,however, you are of common age, have shared interests and circumstances, then you can safely use those words with confidence.

katie bybee said...

Repetition is very important. I swear I have to be told something three times before it sinks in. So I think it is very important in a speech to repeat your main point a few times. Although, I do not think you should say the exact same sentence five times. This could get annoying. But you can get your main point across in different ways. I feel like when I hear the same concept but hear it in different ways it helps me to understand. At the same time, you don’t want to feel like your listening to a freaking parrot. I hate when people repeat themselves to many times that it gets annoying. You have to find a happy medium when it come to repeating yourself. I love in the chapter how it talked about concrete ideas. This would help any main idea to get across so that it is vivid. Making it vivid helps the audience see a clear idea. So being repetitive and vivid would help your speech with getting your main point across clear.

Wesley Bledsoe said...

Repetition can be very helpful in a speech when used in the right way. I will often come up with a man theme or statement that I will repeat through out a speech. This can be useful because you stay memorable. When an audience can walk away with one phrase engrained in their head it simplifies your talk. It is a good way to show how each point is relevant and points to your goal of the speech. On the other hand, this tool can be overused. If you are repeating your phrase too much this can be annoying to an audience and cause them to tune you out. A good example of this concept is used in the music industry. People like repetition, most songs have a chorus that is repeated multiple times through out a song. The rap industry has made millions by repeating one line over and over. I find these songs annoying but they seem to be selling well. I wouldn’t suggest picking one line and repeating it over and over to that extent in a speech but it helps to understand the concept. It is easier to remember a song when it has a chorus, likewise it is easier to remember one statement in a speech.

Camille Ipson said...

Using personal pronouns in a speech, I think is a great way of connecting with your audience. You can tell a story to relate through your speech and tell them a story about “You” and in that speech. Giving those little pronouns can make a tremendous difference in your speech. My favorite kind of speeches are when someone is so passionate about a speech you can hear their voice change up and down and you can see their face expressions. They tell a certain story or experience about themselves and you can relate to it. Using those words really lets you get into a speech as if you were there with the person because it seems like they really wanted you to be with them. I think doing so in a speech takes an incredible amount of practice and a lot of thought process. You don’t want to overdo it but allow the audience to be involved in your own speech.

Jake Sip said...

I think repetition can be very helpful in your speeches. I knew a wise old man who would always repeat the same saying "Fake it, Until you make it". Repitition is great when you have a single underlying point that you continue to drill into peoples minds. Hopefully you repeat it enough that if they get anything from your speech it is that one point. It can also be harmful. I have seen people before talk for ten mintues, they are saying different words, but the point they are making is exactly the same as before. They are just saying the same thing over and over, but they are saying it in new and different ways. I think this greatly hurts your ceredibility. It makes it sound like that you do not know what you are talking about. This makes you sound less ceredible and less intelligent. With repitition you have to walk a fine line. When you use it, you need to be repetitive enough that you get the point across. You also cannot be to repetitive or you will sound unintelligent.

Rebecca Deering said...

Repetition is helpful in a speech for multiple reasons. One reason is to help listeners’ follow your point. When you are repeating your point, you remind the audience what you are talking about every time. You also make transitions that are clear for the audience to follow. Another reason repetition is helpful in a speech is to remind yourself what you are talking about. Sometimes, you might drift off into a story that relates to the topic, but it’s beside the point. Repeating the topic will keep you on track with the main idea you are trying to share with the audience. Lastly, making your speech memorable is possible with repetition. Giving your speech a style that resembles you is something to work on, I mean everyone is different so your speech will be different no matter what, but incorporating your style in a smooth and professional way might be something to work on. You can also make a speech motivating with the right amount of repetition and spark.

ann said...

Repetition is helpful in a speech for many reasons. First it helps get the point across more and to help you and the audience know what your saying. It can also emphasize what you are saying. And if you repeat something it usually means it’s really important and could let the audience know they need to know that certain thing. Your speech can come across more dramatic and interesting. There are some reasons why you shouldn’t do a lot of repetition because it could get really annoying and distract you and the audience. I think if you are going to use repetition it needs to be in the right spot and the right phrase to repeat because you don’t want to sound dumb or don’t want to look like you are trying to hard. There is a time and place to say it in your speech it could either help or weaken your speech.

Anonymous said...

The repetition or restatement of an idea at intervals not only promotes clarity, but also encourages the acceptance of an idea. When you repeat and emphasize one idea, competing ideas are mediocre and sometimes are driven completely out of the audience's mind. I researched this a little bit more from the lesson because the different types or styles of repetition that can be used in speeches intrigued me. There is a hand full of different effective ways to grab your audience’s attention and keep them awake with all these awesome types of repetition. There have been hundreds of famous speeches that were delivered with decades ago that people still remember because of the repetition used. But if repetition is not used correctly than you will epically fail at your attempt to make a positive lasting impression. If you focus on repeating something that doesn’t apply or sit well with your audience you will be remember as an idiot or people will remember that they weren’t intrigued by your speech.

Brandon Wagstaff said...

When you use personal pronouns in your speech you go from a speaker to a person. People relate to people, not theories. Using words like I, we, and us invite people into your life and the ideas that you have found. This is an effective method in many speeches. I have found in my experience that when people use personal pronouns I am interested in what they have to say. I can't stand when all people do in their speeches is talk about who said what and whose idea is the best. I want to hear what you have to say about the subject and want to hear your personal stories that will make you sound like a person instead of an informative magazine. This will help me in my future speeches to use personal pronouns so the audience can connect more with me as a person. This will make for much more interesting speeches as well.

Anonymous said...

Repetition is a great way to get your point across and can be a very powerful and emotional tool. I have always loved the “I Have A Dream speech” for that reason. I think it is beautifully crafted and a very good example of using repetition in a persuasive speech. Every time Martin Luther King Jr. says “I have a Dream”, it seems to solidify each audience member's resolve and commitment, which is bringing the speakers goal to fruition. On the other hand, repetition could be coming across in a speech because the speaker needs filler, they are nervous, or they have not prepared enough material and so they keep repeating the one thing they have prepared. This, obviously, is not a good use of repetition and can become a huge distraction to the listener. Repetition should never be a a justification for under preparing and should be used in a careful and thoughtful manner.

Unknown said...

How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is…..okay, you got it, but when or how does repetition become harmful to your speech?

It is very important… it is very important. It is very important!!! I have noticed that when I am teaching a class I find myself repeating certain things and by the 3rd time I see light bulbs go off in people heads, it is actually quite entertaining to watch. It can be very helpful in helping them understand more fully what the speaker is talking about. But it can also suck.
When I am listening to someone speak and I notice that they repeat things over and over and over, like we are all five years old and don’t know how to concept what the speaker is talking about it makes me personally just want to ignore them or tune them out. It can really hurt a speech in making the audience feel just plain dumb, or it can make them lose focus because of the repetition of phrases.
There is a fine line with repetition being harmful or helpful.

Anonymous said...

Repetition is important because it helps get a point across its most often used to help get a point across or to annoy people if you keep trying to get the point across. I do know there is a difference between repetition and redundancy I learned that from the redundant department of redundancy they teach things like emperor caesar and katana sword (katana meaning sword and caesar being a title used by emperors in certain areas). Repetition can be a bad thing if you push it too far and make your audience fell stupid. Filling your entire speech with repetition is another way to make it bad and potentially dangerous for your credibility. Often times it is good to repeat yourself so that anyone who was thinking about cats or punch or whatever can hear what you were saying before. Its also never good to repeat everything you say that could kill a speech fast and make it a waste of time for you and your listeners.

ChantelRamos said...

Repition can be helpful in a speech because your audience will remember what you said. You have to be careful that you use repitition only on an important opinion or fact while giving a speech. You don't want to repeat something that useless for an audience to remember. You want to use repitition when you want them to remember a key thing or point you are trying to make to get your message across. Repition can also be harmful for a speech because you could lose your audience. If I start hearing a speaker repeating himself or herself I stop listening and I begin counting how many times they say the same thing. You could lose your audience's attention so they will no longer be paying attention to what you are saying. Their mind will wonder off onto something else that isbon their mind or pay attention to something else other than the point you are trying to make. Repitition can be a powerful tool when giving speeches but it can also be harmful so you must be careful on how much you repeatvand what you report.

Shane Brown said...

When you personalize a speech by using personal pronouns it involves the audience and makes them feel like you have equal ground with them, like your one of them or they could just as easily be you. When the audience can connect with you on a personal level the speech becomes alive and everyone will enjoy it more. I would imagine the use of personal pronouns could be a poor choice depending on the topic you are addressing. For example if you giving a speech on the birds and the bees you may not want to relate too much in the form of I, me, or my. and your audience could get uncomfortable if you relate the topic to them too much. Personal pronouns could really be bad with any subject that is seen as taboo or at least something that isn’t an everyday topic. True that many of these topics need to be discussed but in a way that doesn’t make your audience uncomfortable. If the audience gets uncomfortable this could quickly be the demise of your speech.

Madison Davis said...

Repetition is helpful in a speech because the audience will get that point drilled into their minds and focus on it more, think about it, and hopefully truly understand it better. And that's all well and good, but it becomes harmful when it gets to be annoying. If someone makes the same point over and over and over again - I'd think: They just said that... Mentioning something once or twice isn't so bad, its when you say the same thing again and again and again that it begins to ware on your nerves. Even when its not a main point, it could just be a word, or a few words. I had a teacher in high school that used "this-that and the other," and "and so on and so forth." as space fillers. She literally said it every other word to the point where you knew what she was going to say next, because it was the same thing she said every other day.

Kristin Heywood said...

Question 1
It would be important to use personal pronouns in our speeches because when you do it presents confidence. You are letting the audience know that YOU know what you are talking about and that whatever you are saying is coming from you. Some speeches are not appropriate to use a lot of 'I'. An informative speech should be telling facts and state things as they are not how you think they are. But if you are doing a persuasive speech it is important to give your point of you and use personal experiences that require the use of personal pronouns. If you are quoting someone else then using personal pronouns is okay. It is very important to use them if you are telling a personal story or giving your opinion in your speech because people know that it is coming from you and that you are the firsthand source of what you are saying

Christian McMullin said...

repetition is very critical in speech, because with most people it is hard to stand in front of people and hear themselves talk. To get you point across, (which should be the whole goal of why you giving a speech) you need to practice. When you work on your speech, you can fix things that you are saying. I know that i had and from listening to others in our class also had some difficulty explaining exactly what they wanted to say, in our demonstration speeches. I think a very helpful tip that was in this article that could help me out, was keeping things simple. Making it as easy to understand, is a real art. I tried my best to do that, but its going to take some work.

Nick Marinko said...

I feel that repitition is very good in speeches that are long. In my opinion if you are giving a long public speech and are trying to convince people to vote for you or to take your side and are trying to implement laws and such, repitition helps to have all of these points remembered because sometimes speeches can take close to hours sometimes and people arent going to remember all the information so by repeating yourself you are making sure that what you want to stick, sticks. In the same way, it also helps you to make sure that people egt what your saying, we constantly repeat ourselves in speeches in different ways. When you write a body paragraph for an essay most of ythe time you are giving specific detaisl to one main thing so in a way its a type of repitition but not always in that sense. For public speaking tho it can be harmful if you repeat yourself too much becauser then i feel it looks like you are just trying to make up for lost time or just to fit the time requirement. You need to make sure also that when you repeat, you do it in different ways such as new ways to view the subject or new ways to introduce it but make sure that you dont make it too far off the main point your trying to get accross.

Alex said...

I think that repetition can be harmful in public speaking when it is overdone. I know that I personally tend to zone out or get annoyed when I am listening to someone speak and they keep saying the same stuff over and over again. If someone keeps repeating something to death, I just tell myself "ok I guess that's what I'm supposed to take from their speech" and I stop listening because I assume I've heard what I need to hear. That being said, when people DON'T use repetition enough, I often can't remember what was said. I know I've heard people speak and thought they made great points and were hilarious and entertaining, but then someone asks me what they talked about and I can't remember, because they didn't repeat it enough. I think you've got to find the right balance so people remember your points without being bored to death.

Jessica Jensen said...

1.Why would it be important to use personal pronouns in your speech? Is there a time that you might not want to use personal pronouns? Why?

When giving a speech, it is important to not sound passive about what you are saying. Personal pronouns allow you to sound firm about what you are saying because you are saying things using "I" or "You". This directly relates what ever you are saying to your listeners. Rather than using other words like "they" or "them". They or them could be anyone. "I", "Me", "Us", "You", "Your" are all words that are directly relating to the speaker and the audience. This will help draw others in to what you are saying because the audience will feel included in your speech. Although using personal pronouns in your speech is a very helpful thing, it could go the opposite way. If you over use personal pronouns, it may seem like your speech is too much about yourself. That will seem uninteresting to your audience after awhile because soon enough they will get tired of only hearing about you. It is important to make sure you have a well-balanced speech when it comes to using personal pronouns.

Tanner Rush said...

2.How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is…..okay, you got it, but when or how does repetition become harmful to your speech?

While you are giving a speech it is always important to keep your audience interested. It is also important to say certain things throughout your speech to help them remember you and what you had to say. Using repetition throughout your speech can be a very helpful thing to make your audience remember who you are and what your speech was about. There are certain things that are good to repeat so people remember. If you use a specific quote in your introduction, you should restate it in your conclusion. If you make a particular joke in your introduction, you could possibly reuse it in your conclusion to tie everything in. Along with the benefits of using repetition in your speeches there is always a down side. By using too much repetition, your audience may become annoyed with hearing the same thing over and over and over again. Always be sure to make a good balance with your repetition when giving a speech. It is very important to keep your audience interested.

Sam Friend said...

Repitition is helpfull in a speech because in most cases it takes information being said more than once to be learned. Especially if the info is an unfarmiliar topic. People need to constatly review and repeat things to remember. Having that said, nobody likes preaching to the choir. If a term is over used, and audience can get annoyed. People want to learn new things and when someone continues to teach what the audience already knows, they get agrivated. there is a fine line between reviewing, and preaching to the choir. In most cases, you can tell by body language or facial expressions if a crowd feels like they are being fed overused info. Also consider how difficult the info is to interprate. If its not very hard, maybe only review it a few times. If the topic is difficult and in depth, spending more time reviewing can be beneficial.

Porter Nielsen said...

Repetition becomes harmful to your speech when it gets boring, redundant, and over emphasized. It might seem like redundancy and repetition are the same thing but I don't think that they are. Redundant is when you repeat the same thing in the same way without any deviation or attempt to make the material more interesting. A speech can have repetition without being redundant, it's just important to either change your word order, words all together, or change your tone, pitch, and deliverance. If I were to give a speech and just say "Don't eat sugar" fifteen times in my speech, sure the audience would get my message, but it would be boring and redundant. Also, I could over emphasize the same point and have a similar negative effect: "If you eat sugar you will die", "If you eat sugar you will never get married", "If you eat sugar your friends won't like you anymore", etc…. Basically, it's good to repeat yourself but don't get boring or redundant.

cody ketcher said...

2.How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is repetition helpful in a speech? How is…..okay, you got it, but when or how does repetition become harmful to your speech?
I think havin repetition in someones speech can be useful. it could help drive home a point or help someone who wasnt paying attention earlier remember what you were saying. but sometimes when using repetition reminds me of my mom tellin me to clean my room every saturday morning when i was younger!! Be careful when using reptition in your speeches because you could alienate your audience. you may have the best intention while using reptition in your speech but when using it in the wrong way or too much could actually hurt your speech and make you more memorable in a bad way!! So when using repetition in your speech its best to use it while trying to drive your main point home or while in your conlusion. Make sure you keep it shorter than the actually sentence that you are repeating, make sure you have a reason to repeat what you may need to.

Krissia Beatty said...

The use of repetition is a great tool to use while giving your speech. It helps to drive your main points into the minds of your audience, helps to keep you as well as them focused and on track, and it makes your speech more memorable. How does it drive the main points? Well, instead of only hearing a main point once and then having it lost or forgotten by the presenting of all the sub-points; it allows them to hear it once, hear the supporting facts, and then hear it again so they can recognize how the sub-points support the main idea. After you move on to another main point, you should bring up that main point again as well as the first and so on as you move through your speech. This helps to remind the audience of the other points you have made and allows them to see the relation between the points. By repeating things that were just said, it keeps them on track and helps them to see the chronology of the speech. Hearing certain words over and over also helps to make you memorable because now when they hear that word elsewhere, they will think of your speech and associate the word they just heard with the things that you said. Using too much repetition can be harmful because, like the old saying, you can beat a dead horse. Find a balance so that your points are remembered but not overdone.