GATHERING SUPPORTING MATERIALS

GATHERING SUPPORT MATERIALS

There are many ways in which you can gather materials to support your speech.


Using Your Own Knowledge and Experience

• We speak best about subjects which we are familiar with.
• Personalize you speech by adding the “personal touch”
• Try not to depersonalize your speech by relying too much on facts and figures from books.
• Your points can be conveyed more meaningfully by drawing from your own experience
• You felt, did, saw and heard whatever you are speaking about.


Doing Library Research

• Librarians
• Catalogues
 Card Catalogue – a catalogue that lists on cards all the books and periodicals owned by a library
 Online Catalogue – an electronic listing of the books and periodicals owned by a library
• Periodical Indexes
 A research aid that catalogues articles from a large number of journals or magazines
• Newspaper Indexes
 A research aid that catalogues articles from one or more newspapers

• Reference Works
 Encyclopedias
 Yearbooks
 Dictionaries
 Atlas and gazetteer


SEARCHING THE INTERNET

• Browsers – a computer programme for navigating the WWW e.g. Netscape, Internet Explorer, MSN Online, etc.
• Search Aids
 Search engines – e.g. yahoo.com, google.com, infoseek.com, about.com etc.
 Virtual libraries – e.g. Argus Clearinghouse (www. clearinghouse.net), Internet Public Library ( www.ipl.org), Brittanica.com (www.brittanica.com), etc.
• Keyword Searches
 Find the search box and type the keywords of your topic
• Subject Searches – general topics
• Bookmarks – stores links to sites that can be easily revisited
• Specialized Research Resources – e.g www.gov.my for Malaysian government resources, news (www.nst.com.my) etc.


INTERVIEWING

Before
 Define the purpose of the interview
 Decide whom to interview
 Arrange the interview
 Decide whether to use a tape recorder or not
 Prepare your questions


During
 Dress appropriately and be on time
 Repeat the purpose
 Set up the tape recorder (if you are using one)
 Keep on track
 Listen carefully
 Don’t take too much time


After
 Review
 Transcribe

SUPPORTING YOUR SPEECH

SUPPORTING MATERIALS:

• Materials used to support a speaker’s idea.
• Is chosen very carefully
• Brings your ideas across clearly and creatively.


TYPES OF SUPPORTING MATERIALS:
• Examples
• Statistics
• Testimony


EXAMPLES

• A specific case used to illustrate or to represent a group of people, ideas, conditions, experiences or the like.

• Ideas become specific, personal and lively.

• Types:
o Brief – a specific case to illustrate a point.

o Extended – a story, narrative or anecdote developed at some length to illustrate a point.

o Hypothetical – describes an imaginary or fictitious situation.


FACTS AND STATISTICS

• FACTS – statements that can be verified by independent observers
• STATISTICS
o facts expressed in numbers; numerical data
o describes size, make predictions, illustrate trends or show relationship

Example:

"Since 1962, more than one million Americans have died in firearm suicides, homicides, and unintentional injuries. In 1998 alone, 30708 Americans died by gunfire….
This is a uniquely American epidemic. In the same year that more than 30,000 people were killed by guns in America, the number in Germany was 1,164. In Canada, it was 1,304. In Australia, 391. In England and Wales 211. And in Japan the number for the entire year was 83."

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE CHOOSING A STATISTIC:

• Is this information relevant to my purpose?
• Is this information the most recently available?
• Is this information truly representative of the subject?
• Is this information from a credible source?
• Is this information consistent with what other reputable sources report?
• Is this information free from bias?
• Is this information complete?


TESTIMONY

• Definition – quotations or paraphrases used to support a point
• Types:
o Expert testimony – from people who are recognized experts in their fields
o Peer testimony – from ordinary people with firsthand experience or insight on a topic
o Prestige testimony – from a respected public figure who is not necessarily an expert on the topic but voiced out some truth about the matter.


TIPS FOR USING TESTIMONY

1. Quote or paraphrase accurately
2. Use testimony from qualified sources
3. Use testimony from unbiased sources
4. Identify the people you quote or paraphrase


THE ETHICAL USE OF SUPPORTING MATERIALS

1. Provide the date, source, and context of information cited in your speech.
2. Don’t present an opinion as though it was a fact.
3. Remember that statistics are open to differing interpretations.
4. Protect your listeners from biased information.
5. Tell listeners if you can’t identify the exact sources of your information.
6. Don’t quote out of context.
7. Be sure examples reflect reality.
8. Don’t present hypothetical examples as though they were factual.

USING PRESENTATION AIDS

The first principle of learning is that people learn better and retain information longer when you involve as many senses as possible!

For this reason, most public speakers use PRESENTATION AIDS to involve the senses:
• Sight
• Smell
• Hear
• Taste
• Feel


Advantages of using presentation aids:

• It provides clarity of your message
• It generates interest towards your topic
• It prolongs audience’s attention
• It promotes longer memory retention
• It helps combat stage fright
• It shifts the attention away from the speaker
• It enhances almost every aspect of a speech



Disadvantages of using presentation aids:

• It can distract the audience.
• It can also distract the speaker.
• It can inhibit eye contact between the speaker and the audience.
• Bad presentation aids can damage your credibility.
• It takes time to prepare.
• It can put you at the mercy of the available equipment.


Types of Visual Aids

• The speaker him/herself
• Objects
• Models
• Photographs
• Drawings/Pictures
• Graphics
• Charts/Graphs
• Slides
• CDs/VCDs/DVDs
• Transparencies
• Multimedia presentations
• Handouts
• Posters


Guidelines for Preparing Visual Aids

• Prepare them in advance
• Keep them simple
• Make sure the visual aids are large enough
• Use fonts that are easy to read
• Use a limited number of fonts
• Use colour effectively


Tips for Presenting Visual Aids

• Avoid using the whiteboard for visual aids
• Display visual aids where the audience can see them clearly
• Avoid passing visual aids among the audience
• Display visual aids only while discussing them
• Talk to your audience, not your visual aid
• Explain visual aids clearly
• Practice with your visual aids

THE CONCLUSION

• the final words of your speech


“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending”
- Longfellow


There are two major functions of conclusions:

• To let the audience know you are ending the speech
• To reinforce the central idea


SIGNAL THE END OF THE SPEECH

• An ending that is too sudden will leave the audience puzzled and unfulfilled

Ways to signal the end:

• Through what you say – In conclusion…, Let me end by saying…,
• Manner of delivery
+ Crescendo ending
- By the use of the voice – tone, pacing, intonation, rhythm
+ Dissolve ending
- Generates emotional appeal by fading step by step to a dramatic final statement


REINFORCE THE CENTRAL IDEA

There are many ways to do this:

 Summarize your speech
 End with a quotation
 Make a dramatic statement
 Echo the introduction
 End with a story
 Close with a quotation
 Use strategic repetition
 Call for action (especially for persuasive speeches)

THE INTRODUCTION

The short term memory is about 20 seconds. That means you have 20 seconds to capture their attention in your speech introduction.

Short, sweet, and mind capturing words need to be used.


Functions of the Introduction


The audience will ask these questions:

1. Why should I listen to this speech?
2. Why should I listen to this speaker?
3. What must I understand?


These questions relate to the three basic functions of an introduction:

a. Capture attention and arouse interest
b. Establish your credibility
c. Preview your speech


CAPTURING ATTENTION

Several ways of capturing your audience's attention are:

• Acknowledge the audience, location or occasion
• Ask questions
• Relate the topic to the audience
• Relate a personal experience
• Tell a story
• Use humor
• Develop suspense
• Begin with a quotation
• Use a presentation aid
• Startle the audience


ESTABLISHING YOUR CREDIBILITY

• You should establish yourself as a competent, trustworthy, likeable and strong person.
• The audience wants to listen to someone qualified to speak on a given topic.



PREVIEW YOUR SPEECH


• Indicates the main points you will cover
• Help listeners follow what you are saying