Topic 4: Speech Organization

Activity 7: Reading – Organizing Your Speech

^{This activity is adapted from Chapter 12: Public Speaking by Terri Johnson (2024) which is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license. In this revised version, we have added and removed content, inserted images, and reworded information to suit this course.}
Once you have selected your topic and conducted research, it is time to organize your ideas. Organization plays a crucial role in ensuring that your audience understands, remembers, and values your message. During the 1950s and 1960s, researchers like Raymond Smith, Thompson, and Baker conducted studies that highlighted the impact of speech organization on audience perceptions. Smith’s 1951 study found that when speeches were randomly organized, audiences rated them negatively and showed less interest compared to well-structured speeches. Thompson expanded on this by discovering that unorganized speeches were harder for audiences to recall. Baker’s research added that disorganized speakers were less likely to persuade audiences and were perceived as lacking credibility. These findings make it clear that a speech’s organization significantly influences its effectiveness.

To organize a speech effectively, it is essential to understand its basic structure. Speeches have three primary parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction orients the audience to the topic, the body delivers the main content, and the conclusion ties everything together. Each part plays a distinct role, and mastering these elements will help you create a coherent and impactful speech.

Determining Main Ideas

When crafting a speech, consider its general and specific purposes. A speech’s general purpose can be to inform, persuade, or entertain. The specific purpose builds on the general purpose and narrows the focus to a particular topic and objective. For example:

• General Purpose: To inform.
  Specific Purpose: To inform a group of school administrators about open-source software.
• General Purpose: To persuade.
  Specific Purpose: To persuade college students to switch to OpenOffice.
• General Purpose: To entertain.
  Specific Purpose: To entertain business professionals with a humorous eulogy for outdated software.

Once you identify your specific purpose, consider the main points that will support it. Main points are the key ideas your speech will convey. A good speech typically has two to three main points, as studies in memory suggest that audiences retain information better when fewer points are presented. For shorter speeches under three minutes, two main points are sufficient. For speeches between three and ten minutes, three main points are ideal.

A brainstorming session can help you identify possible main points. Write down all ideas that relate to your specific purpose without evaluating them initially. Once you have a list, group related ideas into broader categories. For example, if your specific purpose is to inform school administrators about open-source software, your main points might include:

1. An overview of educational software commonly used by school districts
2. The benefits and drawbacks of open-source software
3. Examples of open-source software tailored for education

Helpful Hints for Preparing Main Points

To ensure your speech is effective, your main points should be united, separate, balanced, parallel, and logical.

Main points should align with your specific purpose. They must not overlap excessively, as this can confuse your audience. Balance the time allocated to each main point to maintain audience engagement. Structuring main points in parallel helps your audience follow the speech more easily. For instance, if your main points are presented as questions, ensure all main points follow this pattern. Lastly, organize main points logically, using a structure that best supports your purpose, such as chronological, spatial, or causal patterns.

Transitioning to Outlining

Outlining is the process of structuring your speech from a broad framework to detailed points. A working outline is the initial draft where you develop the speech’s foundation. It includes the general and specific purposes, the introduction, main points, conclusion, and references. The working outline is a dynamic tool that evolves as you refine your ideas.

A full-sentence outline provides a complete and detailed script for your speech. It includes every sentence you intend to say, allowing you to evaluate the flow, clarity, and timing of your message. This outline is essential for practicing and testing your speech’s structure. However, a speaking outline is a simplified version of your full-sentence outline. It includes keywords, phrases, and cues to guide your delivery without relying on memorization or extensive reading. Speaking outlines are often written on note cards for ease of use during the presentation.

Examples of Outlines

Media Attributions

Ferreira, J. (2018, July 12). Person catching light bulb [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/person-catching-light-bulb-7esRPTt38nI

Trysh, K. (2017, December 19). White printer paper [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/white-printer-paper-WX5jK0BT5JQ

References

Smith, R. (1951). The effect of organization on audience recall. Journal of Communication.