MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

CHAPTER 13: PRINCIPLES OF SPEECH WRITING

Objectives:

✓ Identify the principles of speech writing;

✓ Differentiate the stages of processes in speech writing;
✓ use principles of effective speech focusing on audience
profile, logical, organization, duration, word choice, and
grammatical correctness.

THE SPEECH WRITING PROCESS

Just like events planning, or any other activities, writing an effective speech
follows certain steps or processes. The process for writing is not chronological or
linear; rather, it is recursive. That means you have the opportunity to repeat a
writing procedure indefinitely, or produce multiple drafts before you can settle
on the right one.

Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram

• Conducting an audience analysis

• Determining the purpose of the speech
• Selecting a topic
• Narrowing down a topic
• Gathering data

• Editing and/or Revising • Selecting a speech pattern

• Rehearsing • Preparing an outline
• Creating the body of the speech
• Preparing the introduction
• Preparing the conclusion

The following are the components of the speech writing process.

✓ Audience analysis entails looking into the profile of your target audience.
This is done so you can tailor-fit your speech content and delivery to your
audience. The profile includes the following information.
Demography (age range, male-female ratio, educational background and
affiliations or degree program taken, nationality, economic status, academic
or corporate designations)
Situation (time, venue, occasion, and size)
Psychology (values, beliefs, attitudes, preferences, cultural and racial
ideologies, and needs) A sample checklist is presented below.
 MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

Audience Analysis

Age Range

Male-Female Ratio

Educational Background

Educational Institution

Place of Residence (city, province, town)

Marital Status

Economic Status (Household income above 30,000 or below 30,000)

Language Spoken

Religious Affiliations/beliefs

✓ The purpose for writing and delivering the speech can be classified into
three—to inform, to entertain, or to persuade.
An informative speech provides the audience with a clear understanding of the
concept or idea presented by the speaker.

An entertainment speech provides the audience with amusement.

A persuasive speech provides the audience with well-argued ideas that can
influence their own beliefs and decisions.

✓ The topic is your focal point of your speech, which can be determined once
you have decided on your purpose. If you are free to decide on a topic, choose
one that really interests you. There are a variety of strategies used in selecting
a topic, such as using your personal experiences, discussing with your family
members or friends, free writing, listing, asking questions, or semantic
webbing.
✓ Narrowing down a topic means making your main idea more specific and
focused. The strategies in selecting a topic can also be used when you narrow
down a topic.
✓ Data gathering is the stage where you collect ideas, information, sources,
and references relevant or related to your specific topic. This can be done by
visiting the library, browsing the web, observing a certain phenomenon or
event related to your topic, or conducting an interview or survey. The data
that you will gather will be very useful in making your speech informative,
entertaining, or persuasive.
✓ Writing patterns, in general, are structures that will help you organize the
ideas related to your topic. Examples are biographical, categorical/topical,
causal, chronological, comparison/contrast, problem-solution, and spatial.
 MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

✓ An outline is a hierarchical list that shows the relationship of your ideas.

Experts in public speaking state that once your outline is ready, two-thirds
of your speech writing is finished. A good outline helps you see that all the
ideas are in line with your main idea or message. The elements of an outline
include introduction, body, and conclusion. Write your outline based on how
you want your ideas to develop. Below are some of the suggested formats. 1.
Table format

Purpose To persuade

To persuade the community members to reduce, reuse,

Specific
and recycle as means of eliminating garbage and
purpose
protecting the environment
Promoting the importance of reducing, reusing, and
Topic recycling in eliminating wastes and protecting the
environment
Pattern Problem-solution

Share facts on the current situation of the environment.

Introduction State the message of the speech (specific topic).

Discuss how improper waste disposal becomes an

environmental problem.
Body Explain how reducing, reusing, and recycling would
eliminate wastes and protect the environment.

State the specific purpose of your speech again.

Conclusion Call for action.

✓ Editing/Revising your written speech involves correcting errors in

mechanics, such as grammar, punctuation, capitalization, unity, coherence,
and others. Andrew Dlugan (2013), an awardwinning public speaker, lists six
power principles for speech editing.
Edit for focus.

“So, what’s the point? What’s the message of the speech?”

Ensure that everything you have written, from introduction to conclusion,

is related to your central message.
 MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

Edit for clarity.

“I don’t understand the message because the examples or supporting details were
confusing.”

Make all ideas in your speech clear by arranging them in logical order
(e.g., main idea first then supporting details, or supporting details first then main
idea).

Edit for concision.

“The speech was all over the place; the speaker kept talking endlessly as if
no one was listening to him/her.”

Keep your speech short, simple, and clear by eliminating unrelated stories
and sentences and by using simple words.

Edit for continuity.

“The speech was too difficult to follow; I was lost in the middle.” Keep the
flow of your presentation smooth by adding transition words and phrases.

Edit for variety.

“I didn’t enjoy the speech because it was boring.”

Add spice to your speech by shifting tone and style from formal to conversational
and vice-versa, moving around the stage, or adding humor.

Edit for impact and beauty.

“There’s nothing really special about the speech.”

Make your speech memorable by using these strategies: surprise the

audience, use vivid descriptive images, write well-crafted and memorable lines,
and use figures of speech.

✓ Rehearsing gives you an opportunity to identify what works and what does
not work for you and for your target audience. Some strategies include
reading your speech aloud, recording for your own analysis or for your peers
or coaches to give feedback on your delivery. The best thing to remember at
this stage is: “Constant practice makes perfect.”

Some Guidelines in Speech Writing

1. Keep your words short and simple. Your speech is meant to be heard by
your audience, not read.

2. Avoid jargon, acronyms, or technical words because they can confuse your
audience.

3. Make your speech more personal. Use the personal pronoun “I,” but take
care not to overuse it. When you need to emphasize collectiveness with your
audience, use the personal pronoun “we.”
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4. Use active verbs and contractions because they add to the personal and
conversational tone of your speech.

5. Be sensitive of your audience. Be very careful with your language, jokes,

and nonverbal cues.

6. Use metaphors and other figures of speech to effectively convey your point.

7. Manage your time well; make sure that the speech falls under the time
limit.

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