Wednesday 15 May 2013

Project 3 - Get to the Point (Part 2: Speech Analysis)

Here's the speech I gave for project 3:



There was a major mistake with this speech which I want to point out first - the title ("How to make a Million Dollars in Exams") was not linked clearly to my general or specific speech purpose.

My general purpose was to entertain, yet my speech title sounded like an informative speech (where I was stretching the truth substantially). Because I chose an incorrect title, the audience were preparing to listen to a "how to" guide when really it was a lighthearted entertaining speech. In other words, they were confused.

Meanwhile, my specific purpose was:  "after hearing my speech, the audience will understand that exams can be fun, if you're prepared". It could also have easily been: "after hearing my speech, the audience will understand the parallels between taking an exam and being a contestant on a game show". Yet again, no-one would have been able to guess my specific purpose with such a confusing title.

So how do you make sure your title is clearly linked to your general and specific purposes? Simple. Firstly, make sure your general and specific purposes are clear and don't contradict each other. (If you're giving an entertaining speech, make sure you have an entertaining specific purpose. If you're giving an informative speech, make sure your specific purpose incorporates giving the audience some new information about a topic).Then, just re-word your specific purpose slightly and use it as your title. For instance, a better title for my speech could have been: "Exams can be Fun, if You're Prepared". Or, it could have been: "Taking an Exam is Like Being a Contestant on a Game Show"/"Taking an Exam Feels Like Winning a Million Dollars".

Now, what went well with this speech? It was well organised, which helped me to get my message across and "get to the point" quickly.  There was a clear opening and conclusion, plus there were 3 clear sections to the speech (pre-exam, during exam, and after exam). Because it was so well organised, it was easy for me to remember each part of the speech. 

All of my material reinforced my message (that exams can be fun, if you're prepared), and kept with the general purpose (to entertain). I also included humour to keep with the entertaining theme.

So good luck with your project#3 speech, and let me know how it goes!