PRINCIPLES OF
SPEECH DELIVERY
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF A SPEAKER
(a) Appearance - The speaker’s appearance should be appealing to the audience. The audience in fact likes speakers who are similar to them.
(b) Movement - All the movements on
the stage should be voluntary and warranted. Nervousness can cause
involuntary movements which can distress both the speaker and the audience. If
the speaker gets involved in the speech and trusts the audience, nervousness
can go. No movement can happen on the stage without reason. Movements driven by
the speech can help the speaker maintain contact with all the sections of the
audience.
(c) Posture: A confident speaker
stands straight with his arms well relaxed. Nervous speakers sprawl on the
podium and lean against the wall. There is always fear and tension. Great speakers on the other hand take an informal posture and relax
their audience too. Informal postures get the speaker a positive reaction
from the audience.
(d) Facial Expressions: The expression on the speaker’s face determines the audience’s
closeness to him. Warm smile and
confident look take the audience close to the speaker. The expressions
display the degree of involvement, the speaker has in his speech. The
involvement with the speech is all the necessity and the rest will take care of
itself.
The
expressions and the tone used by the speaker should go hand in hand with the
message and the emotions that are delivered. For example, the expression and
tone of the speaker should be serious when he delivers a serious message and
sad when he delivers something sad. Any deviation in this would confuse the
audience.
(e) Eye Contact: It is one of the most
important gestures. It not only
increases the speaker’s direct contact with the audience but also increases
their interest in their speech. Direct eye contact helps the speaker
understand audience reaction then and there and it makes the occasion less
frightening.
(f)
Volume: It is confirmed by
the number of the audience but it should
be loud enough for the speech to reach everybody. The beginners who have
stage fear are usually not loud enough and it is they who should check it
through rehearsals.
(g)
Articulation: It is the right
pronunciation of all the words. The people who suffer stage fright commit the
mistake of deletion, addition, adding extra parts towards slurring. Perfect articulation and Standard English are a must for any
public speaker.
(h)
Time: Time is an important factor in Speech delivery. At the outset,
the speaker should know the amount of time given for his speech and prepare
accordingly. Sticking to time can be achieved by proper rehearsals.
(i) Language : The speaker should
use the language well suited for the audience. Too much of scientific terms may
not go well with the common public. The words that the speak uses should be
readily understood by the audience. It is good to stoop to the level of the
audience.
“Don’t use a big word
where a small one could do.” – George Orwell.
(j) Use Short stories,
Anecdotes and Quotations according to the need. It is always good to start the
speech with a small story as stories normally arouse interest. But remember, too
much of anything is good for nothing.
A good saying to follow
in giving a speech is
“Tell them what you are
going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you told them.”
