Chapter 10 Supporting Your Supporting Your Speech Illustrations

Chapter 10 Supporting Your

Supporting Your Speech �Illustrations Story or anecdote example of ▪ An idea, issue, or problem being discussed ▪ Brief Illustrations ▪ A sentence or two to drive home a point ▪ Extended Illustrations ▪ Like a short story ▪ Hypothetical Illustrations ▪ Situations or events that haven’t actually occurred ▪ “Imagine you are stranded on a deserted island”

Supporting Your Speech �Illustrations Using illustrations effectively ▪ Relevance to subject being supported ▪ Should represent a trend ▪ Avoid illustrations using rare instances ▪ Vivid & specific ▪ Don’t drag out using too many details

Supporting Your Speech �Illustrations Using illustrations effectively ▪ Listeners should identify with ▪ Human drama, triumph, pain, joy etc. ▪ Personal ones are best ▪ A personal story that can be an illustration �Powerful effect on the audience �"Overcoming personal challenge" �"Impact of a personal decision"

Supporting Your Speech �Descriptions & Explanations ▪ Most commonly used form of support Describing ▪ To produce word pictures ▪ Appeal to audience senses Explaining how ▪ When discussing a process ▪ How a jury is selected Explaining Why ▪ Provide reason or consequences of something

Supporting Your Speech �Descriptions and Explanations Using them effectively ▪ Keep them brief ▪ If too long, will bore audience ▪ Use specific and concrete language ▪ To keep info lively & interesting ▪ Avoid too much ▪ Too much of the same becomes boring

Supporting Your Speech �Definitions ▪ Use to clarify uncommon terms Definitions by Classification ▪ From a reference book/dictionary Operational Definitions ▪ Explaining how something works or what it does

Supporting Your Speech �Definitions Using Them Effectively ▪ Use definitions when needed ▪ Not as time filler or for common terms ▪ Be certain there understandable ▪ Avoid definitions that leave audience confused ▪ Make definitions consistent with use in speech ▪ These two nations will never be friendly their amity goes back centuries

Supporting Your Speech �Analogies ▪ Comparison used to increase understanding Literal Analogies ▪ Comparison between two similar things Figurative Analogies ▪ Comparison between two seemingly different things ▪ Simile ▪ Metaphor

Supporting Your Speech �Analogies Using analogies effectively ▪ Make sure things compared literally are similar ▪ The different eras of recession, ▪ Artists or entertainers with similar styles ▪ Similarity in figurative comparisons should be apparent ▪ The workplace was a seething snake pit…

Supporting Your Speech �Statistics ▪ Use of numbers to define a fact Using statistics as support ▪ Use 3 or 4 brief examples to be effective

Supporting Your Speech �Statistics Using statistics effectively ▪ Using reliable sources ▪ Reputable – Gov. organizations, research reports, etc ▪ Authoritative – Primary sources -> secondary sources ▪ Unbiased – Sources not associated with special interest groups ▪ Interpret statistics accurately ▪ The population of native American students has increased over 3 oo % in just the last 3 semesters

Supporting Your Speech �Statistics ▪ Round off numbers ▪ If statistics have odd numbers, round them off for audience ▪ 2, 003, 456 -> 2, 000 ▪ Use visuals to present your statistics ▪ Use graphs, tables, charts, etc ▪ This will help audience recall or relate to the statistics you are sharing

Supporting Your Speech �Opinions ▪ Statements from people regarding ideas or topics Expert Testimony ▪ Opinion or statement from an expert in a given field Lay Testimony ▪ The statement or opinion of the average person Literary quotations ▪ Quote from an article or book

Supporting Your Speech �Opinions Using opinions effectively ▪ Cited authority should be expert on subject ▪ Identify sources ▪ Cite unbiased authorities ▪ Cite opinions that represent mass opinion ▪ Quote sources accurately ▪ Use literary quotations sparingly