Current topics for speaking to an audience. How to choose a topic for speaking at a speaking club

The appearance of the company's leader, his leadership qualities and sales skills determine the success of the enterprise. This is known to PR specialists who write speeches for managers, think over their appearance, teach them how to speak in public and how to place accents correctly. However, even the best PR specialist will not be able to independently turn an ordinary person into a bright personality, a hero of public speeches.

The book by James Humes, a famous writer and former speechwriter for five American presidents, reveals some of the secrets of oratory and creating charisma. Having mastered the techniques offered by the author, you will gain confidence and learn how to easily and successfully cope with public speaking.

1. Pause

Where should any successful performance begin? The answer is simple: from a pause. No matter what kind of speech you give: a detailed presentation of several minutes or a short introduction of the next speaker, you must achieve silence in the room. Once on the podium, look around the audience and fix your gaze on one of the listeners. Then mentally say the first sentence to yourself and, after an expressive pause, begin speaking.

2. First phrase

All successful speakers place great importance on the first sentence of their speech. It must be powerful and definitely evoke a positive response from the audience.

The first phrase is, in TV terminology, the “prime time” of your speech. At this moment, the audience is at its maximum size: every person in the room wants to look at you and find out what kind of bird you are. In just a few seconds, the screening of listeners can begin: someone will continue the conversation with a neighbor, someone will bury their head in their phone, and someone will even fall asleep. However, everyone without exception will listen to the first phrase.

3. Bright start

If you don’t have a bright, suitable aphorism that can attract everyone’s attention, start with a story from your life. If you have an important fact or news that is unknown to your listeners, start right away with it (“Yesterday at 10 o’clock in the morning...”). In order for the audience to perceive you as a leader, you need to immediately take the bull by the horns: choose a strong beginning.

4. Main idea

Before you even sit down to write your speech, you must determine its main idea. This key point that you want to convey to the audience should be concise, capacious, “fit in a matchbox.”

Stop, look and make a plan: first, highlight the key ideas, and then you can supplement and explain them with real-life examples or quotes.

As Churchill said, a good speech is like a symphony: it can be performed at three different tempos, but it must maintain the main melody.

5. Quotes

There are several rules, the observance of which will give strength to the citation. First, the quote should be close to you. Never cite statements from an author who is unfamiliar to you, uninteresting, or whom you do not like to quote. Secondly, the name of the author should be known to listeners, and the quote itself should be short.

You also have to learn how to create an environment for quoting. Many successful speakers use similar techniques: before quoting, they pause and put on their glasses, or with a serious look they read a quote from a card or, for example, a sheet of newspaper.

If you want to make a special impression with a quote, write it down on a small card, take it out of your wallet during your speech, and read the statement.

6. Wit

Surely you have been advised many times to add a joke or anecdote to your presentation. There is some truth in this advice, but do not forget that a joke for the sake of a joke only insults the listener.

There is no need to start your speech with an anecdote that is not related to the situation (“It seems that it is customary to start a speech with an anecdote, so here it is. Somehow a man comes to see a psychiatrist...”). It's best to sneak in your funny story mid-speech to lighten the mood.

7. Reading

Reading a speech from a sheet of paper with your eyes downcast does not, to put it mildly, excite the audience. What should we do then? Is it really necessary to memorize a half-hour long speech? Not at all. You need to learn to read correctly.

The first rule of reading a speech: never say words while your eyes are looking at the paper.

Use the SOS technique: look - stop - say.

For training, take any text. Lower your eyes and take a mental picture of a few words. Then raise your head and stop. Then, looking at any object at the other end of the room, tell what you remember. And so on: look at the text, stop, speak.

8. Speaker techniques

It is known that Churchill recorded his speeches like poetry, dividing them into separate phrases and writing each on a separate line. To make your speech sound even more convincing, use this technique.

Use rhyme and internal consonance in a phrase to give the sound of your speech poetic impact (for example, Churchill's phrase “We must follow the principles of HUMANISM, not bureaucracy”).

It’s very easy to come up with rhymes, just remember the most common ones: -na (war, silence, needed), -ta (darkness, emptiness, dream), -ch (sword, speech, flow, meetings), -oses / wasps (roses , threats, tears, questions), -anie, -yes, -on, -tion, -ism and so on. Practice these simple rhymes to create sonorous phrases.

But remember: the rhymed phrase should be the same for the entire speech; there is no need to turn your speech into a poem.

And so that the rhyme does not go to waste, express the key idea of ​​​​the speech in this phrase.

9. Questions and pauses

Many speakers use questions to connect with the audience. Don't forget one rule: never ask a question if you don't know the answer. Only by predicting the audience's reaction can you prepare and get the most out of the question.

10. Final

Even if your speech was inexpressive, a successful ending can fix everything. To make an impression in the finale, tune in, call on your emotions to help: pride, hope, love and others. Try to convey these feelings to your listeners the way great speakers of the past did.

Never end your speech on a minor note, as this will simply destroy your career. Use uplifting quotes, poems or jokes.

The most important aspect of any speech is its topic. It is often difficult to choose the exact topic of a speech, since the choice of directions is very wide. Interesting topics for speech can be found in all areas of knowledge - the main thing is that what is being discussed is clear and close to the listener.

The main criterion by which the quality of a speech can be determined is its simplicity for the audience to perceive and its engagingness. This can be achieved in different ways.

Among them:

• the use of intonation accents in speech - important points must be emphasized with a voice or pauses;
• lack of excitement, trembling in the voice;
• the presence of information only from reliable authoritative sources;
• introducing elements of artistic expressiveness into speech (it is important to preserve the informativeness of the presentation);
• avoidance of excessive use of negations (particles “not”, “no”, etc.);
• correct construction of the report - the most fascinating facts should come at the beginning, and the most important ones at the end.

It is also important not to forget about a sense of humor - any topic with jokes will become colorful and interesting. At the same time, the main thing is not to overdo it with humorous inserts, otherwise the performance will not be taken seriously.

The key to an interesting presentation is also the topic.

What is important when choosing a topic for a speech?

Before choosing a narrow topic on which the report will be based, you need to take into account several important facts - without this, the speech will not be successful with the audience.

Reason for speech

Not only the topic, but also information on it is selected depending on the occasion that gave rise to the speech. It can be an official, solemn, festive or sad event. The message itself, like the topic, depends on the reason for the meeting:

• if the event is business, the idea should not go beyond the scope of a specific work issue;
• if the occasion is a festive event, interesting topics for speech may be different, but they should invariably be emotional, sometimes humorous, and in some situations serious;
• if the event is mourning, the direction should be completely official (the specific choice depends on the occasion of the meeting).

At fun events, the topic should be light and interesting; you can include various jokes and funny stories in the speech.

Purpose of speech

The subject of the speech is inextricably linked with the purpose of the speech - you can strive to cheer up the audience, convey important facts to them, or convince them of something. The main goals are:

1. belief;
2. entertainment;
3. informing.

Each goal requires its own facts and its own speech skills.

Inappropriate topics

Even within the framework of an interesting and relevant topic, there may be facts that are better avoided. They may seem boring to the audience or become offensive to listeners.

In this regard, it is useful to refuse:

• incomprehensible or too simple topics, as this distracts attention;
• too sensitive or resonant topics, as this may cause too strong a response from listeners;
• directions that do not correspond to the mood of the audience (that is, the occasion of the meeting).

Audience

It is important to imagine the image of your average listener in order to choose the right topic - you need to understand what is interesting to this person, what he is interested in, what age, gender and what social class he belongs to. The topic must meet these criteria, otherwise it will not be received properly.

It is also important not to focus on too simple and well-known points that listeners already have an idea about.

The education of the lecturer and the audience is important - in front of people of a certain profession it is better to use them in special terms, and in front of children it is better to express themselves simply, ordinaryly and understandably.

The key point is the interests of the audience - it is important that the main issue of the speech is related to them. In order to feel the audience, the speaker must put himself in their place - for example, imagine that he is a schoolboy if the report is addressed to children under 16-17 years old.

Then you need to pay attention to those points that are of interest to this particular group of the population, and not to the lecturer himself.

It is important to choose a relevant topic for listeners based on their demographic data:

• It is better for older people to choose topics that are relevant to them (for example, about pensions), and for young people - those that will be understandable and close to them (fashion, high technology);
• For a multinational audience, it is better to choose neutral but interesting topics for speech or those topics that affect interethnic interaction. These topics will not be popular with listeners of one nationality;
• for a purely female or male audience, it is better to choose topics oriented towards the female or male gender, respectively. Naturally, the context of the meeting must be taken into account.

It may also matter what city or country the listeners are from and in their report they will touch upon topics of concern to representatives of this area of ​​​​residence.

The audience can also be close to the speaker (usually relatives and friends), business (colleagues) or strangers. The subject matter, as well as the content of the report, may change due to this. Communication with friends is more personal, but with bosses or subordinates it is exclusively business-like.

How to choose a speech topic successfully

Firstly, the chosen topic must be interesting to the speaker himself - otherwise he will not be able to reproduce it well and in an exciting way for listeners. Even if the topic is specific and not very interesting, you need to narrow it down to those points that somehow attract the speaker. Then it will be much easier to find contact with the audience.

Secondly, it is better if the lecturer knows the subject he is talking about very well (or you need to study it deeply before the speech). Otherwise, a speech on any topic will not elicit a response even from those listeners who know nothing about it, because they will feel that the lecturer is incompetent in the area he is talking about.

Even if a person does not know the topic very well initially, it is important that it is easy for him to study and understand. This usually works better if the direction of the speech is related to the professional activities or interests of the speaker.

The area of ​​conversation is not so important - it can be poetry, theater, or politics. The lecturer must immediately plan what interesting things he can tell the audience on this topic.

It’s better if you can find a middle ground - choose a topic that the speaker understands and that is interesting to him at the same time.

It is always successful to speak on a topic that is relevant to everyone, especially if there are any controversial issues in this area.

To update your presentation, you can:

• view news feeds or listen to the radio - this way you can find out about the latest news;
• contact newspapers and magazines published in the city on social or political issues;
• learn about the social status, age and interests of the public;
• browse thematic sites and study the latest news from there.

This will allow you to select information that is relevant to a specific audience. For example, you can tell future students about entering universities or tell a funny story from student life, and you can tell expectant mothers about newborns and parenting problems.

It is best to talk about things related to a person’s personal experience - then he will be able to explain it more clearly using personal examples.

At the same time, it is important to follow the narrative and not say unnecessary facts or data that the audience does not need at the moment.

The most interesting topics of speeches

The specific topic is not so important as what is important is that the lecturer presents it competently - then almost any topic will be fascinating and understandable for the listener.

The audience should receive new thoughts and ideas regarding the issue, realize different positions from which to look at the problem.

The problem must be formulated concisely, clearly and intriguingly. Topics that touch on memorable facts are always interesting:

• the lightest metal on Earth;
• what is the fortune of the richest man in the world;
• the largest flower;
• the most unusual records from the Guinness Book of Records;
• the most expensive fruits in the world.

Topics based on unusual facts are also interesting for people, for example:

• how to make jellyfish ice cream;
• how the world's most unusual war without weapons takes place;
• How rapidly technology is developing.

Controversial and interesting topics for public speaking have gained particular popularity, since most often they involve discussion, for example:

• how to become self-confident;
• what to do in case of unfounded criticism;
• Is it possible to overcome alcohol addiction?
• how to quickly get into good physical shape without dieting.

For schoolchildren and students there can be a lot of topics - they are limited only by the subject of the lesson. The following problems are always relevant:

• simple ways to preserve the environment;
• mortality and birth rate: what the ratio depends on;
• Is it possible to eliminate unemployment?
• how to speak beautifully and convincingly.

There are many common interesting topics for speeches:

• how to overcome laziness;
• what they won’t teach you at school;
• what is the secret of family happiness;
• how a person’s spirituality is expressed;
• what is true love.

For the holidays, simpler themes are suitable, which can be diluted with anecdotes, funny stories, and jokes.

You can prepare an interesting speech on a topic from any field. The main thing is to clearly define the target audience and formulate the narrative in such a way that it is accessible and interesting to every listener.

Thorough preparation is the key to success for any speaker. The first step in it is to choose a topic. There are many interesting areas that you can tell your listeners about. There is a category of questions that can be called eternal - these are God and religion, the relationship between soul and body, duty and the right to free expression of will.

On the role of art in the modern world

One of the most interesting topics to speak about is art. It accompanies man throughout the history of civilization. People's awareness of themselves was reflected in the making of stone figurines, in the features of various architectural monuments. Human experiences and various qualities have been captured in paintings and sculpture over the centuries. Russian psychologist Lev Semenovich Vygotsky wrote that “art is social in us.” In the process of rethinking the information received, the artist has the opportunity to discover the mysteries of existence and take a fresh look at the world.

You can also choose other interesting topics for public speaking:

• Latest news in the field of culture and art.
• Features of work in this area.
• History of art.
• What will the culture of the future be like?

Art and the new reality in which man lives

A report can also be prepared on the topic of how important art is in the modern world. Currently, it occupies a very special place in the life of society. For example, T. Chernigovskaya, professor at St. Petersburg State University, emphasizes: the role of art in modern reality cannot be overestimated. It is art today that has the function of saving humanity from the negative influence of new technologies. People have become too addicted to gadgets, and nothing can be done about it. The virtuality of the world around us is increasing, and with it the number of mental disorders. This is a serious danger, the researcher emphasizes.

The problem of art in the modern world will be an interesting topic for presentation at school, especially in high school. The discussion can be continued by describing the problem of information accessibility. Tatyana Vladimirovna also notes that the world today has become transparent. After all, almost everything can be known about a person - right down to who he had breakfast with and what brand of wine he bought yesterday. In these conditions, the professor emphasizes, the only secret about a person remains the genome. However, even this information may soon become available - after all, the sequencing process will not be carried out by the person himself. This means that information about the genome will one way or another remain in a certain database. The only thing that can help people in this new reality, according to the professor, is art.

Relationship between soul and body

An interesting topic for a speech can also be a contemporary problem of a philosophical nature chosen by the speaker - for example, the problem of the relationship between spirit, soul and body. It has interested scientists and philosophers since ancient times. For example, Aristotle opened a new era in this understanding. The physical and spiritual, according to the understanding of the philosopher, form a single inseparable reality. The soul is not a separate form - it does not “fly” somewhere outside the body, but, on the contrary, is a form of its organization. On the one hand, the soul is not a body, on the other hand, it cannot exist separately from it.

The position of Rene Descartes on this issue is also of interest. According to the scientist, the soul and body have different natures. However, the scientist offers a new interpretation of their interaction for his time. Descartes was convinced that not only the soul can influence the physical state of a person, but also vice versa. The body also affects the emotional component. For the 17th century, this idea was quite radical.

The problem of spiritual decline

Finding an interesting topic for a speech on a free topic is not as difficult a task as it might seem at first glance. Consideration of the issue of the relationship between spirit and flesh is one of the most interesting topics. The speech can be continued by saying that many people nowadays prefer to live, guided mostly by the body. It is their master, but a person rarely remembers the spirit - most often because of fear. According to the highest plan of the individual, the spirit should occupy a dominant place, guide the body and emotions.

If a person is strong and strong-willed, then the mind and soul are his assistants, while the body can be figuratively represented in the form of a child being raised. For example, a person sets a goal to improve his health by losing weight. On this path, temptations will constantly await him. If he sees a sign advertising a delicious hamburger, he may resist this temptation. If such a person gathers his courage and waits for the opportunity to have dinner at home with porridge and salad, then he will be able to achieve two goals: immediate health benefits and strengthening his spirit.

Other issues for the speaker to cover

Many different options for interesting topics for speech can be selected on this issue. For example, these:

• "How is the relationship between soul and body considered in religion?"
• "Development of views on this issue in psychological science."
• “What is more important for a person - the soul or the flesh?”

A question of will and choice

Fulfilling one's duty is inextricably linked with a person's strong-willed qualities. If a person is faced with a dilemma - to act according to his conscience or to follow the path of least resistance, then here he will have to make an effort of will to choose a more noble path. For example, this is the situation when, during military operations, it is necessary to carry out the order of the commander and go on the offensive. It is very difficult to launch an attack, however, one must submit. A volitional action is one that is carried out under conditions of choice.

Issues of will and choice are an interesting topic for public speaking. In this area, philosophers and psychologists have divided opinions. Some believe that in such situations the will of a person is manifested, since he makes a conscious choice. Others are convinced that there is no choice as such - and therefore all will has to be mobilized. Another example can be given in this regard. A drug addict needs to get rid of a terrible addiction. This will require remarkable volitional efforts from him. On the one hand, we can talk about his conscious choice in favor of life. But on the other hand, he has no choice as such - he will either die or make every effort to overcome the terrible trap of addiction and start a new life.

Within the framework of this problem, the speaker can also choose more specific interesting topics for speech:

• "On the triumph of will - examples of heroic deeds."
• "Views on free will in psychology and philosophy."
• "Religion and Free Will".
• "Is it possible to become a strong-willed person?"
• "Does Free Will Really Exist?"

Work and employment

Also, for many, an interesting topic for speaking to an audience will be employment. After all, every person at least once in his life searched for a job. For some this happened quickly and without problems, for others the process took a longer time. Professional fulfillment occupies one of the most important places in the life of an adult.

Options for topics about work

An interesting topic to speak to students would be one that highlights employment problems. After all, very soon young people will have to directly face the realities of the labor market. The issue of employment and the opportunity to use the knowledge acquired at the university is one of the most pressing for a student. Interesting topics for speaking to young people may include the following:

• "The main problems that you may encounter during employment and ways to solve them."
• "Improving professional skills after receiving a diploma of higher education."
• "Issues of labor legislation."
• "How to get a job in a foreign company?"
• "Rules for a successful interview."

Educational: development of the concept of “public speaking”, formation of the ability to construct an oral public presentation;

Developmental: development of oral speech, the ability to highlight the main thing, compare;

IN educational: nurturing a culture of speech, moral qualities of the individual, mutual assistance when working in groups.

I. Organizational moment. Teacher's opening speech.

II. Vocabulary dictation followed by self-test.

Exercise. Write down the words and explain their meanings orally. Check what you have written (self-test).

D And bored ss and I, A beat And thorium, O rhetorician, eloquence, uh m O nationality, public And cystic

What do these words have in common? Do they correspond to the theme “Communication”, “Speech”?

Choose words with the same root for the word “journalism” (public, public).

III. Conversation on issues. Text analysis (checking homework).

What is the purpose of the speaker (speaker)? (Influence the listener).

About mercy.

Last year something bad happened to me. He was walking down the street, slipped and fell... He fell badly, it couldn’t have been worse: he broke his nose, his arm jumped out of his shoulder, and hung like a whip. It was about seven o'clock in the evening. In the city center, on Kirovsky Prospekt, not far from the house where I live.

With great difficulty he got up, wandered into the nearest entrance, and tried to calm the blood with a handkerchief. Where there, I felt that I was holding on in a state of shock, the pain was rolling in more and more and I needed to do something quickly. And I can’t speak - my mouth is broken.

I decided to turn back home.

I walked down the street, I think without staggering. I remember this path well, about four hundred meters. There were a lot of people on the street. A woman and a girl, some couple, an elderly woman, a man, young guys walked towards me, all of them at first looked at me with curiosity, and then averted their eyes, turned away. If only someone along this path would come up to me and ask what was wrong with me, if I needed help. I remembered the faces of many people, apparently with unconscious attention, heightened expectation of help...

The pain confused my consciousness, but I understood that if I lay down on the sidewalk now, they would calmly step over me and walk around me. We need to get home. So no one helped.

Later I thought about this story. Could people mistake me for being drunk? It seems that no, it is unlikely that I made such an impression. But even if they took me for a drunk - they saw that I was covered in blood, something happened - I fell, they hit me - why didn’t they help, didn’t they at least ask what was the matter? So, passing by, not getting involved, not wasting time, effort, “this doesn’t concern me” has become a familiar feeling?

Remembering these people with bitterness, at first I was angry, accused, perplexed, then I began to remember myself. Something similar - the desire to step away, evade, not get involved - happened to me too. Incriminating myself, I realized how familiar this feeling had become in our lives, how it had warmed up and imperceptibly taken root.

I am not going to publicize yet another complaint about the deterioration of morals. The level of decline in our responsiveness, however, gave us pause. There is no one personally to blame. Who's to blame? I looked around and couldn’t find any visible reasons.

Thinking, I remembered the time at the front, when in the hungry trenches of our lives it was impossible to pass by him at the sight of a wounded man. From your part, from another - it was impossible for someone to turn away, pretend not to notice. They helped, carried, bandaged, gave a lift... Some, perhaps, violated this law of front-line life, but there were deserters and crossbows. But we are not talking about them, we are now talking about the main life rules of that time.

I don’t know the recipes for showing the mutual understanding we all need, but I am sure that only from our general understanding of the problem can some specific solutions emerge. One person - me, for example - can only ring this alarm bell and ask that mercy warm our lives.

(According to D.A. Granin. From the essay “On Mercy”)

Questions to the text:

1) Name the topic and main idea of ​​the text.

Finish recording the topic of the lesson: “Oral public speech on a moral topic.”

IV. Student’s message about the meaning of the words “morality”, “moral”.

V.I. Dahl in his “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language” explains the words “morality” and “moral” as follows:

Morality is moral teaching, moral teaching, rules for the will and conscience of a person.

Morality is character, the constant aspirations of a person’s will.

Moral - in agreement with conscience, with the laws of truth, with human dignity; spiritual.

Morality and ethics are ethical categories.

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that defines the boundary between good and evil, good and bad deeds.

V. Differentiated tasks (work in groups). The tasks vary in degree of difficulty. The teacher, knowing the preparation of the students, can determine which group will perform this or that task.

Task for the first group

1. Read the text.
2. Answer the question: how does a thesis differ from an outline? Prove this with an example (you can use materials from the text you read).

B. Read the text.

About envy

If a heavyweight breaks a new world record in weight lifting, do you envy him? What if I'm a gymnast? What if the record holder for diving from a tower into the water?

Start listing everything you know and what you can envy: you will notice that the closer you are to your job, specialty, life, the stronger the proximity of envy. It's like in a game - cold, warm, even warmer, hot, burned!

On the last one, you found an item hidden by other players while blindfolded. It's the same with envy. The closer the achievement of another to your specialty, to your interests, the more the burning danger of envy increases.

A terrible feeling that primarily affects those who envy.

Now you will understand how to get rid of the extremely painful feeling of envy: develop your own individual inclinations, your own uniqueness in the world around you, be yourself, and you will never envy.

Envy develops primarily where you are a stranger to yourself.

Envy develops primarily where you do not differentiate yourself from others.

If you are jealous, it means you haven’t found yourself.

D.S. Likhachev.

Complete the following tasks for the text you read:

1. Compose and write down the abstracts of the text you read.
2. Determine what role the first paragraph plays in the text.
3. Prepare a message: “The topic of the speech is theses.”

Tasks for the second group

A. Complete the following tasks.

1. Read the text.
2. Highlight in the text:

- (in red) advice given by D.S. Likhachev;

- (in blue) the reason.

3. Prepare a short message on the topic: “Tips for a beginning speaker” (use materials from the text you read when preparing).

If you want to be a cultured and educated person, pay attention to your language. Speak correctly, accurately and economically.

Keep track of the time. It's important to be understood.

The speech should be interesting. If the speaker talks passionately, then the audience will feel it too.

Try to make sure that your speech has one main idea. Then the listeners will guess what you want to convince them of.

B. Read the text (D. Granin “On Mercy”). Complete the following tasks for the text you read:

1. Select a fragment of text whose content is related to moral and ethical issues.
2. Make and write an outline of this passage.
3. Compare this fragment with the text by D. Granin “On Mercy”.
4. Using materials from this text and D. Granin’s work “On Mercy,” prepare theses for a public speech.

Assignment for the third group.

A. Complete the following tasks.

1. Read your public speaking topics carefully.
2. Choose the topic that is closest to you, on which you can come up with your own examples and use your own experience.
3. Read the entry options carefully. Determine which introduction best suits the chosen topic.
4. Write down the plan (or points) for your speech. When drawing up a plan, think about whether this point contributes to the disclosure of the topic.

Topics for public speaking

1. Kindness makes a person beautiful.

2. About love for “our smaller brothers.”

3. Is being decent good or bad?

4. Do we know how to be friends?

5. Why is an indifferent person dangerous?

6. About human greed.

7. About the need to treat people with respect.

8. “The path of mercy warms our lives!”

9. Is it good to be rich?

10. Qualities that I value in a person.

Entry options

b) Very often in our lives we come across situations, the way out of which forces a person to make a choice: what to do?..

c) Have you ever thought that...

VI. Discussion of the results of the work (analysis of the groups’ performances), criteria for evaluating the performance.

1. Does the content correspond to the topic of the speech?

2. Is the statement logical?

4. Does the speaker maintain the audience's attention?

5. Does the speaker’s speech comply with the literary norms of the language?

6. Overall assessment of the performance.

VII. Homework (each student receives an assignment).

Read the tips carefully. Highlight the ones you would like to remember.

Choose one of the suggested topics for public speaking or come up with your own.

Work on the content of your public speech (ask yourself the question: does this thought or argument correspond to the topic of the speech?).

Think of interesting examples, facts from your own life, remember examples from works of art. All this will contribute to the fact that your speech will be listened to carefully.

After writing the introduction of your public speech, read it carefully again. Maybe you can suggest something interesting?

Try to come up with an interesting conclusion. Your goal is to make your performance unforgettable.

Try to present your topic in front of your parents, grandparents (you can also speak in front of a mirror). All this will help you feel more confident.

Think about the intonation with which you will pronounce this or that phrase.

Remember that today you are speaking in front of your classmates, in front of those people with whom you have known for several years. And tomorrow you could find yourself in front of complete strangers. And then your ability to speak expressively, emotionally, your ability to logically express your thoughts will help you.

Now you can get to work. Good luck!

Sooner or later, every person has to speak in front of an audience. And since the latter is very selfish, this activity can cause a lot of trouble. But as Mark Twain said: “The public initially expects nothing from you,” so don’t be nervous, but it’s a good idea to take a few useful tips and review examples of public speaking.

Where to start?

Any example of public speaking begins with proper speech preparation. No matter how wonderful the speaker’s text may seem, you need to understand that behind it lies remarkable work and long hours of practice.

Every successful example of public speaking begins with preparing the speech. It was not for nothing that Mark Twain once said that it takes about three weeks to prepare an impromptu. Any performance, regardless of its type and intended purpose, must be prepared in advance. First you need to make the so-called “skeleton” of the performance. To do this, you need to decide on the following positions:

• Understand the motivation of the people who came to listen to the speech.
• Determine the main idea of ​​the speech.
• Divide this idea into several components (subheadings).
• Identify keywords. They will need to be repeated several times in the speech so that the listeners better remember what is actually being discussed.
• Every speech should have a clear plan and structure. The speech should consist of an introduction, main part and conclusions.

Muscles

Once the speaker has decided on the basic structure of his speech, it is necessary to build muscle on this “skeleton”. What could they consist of?

• You can use vivid examples from life or literature, the main thing is that they correspond to the main topic.
• To help the listener visually consolidate the information received, it is worth preparing graphs, slides, pictures, videos, etc.
• You can ask the audience a question during the speech, this will help keep the audience's attention on the main topic.

Introductory part

Particular attention should be paid to the beginning and end of the speech. They play the main role in communication between the speaker and the listener. The introduction helps to form a first impression of the speaker, and the summary allows the audience to consolidate the information received.

While preparing your speech, many questions may arise. For example, how to start a public speech? The main thing here is to interest the audience from the very beginning. The first impression of the speaker will accompany him throughout the entire speech, and if you make a mistake, it will be difficult to correct it later.

For example, the introduction to a public speech could be a witty joke or some interesting fact. You can puzzle the audience with a question or intrigue with a pause. The main thing is to attract attention. Just don’t start apologizing for the fact that your voice is hoarse, this is your first speech, etc. The speaker should always be confident in himself, and turn every trouble to his aid. For example, if the speaker is really sick, you should not apologize, but say that due to such and such circumstances, I ask everyone to sit closer so that I can be heard.

End of speech

As for the ending, it is important to summarize the entire speech, highlight the main ideas and recall the issues raised. The last phrases must have a certain emotional message and be expressive, only in this way the listener can not only reward the speaker with applause, but also become an adherent of his ideas. Although, no matter how much you talk about the correct construction of a speech, it will be easier to consider examples of public speaking.

Types of public speaking

Examples of public speaking are divided into several types:

• Information. For the most part, these are reports, lectures, and oral responses.
• Protocol and etiquette. Such speeches are used when welcoming important guests, making toasts, a funeral speech, or opening a new establishment.
• Entertaining. They are usually used for a good time, they have an entertaining context, but at the same time convey information. As an example, we can cite the performances of Russian pop comedians E. Petrosyan, E. Stepanenko, M. Zadornov and others.
• Persuasive speech. Such a report must have indisputable facts and evidence that will win the audience over to your side. Examples include speeches by famous politicians. For example, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863, where he assured citizens that not a single soldier died in vain, and this is a necessary sacrifice on the path to freedom.

Get there in three minutes

In general, the audience's attention lasts only 15-20 minutes, this is due to psychophysiological reasons. Depending on the variety, oral presentations can last from a few minutes to 1-2 hours. However, there are also speeches that need to be delivered in 3 minutes. In most cases, these speeches are wedding toasts or press conferences. In total, the length of the speech should be between 200 and 405 words. Here is an example of a public speech for 3 minutes:

“Today the Dalai Lama gave a unique interview to a Russian blogger for the first time. For his YouTube channel, business blogger Dmitry Portnyagin was the first in the CIS to interview the Dalai Lama. Communication with the famous Buddhist took place in a Delhi hotel, where the monk often stays with his followers. Before communion began, the premises were checked twice: first by the Indian security, led by a Sikh, and then by His Holiness’s personal security.

The interview lasted only an hour. During this time, the conversation participants were able to discuss political problems, including questions of the competence of Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin. Predict the future of Russia, talk about material and spiritual values, mutual understanding between people and the secrets of success. Each question received a detailed answer. The Dalai Lama spoke openly and with humor. At the end, he gave some advice for entrepreneurs and talked about personal safety.

Dmitry Portnyagin did not remain indifferent during the conversation. He showed the Dalai Lama a photograph of his grandfather and said that a photograph of the Supreme Head of Tibet always hung in his office, so he also became interested in this topic. Saying goodbye to His Holiness, Dmitry gave the Dalai Lama a hat with earflaps as a souvenir. The monk immediately put on his new clothes and appeared in this form in front of the camera lenses. The full version of the interview can be viewed on the Transformer channel.

Suitable or not?

This sample public speaking text follows all the rules. Such a short speech fully reveals the topic of the video presentation on the YouTube channel. It tells about the participants, the location of the interview, the questions that were raised and the general mood that was present during the conversation.

At the end of the press release, the speaker invites listeners to watch the full version of the video. Although the ending can be supplemented with one more sentence or two, saying that the interview turned out to be successful and informative for everyone.

Alexander I

To be effective, speech must be precise and expressive. And these may not always be large amounts of text. You can get your point across with a few strong sentences and vivid comparisons. For example, Alexander I’s public speech to the French ambassadors even before the start of the war sounded as follows:

“Here is small Europe, and this is big Russia (he shows all this on the map). In case of failure, you can retreat only to Paris, and I can run to the edge of Kamchatka! But at the same time, every meter of this land will be hostile to you, even the women will not stop fighting. Russia may lose some battles, but it will never be defeated.”

To say that the ambassadors left under the impression is an understatement. An example of the text of a public speech by Tsar Alexander I amazes readers today. There is not a drop of arrogance here, just facts served with the right “sauce.”

Steve Jobs

A striking example of modern oratory are the speeches of Steve Jobs. Public speaking was definitely not his strong point - it was just a hobby, but he began every presentation of a new product with his own speech. Examples in its execution look like this:

These are just small fragments of one of his speeches. But how does a person motivate?

The right decision

You can give a speech on any topic. Examples of public speaking are easy to find in print and other media. Typically, speakers address important social, political and economic issues. Recently, it has become fashionable to give training on ways to make money on the Internet, present various training programs, or draw attention to advertising campaigns. Sometimes speakers conduct psychological trainings, discuss religion or philosophy. But no matter what the speaker talks about, his main goal is to captivate the audience.

A speaker is not a person who professionally manipulates pathetic speeches, but one who is able to conduct a simultaneous dialogue with thousands of listeners. He must speak the language of the people who listen to him, understand their problems, find common ground and skillfully lead them to making the right decision.

Business communication

It may seem that it is varied and has no clear boundaries, this public speech. The examples of speeches presented above give the false impression that the speakers' texts have nothing in common. In fact, they all have the same goal: the listener must agree with the speaker's point of view. And this can be done using completely different methods, including provocation. Although this method is used mainly in court proceedings.

The founder of the Russian legal profession, A.F. Koni, once defended a disabled hunchback. For many years, his neighbor mocked him, and then one day, unable to bear it, the hunchback grabbed a stone and threw it at him, thereby causing serious bodily injury. In his public speech, A.F. Koni was original like no one else. He, as expected, addressed the jury: “Gentlemen of the jury!” Then he paused and repeated this phrase four more times, making minute stops after each address. After the fourth appeal, one of the jurors could not stand it and furiously blurted out: “Are you kidding me?!” A.F. Koni was not taken aback, this is exactly the reaction he expected: “I addressed you politely and only 4 times, and you were already starting to get nervous. My client listened to insults directed at him for many years. How was he supposed to feel?

This speech achieved its goal - the defendant was acquitted.

Who, comrades judges, feeds you?

History knows many cases of such original performances. Even in literature you can find good examples of oratory speeches that can be used to teach this art. Thus, in A. M. Gorky’s novel “Mother,” the convicted Pavel Vlasov spoke at the court hearing. He was convicted under a political article and refused to carry out the escape prepared by his comrades only in order to make a speech in front of the large people who had gathered at the trial.

His speech was full of refrains, where he spoke on behalf of the people, but the main “highlight” of the speech was the climax: “How can you destroy the workers, those who feed you, comrade judges?” It costs a lot to create such a speech.

Prosperity of the country

To conclude this article, I would like to give one more option for public speaking. Example text on the topic “Theft in Japan.”

“The prosperity of a country is influenced by many human and economic factors. Among them there is one, almost insignificant fact, which will seem to us a fantastic absurdity.

They don't steal in Japan. They don't steal at all. They don't steal at all. They never steal. People don't lock their apartments and cars. Stores safely place trays of goods on the streets and happily forget about them. They know: no one will take someone else's.

In this country, you can forget anything, anywhere, and then come back for it a few days later. It will remain untouched. Every Japanese knows: if something is lost, it probably lies where it was lost, which means it will be found. Whether it’s a mobile phone or a wallet, you can still find any item.

Tipping is not accepted in Japan. The seller or waiter will run after you for several blocks to give you your change. Most residents of the capital travel on bicycles, and no one ties them up. Steal a bike?! This is funny!

Here they know: taking someone else’s is a shame. After it, the person will no longer be trusted; he will never get rid of it.

And by the way, about the economy. Officials religiously follow this rule: taking someone else’s property is taboo. Not long ago, a Japanese minister, who was suspected of free handling of finances, hanged himself. Not even theft. Because of this story, the previous prime minister also resigned.

So, what does the prosperity of a country depend on? That’s right, from theft, or more precisely, from the absence of it.”

The speaker is a kind of shooter. He either hits the mark and makes everyone bow their heads before him, or he misses, and then the dejected crowd begins to go about their business, ignoring the words of the speaker. Therefore, before speaking in public, you need to aim at a specific target. Examples of public speaking by leaders will help.