Effective Delivery is Important . . .
Because it is the most immediate element that can be
observed, a speaker’s delivery often serves as the basis of judgment for the
whole speech. Fair or not, all
the good ideas and information in a speech may be irrelevant to the audience
if the speaker’s delivery is not appropriate for the audience’s
expectations (more psychological noise!). Let’s take some time to consider
the two major styles of speech delivery, manuscript
and extemporaneous. (Click here
to go immediately to characteristics of good extemporaneous delivery.)
Written and Oral Style
Before we talk specifically about speech delivery styles,
let’s back up and consider their origins.
Style consists of the words one chooses to use and the way those
words are put together. And in
general, style comes in two forms, written and oral.
Written style tends to use longer words and sentences, and those
sentences may have more complex grammatical structures.
Because readers can look back to re-read information they may have
missed, there tends to be less repetition.
Oral style, on the other hand, tends to use short words and colloquial
language. Sentences tend to be
shorter and simpler with more repetition of ideas.
Delivery Styles
The two major speech delivery styles -- manuscript
and extemporaneous -- correspond to these general language styles.
Manuscript style
A speech delivered in manuscript style is written out
ahead of time and then read word for word in front of the audience.
Advantages
- Allows
for detailed, advanced planning
- Valuable
for sensitive situations in which what you say and how you say it are
important
- Useful
for formal situations when a more eloquent language style is expected
Disadvantages
- Limits
the relationship between the speaker and the audience because the
manuscript serves as a barrier. The
speaker must look at the manuscript, and although some speakers become
very skilled at manuscript delivery, most people tend to spend much of
their speech making eye contact with the paper rather than the audience.
- In
the hands of a speaker who is
not trained in manuscript delivery, this type of speech can be boring and
have the vocal quality of being read
- Tends
to be inflexible. It is
difficult to make spontaneous changes to a manuscript (such as cutting out
a section or adding more explanation of a point) if the need arises during
a speech.
(back to top)
Extemporaneous style
Actually, extemporaneous speaking has a close cousin we
should introduce – impromptu speaking.
An impromptu speech is one in which the speaker has little or no time
to prepare for the speech – for example, if someone won an award and was
asked to “say a few words” unexpectedly.
Impromptu speaking is part of many careers, even if you don’t think
of them as “speeches.” If you
speak up during a meeting, of if you are asked to express your opinion on a
certain topic, or if you answer a question in class, you are doing impromptu
speaking. Impromptu speeches tend
to be very spontaneous and to use a more conversational style
Extemporaneous speaking combines the spontaneous delivery
of the impromptu speech with the preparation of the manuscript speech (except
the planning goes into an outline, not a completely written speech).
The speaker uses a key-word outline to remind him/her of the important
ideas to talk about in the speech, and then he/she improvises what to say
about those ideas.
Advantages
- More
direct and conversational, so there is more a sense of “sharing” with
the audience. Audiences also
tend to find this style of delivery more interesting.
- When
done well, extemporaneous delivery helps build the perception of the
speaker as competent and knowledgeable about the subject
- More
flexible – a speaker is freer to interact with the audience and to
respond to their nonverbal feedback.
For example, if the audience looks confused, a speaker can expand a
point beyond what is written on the outline.
Disadvantages
- If
done poorly, extemporaneous delivery can make a speaker seem ill-prepared
- The
element of uncertainty is high – there are no guarantees that you won’t
“talk yourself into a corner” or forget important points.
Also, the speech may not flow as smoothly as a manuscript speech.
(back to top)
Characteristics of Good
Extemporaneous Delivery
- Conversational
tone – talk to the audience as if you are talking to someone one-on-one
(as a polite conversation with a stranger, not an informal slang-fest with
friends). Don’t worry about
vocalized pauses (“uh”) unless they are frequent enough to be a
distraction to the audience.
- Variety
in voice, facial expression, and body – These nonverbal channels can
carry a lot of information, especially about your degree of involvement
and interest in your subject.
- Eye
contact – In the dominant culture of the United States, eye contact is
very important as an indicator of credibility. Try to look at your audience during 90 percent of your
speech, and try to spread your eye contact around among the members of
your audience so that they all get a sense that you are communicating with
them as individuals.
- Enthusiasm
– You should be interested in your own speech! If you nonverbally convey a bad attitude toward your
speech, why should the audience invest their attention?
Achieving Good Extemporaneous Delivery
- Choose
a topic which you find interesting and know something about
- Be
prepared with a key-word outline and with practice
- Focus
on the audience and not on yourself – remember, the point is to
communicate a message