Chapter 10: Introducing and Concluding a Speech

3/3/20

Arba Gjoni Period 3

Chapter 10 Notes/Response 

The Secret Ingredient to a Great Krabby Patty

Your teeth sink into a deliciously fluffy upper bun and then your taste buds feel the flavor that ensues as the bun melts in your mouth and the juices hit your tongue. That ladies and gentlemen is the Krabby Patty. As our good old friend Sponge bob showed us, a Krabby Patty is only as good as it’s buns. Even Gordon Ramsay will tell you: the key to making any kind of delicious burger, especially a Krabby Patty, is a firm and crispy bun.   

By “buns” of course, I’m referring to the introduction and conclusion in any scenario, not just burgers. Starting and ending a speech seems like the simplest task, but a lot of people have issues with doing so properly.  An intro is the first impression you get and starting on the right note helps boost the confidence of the speaker and the people listening to him. 

How Can We Define A Proper Introduction?

A well-made introduction should give a strong first impression of the speech to your audience,

boost the confidence of the speaker and give him/her credibility in his further arguments. 

Typically, there are four main goals that you should set in creating a solid introduction. 

Your first goal should be to grab the attention and interest of your audience.You can do this

easily by questioning the audience or starting off with an interesting story. 

Your second goal should be to clearly state the topic of your speech. If you don’t have a

clearly defined topic, your speech will be aimless and leave the listeners confused and lost. 

Your third goal should be to establish your ethos (credibility) and ethical goals so that your listeners

respect your speech. A good way to establish credibility is to ease tensions regarding your issue. 

Your fourth and final goal should be to prepare the audience for the points you will address in

the body paragraphs of the speech. This should be a smooth and logical transition that leaves

your audience certain of how you will present your argument.

How Can We Construct a Memorable Conclusion?

The conclusion in a well-made speech has to have the same precision the introduction

does but instead of opening the speech, it reinforces the main points made during the

body of the speech. Effective conclusion-making begins by signaling the end of the speech

through the use of keywords and a change in pacing. Just like different types of bottom

buns on a Krabby Patty the conclusion can have a dissolved ending or a crescendo ending.

While one generates emotional appeal by fading, the other builds a large amount of power

and intensity. Just like the rest of the speech you just gave, it’s incredibly important to take

that same time and work on a lasting ending.

The Takeaway

We felt that the presentation as a whole with the topics presented was executed perfectly.

The points came across solidly and they provided great examples for mock introduction and

conclusions. In the sample conclusion part especially, a clear distinction was drawn by the

presenters between a milquetoast, dull ending and a strong conclusion that restates the

argument. You could have a perfectly organized argument with flawless logic in each of

your main points, but if you can’t open it correctly in the beginning and tie it together

smoothly in the end, your speech won’t make much of an impact on your listeners at all. 

Written By: Anthony, Arba,Travis and Edmund