Chapter 9: Organizing the Body of the Speech

2/27/2020

William Moore 

Period 3 

Chapter 9 Review: PDA, Breakfast Sandwiches, and Competitive Kahooting

If you enjoyed that title: Congratulations, you've officially been click-baited. But you have to admit, it was a fun title.

The same could be said for the Chapter 9 presentation. While organizing the body of a speech hardly seems fun, the presenters were able to make it fun through unique examples and lively presenting. The presentation was also rounded out by a Kahoot that quizzed the class on the 5 ways you can order main points within the body of a speech. 

If you're still holding out to see where PDA and breakfast sandwiches come into play: be patient, we're getting there. 

Why is Organization Important?

The idea that being more organized leads to success is rather intuitive. It is even more essential when speaking publicly, however, due to the fact that the point of a speech is to clearly communicate ideas to your audience

In short: the way in which you organize and present ideas plays a pivotal role in how your message is received. 

Main Points: Methods for Effectiveness

A good speech typically has 2-5 main points that form the central idea. Main points should also be distinct, with an equal amount of time devoted to each point, so no one point is overemphasized. The way we order these ideas, however, can vary depending on the situation. 

Chronological Order

In this method, ideas follow time order and are often orated as a series of events.

The timeline below provides an example.

Spatial Order

Ideas are in a directional pattern, regardless of shape. 

At this point in the presentation, the presenter introduced a controversial example that effectively illustrated this concept. This example ranked the North Shore of Staten Island as the best, the middle as second, and the South Shore as last. Although the presenter's opinion was incorrect, the example was fairly accurate, going from north to south.

Causal Order

Main ideas are arranged in a cause and effect relationship, or vice versa.

This is where the PDA example came into play. The example was that PDA is incredibly uncomfortable and if continued it could have a negative effect on the student population.

(I would include an example picture, but I don't think anyone wants that.)

Problem-Solution Order

Main ideas are arranged to present a problem and a solution.

A great example would be discussing the problem of students cutting, and proposing the solution of letting us leave. (kidding... kind of )

Topical Order

Main ideas are arranged by subtopics

And this is where the all-powerful Bacon, Egg, and Cheese (BEC) example came into play. The subtopics on a speech about BECs would include its flavor, affordability, and aesthetic appeal.

Supporting Materials

Once you have determined your main points and how they will be ordered, you can search for supportive materials to add credibility to your speech. 

Supporting materials can include examples, statistics, and testimonies.

To find useful statistics, you can use this guide: https://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/databases-of-statistical-information/

Connectives

Connectives are transitional words or phrases that make your speech sound more cohesive.

There are 4 types of connectives:

Transitions

Words or phrases a speaker uses to go from thought to thought.

Internal Previews

Notify the audience what the speaker will say next. They are more detailed than transitions.

Internal Summaries

A summary of what the speaker has just said to help the audience internalize the message.

SignPost

Very brief statements that indicate where you are in the speech 

Ex: The first cause.... the second cause... the final cause.

Reflection

Personally, the part of the presentation that stuck with me the most was the ways to order main points. They were presented enthusiastically and vividly, and the Kahoot allowed listeners to asses how much they had retained. 

This chapter is definitely important to consider when speaking publicly. The majority of time in a speech is spent on the body, and therefore it is key to learn how to be cohesive and clear.

The lessons taught in today's presentation can be applied in both formal speechmaking and in everyday conversation for more effective communication.  When we tell a story or try to convince someone, it is important to clearly organize ideas. Using concepts from this chapter would most definitely create a more clear and cohesive speech, with more pronounced results.