Free Classic Speeches Search! Enter Your Topic Below:

Part I: THE SPEAKING PROCESS

Chapter 1. What Do We Talk About?

No baseball player would ever try to play baseball without a bat or a ball. No swimmer would ever try to swim in an empty pool. There would not be a football game without a football.

Yet, many people attempt to speak when they lack the most essential element of speech-something to say!

The girl or boy who is chosen to give the valedictory speech usually seeks the advice of the speech teacher. However, when the teacher asks, "Well, what do you want to talk about?" the interview comes to a halt. One girl replied, "Oh, I don't want to talk about anything. I just have to give a speech." A boy replied, "I would like to talk about football, but I can't. This speech will be given at commencement."

Let us take the instance of an outstanding football player (we will call him Jim) who has been chosen to make the valedictory address, and use it as an example to show how we determine, WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT?

1. Experiences

The football player, Jim, is wrong to think he cannot talk about football because the speech will be given at commencement. Since the game has been one of his major interests for the past four years, he should plan to include references to it in his speech, rather than to leave them out.

Jim Talks About His Own Experiences

There are definite advantages in speaking from our own experiences. When doing so, we are confident that we know what we are talking about. We can easily vary and regulate the time it takes to relate the experiences, cutting it down or stretching it out as needed. We are also more alive when telling of our own experience, since, in a way, we are reliving what has actually happened to us.

Therefore, Jim may do well to begin the preparation of his speech by examining his own experiences.

What event in the last year's season impressed him the most? Was it the victory over Hamilton High in the last five minutes of the game? Or the sprained ankle suffered during practice at the beginning of the season? Or the fight that took place during the game with Tech? Each one of these incidents could supply the theme for a speech. The victory over Hamilton High could show that it never pays to give up. The injury suffered at the beginning of the season could illustrate the need for patience and the desirability of being able to wait until the right time.

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE INTERESTING IF YOU TALK ABOUT SOMETHING YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS TO HEAR.

The fight with Tech could raise the question of whether such a "free-for-all" would have occurred if everyone had been playing the game fairly.

The personal incidents in Jim's own life can easily furnish three different themes for three very different speeches.

Let us assume that Jim decides to use the incident of the fight during the game with Tech, since this has continued to worry him. Neither team was angry at the other at the beginning of the game; it was not a "grudge" battle. Both coaches had stressed time and again the need for controlling tempers, but the fight still occurred.

In talking with the speech teacher, Jim decides to build his speech on the main points of the problem: why did the fight occur, and what can be done to prevent a recurrence?

Jim will use other phases of his past experiences in formulating the speech, but, now, he is ready to search for materials, other than his own experiences, to include in his speech.

Jim Talks About the Experiences of Others

There are advantages in speaking about the experiences of others. We can only know a limited amount about a certain topic; if we are to improve our knowledge, we must consult with others and share their understanding and experiences.

People may not always choose to believe what we say, even though it is true, but often they may accept someone else's opinion. We also can become too conceited if we rely entirely upon our own opinions in giving a speech. No one is one-hundred per cent right all of the time. So, Jim can gain additional information from the experiences of others.

2. The Interview

Naturally, the other coaches and players involved in the Tech incident have been giving the matter some thought. Coaches of teams in the area might be willing to comment. Jim decides to try to gain further information by means of an interview with some of the coaches in the vicinity of his school. Four possibilities for such interviews are: (1) the coach of the Tech team, J. A. Hopkins; (2) the coach of State College, J. P. Morton; (3) the captain of the Tech team, and (4) one of the officials who refereed the game. After deciding who are the best people to interview, Jim begins to make preparation.

How to Prepare for the Interview

Correct preparation for the interview is as important as the interview itself. If the preparation is faulty, poor, or incomplete, the interview will be the same and will be a failure.

It is necessary to obtain the correct, full name of the person or persons who are to be interviewed. Find out the interviewee's title (such as President of the First National Bank or Assistant Superintendent of Schools) and the correct way to address him. Is he entitled to be called Doctor or Judge or Your Honor? If a woman is to be interviewed, it will be necessary to know whether to address her as Mrs. or Miss.

Contact the interviewee as far in advance as possible and ask for an appointment at a time that is convenient with the interviewee.

Then, become acquainted with the job of the interviewee and the topic, so that a series of questions to ask during the interview can be prepared in advance. There is nothing worse than an interviewer who does not know what to talk about or what he wants to know. He wastes the time of the interviewee, makes a bad impression, and gains no information for his own use. (This is no problem for Jim, since he already knows enough about football and the fight to prepare the specific questions he wishes answered.)

Dress neatly for the interview, and BE ON TIME!

How to Conduct the Interview

Remember at all times that the interviewee is giving of his time and knowledge and doing a favor in granting the interview; therefore, be polite, respectful of his opinions, and as brief as possible.

Avoid, if possible, feeling hurried or embarrassed. It is sometimes awkward asking a stranger a series of questions, but after the first few you will feel at ease. (Watch a few of the President's press conferences on television and notice how these questions are handled.) Ask the questions clearly, concisely, and be to the point.

It is important to avoid interrupting an interviewee. Wait until he has finished before another question or comment is interposed.

Take a notebook and write down the answers to the questions. It pleases anyone to feel that his comments are being recorded, but, even more important, you cannot depend entirely upon your memory to help recall the more important items of the interview. It will be of value to take down at least one direct quotation from each interviewee, asking him to repeat what he has said until it is recorded correctly. Be certain to record accurately any statistics and ASK FOR THE SOURCE. Where did the interviewee get his figures? Statistical information is of no value to you unless you can substantiate it.

Ask for any pamphlets, book, or references which will help you further. Take ENTHUSIASTICALLY what is offered even if you are uncertain at the time if it will be helpful. You may be wrong, and you will discourage the interviewee from looking further for information if what is given to you is not accepted.

Thank the interviewee for his time and trouble.

How to Follow-up the Interview

Common courtesy calls for you to write a short note to the interviewee, thanking him for his cooperation and help.

Check over your notes, making certain that you can accurately recall what took place and what was said. Do this as soon after the interview as is possible, before you forget what your abbreviations and cryptic notes mean. ACCURACY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE. Just as we do not wish to have our own words misquoted or misrepresented, we must take care at all times never to quote another person incorrectly.

Remember to put your notes in a safe place where they will not become lost.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO WRITE DOWN ANSWERS DURING THE INTERVIEW.

Below you will see what might have been the result of Jim's first interview.

FORM FOR INTERVIEW 1. Full name and exact title of person (or persons) interviewed ___________________ 2. Date of interview: ______________ 3. Place of interview: __________________ 4. Date of contact for interview ____________________ FIRST QUESTION: What do you think caused the fight between the Tech team and our team during the game? 1. Both teams worked up, wanted to win. This is no excuse. 2. Also showed that the boys had not been taught to obey the rules -Not enough to read rules at the beginning of the season; rules must be read at the beginning of each game. SECOND QUESTION: Do you think one team was any more to blame than the other? 1. 1. No. Referees never did say who started the fight. Everybody joined in.

3. Written Material

Following his interview, Jim decides to go to the library to find additional information to help him.

If Jim is to find this information, he must know how to use the library. (He probably knows how to use the card catalogue, but let us refresh his memory a little.)

The Card Catalogue

All books and some pamphlets are indexed in the card catalogue. They are indexed on three different kinds of cards, according to: 1) author, 2) title, and 3) subject matter. Below, a sample of each kind of card is shown. These cards are filed alphabetically in their proper place. Almost every library uses this system. Since Jim does not know the names of any books or pamphlets on his subject, or the names of any of the authors, he uses the subject cards to find the proper reference material.

Jim consults the following heads in his search for information about fair play in football: sports, athletics, ethics and football. These heads, in turn, should refer him to other "subject" cards in the catalogue, where more helpful information is listed.

As Jim locates books and pamphlets which appear of interest, he writes down the "call numbers" (or library numbers) on a card similar to the one shown below.

Reference Card

author of book or article _____________________ library no, ____________________ title of book or article _________________ publisher, date of publication, and pages References ___________________ (Be sure to record the page number of each reference so you can refer back to it.)

796.33 Antonacci, Robert Joseph, 1916-Football for young champions [by] Robert J. Antonacci and Jene Barr; illus. by Rus Anderson. McGraw 1958 159p illus (Whittlesey House publications) In this text "football is taken apart play by play. Tactics and maneu vers are denned, scoring explained, a summary history of the game is given," and qualifications for players are indicated. Both for those youngsters who will actively participate and for the intelligent onlooker," Kirkus The author card

Football for young champions 796.33 Antonacci, Robert Joseph, 1916- Football for young champions [by] Robert J. Antonacci and Jene Barr; illus. by Rus Anderson. McGraw 1958 159p illus (Whittlesey House publications) In this text "football is taken apart play by play,- Tactics and maneuvers are denned, scoring explained, a summary history of the game is given, and qualifications for players are indicated. Both for those youngsters who will actively participate and for the intelligent onlooker." Kirkus The title card

FOOTBALL 796.33 Antonacci, Robert Joseph, 1916- Football for young champions[by] Robert J. Antonacci and Jene Barr; illus. by Rus Anderson. McGraw 1958 159p illus (Whittlesey House publications) In this text "football is taken apart play by play. Tactics and maneuvers are defined, scoring explained, a summary history of the game is given, and qualifications for players are indicated. Both for those youngsters who will actively participate and for the intelligent onlooker." Kirkus The subject card

Jim examines a book and finds that it may be of some value, he checks it out of the library and compiles information cards or sheets, listing the title and author of the book; its publisher, date of publication, and library call number; and interesting references and page numbers.

The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature

In Jim's case, although there may be books dealing with fair play in football, it is more likely that useful information will be found in newspapers and magazines.

So, Jim decides to consult The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, a set of reference books which indexes magazine articles under subject headings. Each book contains articles published in a different period of time. For the greatest use, The Readers' Guide lists articles from the magazines which are the most popular or widely read. Therefore, Look magazine is indexed, but The Journal of the American Medical Association is not. Below is a sample of a portion of a page from The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. Each reference is clearly indexed, showing author's name, title of the article or story, the name of the publication in which it appeared, the date, and page numbers.

As Jim finds an article he thinks worthy of reading, he lists it on a sheet similar to the one shown below.

You will note that in using The Readers' Guide, Jim begins with an early issue and works forward until he has consulted each index to the date when he will make his speech.

FORM FOR RECORDING REFERENCES Readers* Guide ____________________________.(Name of Index) November 2, 1961 through December 4, 1961 "College football." Sports Illus. 15:72 S 25; 64- December 4, f6l. "Wonderful world of the big ten," H. Tuckner. Nation 193: 422-4 November 25 f6l. "They all laughed when we threw a pass," H. Wilner. Sports Illus. 15:E11-17 December 4 f6l. March, 1958 through February, I960 W. B. Furlong, "What Price Football?" Commonweal. 71:493-4, January 29, I960. T. Siler, "Fans expect him to win," Saturday Evening Post. 232:36, November 21, 1959

The New York Times Index

Many of the world's major magazines are indexed, but only a few of its newspapers have been indexed. In this country The New York Times has been so honored, and this index is very valuable for several reasons:

1. If we wish to look up something in our local or state papers and cannot remember exactly when the incident occurred, we can find it in The New York Times Index, get the correct date, and then refer to our local papers.

2. The newspaper gives a day-by-day account of events, whereas magazines are published weekly or often only once a month. Therefore, the newspaper presents more timely and complete information.

3. The New York Times is considered a superior newspaper and its coverage of national and international problems is excellent.

The New York Times Index is published in paperback form every fifteen days. At the end of the year, a bound volume appears. The year of reference must therefore be obtained from looking at the front of the Index; the reference itself gives only the month, day, section (if a Sunday edition), page, and column of each article. A sample from The New York Times Index is shown below.

The Education Index is much like The Readers' Guide, except that it specializes in indexing magazines and articles pertaining to schools and to teaching. It is therefore an excellent source for magazine articles on school affairs. Jim uses the same technique in consulting The Education Index that he did using The Readers' Guide and The New York Times Index.

A sample page from The Education Index is shown below. Compare the three sample pages from the three indexes, and be sure you understand how the information is listed.

Other References

There are, of course, other sources of reference material. The Congressional Record, The Index to U. S. Government Publications, The Dictionary of National Bibliography, and others may be used. Pamphlets may also be obtained by writing letters to various offices and bureaus. Below and on the following page, you will find a list of addresses where material may usually be obtained upon request. Other addresses can easily be found in the World Almanac. Your letter might read as follows:

121 Alington Street Tulsa, Oklahoma
(date)
American Unitarian Association 25 Beacon
Street Boston 8, Massachusetts

Gentlemen:

I am a student at Classens High School in Tulsa. In our speech class, each student is reporting on a religion, and I have chosen to speak on the Unitarian Church.

Will you kindly send me information concerning your church, including, if possible, its history and present membership? A self-addressed envelope is enclosed for your convenience in replying.

Sincerely yours, Roger Dubois

Addresses of Some Reference Sources

American Association for Advancement of Science
1515 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington 5, D.C.

American Automobile Association
1712 G. Street, N.W.
Washington 6, D.C.

American Youth Hostels
14 W. 8th Street
New York 11, New York

Association of Better Business Bureaus
405 Lexington Avenue
New York 17, New York

British Information Services
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York 20, New York

Education Policies Commission
1201 16th Street
Washington, D.C.

Foreign Policy Association
345 E. 46th Street
New York 17, New York

League of Women Voters of the United States
1026 17th Street
Washington 6, D.C.

Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.
8480 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles 48, California

National Federation of State High School Athletic Assoc.
7 So. Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois

National Recreation Association
315 4th Avenue
New York 10, New York

National Safety Council
425 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago 11, Illinois

Pan American Union
17th St. and Constitutional Ave.
Washington 6, D.C.

Public Affairs Press
2162 Florida Avenue
Washington 8, D.C.

4. The Field Trip

Though Jim has attempted to marshal his own experiences, and has investigated the experiences of others through interviews and the written material in the library, he is still not satisfied that he is ready to organize his speech. He needs additional information to talk about. He reads in the paper of a football clinic which will be held at nearby State College and decides to attend the sessions to learn what he can.

(TO BE COMPLETED IN ADVANCE OF FIELD TRIP, EXCEPT, OF COURSE, FOR THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.) GUIDE TO FIELD TRIP 1. Name of person extending invitation J. P. Morton. State College Coach 2. Name of institution where field trip will take place State College 3. Place to report Redder Hall 4. Time field trip will begin 1:00 P.M., Monday. April 22 First Question: WHAT DOES A COACH SAY TO A PLAYER IN THE DRESSING ROOM IF THE PLAYER HAS BEEN PUT OUT OF THE GAME FOR FIGHTING? Rock R. Swenson of Municipal High: Let the man cool off two or three days and then call him in, explain two things: a. caused his loss to team for remainder of game b. will be given one more chance to prove he has the right "stuff" in him at next game But most important of all, "Play the game fair!" Coach J. P. Morton of State: Tell boy we expect the best he has to offer, and that he didn't give best. "Good sportsmanship is part of the best, and taking a punch at someone is part of the worst."

As with the interview, it is necessary for Jim to prepare in advance for the field trip. First, he needs a small notebook so that information may be recorded systematically. Each question which Jim would like to have answered is entered on a separate page in the notebook. A sample page from Jim's notebook is given further below.

A number of steps should be taken to insure the success of the field trip. Obtain the correct, full name of the institution where the activity is centered. Record the full name of the person who extended the invitation to attend. Acquaint yourself briefly with the history of the institution and prepare in advance a series of questions. Finally, record the exact time and place where you must report for your field trip. Dress neatly and conservatively and BE ON TIME!

Summary

Now, Jim does not have to worry WHAT TO TALK ABOUT. Indeed, he should worry what not to talk about, because he has much more information than can be told in his allotted time.

His next step is to sit down and formulate an outline. The way in which this is done is discussed in Chapter 13. The result, however, of Jim's work may be seen in the outline at the end of this chapter.

Exercises

1. Assume that you have been chosen to make the valedictory address. Perform the following steps in choosing your subject and securing your information:

a. List the three main events of your past school year.
b. Choose one of these events, and draw from it the theme for a speech.
c. Interview a person concerning this incident, using the form suggested in the chapter for recording your information.
d. Go to the library and consult the card catalogue, The Readers' Guide, The New York Times Index, and The Educational Index for material relating to the theme. Record one reference from each of these sources on the form suggested in this chapter.
e. Write a letter (but do not mail it) asking for additional information on your theme, and attach it to your paper.
f. Suggest a place where a field trip could be made for additional information on your subject. Draw up three questions which you could ask on this field trip, and list them on a form similar to the one seen above.

2. Interview a business man on what he considers to be the values of speech training in high school. Record your interview on the form suggested in this chapter.

3. Take any one of the following topics and find a reference concerning it in each of the following: (a) the card catalogue; (b) The Readers' Guide; (c) The New York Times Index; and (d) The Education Index.

High School Debating Educational Television
The National Forensic League The Radio Commercial
Kennedy's Inaugural Address Theatre-in-the-Round
Shakespeare Festivals in the The Handicapped Child
United States Cerebral Palsy

4. Prepare for a quiz on the use of the card catalogue, The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, The Education Index, and The New York Times Index.

5. Locate material in your community newspaper on any one of the following subjects, by first finding the correct date of the material in The New York Times Index and then looking up that date in the files of the local newspaper:

The Admission of Hawaii to The Last United Nations
Statehood Meeting
The Latest Deep Space The Independence of the
Rocket Congo

SAMPLE SPEECH OUTLINE Theme or Title: Always Play Fair in the Game of Life Introduction The Game of Life is very much like a football game. Each player must do his best, but he cannot succeed without the cooperation of others and we must follow the rules if we expect to win* Let's take the game with Tech, for example* I. We would have won the game if it had not ended up in a "free-for-all" fight. II. Why did the fight occur? A. Cite interview with our own football coach. B. Cite interview with the captain of our team. C. Cite interview with the coach of Tech team, III. Quote from W. B. Furlongfs "What Price Football?" in relation to this game. Conclusion I. The incident never would have occurred if the players had understood the rules and accepted the Referee's decision in good grace without trying to settle the matter by force. Refer to the Rules and Regulations covering the incident, located in the Public Library. II. Cite field trip at State College: "Play the game fair." III. Life, too, offers many similar situations on the local, as well as the international, level which could be settled amicably if we follow the prin ciples of this 4-H Club: Honesty, Humility, Humor and Hope. IV. Conclude by quoting from Henry Newbolt's Vitae Lampada "Play up! play up! and play the game!"

Student Check List 1: WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT?
WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT?	Point Value	Your Score
1. Are you always ready to say something of interest if called upon to speak?	10
2. Are you always ready to say something interesting from your own personal experience?	5
3. Do you always consider what your audience might wish to hear before you speak?	10
4. If you are not sure of your fact3, do you know where to go to find them?	10
5. Do you know how to use the Public Library to locate the information you need?
A. Card Catalogue 1. Subject Card 2. Author Card 3. Title Card 4. Call Number	5 5 5 5
B. Readers Guide to Periodical Literature	10
C. New York Times Index	10
D. The Education Index	10
6. Have you ever written to an organization for information?	5
7. Have you ever interviewed someone to obtain information you need?	10
TOTAL	100

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...