Chapter 10 Style and Delivery
Chapter Objectives
Define nonverbal communication and list the elements it includes.
Explain the relationship between nonverbal communication and tone.
List the two primary foci of the study of body language.
Explain how gesture and body movement can help or hinder one’s message.
Describe how a speaker’s appearance could be noticed by an audience.
Explain the matching approach to dress and grooming for public speaking.
Lecture Outline
I. Nonverbal Communication and Tone
A. Learning objectives
1. Define nonverbal communication and list the elements it includes.
2. Explain the relationship between nonverbal communication and tone.
B. Speech is the meeting place of the body and language, typically understood as
meaningful, vocal expression.
1. Speech includes nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication
encompasses all the ways in which we communicate in addition to, in opposition to, and
independent of the spoken word.
2. Nonverbal communication incorporates touch, physical proximity, and body
language. It relates to how something is said.
a) Tone refers to the emotional quality or character of human expression; in
public speaking, tone references the feelings of the speaker as they are expressed
in delivery. (See the box “Elocutionary
Movement” for the historical importance
of tone.)
b)
Tonework references the labor of the speaker to craft, control, or change
the expression of feeling in public speaking.
II. Body Language
A. Learning Objectives
1. List the two primary foci of the study of body language.
2. Explain how gesture and body movement can help or hinder one’s message.
B. Vocalics
1. Vocalics is the study of the nonverbal character and expressiveness of the human
voice. This includes pitch, volume, and speed of your voice. See the table “Vocalic
Elements” for tips on improving your nonverbal communication.
2. Avoid verbal fillers such as “um” or “like” in your speech. These are “vocalized
pauses” and distract from your speech.
3. Voice projection refers to the way in which speakers use the strength of their
voice to control volume and express confidence in a speaking situation. It is important
that the audience can hear what you are saying.
4. When speaking with a microphone, keep in mind that all sounds you make are
louder than your natural voice.
a) Preform a sound check before your speech to adjust the volume and
prevent feedback.
b)
Feedback refers to the unpleasant sound created when an audio input is
too close to an output (e.g., a loudspeaker).
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c)
Most importantly, never say anything when your microphone is on that
you would not want the whole room to hear.
5. The vocalics you use for your speech are based on the audience, the venue, and
your background (e.g., at a formal event, your vocalics should be formal). Be aware of
your personal accent and dialect. See the box “From Where You Say It: Feeling Accents
and Dialects” for a discussion on vocalic diversity.
a)
An accent refers to the way in which a person’s speaking voice can
indicate class allegiance or place of origin.
b)
A dialect, on the other hand, references forms of language—
pronunciation, idioms, slang, and so forth—that are particular to a geographic
region.
C. Hands, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
1. Be aware that your body language does not always match what you are saying.
a)
High-context cultures identify more with body language, while low-
context cultures rely more on what people are saying.
b)
To prevent misunderstanding when speaking to another culture, study the
body language norms of that culture. See the box “High Context and Low
Context Cultures” for more information.
2. Improve your body language while giving a speech by practicing speaking in
front of a mirror or watching a video of yourself giving a speech. You can also focus on
certain aspects body language.
a)
Gesture. Gesture refers to the movement of the head, hands, or arms to
communicate an idea or a feeling. Only use gestures when they are appropriate
and natural. Moving around or walking is another good gesture. (However,
pacing or moving too much will distract the audience.)
b)
Facial expression. As listeners, we generally focus on the eyes,
eyebrows, and mouth of the speaker. In general, smiling during a speech is seen
as a gesture of goodwill.
c)
Eye contact. Depending on the culture, eye contact can indicate sincerity,
trust, or inappropriateness. In public speaking, scan the back of the room. This
will indicate that you are speaking to the entire audience. It helps to find people
who are very interested in your speech (someone in the front, back, and sides).
See the box “Creating the Illusion of Eye Contact” for an in-depth explanation.
III. . . . And A Good Pair of Shoes: Grooming and Dressing to Speak
A. Learning Objectives
1. Describe how a speaker’s appearance could be noticed by an audience.
2. Explain the matching approach to dress and grooming for public speaking.
B. The first thing the audience will do is assess your appearance.
1. Try to match your clothes and grooming with the event.
2. The general rule is avoid standing out from the crowd! If you stand out, the
audience will be preoccupied with your outfit.
3. There are two basic ways your appearance is noticed:
a)
If you appear unkempt and slovenly, the audience will believe you do not
care.
b)
If your dress and grooming style is unusual or flashy, the audience will
be distracted by your outfit.
4. Use contextual reasoning to figure out what to wear for your speech.
a)
A good rule of thumb is to dress similar to how the audience will be
dressed.
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b)
There is one important caveat to this matching approach to speaking
fashion: make sure to dress one step up.
c)
Pay particular attention to the shoes you decide to wear. Some audience
members will assess your personality based on your footwear.
Key Terms
Speech: the meeting pl ace of the body and language , t ypically
understood as m eaningful, vocal
expression.
Tone: the em otional quality or character of hum an expr ession; in public spe aking, tone referenc es the
feelings of the speaker as they are expressed in delivery.
Tonework: t he labor of the speaker to craft, contr ol, or change the expres sion of feeli ng in public
speaking.
Vocalics: the study of the nonverbal character and expressiveness of the human voice.
Verbal fillers: Phrases us ed to fill pauses in your speaking, suc h as “ums” or “ahs” or the ubiquitous
“you know” and “like.” Also known as “vocalized pauses.”
Voice projec tion: the way in which s peakers use t he strengt h o f their voice to contr ol v olume and
express confidence in a speaking situation.
Feedback: t he unpleasant sound created when an audio input is too close to an output (e.g., a
loudspeaker).
Accent: the way a person’s voice sounds and how that person pronounce words.
Dialect:
can refer ence both an acc ent and cert ain turns of phrase, speaking sty les, and grammatical
conventions particular to a community, class allegiance, or geographical region.
Gesture: the movement of the head, hands, or arms to communicate an idea or a feeling.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 10: Style and De livery covers the essentials of how to u se voice and body language eff ectively
when speaking before an audience. This chapter does not address speech content but rather how a speaker
presents the content.
Both verbal and no nverbal communication are expl ored. Advice is given on verbal delivery regardin g
tone, voice projection, clear sp eaking, and avoidan ce of verbal fillers. When it co mes to nonverbal
communication or body language, the chapter discusses the importance of dressing appropri ately for the
type of speech and speaking situation. Speakers are encouraged to use gestures, ey e contact, and facial
expressions to help the audience feel more co mfortable and at ease with the speaker. This chapter al so
introduces the terms tone, tonework, vocalics, feedback, accent, and dialect.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some of the ways that delivery or body communication can contradict the message or spoken
word of a speech? What is the impact of the contradiction? Explain your answer using ideas from the
chapter and examples to illustrate your points.
A: Mixed messages confuse audiences and make them question the speaker. There are many
points of discussion; guide students to reflect on the importance of rehearsal and preparation to
ensure polished delivery and limit mixed messages.
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2. The chapter states that proper attire is “dressing one step up” from the audience and adding a good pair
of shoes. How does this statement apply to proper dress for giving speeches in different college settings
(in a speech class, for a final project in another class, for a campus organization)? Explain your answer
using examples and ideas from the chapter.
A: The answers should vary depending on the situation the student chooses to describe and the
3. Pretend that you are an executive speech trainer hired to coach international CEOs. (Or, perhaps,
pretend that you are a CEO on an extended international business trip and you have hired a local coach to
train you.) As an expert, you are aware that audiences can have biases toward listeners with different
accents, dialects, and styles. How would you coach your client to speak in the U.S.? Explain your answer
by using ideas from the chapter and illustrating with concrete examples.
A: The chapter talks about fitting in vs. standing out. Students should discuss appropriately
4. Communication scholars suggest that even though many countries have elected a woman to serve as
head of state, the U.S. has yet to elect a woman president due in part to gender and image politics. Some
research shows that listeners rate men as more credible than women, and audiences care more about
women’s appearances and delivery than about men’s. Do you agree or disagree that gender plays a role in
how women are evaluated as speakers? Defend your answer with ideas from the chapter and illustrate
with examples.
A: Although there are many examples and topics students can draw from, the conversation should
Activities for in-class work or homework
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1. Student example speech evaluation: delivery
In this activity, students evaluate a sample student speech using a course assessment tool to link
assignments and content clearly. Before showing the video, go over the assignment sheet with the
students to make sure they understand the criteria. When students complete this activity using a rubric,
they can envision their own work process and imagine how they will evaluate their peers. Also, if
assessments are aligned with the course, this activity should help instructors identify where students
struggle to connect the rubric to the speech. For instructors who prefer evaluations that are less structured,
one-point rubrics are helpful (Google one-point rubric for examples).
This discussion prompt can be modified to many delivery formats and many activity structures,
depending on class time, format, composition, and chemistry.
Dan Janis, “Young Love”: search “dan janis young love speech.”
Discussion Prompt:
Now a reality TV producer, Dan Janis presented this speech in a student speech competition.
How well do you think he delivers this speech? Does his “tonework” enhance or distract from his
message? Support your answer with examples from the speech and ideas from the chapter.
2. Evaluate the speaker’s delivery in a TED Talk.
Following the directions in Question 1, students evaluate the conclusion of polished speaker.
Will Stephen’s TED Talk “How to Sound Smart in a TED Talk” lacks content but is well delivered. The
speech demonstrates how what you say is more important than how you say it. It also makes fun of how
formulaic TED Talks have become.
Will Stephen, “How to Sound Smart in a TED Talk”: search “will stephen how to sound smart in your
tedx talk.”
Discussion Prompt:
Will Stephen’s presentation “How to Sound Smart in a TED Talk” makes fun of the TED Talk formula.
How well do you think the speaker manages his “tonework” and his style in order to promote his
message? Defend your answer by applying criteria from the rubric, using ideas from the chapter, and
3. Improv game: speech translator
Students rehearse vocalics by performing a speech version of the improv game called the “Poet
Translator.”
For a brief description from Improv Encyclopedia: search “improv encyclopedia poet translator.”
The Speech Translator improv game: Similar to the poet translator, the Speech Translator replaces poems
with speeches. The speaker is a foreign dignitary addressing the audience and the interpreter translates. If
desired, a timer can be used to pace speaking rounds.
Encourage students to work on loudness, vocal variation, gesturing, use of space, etc., even while they are
being silly.
Directions:
1. Divide students into groups of four members. In each group, two students will be audience
members, one will be the speaker, and one will be the interpreter.
3. Give each group a handful of speech topics on index cards.
4. In each group, the first card is turned over so that all members know the topic. The speaker
begins saying the speech in gibberish while emoting expressively and pausing for the interpreter.
During pauses, the interpreter translates the speech for the audience.
Debriefing:
4. Exploring stereotypes about voice
Accents and dialects can function as noise that prevents audiences from listening to a speaker. Balancing
audience adaptation with an expectation that audiences give fair hearing is a challenge for speakers.
Novice speakers are often concerned with fulfilling the ideal form
of “being articulate,” but
simultaneously judge peers for failing to live up to
this ideal. Having students explore the history of
American accents can raise interesting discussions about delivery and audience adaptation.
This activity can be structured to fit most class formats.
Explain to students that Broadcast English, which we consider “Good English” today, is fictional and it
originated with Mid-Atlantic English. Have students read the article from
The Atlantic called “The Rise
and Fall of Katharine Hepburn’s Fake Accent” as homework or an in-class reading. According to the
article, many characteristics of standard American English and Broadcast Standard English came from
Mid-Atlantic English, an accent invented for Hollywood. As Hollywood shifted from silent film to
talkies, actors took voice lessons from a prominent coach who fabricated the Mid-Atlantic accent. The
article includes movie clips with Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn to illustrate. Other similar
articles can be found by Googling history of Mid-Atlantic accent. This activity is an extension of some of
the discussion questions.
Writing Prompt:
After learning that the famous Mid-Atlantic accent is fake, what are your thoughts about “being
articulate” as
a speaker? In other words, in your opinion how important is it that a speaker adapt
to expectations about vocalics? Defend your answer using ideas from the chapter and provide
examples to illustrate your points.
5. Practice and deliver a brief speech.
Possible speeches:
Summary of a movie or book
Teaching Tips
1. One way to give students frequent opportunities to improve delivery is by incorporating delivery into
2. Recent emphasis on neuroplasticity, growth mindset, and resilience as part of student success
3. Chapter 10 refers to cultural differences in eye contact and other nonverbal forms of communication as
they affect delivery. Certain types of eye contact demands from instructors can also contribute to ableism
4. For online classes, an LMS quiz or test function can generate random speech topics for impromptu
speeches. Create a question pool of any kind of question. Each question is just the speech topic. If
students get to pick from three topic choices, then create a quiz of three random questions from the pool.
When the students take the quiz, the questions they receive will be their topic options.
Student Activities from Josh Gunn
DELIVERING DR. SEUSS
American illustrator and author Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904–1991) because a household name because of
his beloved children’s books, which remain popular today. Many of Dr. Seuss’s books, such as Green
Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat, are among the best-selling children’s books of all time, and are
unique because of the clever rhyming and rhythm of the writing. For this activity, either you or your
instructor should bring a number of Dr. Seuss books to class. Taking turns, read the books aloud to your
classmates to practice various elements of vocalics, such as volume, pitch, articulation, pronunciation,
rate, and modulation. Try reading too fast or too slow; see who among you can deliver the most dramatic
or sad reading.
READING FASHION
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professionally, with attention to detail on expensive jewelry and brand-name clothes]. With a classmate,
examine the way these people appear and attempt the following:
1. Draw three columns on a piece of paper and give each person a name. In each column, first describe
how each person is groomed and what each is wearing. Then systematically discuss what these
descriptions signify to you. What does each element of their appearance mean? How might an audience
“read” the appearance of each of these potential speakers?
2. Based on the appearance of each potential speaker, what kind of audience do you think each one would
be addressing? Why?
Content Presentation Ideas
1. Article Oral Summary
The goal of this assignment is to practice oral delivery techniques while presenting a simple speech.
Assignment Instructions
2. How-to Speech
The goal of this assignment is to practice oral delivery techniques while presenting a simple speech.
Assignment Instructions
3. Evaluating Speech Delivery Techniques
For this assignment, you will be showing six videos total: two videos from political leaders, two from
TED Talk speakers, and two from student speakers. You should be able to find examples of each by doing
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simple Google searches, or you can search for them directly from YouTube. Have students take notes
More Resources
1. Roger Love is a professional voice coach to many celebrities. His TED Talk is about the power of
3. History professor Dierdre Clemente studied how “dress casual” evolved from mid-twentieth-century
college student attire: search “ivy style inventing informality.” An article in The Atlantic traces the
4. As an alternative to analyzing Will Stephen’s TED Talk, students could view Jamila Lyscott’s TED