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Chapter 15
Delivery
Goal: To effectively practice and present a speech
Overview: This chapter discusses speaking apprehension and effective speech delivery. It
covers the physical elements of effective delivery and the characteristics of a conversational
delivery style. It suggests ways to overcome nervousness, especially via thorough
preparation. The chapter ends with a discussion of the criteria that can be used to evaluate
speeches.
Learning Outcomes
15-1 Employ strategies to effectively manage public speaking apprehension
15-2 Identify the characteristics of an effective delivery style
15-3 Use your voice to convey effective delivery style
15-4 Use your body to convey effective delivery style
15-5 Select an appropriate delivery method for your speech
15-6 Engage in productive rehearsals
15-7 Adapt appropriately as you deliver your speech
15-8 Evaluate speech effectiveness
Key Terms
Accent
Adaptation phase
Animated
Anticipation phase
Articulation
Audience contact
Cognitive restructuring
Communication
orientation
Confrontation phase
Conversational style
Delivery
Extemporaneous speech
Impromptu speech
Intelligible
Monotone
Motivated movements
Nonverbal immediacy
Pauses
Performance phase
Poise
Pronunciation
Public speaking
apprehension
Public speaking skills
training
Rehearsing
Scripted speech
Speaking notes
Spontaneity
Systematic
desensitization
Visualization
Vocal expression
Figures and Tables
Figure 15.1 Phases of Public Speaking
Figure 15.2 Cognitive Restructuring
Figure 15.3 Timetable for Preparing a Speech
Figure 15.4 Alyssa’s Speaking Notes
Figure 15.5 Speech Critique Checklist
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Chapter Outline
Action Step 5
Practice oral language and delivery style
I. Public speaking apprehension: the level of fear a person experiences when anticipating
or actually speaking to an audience
A. Symptoms and causes
1. Symptoms vary from person to person
2. Symptoms include physical, emotional, and cognitive reactions
3. Anticipation phase: the level of anxiety you experience prior to giving the speech
4. Confrontation phase: the surge in your anxiety level you feel as you begin your
speech
5. Adaptation phase: the gradual decline of your anxiety level that begins about one
minute into the presentation
B. Management techniques
1. Techniques for reducing apprehension
a. Communication orientation motivation (COM): having a communication
orientation (a chance to talk with people about what you care about) rather
than a performance orientation (impressing the audience with a show)
towards public speaking
b. Visualization: used to reduce apprehension by helping speakers develop a
mental picture of themselves giving a masterful speech
c. Systematic desensitization: a method that reduces apprehension by gradually
having you visualize increasingly more frightening events
d. Cognitive restructuring: systematically replacing negative self-talk with
positive self-talk
i. Identify your fears
ii. Determine whether these fears are rational
iii. Develop positive coping statements to replace each negative self-talk one
iv. Incorporate the positive coping statements into your life
d. Public speaking skills training: the systematic practice of the skills associated
with preparing and delivering an effective public speech with the intention of
improving speaking competence and reducing public speaking apprehension
II. Effective delivery style
A. Use a conversational style when presenting a speech so that your audience feels you
are talking with them, not at them
B. Be animated when speaking
III. Use of voice
A. As a public speaker, you can achieve a conversational and animated delivery style by
varying your pitch, volume, rate, and quality in ways that make you more intelligible
and expressive
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B. Speak intelligibly: be sure listeners can understand you
1. Articulation: using the tongue, palate, teeth, jaw movement, and lips to shape
vocalized sounds that combine to produce a word
2. Pronunciation: the form and accent of various syllables of a word
3. Accent: the articulation, inflection, tone, and speech habits typical of the natives
of a country, region, state, or city
C. Use vocal expressiveness: using a variety in pitch, rate, volume, emphasis, and
pause
1. Don’t be monotonous
2. Use pauses effectively
IV. Use of body
A. Appearance
1. Consider the audience and the occasion
2. Consider your topic and purpose
3. Avoid extremes
B. Posture: the position or bearing of the body
C. Poise: graceful and controlled use of the body
D. Eye contact: look at the audience
1. Helps the audience concentrate
2. Bolsters ethos
3. Helps you gauge audience reaction
E. Facial expressions: for public speakers, effective facial expressions can convey
nonverbal immediacy by communicating that you are personable and sincere
F. Gestures: movements of your hands, arms, and fingers that describe and emphasize
what you are saying
G. Movement: motion of the entire body
V. Delivery Methods
A. Impromptu speeches are delivered with only seconds or minutes of advance notice
B. Scripted speeches are prepared by creating a complete written manuscript and
delivered by rote memory or by reading a written copy
C. Extemporaneous speeches are researched and planned ahead of time, although the
exact working is not scripted and will vary from presentation to presentation.
D. Thanks to technology, public speeches today may be delivered in both face-to-face
and virtual environments. Technology also makes it possible to record public
speeches and watch them again and again
1. Adapt your speech to address multiple audiences
2. Adapt your speech to account for unintended audiences
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3. Choose presentational aids carefully
4. Become proficient with technology
5. Employ the fundamentals of effective public speaking
VI. Rehearsing: practicing the presentation of your speech aloud
A. Preparing speaking notes: develop a keyword outline of your speech including hard-
to-remember information or quotations and delivery cues
B. Presentational aids must be handled well to avoid problems
1. Plan carefully when to use visual aids
2. Carefully consider audience needs
3. Position presentational aids and equipment before beginning your speech
4. Reveal a presentational aid only when talking about it
5. Display visual aids so that everyone in the audience can see them
6. Reference the presentational aid during the speech
7. Talk to your audience, not to the presentational aid
8. Resist the temptation to pass objects through the audience
C. Rehearsing and refining delivery
1. First practice
a. Tape (audio or video) yourself giving your speech
b. Read through your outline before delivering the speech and then put the
outline out of sight and practice the speech using only note cards
c. Mimic actual speech conditions
d. Write down the time that you begin
e. Begin speaking
f. Write down the time that you end and calculate the length of the speech
2. Analysis
a. Listen to or watch your tape
b. Check your outline
c. Consider changes to improve your speech
3. Second practice
a. Immediately follows analysis and first practice
b. Make adjustments
4. Additional practices
a. Practice twice and then put the speech away for the day; it is possible to
over-rehearse
b. Consider practicing right before bed
c. The number of times you should practice depends on many variables
D. Even when you’ve practiced your speech to the point that you know it inside and out,
you must be prepared to adapt to your audience and possibly change course a bit as
you give your speech
1. Be aware of and respond to audience feedback
2. Be prepared to use alternative developmental material
3. Correct yourself when you misspeak
4. Adapt to unexpected events
5. Adapt to unexpected audience reactions
6. Handle questions respectfully
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VII. Evaluating speeches
A. Content: speech goal, high-quality information, variety of developmental material,
appropriate visual aids, adaptation
B. Structure: introduction, conclusions, meaningful points, clear transitions
C. Delivery: language clarity, vividness, emphasis, enthusiasm; vocal expressiveness,
fluency, spontaneity, eye contact, pronunciation, articulation, poise, posture,
gestures
Technology Resources
Body Motions and Audience Attention
http://www.presentation-pointers.com/showarticle/articleid/17/ To explore how body
motions affect audience attention during a speech, go to the Presentation-Pointers site and
read the article “Capture an Audience’s Attention: Points on Posture, Eye, Contact and
More” by Marjorie Brody. Presentation-Pointers.com is a site that features many articles
about how to give effective speeches.
Visualizing Your Success
http://wadsworth.com/communication_d/templates/student_resources/0534646972_verder
ber/activities/ch02/activity1.html Try out this visualization exercise. It features a recorded
and printed script that can help you manage your anxiety as your prepare to deliver your
speech.
Movies
Elizabeth (1998)
Rated: R (Violence, sex, nudity)
Synopsis: The year is 1554, and Queen Mary, a Catholic, is the reigning monarch. She is
afraid that her younger sister, Elizabeth, has plans to overthrow her and take over the
crown, and so has Elizabeth jailed in the Tower of London. However, Mary dies soon after,
and Elizabeth becomes queen. In the first several months of her reign, she faces incredible
difficulties—enemies who want her dead, a lack of funds in the country’s treasury, and a
weak military.
Questions for discussion
1. The scene in which Elizabeth practices her big speech exemplifies the struggle that many
people have prior to speaking. What elements of the speech is she focusing on while
practicing?
2. What suggestions would you make to Elizabeth about her rehearsal session? Are there
any tips she could have used to improve her speech?
Executive Edge: Presentation Skills (1998)
1. What tips and suggestions does this video have for managing speaking anxiety?
2. How might a business presentation differ from a classroom presentation?
3. How does the video suggest you can create a conversational quality and appropriate
bodily actions?
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Malcolm X (1992)
Rated: PG–13
Synopsis: This biographical picture of Malcolm X follows life as a small-time gangster
through his transformation into a minister in the Nation of Islam and a controversial leader
of the Black Nationalist movement.
Questions for discussion
1. What oratory conventions does Malcolm X use in his address to Harlem residents?
2. How does Malcolm X use his body and facial expressions to reinforce his message and
increase the persuasiveness of his arguments?
Broadcast News (1987)
Rated: R (Profanity, sex and nudity, alcohol/drugs/smoking)
Synopsis: Aaron Altman is a talented correspondent who asks his boss for a chance to read
the network news on national television. His boss finds an opportunity for him but asks
Aaron to practice beforehand with his rival, an anchorman known for his smooth delivery.
Aaron reluctantly agrees, collects some tips, and then faces challenges during his big debut.
Questions for discussion
1. What changes does Aaron make after practicing? Do you notice the effect of his practice
time in his final broadcast?
2. How does Aaron’s nervousness manifest itself during his delivery? Does it affect the
content of his broadcast, the style, or both?
3. Compare the text of Aaron’s speech with his delivery.
Other Media Resources
1. How to Practice a Speech
http://jillbremer.com/articles/presentation-skills/how-to-practice-a-speech/
2. Overcoming Speaking Anxiety in Meetings and Presentations
http://www.businessknowhow.com/manage/spanxiety.htm
3. Information on James McCroskey’s scholarship on speech apprehension
http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/
Diverse Voices
“Mommy, Why Does Raj Talk Funny?”
by Raj Gaur ABD, University of Kentucky
I grew up in India. In my home we spoke Hindi, but from the time I began school at 5 years
old, I was also taught English. So, by the time I was 14 years old I was fluent in English—at
least what I thought of at the time as English. Ten years ago, I came to the United States
and have since learned that the English I speak is somewhat different from the English that
is spoken here in the United States. These differences sometimes make it difficult for me to
be understood by some Americans. You see, the English I learned as a child is a nativization
of English that might more accurately be called “Indian English.” What is nativization?
Nativization is the unconscious process of adapting a foreign language so it conforms
to the linguistic style and rhetorical patterns of the native language spoken in a particular
culture. Since the primary purpose of language is to create shared meaning, it is not
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surprising that over time the new language gets modified in ways that make it easier for
members of the new cultural group to communicate about experiences that may be unique
to their cultural experiences. You are familiar with the ways American English differs
between regions and among groups within the United States, as well as differences between
British English and American English. If there are differences among native English
speakers, imagine what happens when a cultural group like Indians whose native language
is Hindi adopts English as a second language! As you would probably expect, they adapt
English by using some of the grammar, syntax, and pronunciation rules that characterize
their first language, as well as by adopting some of the rhetorical and idiomatic expressions
that they use in their mother tongue. It’s not that Indians consciously decide to make these
changes. Rather, the changes simply occur as the new language, in this case English, is
used in everyday conversations with other Indians.
Today, more people speak English as a second language than speak it as a native
language. So it is not surprising that we can talk about British English, American English,
West Indies English, Asian English, Indian English, and so forth. While the same basic
English grammar and vocabulary are taught worldwide, the English spoken by many of us
who use it as a second language is not exactly the “educated” English we were taught in
school. So the Indian English that was commonly spoken in my neighborhood when I was
growing up was modified to use some of the grammar, syntax, and pronunciation rules of
our primary language, Hindi.
Before I came to the United States, most of the people I knew spoke English just like
I did and I had no problem understanding them or being understood by them. So imagine
my consternation when after arriving in the United States some of my American colleagues,
professors, and students had trouble understanding me when I spoke. What made this
particularly interesting was that I didn’t seem to have as much trouble understanding others
or being understood when I wrote in English. Rather, it was when I spoke that I got
quizzical looks and repeated requests to repeat myself.
What I now understand is that there are major differences between the way certain
words are pronounced by those speaking American English and those speaking Indian
English. Some of these differences are due to the rules each type of English uses for
accenting the syllables within a word. All words are made up of what linguists call
phonemes. These are basic sound units like “pit,” “bit,” “can,” “plor,” etc. When two or more
phonemes are combined, they form words with one or more syllables. So the word that is
spelled “m-a-r-b-l-e” has two syllables made up of two phonemes, “mar” and “bel.” In
American English, which phonemes are accented depends on each phoneme’s position
within a word—the syllable in which it occurs, not the phoneme itself. So a phoneme like
“pho” may be accented in some words but not in others. For example, in the word photo the
“pho” is accented and the “to” is not, while in the word photography the “pho” is not
accented. In American English, as a general rule, words with more than one syllable
alternate between accented and unaccented syllables. So if the first syllable is accented the
second is not and vice versa. But in Hindi, whether a particular syllable is accented or not
depends on the phoneme itself. Some phonemes always receive an accent and others do
not regardless of their position in a word. So in Indian English, the phoneme “pho” is
pronounced the same whether the speaker is using the word photo or photography. If you
speak American English, you are used to hearing “pho·tog′·ra·phy′ ” but when I pronounce
it in Indian English, I say “pho′·to·graph′·y.” If you’re an American English speaker and you
hear me say this, you may not understand me or may think, “Oh he just mispronounced
that word.” But to me, your pronunciation sounds just as strange because in India, that is
how we pronounce the word.
Now consider how the American English rules for accenting every other syllable and
the Indian English rules that require phonemes to carry the same stress accent regardless
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of their syllable placement result in spoken language patterns that are radically different
from each other in their cadence. Cadence includes both rhythm and intonation. American
English sounds more rhythmic because of the every-other-syllable accent pattern, while
Indian English sounds more arrhythmic. Since accented syllables are generally given
emphasis by increasing the volume of the voice, Indian English and American English also
differ in intonation patterns. So when I give a lecture or talk with an American, the manner
in which I accent phonemes will make my English sound very different than what my
American listeners are used to hearing. As a result, they sometimes have trouble
understanding what I am saying.
There are also syntactic differences between Indian and American English. You will
recall that syntax is the rules of a particular language for how words are supposed to be put
together to form complete ideas. The syntactic issue that I have struggled most with is the
use of articles (a, an, the, etc.). In Hindi, we may or may not use articles and this practice
also guides our Indian English. So an Indian English student may say, “I go to university in
city of Mumbai,” rather than “I go to the university in the city of Mumbai. Another syntactic
difference that is common to speakers of Indian English is to form questions without using
an auxiliary verb (do, should, can, must, etc.). In Hindi, auxiliary verbs are not required
when forming an interrogatory sentence. So in Indian English I may ask, “I know you?”
rather than “Do I know you?” or “I finish it?” rather than “Should (or Can or Must) I finish
it?”
Nativization of English can also be perceived at the idiomatic level when I attempt to
express Indian sensibilities and Indian realities to my American friends. To clarify, as a
speaker of Indian English, I sometimes exploit the syntactic structures of the language by
directly translating Hindi idioms to English. For example, I might say “wheatish complexion”
in Indian English to mean “not dark–skinned, tending toward light.” Or I might use the
phrase “out of station’” to mean “out of town,” which has its origins denoting army officers
posted to far-off places during the British rule. Indians also commonly substitute “hotel” for
“restaurant,” “this side” and “that side” for “here” and “there,” “cent per cent” for “100
percent,” and “reduce weight” for “lose weight.”
Rhetorical devices—for instance, metaphors, similes, allusions, and hyperbole—make
speeches more interesting. Metaphors and symbols that are unique to Indian experience—
Indian mythology, flora and fauna, social customs, localized attitudes and behaviors—
provide a basis for some unique stylistic devices in Indian English. So, in a routinely used
expression “Himalayan blunder” for “grave mistake,” the size of Himalaya is used as a
metaphor to convey the gravity of mistake. The use of Gandhi (who is often referred to as
Mahatma meaning the “Great Soul”) as an allusion to “the great soul” is also very common
in Indian English. The use of (the river) “Ganges” and “cow” as metaphors for pure is also
very commonplace and unique to Indian English.
Any one of these English adaptations might not pose problems, but taken together
they make the brand of English that I speak very different from that of my American
friends. Indian English has evolved over a long period of time and English is now integrated
into much of Indian culture. English is taught in schools, business is conducted in English,
and English is used in government dealings. Nonetheless, the English of Delhi is not the
English of London, or Berlin, or New York, or Lexington, Kentucky. And I find it ironic that
after living in the United States for nearly ten years now and struggling to be understood by
Americans, my friends in India now complain about my English too. They say it’s too
American!
Sources: Don’t care for Nano or No-No: Mamta. (2009, March 23). Hindustan Times.
Retrieved March 23, 2009, from http://www.hindustantimes.com; Kachru, Braj B. (1992)
The Other Tongue: English Across Cultures. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press;
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Kachru, Braj B. (1986). The Alchemy of English: the Spread, Functions, and Models Of Non-
native Englishes. Oxford: Pergamon Press; Guj riots a national shame, not IPL going
abroad: PC. (2009, March 23). The Financial Express. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from
http://www.expressindia.com; Patrolling intensified in sea, on shores in Tamil Nadu. (2009,
March 23). Press Trust of India. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from http://www.ptinews.com;
Wiltshire, C. & Moon, R. (2003). Phonetic stress in Indian English vs. American English.
World Englishes, 22(3), 291-303; Zardari is 5th biggest loser in world: Foreign policy
magazine. (2009, March 23). NDTV. Retrieved March 23, 2009, from http://www.ndtv.com.
Discussion and Assignment Ideas
I. Identify stereotypes associated with specific accents. Brainstorm examples of speakers
who contradict these stereotypes. Ask yourself, for whom do I have an accent? What is a
possible stereotype associated with my accent?
II. Quotes: These can be used to introduce topics, questions perspectives, or gain
individual opinion. Providing students with a quote and prompting them to write or
reflect on their personal feelings about the quote can help to spark discussion and
interest. Suggested prompts may include “Define this concept in your own words”; “Do
you agree with this statement? Explain”; “What text material can be used to support or
refute this idea?”
If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if
I may not have it at the beginning.
—Mahatma Gandhi
Think you can, think you can’t; either way you’ll be right.
—Henry Ford
The only difference between novices and pros is that pros have taught their
butterflies to fly in formation.
—Edward R. Murrow
Proper prior planning prevents poor performance.
—unknown
III. Describe a time when nervousness energized your performance (e.g., on a test, at a
sporting event, in a relationship). Describe a time when nervousness hindered your
performance. How did you feel afterward?
IV. When have you used visualization to accomplish a task or athletic activity in the past?
How can you use visualization to help you present your speech? What other techniques
have you used in the past to address nervousness? How could you apply these
techniques to help with your speech apprehension?
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Sample Informative Speeches
This section presents two sample informative speeches prepared by students in an
introductory speaking course. Videos of both speeches are available at
www.cengagebrain.com
“Understanding Hurricanes”
Adapted from a speech by Megan Soileau from the University of Kentucky
1. Review the outline and adaptation plan developed by Megan Soileau in preparing her
speech on hurricanes.
2. Then read the transcript of her speech.
3. Use the Speech Critique Checklist from Figure 14.3 to help you evaluate this speech.
4. Write a paragraph of feedback to Megan, describing the strengths of her presentation
and what you think she might do next time to be more effective.
Adaptation Plan
1. Key aspects of audience. Because audience members have probably seen television
coverage on hurricanes but don’t really know much about them, I will need to provide
basic information.
2. Establishing and maintaining common ground. My main way of establishing
common ground will be by using inclusive personal pronouns (we, us, our).
3. Building and maintaining interest. I will build interest by pointing out how hurricanes
even affect the weather in Kentucky and by using examples.
4. Audience knowledge and sophistication. Because most of the class has probably not
been in a hurricane, I will provide as much explanatory information as I can.
5. Building credibility. I will build credibility through solid research and oral citation of
sources. Early on, I’ll mention where I live on the Gulf Coast and the fact that I have
lived through several hurricanes
6. Audience attitudes. I expect my audience to be curious about hurricanes, especially
since Hurricane Katrina received so much media attention. So I will give them
information to help them become more knowledgeable about them.
7. Adapt to audiences from different cultures and language communities. Because
hurricanes occur on coasts all over the world, I don’t need to adapt to different cultures
or language communities. However, I will consider how to make the topic relevant to
people who do not live on a coast.
8. Use presentational aids to enhance audience understanding and memory. I will
use several PowerPoint slides to highlight the effects of hurricanes.
Speech Outline: Understanding Hurricanes
General purpose: To inform
Speech goal: In this speech, I am going to familiarize the audience with the overall effects
of hurricanes: how they work, ways they affect our whole country, and the toll they have on
the people who live in their direct paths
Introduction
I. Think about a time you’ve been absolutely terrified (whether it was by a person, event,
or situation) and all you wanted to do was go home and be with your family and friends.
Now imagine the feeling you might have if you were that afraid, but you had no idea if
your home would even be there when you arrived.
II. This is the reality for many people living on the coastlines of the United States.
Hurricanes affect the lives of those living in their direct paths, but they can also cause
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spin-off weather that affects the entire country.
III. I have lived about 45 minutes from the Gulf Coast of Texas my entire life and have seen
and experienced the destruction caused by hurricanes firsthand, especially in the past
three years. (Slide 1: Picture of hurricane that hit my hometown last year)
IV. Today I’d like to speak with you about the way hurricanes work, the ways they affect
our entire country, and most importantly, the toll they have on the people who live in
their direct paths.
Body
I. To begin, let‘s discuss how hurricanes form and the varying degrees of intensity of them
so we can be better informed when we watch news broadcasts and read newspaper
reports about them.
A. Several basic conditions must be present for a hurricane to form.
1. According to award-winning Discovery Communications Web site
HowStuffWorks.com, hurricanes form “when an area of warm low pressure air
rises and cool, high pressure seizes the opportunity to move in underneath it.”
This causes a center to develop. This center may eventually turn into what is
considered a hurricane.
2. The warm and moist air from the ocean rises up into these pressure zones and
begins to form storms. As this happens, the storm continues to draw up more
warm moist air, and a heat transfer occurs because of the cool air being heated,
causing the air to rise again.
3. “The exchange of heat creates a pattern of wind that circulates around a center”
(the eye of the storm) “like water going down a drain.
4. The “rising air reinforces the air that is already” being pulled up from the surface
of the ocean, “so the circulation and speeds of the wind increase.”
B. Classifications of these types of storms help determine their intensity so we can
prepare properly for them.
1. Winds that are less than 38 miles per hour are considered tropical depressions.
2. Tropical storms are winds ranging from 39 to 73 miles per hour.
3. And lastly hurricanes are storms with wind speeds of 74 miles per hour and
higher.
4. When storms become classified as hurricanes, they become part of another
classification system that is displayed by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
a. Hurricanes are labeled as Categories 1–5 based on their wind-intensity level
or speed. (Slide 2: Hurricane scale chart)
b. Hurricane Ike was labeled differently at different places. (Slide 3: Map
showing the different places Ike was labeled in the different categories)
Transition: Knowing how and where hurricanes occur help us determine how our daily
lives, even here in Kentucky, may be affected when one hits.
II. A hurricane can affect more than just those living in its direct path, and these effects
can actually be seen across the country in terms of the environment and the economy.
A. Hurricanes affect wildlife in negative ways.
1. According to the Beaumont Enterprise on October 7, 2008, the storm surge of
Hurricane Ike brought up to 14 feet of water in some parts of the Southeast.
2. Dolphins were swept inland with the surge and then, when the waters flowed
back out to sea, dolphins were left stranded in the marsh.
3. Some were rescued, but not all. This dolphin was rescued from a ditch. (Slide 4:
Dolphin being rescued)