SPEECH WRITING
Class 12 Art English Grammar
SPEECH WRITING
A speech is an effective way of communicating a message to a large audience. It is one of the ways of spreading awareness regarding social issues or giving information regarding other important issues. As a form of writing a speech is similar to an article except that it begins with a formal address to the audience, is more conversational in tone and concludes with a ‘Thank you’. A speech is written for a specific purpose like informing, persuading convincing or entertaining an audience.
Types of Speeches
Speeches can be divided into the following categories: the informative speech, the persuasive speech, and speeches for special occasions.
Informative Speech
If the speech’s purpose is to define, explain, describe, or demonstrate, it is an informative speech. The goal of an informative speech is to provide information completely and clearly so that the audience understands the message. Examples of informative speeches include describing the life cycle stages of an egg to a chicken, explaining how to operate a camera, or demonstrating how to cook a side dish for a meal. The organization of the speech depends on your specific purpose and varies depending on whether you are defining, explaining, describing, or demonstrating. Informative demonstration speeches lend themselves well to the use of visual aids to show the step-by-step processes with real objects.
Persuasive Speech
Persuasive speeches are given to reinforce people’s beliefs about a topic, to change their beliefs about a topic, or to move them to act. When speaking persuasively, directly state near the beginning of the speech what is good or bad and why you think so. This is your thesis statement, which you should give early in the speech. One way to structure a persuasive speech is to use the five-part argument:
- The introduction attracts the attention of the audience, sets the tone, and describes what the persuasive speech is about. The introduction usually includes the thesis statement—the specific sentence that explains the main point of the argument.
- The background provides the context and details needed for a listener to understand the situation being described, as well as the problem or opportunity being addressed.
- Lines of argument make up the body of the speech. Here is where you include all your claims, reasons, and supporting evidence that help make your points effectively.
- Refuting objections means disproving, ruling out, and countering any potential objections before the listeners can think of reasons not to be persuaded.
- The conclusion is where you present your closing arguments. To be effective, the conclusion should restate your thesis statement and summarize the main points of your argument. If you are advocating a particular solution to a problem or a decision to be made, you should close by asking your listeners to adopt your point of view.
Format of Speech Writing
Introduction: Greet the audience, tell them about yourself and further introduce the topic.
Body: Present the topic in an elaborate way, explaining its key features, pros and cons, if any and the like.
Conclusion: Summary of your speech, wrap up the topic and leave your audience with a compelling reminder to think about!
Let’s further understand each element of the format of Speech Writing in further detail:
Introduction
After the greetings, the introduction is essential to assure your listeners that you have something productive to say. The introduction must effectively include:
- A brief preview of your topic.
- Define the outlines of your speech. (For example, I’ll be talking about …First ..Second …Third)
- Begin with a story, quote, fact, joke, or an observation in the room. It shouldn’t be longer than 3-4 lines. (For Example: “Mahatma Gandhi said once…”, or “This topic reminds me of an incident/story…”)
This part is also important because that’s when your audience decides if the speech is worth their time. Keep your introduction factual, interesting, and convincing.
Body
Your body consists of all the main points your speech is about. Prepare a flow chart of the details in a systematic way.
For example: If your speech is about waste management; distribute information and arrange it according to subparagraphs for your reference. It could include:
- What is Waste Management?
- Major techniques used to manage waste
- Advantages of Waste management
- Importance of Waste management
If you are speaking about advantages and briefly switching between points, it makes your speech look unorganized and confuses your audience.
Conclusion
The conclusion should be something that the audience takes with them. It could be a reminder, a collective call to action, a summary of your speech, or a story. For example: “It is upon us to choose the fate of our home, the earth by choosing to begin waste management at our personal spaces.”
After concluding, add a few lines of gratitude to the audience for their time.
For example: “Thank you for being a wonderful audience and lending me your time. Hope this speech gave you something to take away.”
SAMPLE
Sample 1
- Peer pressure is useful for the development of an individual. If there is no peer pressure at all then there would be no goal or aim to succeed. Write a speech on the topic -‘Is Peer Pressure Beneficial or Not?’ to be delivered on account of Children’s Day celebration in your school. (150-200 words)
Ans.
Respected Principal Sir, honourable teachers and my dear friends, on the occasion of Children’s Day, I am going to present my views on the topic ‘Is peer pressure beneficial or not?’
Peer pressure is beneficial as long as we know our limits. It is all upto us to be so strong, so firm, so unshakable and filled with conviction of not going on the wrong track.
Peer pressure is not always bad. Peers may teach you good habits and encourage you to follow them. Looking at what others do can help you bring a positive change in your way of thinking. Your peers, their choices and ways of life give you a glimpse of the world outside the four walls of your house. What they think about things in life, how they perceive situations, how they react in different circumstances can actually expose you to the world around. Being part of a larger group of peers exposes you to the diversity in human behaviour. This makes you reflect on your behaviour and know where you stand. Peer pressure can lead you to make the right choices in life.
Your peers can, thus, influence the shaping of your personality in a positive way. Moreover, it’s not pressure every time, sometimes it’s inspiration, which makes you change for good.
Thank you.
Sample 2
- Racism is bad. Anyone and everyone can be exposed to racism. Write a speech in 150-200 words on the topic ‘Racism’ to be delivered in the morning assembly of your school.
Ans.
Respected Principal Sir, honourable teachers and my dear friends, good morning!
Why must I choose whom to befriend according to the colour of their skin? Is there anything written anywhere that makes one race above another? I am going to present my views on the topic ‘Racism’ today.
I am nobody to judge other people. In fact, we all are unique in our own way and we all should be judged on our individual and personal qualities.
We have lots of people who are filled with hatred-hatred pointed especially at the colour of the skin. But where does all this hatred come from? God has never conceived hate. Did he make us different just to see hatred and war? I don’t think so. Why can’t we carry out Martin Luther King’s dream about a world in peace and without any kind of racism?
Racism works against the principle of being equal and the right of all people to be treated fairly. Hating people because of their colour or other factors is wrong. We all have to stay together and thus, we need to make the effort to embrace and accept other cultures. This can start with the simple act of friendship. Let us start today.
Thank you.
Sample 3
- The actions and behaviour of senior college and university students are a far cry from the normal, decent and civilised. It’s all the more reprehensible because even girls are subjected to indecency and vulgarity. Write a speech on the topic ‘Ragging’ in 150-200 words for your school’s morning assembly.
Ans.
Respected Principal Sir, honourable teachers and my dear friends, good morning!
Ragging deserves severe condemnation and needs to be consigned to the dustbin of discarded ideas. Today I am going to present my views on the serious issue of Ragging’
The practice has now become a source of uncivilised behaviour, which brings to the fore animal instincts of the practising youth. It deserves to be curtailed, curbed and ultimately abolished. It calls for strict action and punishment. Any mildness in this regard amounts to giving it a further fillip.
The raggers may put forth unsustainable arguments that it is meant to bring the freshers into the mainstream of campus life, that it helps in rounding up the angularities of the freshers who are awkward and uninitiated in the ways of college and university life. The supporters of ragging also hold forth that this results in understanding and mutual liking, which blooms into friendship.
On the contrary, many ragging incidents result into attempted suicides. Youngsters are subjected to unwholesome and unhealthy practics. Such actions breed hostility and a strong desire to seek revenge. The ragged youngster nurses the humiliation in mind and next year, will take it out on a newcomer. The practice, thus, continues.
Hence, it calls for condemnation and a total ban of this practise of ragging,
Thank you.
Sample 4
- You are Ashok, studying in class XI-B. You have been asked by your Principal to speak in the morning assembly on ‘The Importance of English’. Draft the speech in 150-200 words.
Ans.
Good morning, respected Principal Sir, teachers and my friends. Today, I, Ashok of class XI-B, will highlight the importance of English in today’s scenario.
English is a universal language which is now needed to be known by everyone. Without English, one feels handicapped. If you travel to any part of the world, and even to some parts of India, knowledge of English sees you through. That is why most public schools in cities are teaching in the English medium. The primary reason is that parents want their children to be fluent in English.
To get a reasonable job, it is a must to be able to write, understand and speak English, as it is the language of communication. Due to this, most of the interviews for good jobs and even admission interviews for colleges are conducted in English.
Many people wish to study or work abroad. To know the local language may be difficult and learning it would take time, but if one knows English, it comes to one’s rescue. Even the best study materials for research work are available only in English. Computers which are widely used can usually be used only with knowledge of English.
Thus, English is a must in today’s scenario.
Thank you.