1. Organizing Your Speech
Presented by:
Amine Achmoul
Hind Anajjar
Souhir Ben Abdallah
Ahmed El-Oufir

2. Chapter Outline 1. Organizing Your Main Points
1.1. Limit the Number of Points
1.2. Support Each Point with Evidence
1.3. Order Your Points Effectively
2. Traditional Patterns
2.1. Chronological Organization
Chronological Pattern
Process Speeches
2.2. Spatial Organization
2.3. Causal Organization
2.4. Problem-Solution Organization
2.5. Pro-Con Organization
2.6. Topical Organization
2.7. Choosing the Best Traditional Pattern
3. Alternative Patterns
3.1. The Wave Pattern
3.2. The Spiral Pattern
3.3. The Star Pattern
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3. Good speakers find ways to organize their thoughts and present their ideas in patterns that audiences can follow and remember. Organization draws audience’s attention, makes clear and easy your speech, and grows your credibility.
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4. Organize your main points
To organize the body of your speech you must identify a number of subcategories and patterns such as causes, solutions or chronological time. These patterns help you to determine major points and focus supporting materials under each one.
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5. Limit the number of points
By limiting the number of point, your audience will remember your speech better. This explains why your telephone number is divided in segments.
We can consider the example of a girl who tries to convince a friend of hers that “Lottery is a form of gambling that often leads to unhappiness”. In order to convince her, she uses three main parts in her speech:
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6. Support each point with evidence
To support the major ideas of a speech, and also the facts, you must use examples, quotations, numerical information, and analogies. The same person illustrates her arguments by using articles about lottery winners and arranges specific pieces of data under each main point:
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7. Order your points effectively
You must choose among a numbers of organizational patterns that will best work for your speech. You can move from the general to the specific, from the least expensive to the most costly, from the nearest to the most distant options. This organisation depends also on the audiences. ۝
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8. Traditional Patterns
Traditional patterns can help you to organize a wide variety of topics; chronological, spatial, causal, problem-solution, pro-con, and topical.
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9. Chronological Organization
Chronological pattern: is a pattern that presents points in time or sequential order. It explains what comes first and what follows concerning biographical speeches, historical events, to explain process, stages, or cycles.
Process speeches generally feature a chronological pattern.
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10. Process speech: is a speech that describes the sequences of steps, or stages that follow one another in a fairly predictable pattern, in order to describe social, psychological, personal or natural process. Let’s consider the case of baby’s first year. We can illustrate that by the following scheme:
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11. 2-2 Spatial Organization:
Spatial pattern good for speeches on location/places. (Guide, tour)
→ to be used maps + schemas + sketch
Order does not matter (top to bottom= bottom to top)
Example: instructor in human biology + geography or a constructor…. Use the special techniques to present his information.
2-3 Causal Organization:
US culture look for cause-effect pattern ( causes =→ events)
→ Causes help underlying the problem in relation to individual or society in general.
2 basic causal organizations (cause to effect or effect to cause)
Example -1- from the book:
Amusements park tragedies injure thousand people annually
I. Causes
A. Equipment failure
B. Operator failure
C. Rider behavior
II. Effect
Personal risks
Needless tragedies
Depending on the topic you choose either to start with causes or effects. ۝
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12. Problem – Solution Organization:
Problem solution pattern → 1st look at problem then examine
causes+effects then propose solution
Example -2- :
I - Prescription drugs are increasingly costly
A. Causes of problem
B. Effects of problem
II – Several solutions have been proposed
Solution 1
Solution 2
Problem solution pattern could be used in a personal, national or global level depending on the topic
Hints: when purpose of speech is informative introduce a variety of solution + then focus on one you believe is best.
Problem solution pattern for persuasive speech
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13. Pro-Con Organization
The U.S. speaker/audience explore arguments they are for or against
→ Both arguments are useful after being classified under label pro-con
Example -3-:
The Hawaiian sovereignty movement has both proponents and opponents
I. Arguments in Favor of an independent nation
A. Annexation was illegal
B. Promises in 1920
C. Statehood vote was meaningless
II. Arguments against independence
A. Hawaiian none native habitant
B. Change in current system is difficult
C. Other less drastic solution
This organization is best in informative speeches
When presenting the Pro and con the audience evaluates arguments themselves.
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14. Topical organization:
Classify the major points into topic or subdivision
Points could be arranged based on the major topic.
Example -3- :
Animal communicate for four purposes:
A. Aggression
B. Appeasement
C. Courtship
D. Identification
Choosing the best traditional pattern:
A topic can be developed in a number of ways. According to your purposes and supporting materials, you will be able to choose the most appropriate organizational pattern.
For a subject such as the Hawaiian sovereignty, many patterns can be used depending on the aspects of the subject you want to present.
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15. ۝
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16. Alternative patterns
The traditional patterns are taught in general in public speaking classes. We have another sort of patterns:
Organic patterns: alternative patterns that provide a clear speech structure in a less linear form
According to researchers, this king of pattern is used by women and ethnic speakers. Cheryl Jorgensen-Earp (1993) argues that many people are uncomfortable with the traditional patterns and that for many reasons such as cultural backgrounds or personal inclinations and interests. That is why she proposes three sorts of diagrams and pictures which actually represent these patterns: the wave pattern, the spiral pattern and the star pattern.
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17. The Wave Pattern:
This pattern is repetitive and presents variations of themes and ideas with major points
presented at the crest. Major points are situated at the crests of the waves. Each crest is followed with many examples that will lead to another crest. Then, the theme is repeated or another major point cited. However, repeating a phrase is not a requirement given that a repetitive style can be used by stating points that are similar in intensity but written in a different way.
In this pattern, two types of conclusions are available: either wind down and lead the audience gradually from the topic, or make a transition and rebuild, in order to make your final statement a dramatic peal.
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18. According to the researcher Jorgensen-Earp, this kind of pattern is often used in speeches by African Americans and women. The most famous wave pattern speech is Martin Luther King “I have a Dream”. Here, the famous speaker used this famous sentence as the crest of a wave that he followed by examples illustrating what he saw in his dream; then repeated the sentence. His final statement “Let freedom ring” can be considered as a dramatic peak.
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19. The Spiral Pattern: Free Template from www.brainybetty.com
It is a repetitive pattern with a series of points that increase in drama or intensity.
Example 1: a student was asked to talk to high school students about selecting a college. She created an hypothetical student T. whom she used in three different situations each one costing more money and taking him further from home. As she was giving her speech, she imagined a spiral pattern.
First: she placed T. in a local community college
Secondly: she sent him out of town but kept him at a public institution within the state
Finally: she chose for him a private university across the continent from his hometown
Each time, the scenario presented by the student was more difficult and more dramatic compared to the previous one. (The speech was given a spiral pattern form)
The Spiral Pattern:
The spiral pattern can also be useful for speeches on controversial topics that increase in intensity.
Example 2: Let’s consider the story of a woman who lives with a violent husband. The first time, he woman is abused verbally. The second time, she receives a black eye and a broken arm. Finally, the man beats his wife until she dies.
Here, each scene increases in tension, and the most contentious fact is presented at the final spiral.
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20. Hostile audience: begin with the most conciliatory point
The Star Pattern:
In a speech of this type, each point is equally weighted within a theme. That is to say that all the points have the same importance. The speaker must organize all his major points in the tops of the star. Depending on the audience, you will be able to choose flexibly where to start and what to emphasize. You must begin by the point you audience is most likely to understand and agree with, and then move progressively to the points that challenge the audience and appear like complicated to get.
Inattentive audience: choose the most dramatic point to begin with in order to catch their attention.
Hostile audience: begin with the most conciliatory point
This pattern’s advantage is that it allows you to adapt your speech to your audience.
There are two ways to develop the points of the speech
-state the point, support or develop it , then provide a transition to the next point
-develop each point fully and then state it
Another time, your decisions must be based on the type of audience and the nature of your points.
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21. The star pattern is formed by a thematic circle that binds all the points situated at the different tops of the star. When a speaker closes his speech, the audience must feel that the theme is fulfilled and the circle is completed.
Example: a person is presenting a seminar on investment management using the general theme of financial security. He/she chose as the main points retirement plans, medical insurance, growth investments, and global funds. The person can chose to begin with growth and global funds, and end with medical insurance and retirement plans. He/she can also start with retirement plans and end with global investments. This will depend on the audience and its own interests and personal inclinations.
The star pattern is also used during election campaigns. By using it in their speech, candidates can target specific points depending, another time, on the audience.
Something you may keep in mind is that all these patterns (wave, spiral, and star) require as much organizational planning as the traditional ones.
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22. Thank you for your patient attention!!
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23. Free Template from www.brainybetty.com