Description:
Students need to understand that how they say something and how they physically present themselves are just as important as what they say. By understanding the dynamics involved in effective persuasive speaking, students will improve their overall confidence in communicating.
Objectives: Students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the appropriate classroom public speaking and listening skills (e.g., body language, articulation, listening to be able to identify specific examples of the speaker's coordination of talking and action) that would be necessary to influence or change someone's mind or way of thinking about a topic.
2. Define the elements of persuasion.
3. Recognize the elements of personal credibility.
4. Develop methods to analyze other students' speeches.
5. Understand outlining main ideas.
6. Create a persuasive speech.
The Voice And The Body Are The Best Tools.
Everyone has done it all their lives. Every time someone enters a conversation, he or she engages in elementary persuasion techniques. The goal of this speech is to change someone's mind or way of thinking about a topic. There are several important aspects of presentation to keep in mind; the academic elements of persuasion are:
- Body Language - Make sure that we have a proper posture. If our shoulder are sagging and our leg are crossed, we will not appear as being sincere, and people just will not accept their message.
- Articulation - Articulation means how our total vocal process works. There are several steps to this entire process. First, we need air from the lungs, our vocal cord in our larynx must be working, our mouth and tongue must be in sync, and we have to make sure that we have got some saliva in our mouth to keep things oiled. We should be aware of our physical make up to be able to understand how we speak.
- Pronunciation - We must avoid slang, except to make a point, and not slur the words. We must avoid saying, "you know."
- Pitch - Pitch refers to the highs and lows of the voice. Whatever we do, we must avoid a monotone!
- Speed - The speed, or pace, is an important variable to control. Between 140-160 words per minute is the normal pace for a persuasive speech. Any faster and we may appear to be glib; any slower and we sound like we are lecturing. If we are not sure about our speed, tape for one minute and then replay it and count the number of words we used in the minute!
- Pauses - The pause, or caesura, is a critical persuasive tool. When we want to emphasize a certain word, just pause for one second before; this highlights the word. If we really want to punch it, pause before and after the word!
- Volume - Volume is another good tool for a persuasive speech, but we should use it with caution. If we scream all the way through we speech, people will become accustomed to it and it will lose its effectiveness. On the other hand, a few well-timed shouts can liven up the speech! We must try to "project" or throw our voice out over the entire class - or speak to the last row.
- Quality - Quality of voice is gauged by the overall impact that our voice has on our listeners. Quality of voice is the net caliber of our voice, its character and attributes. We must try to keep the vocal quality high; it is what separates our voices from everyone else's.
- Variance - Variance of vocal elements is the most important consideration of all! Even if we have no desire to run for political office, we can still use the tools of variance. Try to change our pitch, volume, and speed at least once every 30 seconds, if only for just one word. Never let go more than one paragraph without a vocal variance. If we use the word "strangle," say it with a hint of menace in our voices. If we say the word "bulldozer," make it sound like a titan earthmover, not like a baby with a shovel.
