SPEECH
A speech is made to pass on orally a wide range of information, or to express a point of view to a large gathering of people. Writing a speech involves a lot of creativity, imagination, verbosity, knowledge of the subject and an appropriate style.
Steps in Planning a Speech
• Decide on a central message — What is the focus of your speech or the organising element of your ideas?
• Plan beforehand what is your purpose — to inform, to educate, to entertain, convince or persuade, so keep it simple by developing a central message.
• Decide upon 4 or 5 key-points
• Develop supporting evidence for each point — with stories, statistics, examples, etc.
• Think of a strong introduction and a powerful conclusion.
Steps in Writing a Speech
• Begin with appropriate title and salutation according to the target audience in front — whether it is students, teachers or a political gathering.
• Use sentences that make an immediate connection with the audience.
• Arrange your points according to priority.
• Use conversational language, as if you are speaking to a friend. Create mental stickers by using phrases from TV commercials, comics, and personal experiences.
• Emphasise your main points by using quotes, comparisons, etc.
• Develop an effective close, using a relevant poem, a message or a quote, to leave a longlasting impact on the audience.
Format
Title and by line
Introduction : Explain the topic, contemporary evidence, give the present scenario, state facts.
Body : Advantages, disadvantages, results, effects, etc.
Conclusion : Solutions /steps taken by the Government / other agencies.
Close : a quote, an appeal, etc.
SAMPLE
Mihir is an avid reader of the newspapers and other print media. He is impressed by the enormous power the press wields in present times. So he gives a speech in the morning assembly on the topic “The Role of the Press”. Write the speech in 150 words.
The Fourth Estate-Press
by Mihir
Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends,
We all agree that our morning begins with a hot cup of tea, along with the daily newspaper—it is our daily dose to carry on with confidence. A newspaper means the entire world at our doorstep and it caters to every taste. Some gorge the headlines, others glean the sports page, some wish to tickle their grey cells with crossword, ‘Bulls’ & ‘Bears’ scrutinise the share prices, business wives go through the gold prices and party-gossip, fathers of prospective brides scan the matrimonials, job-hopefuls note the schedule of walk-in-interviews, adolescents look for TV programmes, editorials are savoured by the intellectuals — the list is endless.
Newspapers and other print media, besides giving information, also have a significant role to play in the life of a nation. Its low cost makes it very affordable; its availability in many regional languages makes it a favourite among masses. Its influence on public cannot be underestimated, especially in a democratic country, and no government can resist public opinion. So its power should be used effectively, in guiding the country and not in lending sensational colour to
scandals, gossips and make even murderers look like heroes. So print media should not act like organs of political parties and present biased reports.
It can be safely concluded that press wields enormous power and the proprietors and editors should realize the responsibility in guiding a nation. A clean, truthful, unbiased newspaper can work wonders, if it enlightens the society against social evils and inspires the youth of today, towards a promising future.
Thank you
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. You are Ankit/Ankita, the Head Boy/Girl of Modern Public School, Aligarh. After your Board Exam, you will be leaving school where you spent 12 years of your life. You are supposed to deliver a farewell speech mentioning the love, affection and guidance of your teachers, friends, authorities etc. Write the speech in about 120 words. [C.B.S.E. 2011 (Term I)
2. You are Salim / Shamli. Draft a speech on the topic “The Cellphone : a Boon or a Curse” in about 120 words.
Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 10 English Speech Worksheet
