Structuring your speech
Introduction
When preparing to make a speech, speakers should think about how they will structure it.
In many ways, structuring a speech is like structuring an essay.
Learning objectives
- To aid general communication skills
- To highlight the importance of structuring a presentation
- To show the importance of the audience during a presentation
Start with your introduction
Speeches start with a brief introduction. This should include a preview of what the speaker is going to say and what their partner is going to say (or recapping what their partner has already said).
The introduction tells the judges and the audience what the speaker is going to say during their speech.
The main arguments
After introducing the ideas, a speaker should highlight two or three main arguments (see Making arguments REAL).Conclusion
After the substantive material, speakers should conclude their speech, briefly telling the audience and judges what they have said and why their side wins the debate.
These three elements are sometimes known as the Rule of Three:
- Say what you are going to say
- Say it
- Say what you have said
The rebuttal
As well as this, in a debate, all speakers, except the first proposition speaker, should introduce rebuttal into their speech (see Rebuttal techniques). Although different speakers use rebuttal in different ways, for new speakers it is often useful to build their rebuttal into their speech after the introduction and before the main arguments of their case.
Why is a good structure so important?
Judges and audiences find a well-structured speech easier to listen to. Unlike someone reading a magazine article, a judge or audience member in a debate cannot flick back to a previous section if they miss something a speaker is saying.
A good structure helps an audience to focus on a speech.
A well-structured speech is something quite different from a scripted speech. Debaters should do their best to use notes as a guide rather than a script. Although this may sound difficult, it is actually easier and it helps speakers become more convincing and confident public speakers over time.
Structuring a speech and structuring arguments helps a speaker to focus on:
- keeping the audience’s attention
- explaining their arguments in such a way that the audience can comprehend them
- providing signposts so that the audience can keep track of where the speech is going.
An example of a speech structure
Here is a possible speech structure for the proposition speaker arguing the motion ‘This house would abolish school uniform’.
Introduction
The speaker introduces who they are and what they and their team are going to be arguing. Announce the two or three main topics.
Definition
The speaker introduces a definition (ie saying what the debate is about). All other speakers in the debate must attempt a rebuttal (See Rebuttal techniques).
First main argument – Individuality
The speaker introduces the first main argument group that they will focus upon. This will involve bringing in the arguments that ‘pupils should have the right to express individuality’ and ‘making everyone wear the same thing infringes human rights and stifles creativity'.
Second main argument – Functionality
This introduces the second main argument group that the first speaker will focus upon. This will involve bringing in the arguments that ‘school uniform is unfashionable’ and that it is ‘unpleasant, uncomfortable and impractical’.
Conclusion
The speaker summarises what they have put forward by going over the main arguments again.
The next step is for the speakers to structure their individual arguments (see Making arguments REAL).
Teacher notes
How to assess progress
- Do the pupils understand the process of structuring a speech?
- If asked why structuring a speech was important, could the pupils explain why?