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Academic Communication for Advanced Secondary Schools Participating in oral presentations

Things to consider in preparing and giving a speech
There are three essential things to consider if one wants to prepare and deliver a good
speech: the audience, the message and the delivery modality. The audience are the
target listeners. The speaker should consider the people’s interests, levels of education,
socio-economic status, age, professional backgrounds (occupations), political affiliations,
ethnicity, marital status and religious beliefs, among many others. One needs to adopt
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effective strategies to meet the audience’s expectations.
The message is what is said in a speech. Speakers should know what kind of message
they are planning to deliver. They should ask themselves whether the message or topic
is relevant to the audience. Usually, the topic should be relevant to the occasion or event.
Indeed, the speech designed for Heroes Day in Tanzania would not be appropriate for
Independence Day. The mismatch between the message and the event leads to faulty
communication, as the audience does not understand how you are making such a speech.
It is also essential to ensure you have collected and organised all the materials you need
for the speech to be effective.
Modality of delivery refers to the way the speaker will be speaking. One should select
the best possible strategy or technique. The speaker’s stress and intonation need to be
audible enough. Delivering a speech is not like reading a novel or telling a bedtime
story to children; the speaker’s stress and intonation must be appropriate. The
speech should not be flat and monotonous but vary according to shifts in the focus of
information or ideas. Speakers should, therefore, devise effective strategies to make their
stress and intonation appropriate. Speakers can also enhance their speech delivery by
employing language devices such as similes, metaphors, proverbs, sayings, repetition,
irony, sarcasm and hyperbole. Speakers can also make their speeches attractive and
effective by providing facts, statistics, humour (jokes), making allusions (historical,
religious, political, etc.) and using appropriate words. Other paralinguistic features like
gestures and facial expressions of different kinds add value to a speech.

Another crucial thing to consider is the setting or occasion where you will make the
speech. Speaking in an open space is different from speaking indoors. Even in the latter,
there are differences in venues. Speaking in a small, closed room requires different
preparation from speaking in an auditorium. Considering all these things when preparing
to make a speech is crucial.

Exercise 3�7

1. Why is it important to consider the audience, message, and delivery modality
when preparing and delivering a speech?
2. How do you know the appropriate tone for your speech or presentation?
3. What style should you strive for when making a speech presentation? How can
you craft that kind of style?
4. What are some of the stylistic devices which you can use while making a speech?

34 Student’s Book Form Five

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