Public Speaking

Chapter

11

This ChapTer Will help

You

•    Outline your speech

content in a linear form

•    Create a heading that

summarizes what you

plan to accomplish in

your speech

•    Use standard outlin-

ing features including

coordination, subor-

dination, indentation,

alternation, and full

sentences

•    Prepare note cards or a

speaking outline

•    Know how to record

your ideas using an

alternative pattern

ALTHOUGH YOU may wonder, “Why should I write an outline. I’m preparing a

speech, not writing an essay,” your instructor has good reasons for requiring you

to write out your ideas and their relationship to one another. As one student put

it in a semester after she’d taken the class:

The organizational skills I learned in communication class have been

valuable tools in several areas. Not only did learning how to outline allow

me to develop clear, focused speeches, but it also helps in organizing and

focusing papers and presentations in all my classes.

Although this chapter presents tips for creating full-sentence content out-

lines and speaking notes, experienced speakers know there’s no single way

to outline a speech correctly, and there’s no set length for an outline. Many

factors go into shaping your final product, including the type of speech, the

outlining your Speech

Diana Ong/SuperStock

Review the
chapter
Learning
Objectives
and Start
with a quick
warm-up
activity.

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