Public Speaking

ChaPter 10 Introductions and Conclusions

Who can forget the images of fifty thousand people being evacuated out of Grand

Forks? Who can forget the images of flames engulfing eleven buildings and sixty

apartment units before being extinguished? What about those hundreds of volunteers

who descended into the Red River Valley filling sand bags, trying to hold back the

torrent of water which... eventually caused 3.5 billion dollars of damage?

For a participatory question, alert the audience to the response you want. For

instance, ask for a show of hands or call on a member of the audience to answer a specific

question you pose. Here’s how Lindsey opened her persuasive speech about Walt Disney:^3

Raise your hand if you’ve been to a Disney park. Which one did you go to?

[She specifically calls on several who raised their hands to name the park or parks.]

Good rhetorical and participatory questions can help establish dialogue between

you and your listeners at the very outset of the speech because they invite audience

responses, whether mental or physical.

Provide a Vivid Description

Describe a scene—either real or imaginary—vividly enough that your listeners can eas-

ily visualize it. This opening for a classroom speech on ACL (knee) injuries in female

athletes is a good example:^4

One jump was all it took. It was the beginning of August and Kristina was already at

volleyball camp preparing for her second season on the school’s volleyball team. She

jumped up to hit a ball during a game when she heard a “pop” in her knee. She had

torn her ACL, which meant she could not participate in volleyball that year.

Begin with a Quotation

A quotation or a familiar cultural proverb, either about a subject or, for a biographi-

cal speech, by the subject, is a good way to gain attention. Choose a short saying that

captures your overall theme—preferably a quotation that is familiar or from a familiar

source—and cite that source. International student Zhen Li began his speech on exer-

cising with this quotation from a famous American president:^5

John F. Kennedy said, “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a

healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”

Consider song lyrics, poems, scriptural or literary texts, family sayings, or words by

a coach or teacher as sources for memorable quotations. You can access thousands of

quotations on sites found on your online resources for this text.

Use an Audio or Visual Aid

Photographs, charts, short audio or video clips, and other visual and audio materials also

successfully draw attention to your topic. Students have used visuals to gain attention in

the following ways:

•   Abby played harp music in the background as she introduced her subject, music

thanatology—the practice of using music as part of end-of-life care. You can read her

outline in Appendix B.

•   Alex led into her subject of sleep deprivation with a short video clip of a student

sleeping during a class.^6

•   Tessa brought her actual English riding saddle and pointed out the difference

between that saddle and the more familiar Western saddle to gain attention to her

topic of show jumping.^7

•   Josue began his speech on pay for Division I athletes by drawing attention to his tee

shirt; he turned around to show images of Division I football games on the back.

Although he had paid good money for the shirt, the athletes who were pictured did

not receive one cent.^8

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