speech important why

Career Tips , Choosing a Job , Higher Education News , Tips for Online Students

Why Is Public Speaking Important? Because It’s Useful

Updated: June 5, 2024

Published: February 9, 2020

Why is public speaking important? The reason is that everyone encounters a situation where public speaking skills are necessary. It could be at work, school, or in your personal life. Whether you are looking for tips on conquering stage fright, looking to improve your public speaking skills, or trying to motivate others on the importance of public speaking, we have all the info you need here. Find out all the benefits of public speaking below.

Public Speaking Definition

According to Merriam-Webster , public speaking is “the act or process of making speeches in public,” or “the art of effective oral communication with others.”

Everyday Public Speaking

Public speaking for the everyday person is still extremely important. Public speaking has many benefits in everyday life and can be grouped into the following categories:

1. Informative Speaking:

This type of speaking is the most common and happens to most people daily. It involves speaking in order to inform others, or get information out. This can be academic or professional knowledge, but can also be to report your progress on a project, or tell someone how to use something.

2. Persuasive Speaking:

Public speaking will often be in order to persuade others. This can be in a debate or formal speech, but can also be minor persuasions such as going to a place you choose for lunch. Persuasive public speaking is a very valuable skill to have.

3. Entertaining Speaking:

Public speaking for entertainment is used for award ceremonies, wedding speeches, comedy sketches, poetry reading, and much more. The purpose of this type of public speaking is to entertain the audience, instead of merely informing.

Why is Public Speaking Important?

Photo from  pexels, 1. win over your crowd.

No matter the crowd in front of you — whether at a social gathering, business meeting or large audience at a conference — being able to speak publicly is a very important asset. With public speaking skills and experience, speakers are able to captivate the interest of their listeners and keep them interested in order to deliver the message.

2. Motivate Others

Public speakers motivate their listeners to make a change. It could be to stop or start something, try something new, or reach their goals. Public speaking is important because the speaker can motivate others to go in the direction they wish, and the speaker can motivate others to be their best selves.

3. Inform People

When you have information to share, you don’t want it to be portrayed in a boring way. You want people to listen! This is done with public speaking skills. Inform people about something that matters by using great public skills and they will be sure to listen and be more likely to understand the information.

Benefits of Public Speaking In Your Life

Photo by  christina morillo  from  pexels, career benefits.

If you’re currently working in sales, the benefits of public speaking are many. You can reach for higher sales goals, get more customers and make more sales with public speaking skills.

2. Career advancement:

When you are a good public speaker, you will be more comfortable in interviews , be better able to sway others in your favor, and convince your boss to give you a promotion.

3. Stand out in the workforce:

Most will avoid speaking up and putting themselves in the spotlight at work, but with public speaking skills you have the confidence to do so!

4. Bring people together:

Within your company or on your team, public speaking is a way to bring workers together. When many people feel confident in public speaking, workers will speak their mind and collaborate better together.

5. Become a thought leader:

A thought leader is someone that people go to for ideas, consult on problems, and more. Being a good public speaker makes you that person and will get you ahead in your job when people know they can come to you.

Make New Social Connections

1. Find supporters:

When you practice public speaking, you are championing for others or a cause, and you will find a tribe of supporters to surround yourself with. These will be people who are like-minded or who share your values.

2. Get comfortable in social settings:

Public speaking allows you to relax in a group situation or when the spotlight is on you. This will make you more comfortable around people and easier to make connections.

3. Increase your professional network :

As you speak in more public settings such as work events and conferences, you will undoubtedly meet other speakers in your field, as well as audience members who are interested in what you have to say.

Developing Leadership Skills

If you want to do well and get ahead in school or your career, leadership is part of the equation. As a leader, you will have many public speaking opportunities.

1. Good speaker = good leader:

Most of the great leaders in human history were also great public speakers.

2. Good leader = opportunities:

As a good leader, you will be given more opportunities in social settings, your career, and other aspects of life.

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Photo by  startup stock photos  from  pexels, 1. boost confidence.

Public speaking repeatedly is a great boost of self confidence. Every time you speak, you gain a bit more confidence as you see your ideas and yourself were well-received by your audience.

2. Personal Satisfaction

Being able to speak in front of a crowd is a huge accomplishment. The first time can be very nerve-wracking, but coming out on the other end of the speech is a huge win! After the first time, you will keep getting better and better at public speaking and will get great personal satisfaction from this skill.

3. Critical Thinking

When preparing and conducting a speech, you also increase your critical thinking skills by working through problems, imagining positive and negative consequences, and finding solutions.

4. Improve Communication Skills

When you practice public speaking, you are practicing both verbal and nonverbal skills — and both will improve. The more you speak out, the better you get at communication . Public speakers are better overall communicators in all facets of life.

5. Learn to Argue

Presenting an argument in a formal setting will help you in informal settings as well. Public speaking helps you form better arguments, and you can increase your arguing skills even more through public speaking by engaging in Q&A with your audience.

6. Be a Better Listener

Attending conferences as a speaker means you will also listen to other speakers. As you listen to other speakers, you will have a greater appreciation and understanding of their material and craft, as a speaker yourself.

Public Speaking Helps You Drive Change

Photo by  denniz futalan  from  pexels.

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to get your message across. With public speaking, you can influence the world around you. If you see something that needs to change, use public speaking to change it!

• Make the difference:

Every public speaking opportunity you come across is a time to spread you influence for the greater good.

• Reach people fast:

Instead of waiting for your message to spread by word of mouth, social media , or print media, put it in front of a huge audience and you’ll instantly inspire many.

• Your message comes to life:

Written information is useful in some cases, but when you really want to make a difference in the world, you need to campaign for your cause and the best way to do so is to get it to come to life with public speaking.

How to Get Better at Public Speaking

Writing the speech.

1. Be prepared:

When you are comfortable, you are confident. Write a good speech that makes sense to you and that you are prepared to deliver.

2. Research the topic:

When you have thoroughly researched the topic, you will feel more confident when writing and delivering the speech.

3. Outline or write it out?

When you write out an entire speech, it will be easier to memorize as it can be stored word for word in your memory. The downside is that it could sound robotic and you risk reading it straight from the page. When you write an outline for a speech, it may sound more natural and you can glance at your outline as you. However, it is more difficult to rehearse and some people feel less confident with only an outline in front of them. It all depends on what you prefer.

Overcoming Your Stage Fright

Photo by  mentatdgt  from  pexels.

Fear of public speaking is a common one, but it can be overcome. Use these tips to help you overcome the fear:

1. Read your speech out loud:

Even if it’s just to yourself, reading it aloud will help you work out any hiccups and have you feeling confident with your voice.

2. Practice in front of a group:

Don’t just practice in the mirror or with a friend. To get over a fear of speaking in front of a crowd, try to practice in front of a small group first.

3. Should you picture the crowd in underwear?

The answer is, probably not. Even though this is common advice to get you to relax, it can be distracting. The best thing to do is to make eye contact, but if that starts to make you nervous, pretend the crowd is not there and just look straight ahead.

4. Pump yourself up:

Whatever gets you going before a test or a game, the same applies here. Listen to your favorite music on the way, or go for a run in the morning.

5. Use the power of knowledge:

When you know both your speech and your topic inside and out, completely by heart, you will have the confidence to focus on delivery and staying relaxed in front of others.

Things To Remember As You’re Giving The Speech

1. eye contact:.

Know your speech well so that you can maintain eye contact with the audience. This is important to engage them and make yourself more personable.

2. Move your view:

Make sure to move your eye contact around the room. Slightly shift your body or head at times towards a new direction if the crowd is large.

3. Talk, don’t read:

Try to talk to your audience as if you are inviting them into your thoughts. Do not read your speech word for word off the paper.

4. Your voice is a tool:

And people need to hear it! Make sure you are speaking loud enough so that you are heard.

5. Body language:

This is another important tool for public speakers. Try recording yourself so you are aware of your body language and fix any fidgets you find on the recording.

When you are good at it and practice often, the benefits of public speaking are many. Being an excellent public speaker is important for your career, social life, personal development , and for making a change in the world.

Each time you speak, you get better and better. So get out there and make your voice heard!

Related Articles

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Student Opinion

Why Is Freedom of Speech an Important Right? When, if Ever, Can It Be Limited?

By Michael Gonchar

• Sept. 12, 2018

This extended Student Opinion question and a related lesson plan were created in partnership with the National Constitution Center in advance of Constitution Day on Sept. 17. For information about a cross-classroom “Constitutional Exchange,” see The Lauder Project .

One of the founding principles of the United States that Americans cherish is the right to freedom of speech. Enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of speech grants all Americans the liberty to criticize the government and speak their minds without fear of being censored or persecuted.

Even though the concept of freedom of speech on its face seems quite simple, in reality there are complex lines that can be drawn around what kinds of speech are protected and in what setting.

The Supreme Court declared in the case Schenck v. United States in 1919 that individuals are not entitled to speech that presents a “clear and present danger” to society. For example, a person cannot falsely yell “fire” in a crowded theater because that speech doesn’t contribute to the range of ideas being discussed in society, yet the risk of someone getting injured is high. On the other hand, in Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969, the court declared that even inflammatory speech, such as racist language by a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, should generally be protected unless it is likely to cause imminent violence.

While the text and principle of the First Amendment have stayed the same, the court’s interpretation has indeed changed over time . Judges, lawmakers and scholars continue to struggle with balancing strong speech protections with the necessity of maintaining a peaceful society.

What do you think? Why is the freedom of speech an important right? Why might it be important to protect even unpopular or hurtful speech? And yet, when might the government draw reasonable limits on speech, and why?

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

• Health & Disease
• Living World
• Physical World
• Food & Environment
• Climate Change
• Coronavirus
• Disease Update
• Story Behind a Picture
• Building Bodies
• Special Report: Reset
• The Working Life
• Newsletter Signup
• Privacy Policy

LAYOUT MENU

CREDIT: SHAW NIELSEN / THEISPOT

Speech is both a physical and a mental act. Efforts to explain why humans are the only primates to have developed it have long focused on anatomy of voice and hearing. Now, scientists are looking to the brain.

Why speech is a human innovation

Many animals have the equipment for spoken language, but only people have all the right neural connections

By Tom Siegfried 02.21.2019

Support sound science and smart stories Help us make scientific knowledge accessible to all Donate today

Except for various cartoon characters, the Geico Gecko and Mr. Ed, animals can’t speak. Yet they have a lot to say to scientists trying to figure out the origins of human language.

Speaking isn’t the only avenue for language. After all, linguistic messaging can be transmitted by hand signals. Or handwriting. Or texting. But speech is the original and most basic mode of human communication. So understanding its origins ought to generate deeper comprehension of language more generally. And a first step toward that understanding, cognitive scientist W. Tecumseh Fitch believes, is realizing that key aspects of vocal language are not, as traditionally contended, limited to humans.

He’s not talking about a TV-show horse, of course, or animated narrators of insurance advertisements. Fitch’s point is that many creatures from the real-world animal kingdom offer clues about how the capacity for speech came to be.

It’s true that humans, and humans alone, evolved the complex set of voice, hearing and brain-processing skills enabling full-scale sophisticated vocal communication. Yet animals can make complicated sounds; parrots can mimic human speech and cats can clearly convey that it’s time for a treat. Many animals possess an acute sense of hearing and are able to distinguish random noises from intentional communication. So even though only humans possess the complete linguistic package, the components of language ability “have very deep evolutionary roots,” says Fitch, of the University of Vienna. In fact, he suggests, just a handful of changes in the communication repertoire of humankind’s ancestors endowed people with the full faculty of language.

Much of the physiological apparatus for hearing and speaking is found in all land-dwelling vertebrates — the tetrapods — including mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. “Humans share a significant proportion of our basic machinery of hearing and vocal production with other tetrapods,” Fitch writes in the Annual Review of Linguistics .

Life-forms occupying numerous branches of the tree of life possess anatomical tools for producing and perceiving vocal communication. Where human ability exceeds our predecessors, Fitch says, is the sophistication of the brain circuitry adapted to the uniquely human capacity for complex linguistic expression.

Historically, language experts have proposed anatomical explanations for human’s special language facility. Just as the opposable thumb permitted tool use, some authorities theorized that the lower location of the voice box in the vocal tract enabled the articulation of meaningful sounds. Or the human hearing apparatus, encompassing hair cells and eardrum and three little bones, provided the discerning ear capable of interpreting nuanced vocalizations. But in reviewing the scientific literature, Fitch finds that speech’s structural subcomponents, used for producing vocalizations and perceiving patterns in those sounds, have appeared in multiple organisms over evolutionary time.

Among primates, only humans can learn to produce novel vocal sounds, but that difference isn’t explained by anatomy — the basic structure of the human voice box and vocal tract is similar to that found in other mammals. Cartilage and muscle within the vocal folds of the voice box (or larynx) give mammals better control over vocalizing than other vertebrates. Fleshy tongues and lips are also mammalian features that aid in speech production.

CREDIT: CLAUS LUNAU / SCIENCE SOURCE

The ear’s sensory hair cells, which convert sound vibrations into nerve impulses, go back as far as jellyfish, for instance. Genes instrumental to producing the hair cells are similar in insects and humans.

In some cases, a particular trait evolved independently in different lineages. But often a trait evolved once and then was passed down through a long line of descendants. Such “homologous” traits “provide the equivalent of a time machine allowing us to reconstruct an evolutionary sequence of ancestral forms,” Fitch notes. Independently arising traits, on the other hand, provide data points helpful for testing evolutionary hypotheses. Combined, the homologous inherited traits and the independent analogous traits have produced deep and novel insight into speech’s evolutionary origins.

Among the tetrapods, mammals evolved much more sensitive hearing, able to cope with a wider range of frequencies and therefore more able to process nuances of vocalizations. Humankind’s primate ancestors, for instance, possessed highly capable hearing ability. “There is nothing about the human ear that is strikingly different from that of other primates,” Fitch writes. “Our peripheral hearing apparatus was in place, in our primate ancestors, in essentially modern form long before we evolved the capacity for speech.”

But perhaps successful speech perception required “vocal tract normalization” — the ability to recognize the same words spoken by different voices (such as a child versus an old man). Humans are not, however, alone in that ability, either. Zebra finches trained to recognize vowels when listening to a male voice can still make the distinction when the speaker is a woman.

Maybe the key human-only skill is the ability to figure out which of the world’s many complex sounds are vocal efforts to communicate. In the part of the human brain that responds to sounds (the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe), some of the circuitry is specialized for voices as opposed to other sounds. But such voice-specific circuitry also exists in nonhuman primates and perhaps even dogs. “The data lead to the conclusion that the primate auditory system had already evolved to a ‘speech-ready’ level of sophistication long before spoken language evolved in our species,” Fitch writes.

If hearing skill isn’t the source of human linguistic power, maybe the human-only aptitude for speech lies in the ability to produce it. Nonhuman primates can make vocal noises, but unlike in Planet of the Apes movies cannot articulate the nuanced sounds of speech. But it’s not obvious why not, as the basic blueprint for the human vocal tract has been around for 70 million years and is shared by most mammals. Even the lower position of the voice box — the descended larynx — is not exclusively human. And that anatomical adjustment isn’t necessary for complicated vocalization, anyway. Experiments have shown that some primates have vocal tracts capable of ample vocal agility.

“An unmodified primate or mammal vocal tract would be perfectly adequate to produce intelligible spoken language,” Fitch writes.

By studying clades — groups of species related by a common lineage of descent (simplified tree shown here) — scientists can compile clues about the evolution of speech. Many aspects of human speech and hearing, for instance, rely on features found in all tetrapods, a clade that includes mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Of particular interest are homologous and analogous traits. All mammal species, for instance, have three middle-ear bones, a homologous trait inherited from a common ancestor. Neural connections between parts of songbird brains important for vocalization may be analogous to neural connections between speech-related parts of human brains; those connections evolved independently in different lineages but may both be important for speech production.

Besides all that, parrots and many other bird species, some bats and even elephants can mimic vocal sounds. So humans’ distinctive speech can’t depend solely on vocal production ability. Considering all the evidence, the vocal and auditory skills of various animals tell a tale of multiple preludes to the human speech story. That tale reveals that humans acquired speech not via anatomical innovation for vocalizing and hearing, but by novel neural connections that control the anatomical hardware.

After all, speech requires more than producing and perceiving sounds. A speaker’s brain must decide what sounds to produce and issue instructions for producing them to the body’s vocal apparatus. And a listener’s brain must be able to decode auditory signals it receives and then issue commands for a vocal response. People are skillful at producing sounds in response to other sounds — it’s why you can repeat a word out loud after the first time you hear it.

Such controlled vocalization of a word is different from just making noise. Most animals possess neural circuitry for producing “innate” vocalizations: Dogs bark, squirrels chatter and seagulls squawk. Even humans have their own innate vocalizations, including crying, laughter and screams. But among primates, only humans have the “capacity to produce novel, learned vocalizations beyond the innate call repertoire,” Fitch notes.

Today the dominant hypothesis explaining that ability is the presence of special connections between brain regions involved in controlling speech and hearing. Innate calls — in humans and all other mammals — are initiated by direct signals from the brain stem. Indirect messaging from the cortex (the brain’s more advanced outer layer) enables voluntary suppression or production of innate calls. Unlike other animals, humans possess direct connections between nerve cells in the cortex and the nerve cells that control the muscles operating the larynx. Some apes and monkeys have direct connections from cortex to the muscles controlling the lips and tongue, but not to the muscles controlling the larynx. (Circuitry connecting the auditory cortex to the motor cortex also seem more extensively developed in humans.)

Evidence supporting the view that such direct neural connections explain human speech comes from other species that can “talk,” such as parrots and songbirds that can learn novel vocalizations. These species do have direct neural connections to their voice-generating apparatus, while non-vocal learning birds don’t.

Underlying the evolution of the brain circuitry responsible for human speech skill are genetic modifications that remain largely mysterious.

Among primates, it seems that only humans possess direct connections (shown at left) from the part of the brain that controls motion to nerve cells in the brain stem (black dot) that control the larynx muscles responsible for vocalizing sounds. Shown at right: Other primates as well as humans possess nerve connections (dashed line) between brain areas involved in language (Broca’s region) and hearing (auditory cortex). But human brains have more fully developed additional connection pathways (blue and red lines) that researchers hypothesize play key roles in producing and processing speech.

“The genetic underpinnings of … [neural] connections involved in human vocal control are virtually unknown,” writes Fitch. But genetic analyses of ancient organisms and testing DNA found in fossils is an emerging research field. “Thus, genetic data perhaps provide the most promising and exciting empirical pathway for future research on the biology and evolution of speech.”

As Fitch notes, speech is not the whole story of human language. Vocal communication is a central feature, but language encompasses much more, as linguist and neuropsychologist Angela Friederici pointed out at a recent meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

“Language is more than speech,” said Friederici, director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, in Leipzig, Germany. “Speech … uses a limited set of vowels and consonants to form words. Language, however, is a system consisting of words … and a set of rules called grammar or syntax to form phrases and sentences.”

Nonhuman primates can learn the meaning of individual words, she notes, but aren’t capable of combining words into meaningful sequences of any substantial length. That ability also depends on circuitry connecting different parts of the brain, current research by Friederici, collaborators and other scientists is now showing.

Understanding that circuitry depends on comparing the cellular architecture and nerve fiber tracts of the human brain with the brain of animals with lesser linguistic power. So in a way, scientists may be able to ask animals for clues not only to the evolution of speech, but to language skills more generally as well. Sort of like going straight to the source and asking the horse.

10.1146/knowable-022019-1

Tom Siegfried is a science writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area. He writes the Context blog for Science News and is at work on a book about the history of the multiverse.

Stay in the Know Sign up for the Knowable Magazine newsletter today

Share this article

Support Knowable Magazine

Help us make scientific knowledge accessible to all.

TAKE A DEEPER DIVE | Explore Related Scholarly Articles

The Biology and Evolution of Speech: A Comparative Analysis

Analyzing hearing, vocalization ability and sound processing in various animals offers clues to the evolution of humans’ capacity for sophisticated speech.

Knowable Magazine is available for free. But we need your support.

Thank you for your interest in republishing! This HTML is pre-formatted to adhere to our guidelines , which include: Crediting both the author and Knowable Magazine; preserving all hyperlinks; including the canonical link to the original article in the article metadata. Article text (including the headline) may not be edited without prior permission from Knowable Magazine staff. Photographs and illustrations are not included in this license. Please see our full guidelines for more information.

Sound science. Smart stories. Every Sunday

A free newsletter from Knowable Magazine

Show me first

ChatGPT for Teachers

Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, making persuasive speeches a priority in the classroom.

The Internet age has brought drastic changes to approaching technology and communication, making real life-classroom discussion more important than ever. While many students struggle with social interactions, learning effective public speaking skills can help overcome these problems. The art of the persuasive speech is now a vital part of teaching students not only how to present ideas and arguments effectively but also how to communicate in general.

The loss of real discussion

As students become more engaged in online discussions, message boards and social media websites, they are spending less time having face-to-face discourse with peers. This can create a problem in developing the necessary tools for interacting with others both in and out of the classroom. Online discussions that do not carry the weight of direct real-life consequences can easily get out of hand. Students that only focus on communicating online are in danger of learning inappropriate ways of discussing issues and presenting ideas.

Speaking skills

When students learn how to give persuasive speeches they build upon their verbal abilities as a whole. The presentation of a speech is just as important as the argument itself. EnglishClub points out several areas where students can improve their abilities:

• Body language
• Articulation
• Pronunciation

Students that continually work on persuasive speeches will be able to keep their posture, look over an audience, and verbally express their content in a clear and audible manner. By learning when to pause and how to keep a speech well paced, students begin to grasp the effect that ideas have when presented in the proper manner.

Persuasive speech preparation

Teaching Channel offers a video that showcases one classroom’s approach to preparing students for a persuasive speech assignment. Their example highlights different ways of engaging students in the process of learning how to make a persuasive argument, including writing out what they already know to be effective tools in a speech and critiquing example speeches. These preliminary steps prepare students to craft their own persuasive speeches. The Teaching Channel video also shows how teachers can get students involved in listening to their classmates and use their analysis to better their own speeches.

Reaching an audience

The Class Struggle points out that one of the most important aspects of a great speech is getting the audience to care. When a student can present material that engages the class and makes everyone consider the impact it has on them, they are far more likely to listen. Anyone who is uninterested in the content of a persuasive speech will not focus no matter how good the speaker is. A successful persuasive speech gets other students to hang on each point and follow along, wanting to know where the argument is going and how it will further impact their own lives.

Here are some more examples of topics for persuasive speeches that students will be more inclined to pay attention to:

• Changing legal driving age
• Adjusting the length of school year
• Removing age restrictions for movies
• School dress codes

Beyond the classroom

Students learn the art of giving a great persuasive speech to help them not only give presentations in future education levels but also in the work place. Additionally, the skills developed by persuasive speeches expand far beyond presentations. Students learn how to communicate with others, speak clearly, present themselves well and articulate their ideas. These tools help students communicate with friends, family members, in relationships and in the workplace. While technology continues to play a major factor in the classroom, the act of engaging students in real discussion becomes more crucial. When educators place high priority on persuasive speeches, they help students struggling to communicate socially as well as advance the abilities of those who can already speak well.

You may also like to read

• Classroom Management Strategies for High School Teachers
• Google Docs for Teachers: Classroom and Lesson Plan Management
• Five Skills Online Teachers Need for Classroom Instruction
• Four Ways Common Core Standards Will Impact Classroom Teachers
• Learning About Nutrition in the Classroom: Tips for Teachers
• Flipping the Classroom: Teachers Turn “Homework” on its Head

Categorized as: Tips for Teachers and Classroom Resources

Tagged as: Language Arts ,  Leadership and Administration

• Certificates for Reading Specialist
• PhD Programs for Education
• Early Childhood Education: Resources, Theorie...

Why Is It Important That A Speech Be Carefully Timed?

In the realm of public speaking, timing is everything. Whether it’s a political address, a business presentation, or a TED talk, the importance of carefully timing a speech cannot be overstated. But why is it so crucial? The answer lies in the power of effective communication. A well-timed speech not only keeps the audience engaged and attentive, but it also enhances the speaker’s credibility and impact. From creating suspense to delivering punchlines, timing plays a vital role in delivering a message that resonates with the listeners. In this article, we will delve into the reasons why timing is a key factor in successful speeches and explore strategies to master this art.

Importance of Timing in Speeches

Timing is a crucial aspect of delivering a speech effectively. Whether it’s a formal presentation, a public speaking engagement, or a casual conversation, the timing of your speech can significantly impact the message you convey and the overall impact on your audience. In this article, we will explore the importance of carefully timing a speech and how it can enhance the delivery and reception of your message.

Engagement and Attention

One of the key reasons why timing is important in speeches is its impact on audience engagement and attention. A well-timed speech ensures that the audience remains focused and attentive throughout the delivery. When a speech is too long or too short, it can lead to disengagement and distraction among the listeners. By carefully timing your speech, you can maintain the audience’s interest and ensure that your message is effectively communicated. Additionally, a well-timed speech allows for appropriate pauses and emphasis, which can further captivate the audience and enhance the overall delivery.

Clarity and Impact

Another crucial aspect of timing in speeches is its influence on the clarity and impact of the message. A speech that is too rushed may result in important points being overlooked or misunderstood by the audience. On the other hand, a speech that is too slow or drawn out can lead to a loss of momentum and dilute the impact of the message. By carefully timing your speech, you can ensure that the key points are effectively communicated and that the overall message is delivered with clarity and impact. This can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your speech and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Professionalism and Credibility

Carefully timing a speech also contributes to the speaker’s professionalism and credibility. A well-timed speech demonstrates that the speaker has prepared and organized their thoughts, which can enhance their credibility and authority on the topic. It also reflects positively on the speaker’s professionalism and attention to detail, which can further impress the audience. Conversely, a poorly timed speech can give the impression of disorganization and lack of preparation, which can undermine the speaker’s credibility. By prioritizing timing in speeches, speakers can convey a sense of professionalism and competence, which can significantly impact how their message is received and perceived by the audience.

In conclusion, the importance of carefully timing a speech cannot be overstated. From engaging the audience and maintaining their attention to delivering a clear and impactful message, timing plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of a speech. By prioritizing timing, speakers can enhance their professionalism, credibility, and the overall impact of their message, ultimately leaving a lasting impression on their audience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Importance of Timing in Speeches

Why is it important to time a speech.

Timing a speech is important because it helps the speaker stay on track and deliver their message effectively. A well-timed speech ensures that the audience stays engaged and interested, and that the speaker covers all the important points without going over the allotted time.

What happens if a speech is too long or too short?

If a speech is too long, the audience may become bored or lose interest, and the speaker may not be able to deliver their entire message. If a speech is too short, the audience may feel like they didn’t get enough information or that the speaker didn’t take the topic seriously enough.

How can a speaker ensure that their speech is the right length?

A speaker can ensure that their speech is the right length by practicing their delivery and timing beforehand. They should also be aware of the time limit for their speech and adjust their content accordingly. It’s also a good idea to have a backup plan in case the speech runs too long or too short.

What are some tips for timing a speech?

Some tips for timing a speech include practicing the delivery beforehand, using a timer or stopwatch, and being aware of the time limit for the speech. It’s also important to pace oneself and not rush through the content, as this can make the speech feel disjointed and difficult to follow.

What are some common mistakes that speakers make when timing their speeches?

Some common mistakes that speakers make when timing their speeches include not practicing enough beforehand, not being aware of the time limit for the speech, and rushing through the content. It’s also important to be flexible and adjust the content if necessary, rather than trying to cram too much information into a limited amount of time.

Post navigation

Previous post.

• Astrological Guide to Choosing the Perfect Perfume
• Importance Of Paraphrasing In Academic Writing And Research
• 5 Ways Paraphrasing Is Important In Academic Writing With Examples
• Importance of Unlocking the Potential of Free Satellite Imagery: Types, Uses, Sources
• Importance of Ejari in Dubai

The Importance of Speech (6 Reasons)

Important of Speech starts from human speech, which is one of the defining characters for humans that differentiates them from other animals. Ask anyone and they will tell the importance of speech in a person’s life. During the life span of an individual – from infancy to late adulthood – humans, with the help of speech, learn and adapt to their environment. The words infants hear and learn to help them in developing their personalities in some ways. Similarly, the use of speech differs under different situations that indicate the importance of speech concerning the occasion.

Before moving on, it is important to define the meaning of speech and how is it different from communication and language. Communication is a way through which people exchange information, emotions, ideas, and feelings. It can be either non-verbal or verbal. Non-verbal communication includes any kind of gesture; smiles or other facial expressions; and visual aid in form of pictures or videos. Whereas, verbal communication involves the function of language where the language is the proper system compromised of words either written or spoken that are used to communicate with one another. In simple words, language is a formal system that helps humans communicate in a structured way. Lastly, speech is comprised of sounds, letters, language, verbal or non-verbal gestures that are aiding humans in communication.

Table of Contents

Functions of Speech

Speech includes both receptive and expressive language. It means there are two functions of speech: reception and expression.

• Reception means listening and understanding others during a conversation.
• The expression refers to what and how people deliver what they want to say to others. It could be either in a written or spoken way.

These two-way functions collectively highlight the importance of speech and that makes it easy for people to understand a language or participate in communication.

Importance of Speech

There is no doubt that speech or language affects individuals greatly shaping their daily lives.

1. Speech as a Way to Learn

One of the many reasons importance of speech is highlighted is that it helps individuals learn. Looking at when an infant is born there is no expressive speech in form of formal language. However, there is the reception in the infant and the use of non-verbal language. This paves way for infants to listen and learn to speak the language. As science says, language is formed by listening and infants develop the main structure of the language within the first 7 years of life. Other than that, individuals who learn in their native language learn better because of the ease of understanding and less language barrier. Therefore, the importance of speech is undeniable.

2. Get Along with People

When humans are living in a different society or a country, the one thing that makes them comfortable is how well they get along with the people of that culture. This can be achieved by learning and using their language to communicate with them. Speaking in a familiar language turn people more acceptable and supportive of you. Therefore, traveling alone or living in a country whose language one cannot speak is considered a serious impairment because the chances of unable to adapt to that environment become less when there is a communication gap.

3. Speech is Reflective of Background

It is often said that way people speak depicts their education and brought up. Just like people of different profession use their jargon related to their field in work and ends up adopting it in their daily lives. Similarly, the training children receive during their childhood imprints in their minds and reveal itself either consciously or unconsciously. If the children have grown up listening to foul speech and abusive language, they will internalize those words. Later, it can become a problem when they speak or use the same speech without realizing it. This not only applies to verbal language but non-verbal language as well, i.e. use of the facial expressions, sounds, gestures, etc. says a lot about the person. On the contrary, well-read, educated, and people belonging to a sophisticated brought up will use decent language and gestures which also highlight the importance of speech through which people will have an eloquent speech.

4. Speech Reflects Personality

Speech, if observed keenly, can tell a lot about a person’s personality and mood. People use or like things that attract them. Most of the time, attraction is based on the principle of similarity. For example, people find things attractive that they relatable and similar to their own. Language is no exception. People pick the words they like – again based on the principle of similarity – and use them in their daily lives. Now, it can be noticed is the choice of words. If a person is using bright, happy, or positive words more in life, it can be an overall theme that depicts personality. It is important to note these words in relation to other words and actions of the person instead of picking just one word from the conversation and using it to define personalities.

5. Personality Development

Just like words can reflect a person’s personality, they can also influence personality. The constant use of certain words can lead the mind into adopting a persona that is reflective of those words. Similarly, people adopt certain personas or change their way of communication in order to adjust to a new environment or a country. Moreover, everyone wants to become smart in eyes of others and themselves. For this purpose, many people change the way they speak, language, and speech to appear more intelligent and this of course, underscores the importance of speech in collective society. This works by the principle of internalization – constantly repeated information is unconsciously adopted by the human mind and alters thinking, ideas, concepts, and the overall persona of the person. Although this cannot be achieved in one night; persistence and consistency can get anything. To groom one’s personality, the first thing people change is their speech. This illustrates the importance of speech in one’s life. This is why we can see many workshops offering personality grooming courses and improving communication styles.

6. Changing Political Narrative

The importance of speech is depicted by the power words hold that they can change the political narrative. In history, the use of sentimental, patriotic, and meaningful slogans has changed the direction of a state’s political scenario. The use of words can turn any negative event into a positive or acceptable one in people’s eyes. For example, Adolf Hitler used the slogan “one people, one empire, one leader” to get the sympathies of German that he succeeded in getting in Nazi years. He implanted the idea of military leadership in the minds of using their freshly wounded patriotism for personal gains. There are many such examples in history and the present. Similarly, slogans are an integral part of any revolution. During the making of Pakistan, many slogans were made using religious emotions and rebellion against oppression to boost the morale of people. Read More

After analyzing the different aspects of speech, its functions, and its usage in the daily lives of people, one cannot take the importance of speech lightly. It has now become important to use speech and language to change to minds and negative thinking of the people. The stigmas and stereotypes attached to certain words need to be detoxified. It may take time but it is necessary to grow and move forward with each passing generation. Bringing a change through speech does not extreme physical efforts but the persistence of the mind. Therefore, considering t he importance of speech , it has become important for us to be aware and careful of our speech and the words that are influencing us.

• What does Environmental Scientists Aim to Study? and their Importance
• Importance of Self-Discipline and is Self-Discipline Really Important?

You May Also Like

Sleep quality – meaning and measure, importance of job description in an organization, importance of safety in school and at workplace, pin it on pinterest.

• Forget Password

Speaking | Importance of Speech | Purposes of Speech

• Post published:
• Post category: Communication Skills
• Post comments: 3 Comments
• Reading time: 7 mins read

This article focuses on speaking , importance of speech , and purposes of speech. A detailed discussion has been made on the topic to make for the learners to comprehend and assimilate into their skills.

Language is primarily speech, and knowing a language means the ability to understand and speak a language.

Speaking means ‘conveying a message through words of mouth.’ We express our ideas and thoughts; convey our feelings and emotions; and communicate our message mostly through speech. Speech is therefore, called communicative or oral skill or simply speaking skill. This signifies the purpose and importance of speech.

Importance of Speech

Importance of speech is undeniable. The process of learning a language remains incomplete without mastering the spoken skill. It is observed by the researchers that the most important skill the learner should acquire is the speaking skill. It has also been noted that the development of the other skills would be comparatively easy if they are based on oral foundation. All this data reflects the importance of speech.

A learner needs oral skill in order to perform social functions. The value and importance of speech is evident from the fact that while living in society, we communicate ourselves mostly through speech. At home we share our ideas with the members of our family through speech. Again speech is our major means of expression when we deal with our customers or buy something form a shopkeeper. The teacher delivers their lectures in the classroom also through speech. It is important to note that we spend 30% of our communication time speaking.

According to Don Byrne, “it is the ability to express oneself intelligibly, reasonably, accurately without hesitation.”

To attain this goal, language learner starts imitating the model from his/her teachers, and through constant practice he gains competency in speech.

Purposes of speech

Whenever we speak, we should have a definite purpose of our speech. A speech without purpose is known as “non-sense”. The person, who speaks without purpose, lacks wisdom and loses credibility in society. Nobody pays heed to what he says. “Think before you speak” is a wise maxim that should be acted upon. So it is wise to speak with a purpose.

Following are some purposes of speech:

1. To inform: The first purpose of speech is to inform the listener. The activity of speaking imparts information, awareness, and understanding to the listeners. A speaker speaks to his audience because he wants to give information about a product, program, person, project, incident etc.

2. To convince and persuade: The second purpose of our speech is to convince and persuade our listener to accept our view point. A sales representative of a firm tries to convince his customers to buy its products through persuasive speech. The more his speech is persuasive, the more he gains business.

3. To stimulate: the third purpose of speech it to stimulate others to perform some important action. A persuasive speech arouses interest and excitement in the listeners to act as the speaker wishes. For example, an exciting speech by a commander can stimulate the soldiers to make some impossible achievement. A teacher stimulates the students to follow his instructions for achieving brilliant success in their life.

4. To Entertain: The fourth purpose of our speech is to entertain and amuse others. On certain occasions we amuse and entertain our audience with jokes and humorous remarks. We colour our speech with humor which creates a pleasant atmosphere for amusement of our audience.

5. To Console: Lastly, speech can be used as an effective tool to console the people who suffer some loss or misery. A sympathetic and soft speech can minimize the effect of their sufferings. In the time of natural calamities like flood, earth-quake, accidents, a speech has soothing effect and makes the people forget their sufferings.

If you have any queries regarding the purposes and importance of speech, please free free to leave your comment in the comment section below. Thank You!

Our Social Presence

Relevant posts, https://www.ewriter29.com/skills/communication-skills/reading-skills/, https://web.facebook.com/ewriter29/, you might also like.

What are the 6 Most Common Faults of Listening

Comprehension | benefits of reading comprehension | comprehension questions.

Letter Format

Interviewing for a Job

Types of Communication

Effective Listening Strategies

This post has 3 comments.

Pingback: Figures of Speech - ewriter29

Pingback: Skills in Interview | How to Make Your Skills Stand Out in a Job Interview for 100% Success - ewriter29

Pingback: Which Jobs Require Communication Skills? - ewriter29

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Mission, Vision, & Strategy
• Tuck Leadership
• Meet the Dean
• Facts & Figures
• See Our Campus (Map)
• Accessibility
• Staff Directory
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Dartmouth Collaborations
• Student Stories
• Alumni Stories
• Tuck 360: MBA Blog
• Academic Experience
• Life at Tuck
• Housing Options
• Partners and Families
• Clubs and Activities
• Tuck Student Board
• Career Services
• Finance Your Degree
• Business Bridge
• Executive Education
• How We Teach
• Faculty Directory
• Academic Groups
• Faculty Recruiting
• Research & Insights
• Faculty in the News
• Research Highlights
• Postdoctoral Researchers
• School News
• In the Media
• MBA Program Rankings
• For Journalists
• Master of Health Care Delivery Science
• Board of Advisors
• Tuck Asia Pacific Council
• Tuck Latin America and Caribbean Council
• Tuck Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Council
• TAG Executive Committee
• MBA Council
• Meet Matthew J. Slaughter: Videos
• Bio & CV
• Contact the Dean's Office
• Master of Engineering Management Program
• Undergraduate Business Training

Join the Tuck Community

• Apply Today
• Connect With Us
• Required Curriculum
• Elective Curriculum
• Management Science and Quantitative Methods Option
• First-Year Project
• Tuck Compass
• Leadership Development
• Academic Calendar
• Dartmouth College
• Student Health and Wellness
• Military Veterans
• Hanover and the Upper Valley
• Class Profile
• Admissions Criteria
• Important Dates
• Attend an Event
• Admissions FAQs
• Connect with Our Community
• Employment Statistics
• Meet Our Career Advisers
• Top Hiring Companies
• Industry Treks
• Recruit a Tuck Student
• Tuition and Costs
• Scholarships, Fellowships, and Sponsorships
• Loan Programs
• Online Resources
• Financial Aid Applications
• Financial Aid FAQs
• Advanced Management Program
• Diversity Business Programs
• Global Leadership
• Leadership and Strategic Impact
• Research Seminars
• Search Search Tuck Cancel
• All News School News Research & Insights In the Media Events For Journalists

The CEO’s Speech: The Importance of Public Speaking

If you want to be a leader, you had better be able to communicate, says corporate communication professor Paul Argenti.

by Kirk Kardashian Mar 29, 2011

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

59 Why We Need Organization in Speeches

Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, the student will be able to:

• Explain why organization is necessary and valuable to public speaking.
• Differentiate the different types of organizational patterns.
• Choose an organizational pattern that is most logical to the speech’s specific purpose.
• Construct an outline for an extemporaneous speech.
• Create connective statements that will help the audience understand the logic and structure of a speech.

Why We Need Organization in Speeches

Have you had this experience? You have an instructor who is easy to take notes from because he or she helps you know the main ideas and gives you cues as to what is most important to write down and study for the test. And then you might have an instructor who tells interesting stories, says provocative things, and leads engaging discussions, but you have a really hard time following where the instruction is going. If so, you already know that structure makes a difference for your own listening. In this chapter we will examine why that is true and how you can translate that type of structure to your own speeches.

Significant psychological and communication research has been done about how an audience needs and desires clear organization in a speech as they listen. Those sources are listed in the references at the end of the book, but they are summarized here.

First, as we listen, we have limits as to how many categories of information we can keep in mind. You have probably heard that this number of items or categories is seven, or as one source says, “seven plus or minus two” (Miller, 1956; Gabriel and Mayzner, 1963; Cowan, Chen, & Rouder, 2004). In public speaking, to be on the safe side, the “minus two” is advised: in other words, you should avoid having more than five main points in a speech, and that would only be for a speech of some length where you could actually support, explain, or provide sufficient evidence for five points.

For most speeches that you would give in class, where you have about 5-7 minutes, three points is probably safe territory, although there could be exceptions, of course. It is also acceptable for short speeches to just have two main points, if doing so supports your specific purpose . That last phrase is bolded for emphasis because ultimately, your organization is going to depend on your specific purpose.

Secondly, the categories of information should be distinct, different, and clear. You might think about organization in public speaking as having three steps. These steps are grouping, labeling, and ordering (putting into a good order). Before you can label your main points clearly or put them in the right order, you have to group your information.

Here we might use the analogy of having a yard sale at your home, something you might have done or helped a family member to do. The first step, before putting up signs or pricing items, is to go through your closets and garage and creating “piles” of items: what you want to sell, what should probably just be discarded, what you want to keep but store elsewhere, what you might want to give away. Then you take the “sell” pile and separate it into categories such as children’s items, tools, kitchen items, furniture, etc. This second phase of sorting items is so you can put them outside on your lawn or driveway in a way people expect to see items and would be more likely to buy. You would probably not sort items by color or size, although you could. It’s just that your customers are not looking for “blue” items or “big” items as much as they are looking for kitchen items, baby clothes, or furniture.

Researchers have found that “chunking” information, that is, the way it is grouped, is vital to audience understanding, learning, and retention of information (Beighly, 1954; Bodeia, Powers, & Fitch-Hauser, 2006; Whitman & Timmis, 1975; Daniels & Whitman, 1981). How does this work in practice? When you are doing your research, you look at the articles and websites you read and say, “That information relates to what I read over here” and “That statistic fits under the idea of . . .” You are looking for similarities and patterns. That is exactly what you do when you group anything, such as the items at a yard sale, where you group according to customer interest and purpose of the items. Finally, if a piece of information you found doesn’t fit into a group as you do your research, it may just not belong in the speech. It’s what we would call “extraneous.”

A good example of this principle is if you are doing a demonstration speech. It may or may not be required in your class but is the kind of speech you may be called upon to do in your future work. For example, a nurse may be teaching patients how to do self-care for diabetes, or a computer trainer may be showing how to use software. The temptation is to treat the procedure as a list of steps, which may number as many as twenty or thirty steps.

There are very few times we can remember a list of twenty or thirty items. Yes, you learned the alphabet of 26 letters when you were a child, or all the state capitals, but you have probably forgotten how long it took. Plus, you probably learned a song to help with the alphabet, and you also did not understand the point of the alphabet; it was just something you did with other children or to please your parents. In the case of the state capitals, you probably used flashcards or memory aids.

Adult learning and listening is different. We need information “chunked” or grouped into manageable categories. So, instead of listing twenty or thirty discrete steps in the process you are demonstrating or explaining, you would want to group the steps into three to five logical categories to help the audience’s reception and retention of the message, using the separate minor steps as “subpoints.”

Finally, because your audience will understand you better and perceive you as organized, you will gain more credibility as a speaker if you are organized, assuming you also have credible information and acceptable delivery (Slagell, 2013; Sharp & McClung, 1966). Yun, Costantini, and Billingsley (2012) also found a side benefit to learning to be an organized public speaker: your writing skills will improve, specifically your organization and sentence structure. This was no surprise to one of the authors, whose students often comment that they were able to organize their essays and papers for other classes much better after learning good organization principles for speaking.

Exploring Communication in the Real World Copyright © 2020 by Chris Miller is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

The Importance of Delivery

While content is essential to an effective speech, delivery is what can take a speech from “good” to “great.” The smallest variations in timing, intonation, or gestures can greatly influence the meaning and impact of a speech, so it is important that we study and practice the art of delivery

• John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” – Jan. 20, 1961 • Ronald Reagan’s “Address to the National Association of Evangelicals (The Evil Empire)” – March 8, 1983 • Barack Obama’s “Notre Dame Commencement Address” – May 17, 2009

On VOD, each of these speeches is also accompanied by Teaching & Learning Materials, including some questions that encourage you to reflect further on the importance of delivery and its relationship to the content of great speeches in history.

Samantha Baskin, Undergraduate Intern at the Center for Democratic Deliberation, Penn State University.

Leave a Reply

Leave a reply cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Contact Information

Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project Shawn J. Parry-Giles Department of Communication 2130 Skinner Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-7635

301-405-6527 spg@umd.edu

Questions/comments about the VOD website may be directed to Shawn Parry-Giles, University of Maryland

Web Accessibility Privacy Notice

Speech Script: Importance Of Reading

In a world where information is readily available at our fingertips, the significance of reading often goes unnoticed. However, the act of reading is not merely a pastime; it is a gateway to knowledge, imagination, and personal growth. As a speaker, you have the opportunity to inspire and ignite a passion for reading within your audience. This article will guide you through the process of crafting a compelling speech on the importance of reading, enabling you to articulate the transformative power of books and instill a love for reading in your listeners.

Table of Contents

Importance Of Reading Speech Tips

Begin with a captivating opening, establish the significance of reading.

In this section, emphasize the immense value and impact that reading has on individuals and society as a whole. Highlight how reading expands knowledge, broadens perspectives, and cultivates critical thinking skills. Discuss the role of reading in fostering empathy, promoting cultural understanding, and nurturing imagination. Support your claims with relevant statistics, research findings, and compelling examples. For instance, you can reference studies that demonstrate the positive correlation between reading proficiency and academic achievement or share inspiring stories of individuals whose lives were transformed through the power of books. By painting a vivid picture of the benefits of reading, you can reinforce the importance of incorporating reading into our lives.

Appeal to Emotions

Provide practical tips and resources, conclude with a call to action.

In the final section of your speech, inspire your audience to embrace reading as a lifelong pursuit. Encourage them to make a commitment to read regularly, to explore new genres and authors, and to share their love for reading with others. Emphasize the enduring impact that reading can have on personal growth, empathy, and intellectual curiosity. Leave them with a powerful call to action, urging them to become ambassadors of reading, to support literacy initiatives, or to join local book clubs and reading communities. By concluding with a compelling call to action, you empower your audience to make a difference and become advocates for the transformative power of reading.

Importance Of Reading Speech Example #1

First and foremost, reading expands our knowledge. It opens doors to new ideas, perspectives, and cultures that we may never encounter otherwise. Through books, we can explore the depths of history, delve into the complexities of science, and unravel the mysteries of the human experience. Reading equips us with information, enabling us to navigate the world with a deeper understanding and a broader worldview.

Beyond knowledge, reading nurtures our imagination. Books transport us to distant lands, introduce us to fascinating characters, and invite us into captivating narratives. They spark our creativity and allow us to envision realities beyond our own. In the realm of literature, we can embark on epic adventures, solve intricate mysteries, and traverse the boundaries of time and space. Imagination not only fuels our dreams but also enhances our problem-solving skills and fosters innovation in all aspects of our lives.

Reading also plays a vital role in nurturing empathy and fostering connections. When we immerse ourselves in stories, we are invited to walk in the shoes of characters from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. By witnessing their triumphs, struggles, and vulnerabilities, we develop a deeper understanding of the human condition. This empathy extends beyond the realm of fiction, enabling us to relate to and connect with others in our daily lives. Through literature, we discover our shared humanity and build bridges of understanding and compassion.

In conclusion, the importance of reading cannot be overstated. It enriches our lives, expands our horizons, and nourishes our souls. Reading is not a solitary act but a shared experience that connects humanity across time and space. It empowers us to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and compassionate individuals. So, let us embrace the written word, immerse ourselves in the beauty of literature, and inspire others to embark on their own reading journey. Together, we can unlock the transformative power of books and create a world where reading thrives.

Importance Of Reading Speech Example #2

Reading is the foundation of education and the gateway to knowledge. It is through reading that we acquire information, learn new concepts, and expand our intellectual horizons. Whether it’s delving into textbooks, exploring scientific journals, or immersing ourselves in literary classics, reading equips us with the tools and insights necessary to navigate the complexities of the world. It empowers us to engage in meaningful conversations, make informed decisions, and contribute to the progress of society.

In addition to its cognitive and emotional benefits, reading is a catalyst for personal growth and self-reflection. Books provide us with mirrors that reflect our own struggles, hopes, and dreams, allowing us to gain insight into our own lives. They offer guidance, inspiration, and wisdom from the voices of those who have walked before us. Whether it’s a memoir, a self-help book, or a philosophical treatise, reading prompts us to question, introspect, and strive for personal development. It awakens our innermost desires and fuels our aspirations.

Moreover, reading enhances our communication skills and fuels our imagination. As we immerse ourselves in the words of skilled authors, we absorb their techniques, expand our vocabulary, and refine our own writing and speaking abilities. Reading provides us with a wellspring of ideas, sparking our creativity and enabling us to think outside the box. It stimulates our imagination, allowing us to envision new possibilities, solve problems, and innovate in various spheres of life. By embracing reading, we become better communicators, more imaginative thinkers, and more effective problem-solvers.

Importance Of Reading Speech Example #3

Today, I stand before you to emphasize a fundamental truth that has withstood the test of time—the importance of reading. In a fast-paced world driven by technology and instant gratification, reading often takes a backseat. However, the significance of reading extends far beyond the pages of a book. It is a gateway to personal growth, empowerment, and a brighter future.

At its core, reading is a tool for education and empowerment. It equips us with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of life. Through reading, we gain access to a wealth of information, ideas, and perspectives that broaden our horizons. It empowers us to become critical thinkers, discerning consumers of information, and active participants in society. Reading lays the foundation for lifelong learning, enabling us to adapt to the ever-changing world and make informed decisions.

Reading also fosters empathy and understanding. As we engage with stories from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, we develop a broader perspective of the world. We gain insight into the lives of others, their struggles, triumphs, and joys. This empathy extends beyond the realm of fiction, allowing us to connect with people from diverse backgrounds in our daily lives. Reading builds bridges of understanding, breaks down barriers, and cultivates a sense of compassion and unity within society.

Final Thoughts

About mr. greg.

Mr. Greg is an English teacher from Edinburgh, Scotland, currently based in Hong Kong. He has over 5 years teaching experience and recently completed his PGCE at the University of Essex Online. In 2013, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BEng(Hons) in Computing, with a focus on social media.

• Professional Development UPCOMING PROGRAMS Summer Institutes for Teachers Upcoming Conferences Presentations & Workshops PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Advanced Practices Certificate CARLA Fellow Program RESOURCES & ARCHIVES Conference Organizing & Publishing Resources Presentation Recordings Conference Archives
• Publications CARLA Publications & Working Papers CARLA Bibliography Literacies in Language Education
• About CARLA CENTER INFORMATION Mission A Language Resource Center Funding History CARLA Update CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Us Mailing List Subscription CARLA Staff & Faculty OTHER INFORMATION Employment Opportunities Request Copyright Permission Document Use of CARLA Material
• Background Information
• American English
• Teaching Tips
• Teaching Materials
• Research Notes
• Australian English
• Functions and Classification
• British English
• Argentinean Spanish
• Canadian French
• Strategy Descriptions
• Marathi & Hindi
• Research Project
• Japanese Speech Acts
• Pragmatics & Speech Acts Bibliography
• Spanish Pragmatics
• CARLA Summer Institutes
• CARLA Bibliography

Why Should Speech Acts be Taught?

Learners of all languages tend to have difficulty understanding the intended meaning communicated by a speech act, or producing a speech act using appropriate language and manner in the language being learned. Research has found that classroom instruction on speech acts can help learners to improve their performance of speech acts and thus their interactions with native speakers.

Speech acts have been taught in some second language classrooms, yet most materials have been written based on the intuition of the textbook writers. There seems to exist a shared belief that native English speakers just know intuitively how to interact in their language and should be able to explain the social use of the language to the learners. However, this commonly shared belief is not necessarily true; in fact, a native speaker's intuition is sometimes unreliable. For example, a textbook writer might have a teenager greeting his friend at the airport with, "Hello, Harvey. How was the flight? I see you got a new bag," when he might actually say something like, "Hey, man — what’s happening? I like your bag. It’s awesome!"

Often the use of the language is unconscious and speakers of the language may be able to explain what one "should say," but are unlikely to have an accurate, comprehensive, or objective picture of how people actually interact. For example, in ESL textbooks, speakers typically accept a compliment modestly and with grace:

A: What a beautiful dress! B: Thank you. I’m glad you like it.

However, in real life, when someone compliments us, we may reply:

A: That’s a cute dress you’re wearing. B: Really? This old rag? I got it at the Salvation Army for $2.00! or B: You’re the third person today who’s complimented me on it. I must have done something right!

Research has shown that native speakers of American English accept a compliment only about one third of the time, which would suggest that what ESL learners are learning from textbooks may be grammatically correct, but inauthentic in terms of real language and real interactions with native speakers.

Back to Speech Acts .

• Twin Cities Campus:
• Parking & Transportation
• Maps & Directions
•       Directories
• Contact U of M
•       Privacy

What this handout is about

This handout will help you create an effective speech by establishing the purpose of your speech and making it easily understandable. It will also help you to analyze your audience and keep the audience interested.

What’s different about a speech?

Writing for public speaking isn’t so different from other types of writing. You want to engage your audience’s attention, convey your ideas in a logical manner and use reliable evidence to support your point. But the conditions for public speaking favor some writing qualities over others. When you write a speech, your audience is made up of listeners. They have only one chance to comprehend the information as you read it, so your speech must be well-organized and easily understood. In addition, the content of the speech and your delivery must fit the audience.

What’s your purpose?

People have gathered to hear you speak on a specific issue, and they expect to get something out of it immediately. And you, the speaker, hope to have an immediate effect on your audience. The purpose of your speech is to get the response you want. Most speeches invite audiences to react in one of three ways: feeling, thinking, or acting. For example, eulogies encourage emotional response from the audience; college lectures stimulate listeners to think about a topic from a different perspective; protest speeches in the Pit recommend actions the audience can take.

As you establish your purpose, ask yourself these questions:

• What do you want the audience to learn or do?
• If you are making an argument, why do you want them to agree with you?
• If they already agree with you, why are you giving the speech?
• How can your audience benefit from what you have to say?

Audience analysis

If your purpose is to get a certain response from your audience, you must consider who they are (or who you’re pretending they are). If you can identify ways to connect with your listeners, you can make your speech interesting and useful.

As you think of ways to appeal to your audience, ask yourself:

• What do they have in common? Age? Interests? Ethnicity? Gender?
• Do they know as much about your topic as you, or will you be introducing them to new ideas?
• Why are these people listening to you? What are they looking for?
• What level of detail will be effective for them?
• What tone will be most effective in conveying your message?
• What might offend or alienate them?

For more help, see our handout on audience .

Creating an effective introduction

Get their attention, otherwise known as “the hook”.

Think about how you can relate to these listeners and get them to relate to you or your topic. Appealing to your audience on a personal level captures their attention and concern, increasing the chances of a successful speech. Speakers often begin with anecdotes to hook their audience’s attention. Other methods include presenting shocking statistics, asking direct questions of the audience, or enlisting audience participation.

Establish context and/or motive

Explain why your topic is important. Consider your purpose and how you came to speak to this audience. You may also want to connect the material to related or larger issues as well, especially those that may be important to your audience.

Get to the point

Tell your listeners your thesis right away and explain how you will support it. Don’t spend as much time developing your introductory paragraph and leading up to the thesis statement as you would in a research paper for a course. Moving from the intro into the body of the speech quickly will help keep your audience interested. You may be tempted to create suspense by keeping the audience guessing about your thesis until the end, then springing the implications of your discussion on them. But if you do so, they will most likely become bored or confused.

For more help, see our handout on introductions .

Making your speech easy to understand

Repeat crucial points and buzzwords.

Especially in longer speeches, it’s a good idea to keep reminding your audience of the main points you’ve made. For example, you could link an earlier main point or key term as you transition into or wrap up a new point. You could also address the relationship between earlier points and new points through discussion within a body paragraph. Using buzzwords or key terms throughout your paper is also a good idea. If your thesis says you’re going to expose unethical behavior of medical insurance companies, make sure the use of “ethics” recurs instead of switching to “immoral” or simply “wrong.” Repetition of key terms makes it easier for your audience to take in and connect information.

Incorporate previews and summaries into the speech

For example:

“I’m here today to talk to you about three issues that threaten our educational system: First, … Second, … Third,”

“I’ve talked to you today about such and such.”

These kinds of verbal cues permit the people in the audience to put together the pieces of your speech without thinking too hard, so they can spend more time paying attention to its content.

Use especially strong transitions

This will help your listeners see how new information relates to what they’ve heard so far. If you set up a counterargument in one paragraph so you can demolish it in the next, begin the demolition by saying something like,

“But this argument makes no sense when you consider that . . . .”

If you’re providing additional information to support your main point, you could say,

“Another fact that supports my main point is . . . .”

Helping your audience listen

Rely on shorter, simpler sentence structures.

Don’t get too complicated when you’re asking an audience to remember everything you say. Avoid using too many subordinate clauses, and place subjects and verbs close together.

Too complicated:

The product, which was invented in 1908 by Orville Z. McGillicuddy in Des Moines, Iowa, and which was on store shelves approximately one year later, still sells well.

Easier to understand:

Orville Z. McGillicuddy invented the product in 1908 and introduced it into stores shortly afterward. Almost a century later, the product still sells well.

Limit pronoun use

Listeners may have a hard time remembering or figuring out what “it,” “they,” or “this” refers to. Be specific by using a key noun instead of unclear pronouns.

Pronoun problem:

The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human nature. This cannot continue.

Why the last sentence is unclear: “This” what? The government’s failure? Reality TV? Human nature?

More specific:

The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human nature. This failure cannot continue.

Keeping audience interest

Incorporate the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos.

When arguing a point, using ethos, pathos, and logos can help convince your audience to believe you and make your argument stronger. Ethos refers to an appeal to your audience by establishing your authenticity and trustworthiness as a speaker. If you employ pathos, you appeal to your audience’s emotions. Using logos includes the support of hard facts, statistics, and logical argumentation. The most effective speeches usually present a combination these rhetorical strategies.

Use statistics and quotations sparingly

Include only the most striking factual material to support your perspective, things that would likely stick in the listeners’ minds long after you’ve finished speaking. Otherwise, you run the risk of overwhelming your listeners with too much information.

Watch your tone

Be careful not to talk over the heads of your audience. On the other hand, don’t be condescending either. And as for grabbing their attention, yelling, cursing, using inappropriate humor, or brandishing a potentially offensive prop (say, autopsy photos) will only make the audience tune you out.

Creating an effective conclusion

Restate your main points, but don’t repeat them.

“I asked earlier why we should care about the rain forest. Now I hope it’s clear that . . .” “Remember how Mrs. Smith couldn’t afford her prescriptions? Under our plan, . . .”

Call to action

Speeches often close with an appeal to the audience to take action based on their new knowledge or understanding. If you do this, be sure the action you recommend is specific and realistic. For example, although your audience may not be able to affect foreign policy directly, they can vote or work for candidates whose foreign policy views they support. Relating the purpose of your speech to their lives not only creates a connection with your audience, but also reiterates the importance of your topic to them in particular or “the bigger picture.”

Practicing for effective presentation

Once you’ve completed a draft, read your speech to a friend or in front of a mirror. When you’ve finished reading, ask the following questions:

• Which pieces of information are clearest?
• Where did I connect with the audience?
• Where might listeners lose the thread of my argument or description?
• Where might listeners become bored?
• Where did I have trouble speaking clearly and/or emphatically?
• Did I stay within my time limit?

Other resources

• Toastmasters International is a nonprofit group that provides communication and leadership training.
• Allyn & Bacon Publishing’s Essence of Public Speaking Series is an extensive treatment of speech writing and delivery, including books on using humor, motivating your audience, word choice and presentation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Boone, Louis E., David L. Kurtz, and Judy R. Block. 1997. Contemporary Business Communication . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Ehrlich, Henry. 1994. Writing Effective Speeches . New York: Marlowe.

Lamb, Sandra E. 1998. How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You’ll Ever Write . Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

• Why is speech therapy important?

It helps people develop skills such as comprehension, clarity, voice, fluency, and sound production. Speech therapy can treat speech disorders in children or speech disorders in adults caused by stroke, brain injury, or other conditions.

Speech therapy

Speech exercises involve repeating sounds and imitating the speech therapist. Speech therapy can treat a wide variety of speech and language delays and disorders in children and adults. With early intervention, speech therapy can improve communication and increase self-confidence. The goals of speech therapy include improving pronunciation, strengthening the muscles used in speech, and learning to speak properly.

Some speech disorders begin in childhood and improve with age, while others continue into adulthood and require long-term treatment and maintenance. Speech therapy for young children has been shown to be most successful when started at an early age and practiced at home with the involvement of a parent or caregiver. Many people have the misconception that speech therapy is only about speech, but it's much more than that. For your child, speech therapy can be done in a classroom or small group, or individually, depending on the speech disorder.

People with speech disorders have difficulty producing speech sounds, saying words clearly, or speaking fluently. These include articulation therapy, language intervention activities, and others, depending on the type of speech or language disorder. If you notice that your child is not up to par with his peers or does not have developmental milestones for his age, intensive or ongoing speech therapy sessions may be beneficial for your child. The therapist can massage the face and perform exercises with the tongue, lips, and jaw to strengthen it.

As a speech-language pathologist, I often teach my patients how to communicate in other ways besides a formal means of assisted communication (e.g., children receive treatment for different speech disorders, stuttering, problems with pronouncing words, problems with tone, volume, or quality of speech, and have a limited understanding of words and their meaning). There are several speech therapy techniques for each of the areas described above; the ones considered depend on the particular disorder. The NAPA Center is a world-renowned pediatric therapy clinic that provides speech therapy for children of all ages in traditional or intensive settings. Disorder is abnormally fast speech that causes pronunciation to be imprecise or omits sounds or parts of words.

For the conditions listed above, prescription speech therapy is usually covered by statutory health insurers (other than a fixed amount that you have to pay yourself, known as a copay).

• What is speech therapy target?

• Achieving Communication Goals with Speech Therapy

• Do deaf people need speech therapy?

• The Benefits of Speech Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide
• How Long Does Speech Therapy Last? A Comprehensive Guide to Maximizing Success
• Speech Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Treating Speech Disorders
• Who Can Benefit from Speech Therapy Treatment?
• Speech Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide to Different Types and Benefits
• What are the Goals and Benefits of Speech Therapy?
• Speech Therapy Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide
• How Long Does Speech Therapy Last? An Expert's Guide to Understanding Treatment Duration
• What to Expect During a Speech Therapy Session: A Guide for Patients and Families
• The Benefits of Speech and Language Therapy Explained

The Difference Between Speech Therapists and Language Pathologists

• What Are the Costs of Speech Therapy? A Comprehensive Guide

5 Conditions That Can Be Improved With Speech Therapy: An Expert's Guide

• Can I Do Speech Therapy at Home Without a Therapist?
• Speech Development: Apps and Software Programs to Help Kids Improve Communication Skills
• Using Technology to Support Your Child's Speech Development: An Expert's Guide
• Finding Support for Parents of Children with Communication Disorders
• What Do Speech Pathologists Do? A Comprehensive Guide
• How Long Does it Take to See Results from Speech Therapy?
• The Benefits of Speech Therapy: What is it Good For?
• Speech Therapy Games for Preschoolers: Fun Activities to Do at Home
• Speech Therapy: Treating Communication Disorders
• 10 Essential Qualities for a Successful Speech Therapist
• Common Speech Disorders: An Expert's Guide
• When is the Right Time to Start Speech Therapy for Your Child?
• The Similarities and Differences Between Speech Therapy and Speech Pathology: An Expert's Perspective
• Understanding the Four Major Speech Disorders: Causes, Treatments, and Early Intervention
• What are best practices for speech therapy?
• When should you start speech therapy for stuttering?
• How effective is speech therapy for speech delay?
• Can an slp diagnose hearing loss?
• What field of science is speech pathology?
• What is the best major for speech pathology?
• Do speech pathologists make a lot of money?
• Is becoming speech pathologist hard?
• Can an slp make a diagnosis?
• What are the characteristics of a speech and language pathologist?
• What are the disadvantages of being a speech pathologist?
• How does speech therapy work for deaf people?
• What are some examples of speech therapy?
• Is speech therapy for adults effective?
• How long should speech therapy last?
• How do i prepare for speech therapy?
• How long does it take for voice therapy to work?
• What do they do in kids speech therapy?
• What is done during speech therapy?
• How can i make articulation therapy more fun?
• What type of therapy is good for adhd?
• What is speech therapy like for a 2 year old?
• What is meant by speech and language therapy?
• What are speech disorders in children?
• How can i make speech therapy more fun?
• What are speech activities?
• Do speech pathologists go to medical school?
• What should i expect from a speech assessment?
• How do you determine speech and language delay?
• What is included in speech therapy?
• What disorders do speech pathologist treat?
• What does a speech pathologist do for hearing loss?
• What are five things you can do to encourage speech and language development?
• How long should a child attend speech therapy?
• What type of therapy is best for autism?
• Can an slp diagnose apraxia?
• What do speech therapists look for?
• What is speech therapy app?
• Where are speech pathologist most needed?
• When should you seek a speech pathologist?
• Does autism need speech therapy?
• How can parents help with speech therapy?
• Are there different types of speech therapy?
• Can slp diagnose adhd?
• Can slp diagnose language disorder?
• What activities are used in speech therapy?
• What is the best treatment for high functioning autism?
• What are the goals of a speech therapist?
• What gpa do you need to get into slp grad school?
• What is the highest degree for speech pathology?

Is there a difference between a speech therapist and a speech pathologist?

• What skills are needed to be a speech pathologist?
• How can you encourage speech and language development?
• Can a child outgrow speech delay?
• When should you seek speech therapy?
• How do speech therapists get fun for adults?
• Why is speech therapy important for dementia?
• What is one of the most important things a speech pathologist does?
• What qualities make a good speech therapist?
• How long does speech sample take?
• Is speech pathology part of the medical field?
• How long should a speech evaluation be?
• Is it normal for a 4 year old to need speech therapy?
• What would you do speech therapy activities?
• What do they test in speech therapy?
• What is the highest paid speech pathologist?
• How do slps treat language disorders?
• What can a parent do if a child has trouble speaking?
• How is apraxia diagnosed?

New Articles

Which cookies do you want to accept?

Why learning the parts of Speech in English is essential for reaching fluency

Published: Nov 28, 2023 | By: Lucas Weaver

Learn the words and phrases you need for any language topic you choose. Get vocabulary words, key phrases, grammar explanations, and flashcards created for you in minutes.

Are you struggling to understand English grammar? Finding it hard to create proper sentences or communicate your more advanced ideas clearly and easily? 

One of the most important building blocks for unlocking fluent communication in English is learning the parts of speech. 

We often gloss over the parts of speech in school, not realizing how essential they are as English language skills. 

But understanding nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more, forms the foundation for everything from sentence structure to punctuation to writing style.

In this blog post, I’ll cover what exactly the parts of speech are, why you need to learn them to master English, common challenges English learners face, and how my online course can help fill in any gaps in your knowledge.

What are the parts of speech?

Why are the parts of speech important, proper sentence structure, correct punctuation, more engaging writing style, improved reading comprehension, common challenges for english learners, confusing similarities , incorrect grammar, putting them together, remembering rules , repeated mistakes , how learning the parts of speech in english improves your english fluency, the neuroscience behind learning the parts of speech, how my parts of speech english course can help, take your english skills to the next level.

The main parts of speech in English are:

Nouns: 

People, places, things, and ideas. For example: teacher, Miami, pencil, education. Comprised of proper nouns and common nouns. Nouns can also be used in a noun phrase which can serve as the subject of a sentence.

Pronouns: 

Words used in place of nouns. For example: she, we, them. These can be either a personal pronoun, possessive pronoun, reflexive pronoun, indefinite pronoun, or relative pronoun.

Verbs: 

Action words, linking words, and auxiliary verbs (helping verbs). For example: run, speak, read, is.

Adjectives: 

Words that describe or modify nouns. For example: tall, boring, expensive.

Adverbs: 

Words that describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Some examples of an adverb are: quickly, very, politely.

Prepositions: 

Words that link nouns to other words in a sentence. For example: on, by, with, into. Commonly used in a prepositional phrase. A preposition is commonly known as "anywhere a rabbit can go."

Conjunctions: 

Words that join phrases, clauses, and sentences together. For example: and, but, so, because. These are broken down into coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and others.

Interjections: 

Short exclamations to express emotion. For example: ouch, wow, uh-oh.

These building blocks allow us to construct sentences and communicate complete ideas. Without them, we would just have disorganized words and sounds with no meaning. 

Each part of speech plays a specific role. Once you understand the role of every word in a sentence, you can use grammar correctly, avoid mistakes, and understand how ideas fit together.

Learning the parts of speech also unlocks more advanced grammar and writing concepts.

For instance, as we move into a little bit more advanced English lessons about sentence structure, we will start to discuss the different types of sentences, like complex sentences, simple sentences, and compound sentences.

We'll also discuss how to identify the direct object and indirect object of a sentence. Then we'll talk about the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause.

You'll also need to know the difference between a main verb and a helping verb when we learn things like English word order.

This might all seem like boring grammar topics now, but learning all of these building blocks will make your life so much easier when you try to speak and write fluently in English.

The order words appear in a sentence depends on their part of speech. Knowing if a word is a noun, verb, adjective, etc. allows you to structure sentences properly.

For example, English sentences often follow a subject-verb-object order. The subject is usually a noun or pronoun, the verb is an action word, and the object receives the action. Parts of speech tell you which words play those roles.

Using the right sentence structure makes your writing clear, coherent, and easy to understand.

Punctuation like periods, commas, and semicolons belong in certain places around parts of speech.

For instance, commas go between items in a list of adjectives. Periods indicate the end of a sentence containing a subject and predicate. Knowing parts of speech guides you to use punctuation correctly.

Proper punctuation makes writing flow smoothly and conveys ideas clearly.

Relying too much on one part of speech makes writing boring. Overusing nouns and verbs leads to a repetitive, unsophisticated style.

Varying your parts of speech adds flavor to your writing. Well-placed adjectives and adverbs add vivid description. A strategically used interjection can grab the reader’s attention.

Understanding parts of speech unlocks your ability to craft more engaging prose.

When reading, identifying the role each word plays as a part of speech helps you analyze the text critically.

Seeing how the author uses nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other parts of speech provides deeper insight into the meaning. It allows you to discern subtleties and patterns that create a richer reading experience.

In short, parts of speech provide the essential nuts and bolts of language. Mastering them is key to improving English skills. Keep reading to learn about common challenges and how my course can help.

Here are some common problems English learners often have with parts of speech:

Some parts of speech are easily mixed up, like adjectives and adverbs. For example, learners often struggle to know when to use "quick" or "quickly." Using the wrong one changes the sentence's meaning.

Without knowing parts of speech, it's easy to use grammar the wrong way and make sentences sound awkward. You might use adjectives instead of adverbs, or put verbs in the wrong form, or mix up prepositions. This grammar confusion makes writing hard to understand.

Understanding how parts of speech connect in a sentence can be tricky. If you don't know the role each one plays, it's hard to make sentences that flow well. Knowing definitions isn't enough - you need to see how nouns, verbs, and adjectives fit together.

Many grammar rules for parts of speech must be memorized. It's not intuitive for learners when to use "a" or "an" based on the next word's sound. Or why verbs change form for third-person. Or irregular plural nouns. Learning these quirks takes repetition.

Even when you know parts of speech, some errors keep happening in speech and writing. Each language has tricky spots. Spanish speakers may mess up verb tenses, while Chinese speakers mix up prepositions. These mistakes continue until noticed and fixed.

These problems can hide your bigger ideas. That's why truly understanding parts of speech is so important for clear English communication.

Studies in language acquisition and learning show the importance of understanding the parts of speech. 

For example, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Writing Research looked at writing samples from both native English speakers and English language learners (Crossley & McNamara, 2016).

The researchers found that ELL students often lacked grammatical cohesion in their writing compared to native speakers. 

Their essays tended to jump around randomly between ideas without proper transitions. 

The authors concluded from the study that understanding how the parts of speech work together in a sentence is key to improving overall cohesion and writing quality. 

Their instruction focused specifically on how conjunctions and transition words can help English learners properly connect ideas and write more smoothly flowing texts.

This study clearly shows the value of really understanding the parts of speech for English learners. 

A deeper knowledge, not just of definitions and rules, but of how parts of speech function together to create coherent and readable sentences is a huge benefit when you want to speak and write fluent English.

Learning a new language involves developing new connections in the brain . At first, it takes a lot of effort for English learners to understand and use grammar properly.

Parts of speech like nouns, verbs, and adjectives provide an easy framework to organize words and sentences. With practice, these categories become automatic patterns the brain can access more smoothly.

For example, recognizing “book” as a noun quickly tells the brain it needs a verb to make a sentence. This basic knowledge allows the brain to search through the category of verbs when looking for a word, which then frees up energy for more complex writing tasks.

In this way, mastering the fundamentals of parts of speech makes using English more fluent and natural. The brain can rely on these building blocks to comprehend and communicate ideas better.

When you start to express longer and more advanced ideas in your writing, your brain will be able to think in patterns. Rather than just staring at a blank page, it can think in terms of subjects, verbs, and objects, rather than creating from scratch over and over. 

These patterns help the brain create more easily with less effort.

So learning parts of speech helps create stronger pathways in the brain for understanding English. They provide beginner scaffolds that, with time, support fluency and confidence using the language.

My online English course about the parts of speech breaks down parts of speech into bite-sized lessons so you can master English grammar. Here’s what the course provides:

Video lessons with explanations on each part of speech: I explain the role of each one and how to use them properly.

Plenty of relevant examples: You’ll see parts of speech used in different sentences and scenarios that are relevant to your real life so you can understand them more easily. 

Purposefully designed exercises and quizzes: I’ve personally designed a “Guided Practice” and a “Free Practice” exercise at the end of the lesson to help you actually absorb and learn the information. 

It’s one thing to just watch a video lesson in a course. It’s another thing to actually process the information so you can use it later. That’s what these exercises do.

End of lesson quiz: After you’ve completed both of the practice exercises, you’ll take a quiz to make sure you’ve mastered all the information before moving on to the next lesson. The goal is always for you to actually learn the information, not just see it once in a video.

The course curriculum is designed to help both intermediate and advanced English learners fill in any gaps in their grammar knowledge.

By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp of English parts of speech and the confidence to speak and write accurately.

Parts of speech are the building blocks that allow us to use language. Without them, we can’t construct proper sentences or communicate ideas effectively.

If you feel unsure about parts of speech, it will hold back your English abilities. Use my course to master nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more, unlocking the door to writing, reading, and speaking English confidently.

Check out the course today and take your grammar knowledge to the next level.

Lucas Weaver founded The Weaver School in 2016. He's passionate about using the latest learnings in neuroscience and education to create the best language learning experience possible for our students, so they can quickly build effective language learning habits that will last for years. Lucas is a graduate of Texas A&M University and after 7 years of living in the Netherlands, he is currently traveling through Southeast Asia while learning their languages along the way.

Power up your language learning

It's never been easier to speak the language you want. Experience the power of AI now.

The Weaver School

• Privacy Policy
• General Terms
• Learn Vietnamese

©2024 The Weaver School, All Rights Reserved | Review Us

The Other Tom Elliott

Computer geek, sometime performer, humourist in training and possessor of a common name.

I've moved my blogging efforts to Medium at The Average Coder .

• Looping through datasets with Go channels
• The best interview question I was ever asked
• Exploring emulation in Go: CHIP-8

Existing posts will remain on this domain for the time being, but be sure to update your bookmarks!

The Importance of Keeping Your Speech To Time

Oct 11, 2015

When you're up on stage, timing can be everything. Beginning your speech at just the right moment as the applause dies down. Giving the audience a moment to let an important idea sink in. Letting laughter run just long enough for everyone to enjoy it, but not so long it fades and gets awkward. Timing is crucial, but many speakers forget the most important aspect of timing: using the time you have been allocated effectively, by going neither over, nor significantly under time.

There are three main reasons why keeping to time is crucial, affecting you, your audience and your host.

You: Leaner, cleaner speeches

Making sure your speech is well-timed requires rehearsal, and that will force you to think in detail about what parts of your script are critical to making your point. Why make three jokes about the merits of tabs over spaces (or vice versa) when just one will suffice? Not only that, but it will be the best of the three.

The Audience: Keep them focused

Particularly for shorter presentations, if the audience senses you're about to run over, then they're going to get restless. Back when I was running an open mic night, we had a comedian drag a 5 minute spot out to 10 minutes, ignoring every signal that it was time for him to wrap up. Suffice to say that for the last few minutes nobody was really listening to his material, we were all just willing him to get off the stage.

Which brings me to my final reason.

Your host: Make their job easy

I'll freely admit that I'm terrible at confrontation, and could never bring myself to swoop in and chase an over-running act off stage. Nobody really likes doing that, and nobody in the audience really wants to see it.

There is a finite amount of time for all the speakers or events scheduled around you, and the venue is often only booked until a certain hour. As such, if you go over by a lot you're more than likely to cause a headache. There may also be problems if you run significantly under time as well, since whoever is following you might not be ready.

A good rule of thumb is to aim to be no more than 5-10% under time, and certainly never more than 30 seconds over time.

How to get it right

The first place you can work out your timing is during the writing phase. If you're the sort that likes to write out your speech in full beforehand, you can judge the length of your written speech based on the average speaking rate of 110-150 words per minute. When I'm writing speeches, I like to write out each sentence or phrase as a separate, double-spaced line. In which case, 2 A4 pages is typically good for a 5 minute speech.

As I advocated in a previous article , running through your speech out loud a few times is a great way to work out the wrinkles, and that includes making sure it's of the right length.

Of course, practicing a speech is very different from actually giving one. You may find that you speed up due to nerves, slowed down for raucous laughs, or distracted by an unexpected aardvark escape on the front row. As such, you'll need a way of keeping track of time while you're actually speaking. Many events will have timing signals provided, but it's good to have your own backup just in case.

Speaker Alert is 100% free and available today for iOS 8 and higher.

Speaker Alert

A simple app to end your speeches, presentations and meetings on time 🔔

Platforms: iOS

Phone Status Glance

View your phone's battery and network status right on your wrist.

GitHub Bulk Unwatch

Unwatch multiple GitHub repositories with just a few clicks.

Platforms: Web

Why was Smith's speech important? A. Smith's speech was the first to publicly question McCarthy's accusations B. Smith's speech was one of the earliest to refer to women as a vital voting bloc C. Smith's speech was the first made by a woman senator D. Smith's speech was the first to endorse McCarthy's approach to ensuring American safety

Ai-generated answer.

• 2.9K people helped

A. Smith's speech was the first to publicly question McCarthy's accusations

Explanation:

i have confirmed

• 8.8K people helped

Im in between A and D but I think its D

She said "“Freedom of speech is not what it used to be in America,” she complained. “It has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others.”She was a senators and usaually senators were only seen and not heard, As Senator Margaret Chase Smith grew increasingly angry with McCarthy’s attacks and his defamation of individuals she considered above suspicion. So she went to talk to Mr.President.

Its not B. "Smith's speech was one of the earliest to refer to women as a vital voting bloc" , because it didnt mention anything about women voting.

its not C "Smith's speech was the first made by a woman senator", because it mentions she was only ONE of the first senators to take such a stand.

Im sorry it took me long to answer I had to do some research on her to get the information.

hope this helped :)

Still have questions?

Get more answers for free, you might be interested in, new questions in english.

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• Speech Writing /

Speech on Kindness: 1 and 3-Minute Speech

• Updated on  
• Jun 7, 2024

Kindness is an act that makes us human.  It is a good deed we do for others without expecting anything in return. Kindness is shown not only to humans but also to animals and our surroundings. In this blog, we will go over the speech on kindness to better understand what it means. Continue reading to learn more.

Table of Contents

• 1 1-Minute Speech on Kindness
• 2 3-Minute Speech on Kindness
• 3 10 Reasons Why Kindness is Important
• 4 FAQs 

1-Minute Speech on Kindness

Also Read: Best Career Counselling Tips

3-Minute Speech on Kindness

10 Reasons Why Kindness is Important

Kindness is a good deed that we do for others without any expectations. This is something that not only benefits others but also improves our lives. Here are the 10 reasons why kindness is important in life:

• Creates a ripple effect : kindness is contagious. It creates a ripple effect, that leads to a chain of positive behaviour that spreads throughout the community.
• Foster strong relationships: Whenever you help someone, you build mutual trust and respect with them. Kindness builds a bond between people, fostering a sense of community.
• Boosts confidence: Helping others boosts your own self-worth. As you make a positive impact on someone’s life, it improves your confidence and self-esteem.
• Enhance physical health: Kindness shows positive effects on your physical health, such as low blood pressure. These effects can contribute to a healthier life.
• Improves Mental Health: Helping others release endorphins boosts your mood and gives you a sense of relief. It enhances your mental and emotional well-being, reducing feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Promotes a Positive Work Environment: Kindness in the workplace leads to better team coordination and a positive work culture. Employees tend to be more productive in a supportive work environment.
• Builds inclusive and compassionate society : KIndness fosters empathy and compassion. A society that values kindness and addresses social issues is more likely to prioritize and care about its members.
• Reduce social isolation: By reaching out to others for kindness, you can bridge the gap of social isolation. It builds connections and support systems that foster inclusion.
• Promotes personal growth: Engaging in kind acts leads to personal growth and character development. It enhances our emotional intelligence and become more mindful of the world around us.
• Enhances Emotional Resilience: An act of kindness makes us more strong to face challenges in the future. By focusing on the needs of others, we broaden our perspective and become more emotionally resilient.

Also Read: Speech on How to Tackle Bullying in School

A.1 Kindness is an act which makes us human. It is a good deed we do for others without expecting anything in return. Kindness is a universal language that everyone can understand, regardless of language or cultural differences. Even kindness towards animals and the environment also has a positive impact on us as well as on them. Moreover, kindness is a powerful weapon for social change. History proves kindness and compassion may bring change in society.

A.2 Kindness is the good deeds that we do for others without any expectations. It is a universal language that is understood by all, regardless of language or cultural differences. It is an important tool in today’s world since it spreads positivity all around. Kindness is not an act but a way of life. It is a practice of bringing positive change in the world around us; regardless of the circumstances. The beauty of kindness lies in its simplicity. A world where everyone tries to be kind every day, promises a future full of compassion and understanding.

A.3 Kindness is a good deed that we do for others without expecting anything . The act of kindness is what makes us different. It offers us an advantage since we have the power to make a positive change in someone’s life. In a world filled with challenges and stress, kindness acts as a ray of hope and light. It is an important tool in today’s world since it spreads positivity all around. 

Related Speech Topics for Students

For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Bhumika Sharma

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

Children’s Graffiti Depicting Gladiators Found in Pompeii

George logothetis inspiring speech at the courage awards, bactrian gold findings show ancient greek presence in asia predated alexander, when greece was part of the lost continent of greater adria.

• Environment

Why Did Constantine the Great Execute His Son and Wife?

Constantine the Great was one of the most important figures of Byzantium and Christianity, yet there is a dark chapter in the emperor’s reign that historians cannot fathom.

The execution of his oldest son Crispus and his wife Empress Fausta is a tragic episode in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire that is full of glorious moments.

In the 4th century AD, and especially during Constantine’s reign, the Roman Empire was in a transitional period. Emperor Flavius ​​Valerius Constantinus, as was the real name of Constantine the Great , was the first Roman emperor who converted to Christianity. He is also the one who proclaimed Constantinople the Capital of the Empire , naming the city after himself.

His life was full of victorious battles, intrigues, controversies, and tragic stories. But what stands out in the turbulent course of his reign is the execution of his son Crispus (Κρίσπος in Greek) and his wife Fausta (Φαούστα in Greek). Why did Constantine give the order to execute two people so close to him—two people that history says he loved?

Constantine’s son Crispus

Flavius ​​Julius Crispus was the eldest son of Constantine. The most likely year of his birth was 302 AD, while some historians suggest 305. He was born in the eastern regions of the Roman Empire, and his mother was Minervina. It has not been historically clarified whether Minervina was Constantine’s first official wife or his concubine. The second version is considered more likely. However, Crispus was the couple’s only child.

Constantine the Great always had Crispus with him and assigned his education to the orator Lactantius. Crispus showed special abilities from a very young age, and his father appointed him commander of Gaul. As a teenager, he then settled in Treviri (present-day Trier, Germany), and, in January 322 AD, he married Helen, who, in October of the same year, gave him a son whose name has not been discovered.

In 318, 320, and 323 AD, Crispus led victorious campaigns against the Franks and the Alamanni, thus strengthening the Roman presence in the region. In 322, he visited Rome with his father, where he was received with great honor by the people. In the following years, Crispus proved decisive in the war against Licinius.

In 324 AD, Constantine appointed him captain of his fleet. Crispus sailed from the port of Piraeus, and in the waters of the Hellespont, he fought with the much stronger fleet of Licinius. Constantine’s two hundred ships, under the command of Crispus, decisively defeated Licinius’ fleet which had twice as many ships. After the naval battle was over, Crispus with a part of the Roman legions pursued the defeated Licinius and engaged him in yet another victorious battle outside Chrysoupolis. The rest of the legions followed under the orders of Constantine.

Constantine was very proud of his son, and, to honor him, he ordered and minted coins with the image of Crispus and made statues, mosaics, and ceramic figures of the young Caesar. Orations were written extolling the virtues of Crispus, and Eusebius wrote of the god-loving Crispus, who is worthy of being compared to his father. It should be noted that Crispus had not converted to Christianity.

The wife Fausta

Fausta Maxima Flavia was born and raised in Rome, probably in 289 AD. She was the daughter of Emperor Maximilian. She married Constantine the Great in 307 AD at Treverius (Trier, Germany) when she was 17 or 18 years old. They had at least a 15-year age difference between them. The marriage was politically motivated, as it sealed the armistice agreement between her father and Constantine.

Fausta was a beauty by the standards of the time. She was also intelligent and ambitious. Constantine gradually appreciated her and fell in love with her. Together, they had three sons, the later emperors Constantine II, born on August 7, 316, Constantius II, born on August 7, 317, and Constans, born in 320 or 323. They also had two daughters: Constantina and Helen. No dates of birth have been preserved for the two daughters of the imperial couple.

Characteristic of the appreciation that Constantine had for Fausta was the fact that in 324 AD he awarded her the highly honorary title of Augusta.

Two events marked Fausta’s life. When her father (Maximilianos) decided to violate the agreement with Constantine he confided in her. She betrayed him to her husband who arrested Maximilianos. Then, Fausta instructed him to execute her father stressing that as long as he was alive it was possible that he would conspire against him again. Constantine executed Maximilianos. Shortly thereafter, at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine faced and defeated his wife’s brother, Maxentius. Maxentius in his attempt to escape drowned in the river Tiber and by order of Constantine his head was cut off, nailed to a tree and the soldiers paraded it through the streets of Rome.

Constantine orders the executions

Historians agree that Constantine valued and loved Crispus and his relationship with Fausta was quite good. This is the reason that historians find the execution of the two perplexing.

In 326 AD, Constantine ordered his firstborn son to be put to death. Crispus was executed in Pula (Croatia) with “cold poison,” as mentioned in texts of the time. Some historians argue the texts mean “the coldness of poison.” The fact is that the young man died of poisoning due to the orders of his father. A few months later, Fausta was also executed (probably in Rome). They locked her in a bath and gradually raised the temperature until Constantine’s wife died of suffocation.

The emperor ordered the names of the two executed to be removed from all records, not to be mentioned by historians, and their memory erased forever.

Historians gather that the two executions were connected. But why did Constantine give such an order?

Two historians, Zosimus in the 6th century and John Zonaras in the 12th century give an explanation, which is the most widely accepted interpretation of the emperor’s decision.

Fausta was jealous of Crispus because he was her husband’s favorite son. She feared that Constantine would sideline the sons he had with her for the sake of Crispus. To trap him, she invited him to a private meeting and confessed her supposed love to him, suggesting that they enter into an illicit relationship. Crispus refused.

Then Fausta told Constantine that his son was in love with her and forced her to have an illicit affair. When she rejected him, Crispus tried to rape her. Enraged, Constantine ordered the execution of his son. Aurelius Victor wrote in “Epitomia” that Constantine’s mother, Eleni, was enraged by the execution of her grandson. She pointed out to the emperor that he should have investigated Fausta’s complaints before acting. Constantine realized his mistake and investigated what his wife had told him. He found that it was not true and ordered her execution as well.

This version is the most accepted but not historically verifiable because the historians who cited it did not live at the time of the events. There are also those who argue Crispus and Fausta did indeed have an affair and its revelation led to their execution.

Constantine believed Crispus had committed such a serious offense that he ordered “damnatio memoriae,” erasing his name from history. If Constantine later discovered Fausta’s deception, why didn’t he restore his son’s name?

But if indeed son and stepmother had an affair, why was Fausta not immediately executed together with Crispus? To this question, the hypothetical answer given is that perhaps Fausta was pregnant and they were waiting for her to give birth before executing her.

However, if the emperor’s wife had indeed committed adultery, she would have been executed according to the law following an imperial decree for the issuance of which there are no references.

Nevertheless, the execution of his first-born son and wife marked the life of Constantine. He was a ruthless emperor who often acted impulsively, carried away by his anger. What exactly led to the execution of Crispus and Fausta will probably never be historically clarified.

See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com . Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!

• Byzantine Empire
• Christianity
• Constantine
• Constantine the Great
• Constantinople
• Roman Empire

More Greek News

Princess kako of japan visits greece on anniversary of diplomatic relations, us’s secretive $745m nuclear bomber has aerial test, olympiacos beats fiorentina 1-0, becoming first greek club to win major european trophy.

• Privacy Policy
• Greek Name Days
• Watch Greek TV Live

© Copyright - GreekReporter.com

Why some universities are returning to standardized testing in admissions process

Paul Solman Paul Solman

Ryan Connelly Holmes Ryan Connelly Holmes

Leave your feedback

• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-some-universities-are-returning-to-standardized-testing-in-admissions-process

Headlines around higher education this year have centered on protests, free speech and student safety. But some important changes on the academic and admissions front have gotten less attention, including some schools turning back to standardized testing after deciding they would no longer require it. Paul Solman reports for our series, Rethinking College.

Read the Full Transcript

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Amna Nawaz:

Headlines around higher education this year have centered on protests, free speech and students safety. But some important changes on the academic and admissions front have gotten less attention, including some schools turning back to standardized testing after deciding they would no longer require it.

Paul Solman has that story for our latest series on Rethinking College.

Kelly Damphousse, President, Texas State University:

I was terrible in math.

Paul Solman:

Meet Kelly Damphousse, president of Texas State University in San Marcos.

Kelly Damphousse:

So I end up going to community college, and I got a 2.54 GPA.

When he made it to a four-year school, he was the first in his family, just like 43 percent of the 34,000 undergrads here at Texas State.

So you're sympathetic to the idea that tests should be optional.

Yes. Well, yes. If I had had to take the test, I probably wouldn't have gotten into college.

That test, the SAT, or ACT, which for years most colleges required for admission, research having shown test scores correlated with college GPAs.

But during the pandemic, many dropped the requirement. Post-pandemic, Texas State remains test-optional. And yet retention rates are still rising, while, more than ever:

We look like the state of Texas,the most diverse university in the state.

One that welcomes students like the president once was.

We are creating greater opportunities for people to access the opportunity to get a four-year college degree, something we know is a life-changing experience for these people.

Just 40 minutes away, the University of Texas at Austin, 42,000 undergrads, average SAT 1355 out of 1600. U.T. also went test-optional during COVID, but it's now reinstated test scores, joining a host of other schools.

Why? Yes, it's already selective, says U.T. president Jay Hartzell.

Jay Hartzell, President, The University of Texas at Austin: Anybody who applies from a Texas high school and is in the top 6 percent of their class is admitted.

But, he emphasizes:

Jay Hartzell:

That doesn't mean they're admitted to business or finance, for example, or computer science or liberal arts necessarily. So we use the test scores historically to put them in the right schools and colleges when they get here, put them in the right spots to ultimately succeed.

And reroute some of the automatic admits, though they might have had low test scores, and perhaps others, from difficult majors that might frustrate them, he says, even to the point of giving up.

So Hartzell thinks testing can be used compassionately, and should even improve a crucial objective, graduation rates, now at about 75 percent.

Kendra Strange, Breakthrough Central Texas:

I am excited for you both.

But Kendra Strange, who helps low-income students prepare for college, begs to differ.

Kendra Strange:

There's so much that goes into deciding what you want to study in college. And the test score alone doesn't necessarily indicate whether or not a student is going to be successful in one particular career or major. For many students, what you find is, they're picking majors around their passion.

And, to Strange, passion inspires grit, which she says is the real key to success.

Maybe the student didn't test well. Maybe the student is not good at timed tests. It shouldn't equate to whether or not I'm going to be a successful as an engineer.

Moreover, says admissions coach Yvonne Espinoza.

Yvonne Espinoza, College Counselor:

Requiring testing can close doors for those students who don't have access to resources. When test scores are required, my students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were much less likely to apply because they would see what colleges were publishing on their Web sites as their average SAT score, and they were scoring well below that and didn't understand that that was OK for them because of the schools they went to, because they didn't have access to resources.

Miguel Wasielewski, Head of Admissions, The University of Texas at Austin: I'm a first-generation student. My mom didn't graduate high school.

Head of admissions and U.T. alum Miguel Wasielewski.

Miguel Wasielewski:

My dad didn't go to college. And so we came from a very low-income background.

And so kids like he was are those he cares most about. And not only can the tests can and not only can the tests help from being overmatched in tough courses, he says, but, worse, for a school as rich in resources as U.T. Austin, with test-optional:

We were not putting somebody into a program that could have benefited from those resources. So, with the reinstitute of those scores, we will be able to begin providing that additional support to them.

Who is not getting in now because of test scores being required?

I would say that there's not a higher likelihood or unlikelihood of that student getting in. It's just another variable that we have within the application.

In fact — and this is an argument you hear at other universities like MIT that have restored test scores — more students from poor schools may now get in when compared to similar students from similar backgrounds in their region.

People have in their head things like 1500, 1600 SAT scores. And so a student that doesn't have that level and maybe has like a 1200 SAT may say, you know what, I'm not going to submit that information to the university.

But then when we go in and contextually evaluate that student, and we see that they're in the 99th percentile of their high school with that score, that's a very meaningful figure.

Moreover, the average high school grade has risen over time, shrinking the grade range, so-called grade inflation. As a result, grades can mean less than they used to.

So while they may have had that 4.0 GPA, they're on the lower end of the standardized scores. And that helps us to be able to understand that maybe the student is going to benefit from some resources that we have available here.

Things like being able to get placed into programs that puts you with mentors, being able to sit down with other students and get assistance, assistance with writing, assistance with tutoring for classes that they're attending.

At the outreach nonprofit Breakthrough Central Texas, they provide such help to low-income students with college dreams early on.

In fifth grade, we go into schools across Central Texas and we say, hey, are you the first in your family to go to college? Are you from a traditionally underserved background? Then we want to help you on your journey.

Again, Breakthrough's Kendra Strange.

We recognize that food insecurity, housing insecurity, mental health support, students can't think about performing well in school if they're not eating. And so we support our students with wraparound services.

Students like high school senior Samuel Bautista-Zamora.

Samuel Bautista-Zamora, Student:

My parents migrated from Mexico. I think they barely graduated middle school, and they were just like, we really can't help you with this.

He worried about taking the SAT because:

Samuel Bautista-Zamora:

Well, SAT plays everybody in the — puts everybody in the same field technically, but it's like some might have more resources. Some might pay for private tutors, which, unfortunately, we don't have that luxury.

So, we — I had to look for my own resources, spend time while balancing a job, taking care of my siblings, and still trying to do extracurriculars to boost my resume to be able to get to these schools without these SAT scores.

But Bautista-Zamora took the test, got a 1060 the first time, then 1160, then 1310, but that last one was too late, so he submitted no scores, figuring:

My extracurriculars and my grades reflected better.

And he got into U.T. Austin.

High school junior Terrance Taylor Johnson is looking at U.T. too.

Terrance Taylor Johnson, Student:

I think my chances are pretty good. I just need to focus on my test scores more. I averaged 1080 on the — I mean, 1060 on the first run, and so I need to do better on the next one.

How did you feel during the test? Did you — were you nervous? Were you not nervous?

Terrance Taylor Johnson:

I was nervous because, on the PSAT, I had got an 830. But then, as soon as I saw my test score, I was actually pretty happy how high it jumped.

Jumped just above the national average of 1050.

Back on campus at U.T., freshman Aniya Matthews, who arrived here with a relatively low score for Austin, 1090.

Aniya Matthews, College Student:

Some of my peers have thousand-dollar tutors they get for their SATs. Now, me, I come from a low-income background, so there wasn't no help on that SAT.

What were you applying for your major?

Aniya Matthews:

I wanted to be a medical laboratory scientist. But thank God I didn't get into that, because I realize that I do not like STEM.

So the fact that they discouraged you from what you were originally going to go into it, maybe on the basis of your SAT, was a good thing?

Yes, but I feel like, though, I feel like, when it comes to some students who have maybe a lower score who genuinely have a passion and want to go into, like, engineering, I do feel as though they definitely don't have that shot sometimes.

And thus the question colleges face with requiring tests: Are they more or less likely to discourage the disadvantaged from pursuing their passion or even applying, weighed against signals that could help with admission, lead to savvier placement, and more resources to succeed?

For the "PBS NewsHour," Paul Solman in Central Texas.

Listen to this Segment

Watch the Full Episode

Paul Solman has been a correspondent for the PBS NewsHour since 1985, mainly covering business and economics.

Support Provided By: Learn more

More Ways to Watch

• PBS iPhone App
• PBS iPad App

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.

• History Classics
• Your Profile
• Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
• This Day In History
• History Podcasts
• History Vault

Freedom of Speech

By: History.com Editors

Updated: July 27, 2023 | Original: December 4, 2017

Freedom of speech—the right to express opinions without government restraint—is a democratic ideal that dates back to ancient Greece. In the United States, the First Amendment guarantees free speech, though the United States, like all modern democracies, places limits on this freedom. In a series of landmark cases, the U.S. Supreme Court over the years has helped to define what types of speech are—and aren’t—protected under U.S. law.

The ancient Greeks pioneered free speech as a democratic principle. The ancient Greek word “parrhesia” means “free speech,” or “to speak candidly.” The term first appeared in Greek literature around the end of the fifth century B.C.

During the classical period, parrhesia became a fundamental part of the democracy of Athens. Leaders, philosophers, playwrights and everyday Athenians were free to openly discuss politics and religion and to criticize the government in some settings.

First Amendment

In the United States, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech.

The First Amendment was adopted on December 15, 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution . The Bill of Rights provides constitutional protection for certain individual liberties, including freedoms of speech, assembly and worship.

The First Amendment doesn’t specify what exactly is meant by freedom of speech. Defining what types of speech should and shouldn’t be protected by law has fallen largely to the courts.

In general, the First Amendment guarantees the right to express ideas and information. On a basic level, it means that people can express an opinion (even an unpopular or unsavory one) without fear of government censorship.

It protects all forms of communication, from speeches to art and other media.

Flag Burning

While freedom of speech pertains mostly to the spoken or written word, it also protects some forms of symbolic speech. Symbolic speech is an action that expresses an idea.

Flag burning is an example of symbolic speech that is protected under the First Amendment. Gregory Lee Johnson, a youth communist, burned a flag during the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas to protest the Reagan administration.

The U.S. Supreme Court , in 1990, reversed a Texas court’s conviction that Johnson broke the law by desecrating the flag. Texas v. Johnson invalidated statutes in Texas and 47 other states prohibiting flag burning.

When Isn’t Speech Protected?

Not all speech is protected under the First Amendment.

Forms of speech that aren’t protected include:

• Obscene material such as child pornography
• Plagiarism of copyrighted material
• Defamation (libel and slander)
• True threats

Speech inciting illegal actions or soliciting others to commit crimes aren’t protected under the First Amendment, either.

The Supreme Court decided a series of cases in 1919 that helped to define the limitations of free speech. Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917, shortly after the United States entered into World War I . The law prohibited interference in military operations or recruitment.

Socialist Party activist Charles Schenck was arrested under the Espionage Act after he distributed fliers urging young men to dodge the draft. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction by creating the “clear and present danger” standard, explaining when the government is allowed to limit free speech. In this case, they viewed draft resistant as dangerous to national security.

American labor leader and Socialist Party activist Eugene Debs also was arrested under the Espionage Act after giving a speech in 1918 encouraging others not to join the military. Debs argued that he was exercising his right to free speech and that the Espionage Act of 1917 was unconstitutional. In Debs v. United States the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage Act.

Freedom of Expression

The Supreme Court has interpreted artistic freedom broadly as a form of free speech.

In most cases, freedom of expression may be restricted only if it will cause direct and imminent harm. Shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater and causing a stampede would be an example of direct and imminent harm.

In deciding cases involving artistic freedom of expression the Supreme Court leans on a principle called “content neutrality.” Content neutrality means the government can’t censor or restrict expression just because some segment of the population finds the content offensive.

Free Speech in Schools

In 1965, students at a public high school in Des Moines, Iowa , organized a silent protest against the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to protest the fighting. The students were suspended from school. The principal argued that the armbands were a distraction and could possibly lead to danger for the students.

The Supreme Court didn’t bite—they ruled in favor of the students’ right to wear the armbands as a form of free speech in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District . The case set the standard for free speech in schools. However, First Amendment rights typically don’t apply in private schools.

What does free speech mean?; United States Courts . Tinker v. Des Moines; United States Courts . Freedom of expression in the arts and entertainment; ACLU .

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

• My View My View
• Following Following
• Saved Saved

D-Day anniversary 2024:  World leaders, veterans, commemorate Normandy landings

• Medium Text

UKRAINE FEARS

Sign up here.

Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, John Irish, Lucien Libert, Jeff Mason in Normandy, Gabriel Stargardter and Tassilo Hummel in Paris, Muvija M and William James in London; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Toby Chopra, Angus MacSwan and Jon Boyle

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Jeff Mason is a White House Correspondent for Reuters. He has covered the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2016-2017, leading the press corps in advocating for press freedom in the early days of the Trump administration. His and the WHCA's work was recognized with Deutsche Welle's "Freedom of Speech Award." Jeff has asked pointed questions of domestic and foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. He is a winner of the WHCA's “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure" award and co-winner of the Association for Business Journalists' "Breaking News" award. Jeff began his career in Frankfurt, Germany as a business reporter before being posted to Brussels, Belgium, where he covered the European Union. Jeff appears regularly on television and radio and teaches political journalism at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a former Fulbright scholar.

World Chevron

Ambrey says cargo ship hit by missile southeast of Yemen's Aden

British security firm Ambrey said on Sunday an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship was struck by a missile 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's Aden and caught fire before it was contained.

D-Day latest: Biden takes swipe at Putin in D-Day speech; read chilling 'in case of failure' letter

As the world marks 80 years since D-Day, the King tells a commemoration event "free nations must stand together to oppose tyranny" and Joe Biden takes a swipe at Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Second World War Wren, Christian Lamb, 103, is given France's highest honour by Emmanuel Macron.

Thursday 6 June 2024 23:05, UK

Anniversary events

• King: Free nations must come together to oppose tyranny
• Biden takes aim at Putin: War's 'dark forces never fade'  
• Zelenskyy greeted by raucous applause
• Veteran minesweeper's stern words for Russian president 
• Veteran British Wren, 103, gets France's highest honour
• Watch: Parachutists recreate D-Day invasion  

Revisiting D-Day

• Chilling letter Eisenhower drafted in case of failure
• The elite veteran division that may have prevented the collapse of the invasion
• How the Germans responded and clues to why they failed
• Veterans' stories: My ears bled as I bombarded shore | Shrapnel still lodged in my head nearly killed me
• Watch: How the D-Day landings unfolded
• Timelines: The lead-up to the landings | What happened across the five D-Day beaches? | The Battle of Normandy
• Produced by  Brad Young

Thanks for following our coverage on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

You can scroll back through this blog below to catch up on all our updates and features.

A number of commemorations have marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Royals, world leaders and veterans gathered in Normandy for a series of ceremonies and events, paying tribute to those who served during the 1944 beach invasion.

The King and the Prince of Wales praised the "bravery and sacrifice" of D-Day veterans who "served at that critical time" as they both made speeches in France today.

Here is a roundup of the highlights from the D-Day anniversary commemorations.

By royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills  in Normandy 

This was the day that the world made a journey to towns across Normandy. Those remarkable stories of bravery and acts of patriotism that have cemented D-Day in our consciousness, touching so many different nations.

From the 13 countries that made up those Allied troops for the landings thousands of people gathered onto those wide sweeping beaches for ceremonial events, others crowded into their towns and villages wanting to say a more personal thank you. 

But talking to those who've been here for previous commemorations, they told me that this year has felt different, an added significance, with precious few veterans still with us.

Whether it's been the international diplomatic events which always add that extra focus onto moments like this, or more intimate events up and down the coastline, the elderly have been treated with so much love and respect.

At a ceremony in the small town of Asnelles to unveil a commemorative memorial for those who died from the 47 Royal Marine Commando, I spoke to Norman Ashford, a 99-year-old D-Day veteran from the Royal Marines. 

He couldn't speak about what he saw on D-Day. Eventually, he told me he was at least pleased that he had come.

Remarkably, at least three women came up once I'd spoken to him to shake his hand and personally thank him because of what the actions of him and his friends had meant to their relatives all those 80 years ago. 

As international leaders took to the stage, the veterans have been treated like the real superstars.

But not in their eyes. Repeatedly they want to bring it back to those who weren't there.

The men I met felt lucky to have gone on to have had really fulfilled and happy lives. 

They made it home. They managed to have their own families. But their friends, who died on these beaches, they were never able to fulfil those dreams.

Kneeling next to them the veterans I spoke to were quiet, more discrete in their message than the world leaders, but with no less conviction. 

As they increasingly fade away they never want us to forget the freedoms that they fought for.

D-Day re-enactment groups have said their work to inspire remembrance of the Normandy landings is more important now many of the men involved are now longer with us.

Living history groups have collected garments, artefacts and weaponry to display for educational purposes, while re-enactment groups go a step further in theatrically recreating the event.

Michael Lycett, organiser of the East Yorkshire Regiment Living Group, said the reenactors had become friends with many of the battalion's veterans over the years.

"We have heard their stories first hand and feel well qualified to pass them on. By attending shows and putting on displays we are able to tell their stories to a wide audience.

"This is more important now these men are not here to do so themselves."

The group displays weapons and explosives, as well as a pot of sand from each of the landing beaches and a lump of concrete from the Merville Gun Battery in Normandy.

Glenn Caton, 61, who runs the Suffolk Military Show portraying historical conflicts from the past 1,000 years, said re-enactment is vital for stoking remembrance.

"Unfortunately events such as the D-Day landings are now becoming confined to the history books, as these significant moments are largely beyond living memory."

He added: "One of the mantras The Suffolk Military Shows has adopted is 'I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand'."

Arthur Oborne, 100, paid a tearful tribute to a friend who saved his life on D-Day earlier this afternoon.

He was shot in the lung three days after arriving on Gold Beach and his friend, Walter Gummerson, was killed the next day alongside the rest of his unit.

"I wish I could tell him that I have never taken his sacrifice for granted and will always remember him and our friends," said Mr Oborne from Portishead, while speaking at the UK national commemorative event in Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy.

"So Gummy, thank you my old friend."

Afterwards he said: "I had no problems talking but it was a bit emotional, I was a bit upset and teary.

"I think everyone did well at the service, I was a bit apprehensive at the start but I wanted to speak."

Royal Marine Jim Grant recalled the sheer noise of the assault, which left him partially deaf.

Attacking Sword Beach via landing craft, he was escorting Canadian forces across to Normandy.

"The noise from the guns, the German guns and the guns from the battleships who had started firing over our heads, was deafening," he said.

Behind the infantry storming the beaches of Normandy were soldiers tasked with keeping guns loaded, vehicles fuelled and troops fed.

Jack Mortimer, 100, was one such driver and dispatch rider, who "worked like hell" to keep his comrades on Sword Beach fighting effectively.

He described driving "frightened to death" up the beach in a jeep with a trailer, with hundreds of rockets flying overhead.

"Driving up that beach, the noise, the smoke, frightened to death, hearing guns going off and seeing thousands of soldiers and ships on either side, it was organised army chaos," said the former 12th Ordnance Beach detachment volunteer.

"Our job was to organise the beach so we could help anyone who got in trouble coming on shore.

"A gun can't fire without ammunition, a tank can't go without petrol and men need food, so we worked like hell to keep the stores equipped."

Mr Mortimer said he will be travelling back to Normandy for the anniversary.

"When I go there, I cry. 

"I don't think I'm a hero, the heroes are the ones who didn't come home, and they should always be remembered. 

"It is very emotional, of course, to remember those who went and didn't come back."

The most ambitious amphibious operation in history required the waterproofing of weapons and other sensitive equipment

Among those ensuring the guns worked when they landed on Gold Beach was gunner Donald Howkins, who spent the month before D-Day in Weybridge learning how to protect them from the sea.

He said he struggles to remember fighting on the beaches, but battles in the nearby village of Tilly-sur-Seulles were not soon going to leave him.

"The destruction of a town and death in such a way I have never discussed it," he said.

"It was also here that my good friend from my hometown was badly wounded and his war was over."

From there, they "zigged and zagged northward through Normandy" and into Belgium.

"During these first months we lost some good men."

Royals, world leaders and veterans gathered on Omaha Beach today to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

As veterans arrived at the international commemoration service, world leaders applauded each of them as they were pushed past them on wheelchairs, some of them smiling proudly and saluting.

Ralph McClure, 99, who was a signalman on board the HMS LCT 952, has been speaking about the moment he lost a friend on D-Day.

The grandfather of actress Vicky McClure said: "There was a flash where he was standing and from then till now I've tried to find out if he made it.

"I feel he might not have done.

"I think a lot about him - we used to have a lot of good times together."

The veteran left Newhaven on D-Day in a tank landing ship and took tanks and supplies to the troops on the ground in Normandy.

He was there for six weeks and remembers seeing Winston Churchill arriving on the beaches in France.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Speech Structure: The Complete OBC Guide

What makes a great speech? The content, of course, but also the structure. All great speakers overlay their content on a well-known structure. 

Your speech structure is the glue that binds your points together. Without it, you cannot really have the impact you desire to have on the audience.

The beauty of this is that a good structure is so subtle it is almost invisible. Its effectiveness is only evident in its impact.

Speech writing can be intimidating for some, however, we have incorporated plenty of speech examples to get a complete understanding. We aim to explain a proper structure that can be applied to any of your speeches.

There are four things you need to keep in mind about this:

Table of Contents

What is the purpose of your speech?

Can too much content be harmful, who is the audience, informative speech, persuasive speech, argumentative speech, demonstration speech, humorous speech, strong statement, visual prop or demonstration, personal anecdote, problem or strong statement, summary on writing your introduction:, credibility, cause and effect:, problems and solutions:, lucky number three, summary on writing your body:, call to action, inspirational, key takeaway, summary of writing your conclusion:, meta description:, picking the right topic.

The content of a speech can largely determine how the audience receives it. For this, you will need to accurately assess who is going to be listening to your speech. There are some questions you need to ask before sitting down to write this speech.

Do you intend to introduce a concept or argue on a controversial topic? Is your purpose of imparting knowledge or guiding the audience through a demonstration? It is essential to have your intentions cleared; otherwise, you can risk creating a speech with no direction.

We understand that as daunting as speaking can be, it is, at the same time, fascinating. When you pick a topic that you are passionate about, it is easy to find yourself packing the speech with all kinds of information. However, in doing so, you can overwhelm your audience.

There is such a thing as too much information. You need to make sure that whatever information you do include is impactful and influential. Aim for something short but memorable. Pick one takeaway message and gear your speech towards that objective.

While it is vital to pick a topic that interests you, it is equally important to make sure that it can grab the audience’s attention. What is the target demographic for your speech? What is the setting for this speech? Is it a particularly controversial topic?

This is important because as humans, most people are likely to be more interested in your presentation if it benefits them somehow. At the same time, you have to consider the setting.

For instance: an office setting would not be the right setting for a controversial social speech. If your speech includes demonstration and requires volunteers, you need to ensure that this is an audience willing to participate.  

Do you understand the various types of speeches?

Before you pen down your presentation, stop to wonder whether you understand the different types of speeches. Understanding what kind of speech you are going for can help you better structure it for maximum efficiency:

An informative speech intends to explain complex topics to your audience by providing engaging information. This can include objects, events, procedures, and more. It is better if you pick a topic that you are interested in so that your enthusiasm shines through.

When you give an informative speech, you are merely trying to educate your audiences about a particular topic. You refrain from becoming too argumentative as it might come across too strong for your listeners. If this is the type of speech you intend to give, you can check out 100 Informative Speech Topics and Ideas to make your job easier. 

A persuasive speech intends to convince the audiences of your viewpoint. It uses compelling points to sway the listener’s opinions. The primary purpose of this type of speech is to affect the audiences’ thought process and persuade them to think about changing how they feel about a topic.

Some examples of a persuasive speech can be a politician’s speech, an animal activist’s speech, and so on. As you can see, the goal here is to persuade and obtain something ultimately. A politician might want to sway your vote in their favor, whereas ani activist has a cause that they’d like to advocate for.

If this is the type of speech you intend to give, you can check out 237 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics and Guide to better plan your speech.

An argumentative speech is more or less a persuasive speech. However, a persuasive speech does not always have to be argumentative. The purpose of an argumentative is to alter how the audience views a subject. 

Changing the audience’s opinion is not an easy job. This is why you need to not only pick a persuasive topic but also believe in it. You need a strong claim along with irrefutable points to support it. 

The best argumentative speeches utilize issues relating to current events. You can see this in the media in the form of mostly social, ethical, political, or religious arguments. Your arguments should make use of logic and realistic examples. Some examples of this type of speech can be: Dress codes shouldn’t be mandatory, Space exploration is a waste of money, etc.

If you’d like to see more topic ideas for an argumentative speech, you can browse the 200 Argumentative Speech Topics and ideas: A Complete Guide . 

A demonstration speech, true to its name, demonstrates to the audience how something works. This type of presentation is more common for high school or college students. It makes use of props and useful body language to properly guide the audience through an activity.

This type of speech can fall under informative speech as you are informing the listeners on a task. While this type of speech is considered a basic speech, it is an excellent way to practice your expository speaking.

If this is the type of speech you’d like to give, here’s a list of 279 Demonstration Speech Topics and Ideas: A Complete Guide , so that you can better perfect your speech.

A humorous speech is the perfect light-hearted solution for adding a fun twist to your speech. This type of presentation aims to entertain the audience. A humorous speech can incorporate any of the above examples. It is, thus, very versatile. And what’s more? You get to have just as much fun delivering it!  

The thing to keep in mind with this kind of speech is that you need to pick a proper topic. You intend to garner a joyful response to its best not to pick a sensitive topic. To help you out, you can browse the 300 Funny Speech Topics to Tickle Some Funny Bones! to structure your humorous speech.

Writing the Introduction (Opening)

The introduction of your speech is vital to the success of your speech. It is what sets the tone of your entire speech. It determines whether or not you grab the attention of the listeners. You will get only one chance to charm your audience and make sure they follow the rest of your speech.

So, how can you make this happen? There are a few different ways you can approach this:

Asking a question is an excellent way to grab your audience’s attention. It piques their curiosity and ensures that they will listen to get an answer to said question. The question can be either rhetorical or literal. For instance, “Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to live in a world without technology?” or “Have you ever felt broken-hearted?”.

Either the audience resonates with your question, or it generates curiosity. This is also a great way to get some audience participation. If you say, “With a show of hands, how many of us here have tried to change our habits and failed?” you can not only garner interest but also physically get the audience invested in your speech.

A question is a great way to get your listeners thinking about your topic while introducing your topic, all in a matter of seconds!

A strong statement is also an excellent way to create a compelling introduction. You must know Martin Luther King’s iconic, “I have a dream.” The intensity that radiates from that sentence immediately captures an audiences’ attention and creates a commanding presence.

Similarly, an excellent example of this type of opening is from Larry Smith’s speech. “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.” This immediately generates intrigue and curiosity. That’s what you’re going for.

This statement does not have to just be cold facts. It can be a part of a personal story as well. For instance, the statement “Last week, I found out that my childhood friend got in a car accident” is bound to create a powerful silence. If your speech has such a strong emotive statement, you can use it in your introduction to engage your audience better.

Another helpful tip that goes with a strong statement in silence. Give your listener’s a chance to absorb the statement that you have put in front of them with a couple of seconds of silence before diving in further.

A prop can be a fantastic addition to your speech. Not only does it help emphasize your point, but it also helps the audience stay focused on your speech. Props are especially good for a demonstrative speech. Or you can simply incorporate demonstrations as part of your speech.

Body language speaks much louder than words can for us humans. This is why using colorful bags, a deck of cards, colored papers, etc. can be so effective as an opener for your speech. Once, I attended a speech where the speaker brought a heavy bag and simply set it on the table, talking about the bag. The audience was hooked, waiting eagerly till the end to find out what was in the bag.

A quotation can be the perfect way to capture your audience’s attention. It also helps set a tone for the speech that is to come. The quote you pick can be a well-known saying such as “They say all that glitters is not gold, well I beg to differ.” Doing so, you can ignite curiosity.

Similarly, you can also quote a person or a publication and tie it to your speech. For instance, for a motivational speech, you can take the example of someone like Bill Gates- “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” When you use a quote from a big name, you will definitely get people wanting to hear and learn more.

Humor is always a great tool to have in your arsenal. A good icebreaker can warm the listeners up to you and make them more receptive to the rest of your speech. Humor is a very endearing trait for a skilled speaker. Some ideas for your opening can be:

“It’s the funniest thing. As I was coming up to the stage, I began thinking we actually have quite a lot in common. None of us have a clue about what I’m going to say!”

“I know we are all busy, and I want to honor your time. So I will make sure to be accurate and brief, no matter long it takes me.”

The great thing about using humor is that it works on your audience subconsciously. You seem at ease with yourself and radiate confidence. You have to remember that for humor to be effective; it has to be effortless. If you seem unsure about your lines, the audience is sure to pick up on it.

A strong statistic will always add validity to your speeches. Presenting the audience with irrefutable facts backed up by a strong source is a surefire way to gain credibility. It can also add gravity to the scale of the issue that you want to draw attention to. 

However, it is easy to overdo things when it comes to numbers. It can be tempting to add strong statistics to the rest of your speech as well. But remember, the strongest points are ones that linger in an audience’s mind. If you give them too many numbers, none of them will stick out in their heads, and they are bound to feel lost.

Some examples can be: “Look to your right. Now, look to your left. One in three women and one in four women are known to have suffered physical violence. A statement like this not only ignites awareness but also physically makes your listener feel involved in your speech.

An anecdote is a short story taken from your life itself. The story usually adds to the theme of your story. Short and light-hearted anecdotes can add a lot of enthusiasm and charm to your speech. However, you don’t have to make them humorous. Even more, touching stories can be equally, if not more engaging.

When used correctly, a personal anecdote makes for the perfect introduction that draws your listeners towards your central message. Not only does it create empathy, but it also sparks interest. If you don’t have a personal anecdote itself, you can go for a third-person anecdote that speaks to you as well.

Opening with a problem can make for a strong opening. This method generates interest and keeps the audience listening with the promise of an upcoming solution. Try to aim for a problem that caters to a wider demographic for a higher relatability.

Problems that relate to current events can have a better draw. For instance: “Why should remote working be implemented even after quarantine?”

In a similar vein, a powerful statement can be an excellent way to capture your audience’s attention. A statement, when paired with silence, can make for an effective tool. Example: “The top 20% of our society makes 80% of all the money. Would you like to be part of this 20%? If so, I’m going to give you some pointers on how you can align yourself in that direction. Does that sound like something you might be interested in?”

• Your opening plays a big role in whether or not you can grab your listener’s attention straight off the bat.
• Give your audience a reason to pay attention by clearly stating the purpose of your speech.
• If you are giving a speech regarding a field you have some experience with, remember to establish credibility early on.
• Give a short highlight reel of your main points.
• Quotations or powerful statements are a great way to catch the audience’s attention.
• Including current events or statistics will make your speech seem more relevant to a wider range of listeners.
• Asking a question will get your audience more involved and add intrigue to the rest of your presentation.

Structuring your content (Body)

The body of your speech will hold all of your main points. Since this is the longest section of your speech, you need to ensure that it is interesting enough to keep everyone’s attention. Depending on the objective of your speech, you will need to add examples, opinions, and facts to back up your points. What helps during this time is proper organization.

Here are some things you want to keep in mind while drafting the body of your speech:

No matter how much you believe in your point, you still need to give your audience a credible reason to take your word for it. This can be done by adding examples, detailed descriptions, statistics, and so on. Always remember to credit the source when using a statistic. You can also add a strong testimonial to add a touch of personalized support if that applies to your objective.

Transitions

When you have a lot of content packed into your speech, transitions become vital to the effectiveness of your speech. You can consider these as points of a refresh in your speech. Here, the audience can reengage and follow along more attentively. 

The best transitions are always invisible. They can seamlessly add flow to your speech without giving any indication of such to your audience. There are many ways to incorporate this into your speech. 

Some examples can be:

A connective transition is where you reiterate a previous point and introduce a connecting point. The way this method works is that it rehashes an important aspect while relating it to what’s next.

The most effective way to use this is in a problem/solution module. This is where you begin by stating a problem and transition towards a solution.

Example: Now that we’ve understood the various negative effects of junk food, let me tell you how we can plan a better diet to combat obesity.

When you do this, you are providing a summary of the problem and swiftly leading them towards a solution. If you jump straight to the next section, it can feel rushed. Besides, pauses are another important element of speech delivery.

Keywords, as the name suggests, have a certain draw to them. These are words that are central to the theme of your speech. Repetition is a very effective tool in conveying your message. 

For instance: If your speech is about the scarcity of running water in rural communities, you can draw attention by repeating the factors that cause this issue. Doing so will also let you explain in better detail these factors while keeping your audience hooked to the main theme.

Content Approach

Depending on your speech, there are various ways to approach how you frame your content. We all know that content is king; however, without the right approach, it’s easy for your message to get lost along the way. This is why it’s so important to keep your subject matter relevant and interesting. Make sure the content is as compact and concise as you can make it. Some of the methods by which you can ensure this is as follows:

Cause and effect is a great way to present your ideas. This method works best for explaining events and consequences or results. Make sure to include all the appropriate details to add emphasis. The element of ‘what’s next’ is what keeps the audience hooked to your speech. As you unfold a cause and follow it with the effects, it will feel both interesting as well as rewarding to your audience.  

Problem and solution is a speech method as old as time. But it is so because of its reliability. This approach works best for a motivational speech. This type of speech intends to address a problem and offer a systematic solution that benefits the listeners. It is also a common approach for pushing an audience to buy into a service or product. You pose a problem and then offer a solution, including a whole package. Make sure the solution you offer is versatile so that it applies to a wider range of people, thereby increasing appeal.

A narrative approach is excellent for anybody who wants to sharpen their storytelling skills. The important ingredients for a narrative speech are chronology and a simple organization pattern. Typically, any story will have a beginning, middle, and end. Going in order, with smooth transitions will make your story easy to follow. 

This type of speech is most effective for presenting events, life lessons, experiences, rituals, and personal beliefs. Try to stick to the core of the story without too many unnecessary details. Just because a narrative includes storytelling does not mean it can’t have an end goal. For instance: a personal experience of failure might be a great story of caution for the listeners.

The most important thing for a successful narrative speech is build-up. You want your audience to be invested, to care about what comes next, to raise the stakes so that when you provide the conclusion, it is that much more effective. You must always ask yourself, “What do I want the audience to remember after this speech?”.

The best way to write this would be to outline a sketch of events that are relevant to your narrative. After that, you can think about the best way to escalate the stakes. Remember that eye contact is an important visual medium in a narrative speech. It will help your audience connect better to your story.

The number three is impactful. Even the general structure of a speech is divided into three parts: Opening, Body, and Conclusion. When you want to make a point that people remember, you should consider splitting it into three, where the first two act as a build-up while your final point brings the unexpected impact.

The best thing about this method is that you can apply it to just about any kind of speech. This, in fact, adds more structure to your speech and makes it more easily digestible. The key ingredient here becomes balance and transition. Make sure you focus on all three elements of your story equally, so it does not feel rushed. Add in a seamless transition to make your story structure seem effortless.  

• Make sure you have designed your content to suit your audience.
• Divide your body into easily digestible sections so that your main points come across clearly.
• Stress on keywords and clever repetitions to drive your point home.
• Work on your transitions to establish clear sections but a seamless switch to keep your listeners hooked.
• When using facts or statistics, always back it up with a credible source.

Closing your speech (Conclusion)

The conclusion is vital to the success of your speech. This is the parting thought that you will be leaving your audience with, so you have to make sure that it’s a good one. The conclusion is where you reiterate your key point. This is why there is so much importance put on a conclusion to be powerful enough to stay in your memory.

Here are some possible ways you can approach your conclusion:

A call-to-action refers to a statement or material that intends to encourage the listener or viewer to take the initiative. It can also be considered as instruction as it usually directs the audience towards something. 

The most effective way to approach this is to manage both your energy as well as your tempo. While it is essential to maintain a clear and well-enunciated speech throughout, when you reach a conclusion, you are going to want to speed up just a little bit. 

What this does is add a sense of urgency to the message that you are giving. Similarly, higher energy makes the audience resonate and respond equally. They will associate this high energy with your message and remember your speech for longer.

Some examples of this can be: “As we can see, the effects of depression can be life-threatening. So I encourage each and every one of you to go home today and reach out to your friends, talk to them and open up a platform where they know they can come to talk to you for anything. Because you’d rather hear their problems than hear about their death.”

For speeches that are over 5-6 minutes long, the audience can sometimes lose track of the earlier points. This is why it is necessary to summarize your main points before you leave the stage. You don’t have to take them through the entire story, but make sure you include the keywords that trigger in them the memory of that portion. 

You can do this by saying something along the lines of “Let me briefly run you through what we discussed” or “So, we talked about three main things today.” This not only does a great job of reiterating and reconfirming your main points but also signals to the audience that you are drawing towards the end of your presentation.

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

Even though you might be well familiarized with your speech, it is safe to assume that most of the audience is hearing it for the first time. For this reason, you need to drive your point home by essentially drilling it into their minds. Now, you can’t simply repeat the central theme over and over as that isn’t an effective strategy. But there can be an art to repetition as well.

You should aim to rephrase and reinforce your central idea as you conclude your speech. Don’t go for a word-for-word repetition, but aim to reframe your key themes and arguments. Paraphrasing, in this way, makes sure that you capture the essence of your speech without running the risk of boring your listeners with identical sentences.

We don’t even need to look too far for examples of this method. In Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, he used this method of repetition paired with a rising momentum to create impact. Repetition works best when it is subtle and works on the listeners subconsciously.

Ending your speech on a light note is a great way to brighten moods and make sure the audience remembers your message. Your joke can also be a good way to repeat your central message. If you do decide to end with a humorous story, remember to carve out more time for it. Make sure your conclusion doesn’t distract from your main message.

Some people tend to get too excited and give away the upcoming punchline. Remember that the most effective humor approach is one you don’t see coming. How you can add the subtlety to your conclusion is by following this formula:

Set up – pause – Build up – pause – Punchline

Motivational conclusions are always an upbeat way to close your speech. You will be leaving the stage on high energy that is sure to be contagious. This also ensures that your audience will be taking a piece of your conclusion with them, making sure that it is not only memorable but also useful.

There are many ways to approach an inspirational closing. You can go with an anecdote, a quote, a poem, and so on. The purpose is to give a push, to add strength, to ignite a can-do attitude. 

The trick to a powerful inspirational speech is emotion. Humans are excellent at empathizing. If you can adequately emote throughout your story, adding drama into your storytelling, then it is bound to have a more substantial effect. Vocal variety can also be an excellent element for this. Alter your tempo to weave excitement into your story. You can also use smart pauses to add more intrigue. 

Your facial expressions play a significant role in how the audience receives your speech. Whether it is a sad or happy story, make sure that your face conveys it. It can be addictive to have the audience’s attention like this, but don’t get too greedy. Remember to end on your highest note, leaving a lasting impression. 

There are many types of speeches out there. For instance: you might think that a humorous speech is just that: humorous. But think again. All the best speeches have at least one key takeaway.

A takeaway message is quite similar to an inspirational conclusion. The question you have to ask yourself is this: What is the purpose of my speech? Even if you’ve got a fantastic anecdotal story to share, you have to remember that the audience will always wonder what they are getting from the speech. That will be your takeaway.

For an effective conclusion, you have to step back and overview your speech. From your introduction to the body, what is the message you are trying to convey? Make sure your conclusion reflects it. For example: if your speech is about a drowning story, you can probably try to include what you could’ve done and how the audience can avoid being in a similar situation.

A call-back is a fun twist to add to your conclusion. There is a reason why a circle is one of the most pleasing shapes; it gives you a sense of completion. Even if you aren’t aware of it, it works on your mind subliminally. An effective way to conduct this method is to find a way to tie your ending to your introduction.

You can understand a call-back as a reference. It doesn’t have to be limited to just the introduction; you can reference the body of your speech as well. This not only makes for a great repetition tool but also adds a feeling of completion into your presentation.

However, you should pick something that the audience can connect to. This helps create a special and unique bond as if it were an inside joke just between you two. 

• Signal your audience when you’re drawing to your conclusion.
• Add trigger transitions like “In conclusion,” “In summary,” “That brings us towards the end,” and so on.
• Try to end on a high note with something memorable.
• Write your conclusion last so that it complements your introduction.
• Try to paraphrase your words without repeating the same words over and over.
• Your audience is more likely to remember your speech if you end with something useful to them or with a call to action.
• Leave on an attention-grabbing note. 

Wrapping Up:

A speech typically has one of four purposes: to inform, to entertain, to instruct, or to persuade. To deliver an effective speech, you need to first make sure you understand what your objective is. Then, you can follow our guidelines to construct a solid structure and deliver a well-rounded and impactful presentation. Now that you know how to create an effective speech structure, you are ready to dominate the stage!  

The best speech structures are invisible and effective. Learn the tips and tricks to deliver the perfect opening, body, and conclusion and wow the stage.

You are here

PM Lawrence Wong at the IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum (Jun 2024)

Speech by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong at IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum on 6 June 2024.

My Cabinet colleague, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Excellencies and Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen I am very happy to join all of you at this inaugural IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum. Let me start by extending a very warm welcome to all our overseas guests and visitors. In particular, I want to acknowledge and thank Secretary Raimondo for her personal efforts and commitment in enabling this event to happen and for leading such a large delegation of American business leaders and investors to attend this forum. A very warm welcome also to all our IPEF ministers and representatives from IPEF countries. Welcome to Singapore once again.

Importance of IPEF

For decades, America’s presence in Asia has brought peace and prosperity, and created a stable environment for countries like Singapore to prosper.

That’s why Singapore has long been an advocate for the US to actively engage the region, especially Southeast Asia and we have also consistently acted on this conviction. We were early supporters of IPEF, and we saw it as a way for the US to strengthen economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN countries too are keen to deepen ties with America. For they recognise that America continues to play an indispensable role, whether in maintaining the strategic environment, or in supporting economic growth. Singapore has been leaning forward to support the four pillars of IPEF – Trade; Supply Chains; Clean Economy; and Fair Economy. Good progress has been made on the Supply Chain Agreement which has entered into force; negotiations on the Clean Economy and Fair Economy Agreements were concluded last year, and will be signed today. And we look forward to concluding the remaining agreement on Trade. Trade is understandably a difficult issue with sensitive areas across many countries. But trade is the lifeblood of countries in this region, and we look forward to reaching a substantive agreement that will enhance trade flows amongst all IPEF countries, and improving the lives of our people.

IPEF Pillar III – Clean Economy

We are here today as part of the Pillar on the Clean Economy.

Under the IPEF Clean Economy Agreement, IPEF members have committed to accelerate the development and use of clean energy and climate-friendly technologies; as well as facilitate investments into areas that support the transition to a clean economy, such as clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and carbon markets. This Agreement is not just about setting high aspirations. That is no doubt important. But what’s equally, if not more important, is to follow through with concrete projects and initiatives. This forum is an example of that because it is a key initiative under the Agreement. And Singapore is happy to do our part to organise this forum, and demonstrate our commitment to IPEF not just in words but also in deeds. And by gathering over 300 participants from governments, business and finance sectors, we hope to catalyse more investments, more partnerships, and ultimately more projects in the Indo-Pacific, so that we can translate our ambitions into reality.

Why the Transition to a Clean Economy is Important

Action is urgently needed when it comes to fighting climate change.

Around the world, many countries have earlier announced their net-zero emission targets, most of us by around 2050 or thereabout. But we also recognise that there are growing near-term concerns around energy security and the rising costs of living, especially with the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Some countries have pushed back their emissions reduction plans. But with the growing climate crisis, we really cannot afford slippages in the timeline to get to net zero. Asia is at the frontline of this. We are responsible for about half of the world’s emissions. This region is the engine of global economic growth. New technological developments, like AI, will require much more energy than we had originally expected. We all know the statistics – ChatGPT consumes 25 times more energy than a Google search. AI as a whole is already consuming more energy than a small country put together, and the trends will only continue to rise. And we can expect demand for energy to increase significantly over time. If we don’t make an effort now towards shifting to clean energy, there will be huge negative consequences down the road.

What can we do? What can IPEF do? Let me suggest three areas we can take up under IPEF to accelerate this transition to a clean economy.

Clean Energy Infrastructure

The first is clean energy infrastructure.

Southeast Asia is blessed with many sources of renewable energy. Thailand and Vietnam have the potential for solar and onshore wind energy; Indonesia and the Philippines can access offshore wind and geothermal. Outside of IPEF, the ASEAN countries of Cambodia and Laos have abundant hydropower. In fact, Laos itself has plans to be the battery of Southeast Asia. But the region as a whole, has yet to unlock the potential of these green assets. To do so, we will need new energy infrastructure. In particular, some countries in the region like Singapore are energy importers; others have the ability to produce more energy than they need within their own countries. And that is why we need regional power grids to better match supply with demand, so that countries with the resources can produce and export renewable energy through the grid. This will help the exporters economically and will improve the bankability of renewable energy projects. The ASEAN power grid is an example of such an initiative. Today, ASEAN already has several bilateral interconnections, and efforts have been made to further link these up. To accelerate this, I am glad that Vietnam, Singapore, and the US are forming a working group on subsea cable development under the IPEF umbrella. We all know that subsea power cables are critical infrastructure to facilitate cross-border electricity trading. The working group will facilitate knowledge sharing and consensus building on subsea cable issues in the region, and also look into ways to encourage investments into these capital-intensive assets. We welcome other IPEF countries to join us in this effort.

Scaling Up New Technologies

The second area is to scale up green technologies and we are not just talking about new technologies but even looking at existing ones and how we can lower the costs of these green solutions and mainstreaming them. Again, IPEF has been making some progress on this front:

Countries are cooperating and sharing expertise on areas like green hydrogen, and are exploring cooperation in other areas like sustainable aviation fuels. IPEF also launched two new financing initiatives – the Climate Fund, and the Catalytic Capital Fund – to invest in areas that will help with the transition to a clean economy. I believe there is scope to do more, especially in the area of Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS. I know that CCS doesn’t always have the best reputation in some environmental circles. But there is growing international recognition that CCS is needed as part of the journey to reach net zero. Afterall, there are hard-to-abate sectors and industries like chemicals, steel and cement. The world needs these industries and we will need time to find cleaner solutions or alternatives to these areas. Meanwhile, we will need CCS to effectively manage and reduce emissions from these sectors. CCS technology is not new. But we will need to optimise the technology, to bring the costs of implementation down, and make it a viable part of decarbonisation plans. Governments will also need to put legal frameworks in place to encourage the use of CCS. And here too, I am glad there is some positive momentum. In January this year, Indonesia became the first Southeast Asian country to develop CCS-related legislation. Following this, Singapore has signed a Letter of Intent with Indonesia to collaborate on CCS. Around the region, other countries are following suit. Malaysia is preparing a legal framework for carbon capture, utilisation, and storage initiatives. Last November, Australia ratified legislative amendments to enable cross-border CCS. With clearer legal frameworks and legislation in place, we hope we can catalyse the deployment of cross-border CCS projects in the Indo-Pacific.

The third area of focus is on financing.

Governments in the region and the world are looking to private capital, that means many of you in this room, to help finance many of the clean energy projects. But not all projects are commercially viable or bankable. That is why we need blended finance to help derisk projects. Blended finance is about partnership and synergy across multiple players. It’s about pooling concessional capital and using that to catalyse and crowd in multiples of private commercial capital, especially for the marginally bankable projects. Singapore has been talking about this for some time. As a financial centre, we think this is important, and we have been championing this. After a while, we decided that we can’t just talk about this, we have to lead by example too. That is why we are putting together a blended finance platform called Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership, or FAST-P in short. Over the last few months, we have been working closely with multi-lateral development banks and philanthropic organisations to mobilise a base of concessional capital for this FAST-P platform. On the basis of the concessional capital which we are putting together, which the Singapore Government will also contribute to, we are also reaching out to many banks and institutional investors to bring in commercial capital. So far there has been strong momentum, and I’m glad to see several partners gathered here today – the ADB, the World Bank’s IFC, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Allied Climate Partners, and Temasek. We welcome many more to join us in this partnership for Asia’s green transition. Whether you are contributing concessional or commercial capital, please come on board and join FAST-P. More fundamentally, improving the bankability of renewable energy projects will also require Governments to do something. We can reduce fossil fuel subsidies and price carbon correctly. This can be achieved in several ways – an emissions cap and trading system; putting regulatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions; or a carbon tax. Singapore has been doing our part to price carbon. We introduced a carbon tax, which covers 80% of our total emissions. We’ve raised our carbon tax to S$25 per tonne this year, and we have announced plans to continue raising this to S$50 to S$80 by 2030. By providing a timeline for the price increases, we hope we can enable companies to plan ahead, provide some certainty, and invest in cost-appropriate strategies to reduce emissions. We recognise this is not easy to do, and countries everywhere will face their own domestic constraints and challenges. But we have to keep on moving in the right direction, ensure there are right signals in the marketplace so as to encourage and promote decarbonisation.

To conclude, the size of the climate challenge is daunting, and time is really not on our side. But fortunately, there are clear pathways to success. If we work together, and pool our collective wisdom and resources, we will be able to address the common challenges of climate change.

Be it climate change or other global challenges, American leadership is critical. The rules-based order and multilateral trading system built by the US has provided the basis for peace, stability, and prosperity around the world for the past seven decades. The system has enabled countries big and small to reject zero-sum competition, and to embrace win-win cooperation, even when there are differences between us. In this tumultuous period, we must redouble our efforts to strengthen this multilateral system, and steer global developments towards a path that will maximise our chances for continued peace, stability and shared prosperity. IPEF can play a role in this. It must remain open, inclusive and flexible, and help to strengthen this multilateral system. On our part, Singapore will continue to do whatever we can to support developments on IPEF and work with our partners to bring about more ambitious and concrete outcomes. On that note, I wish all of you a fruitful session and productive conference. Thank you.

Explore recent content

Explore related topics