PRESENTATION TASKS
- Using language
- Managing the environment
Selecting a topic idea
CHOOSING A TOPIC
- Two ways: Subject know a lot about vs subject want to know more
GENERAL PURPOSES:
- Two overlapping categories: To inform & to persuade
a) Inform: facts, figures, objective -> What, How, When
- As a lecturer or teacher
- Convey info clearly, accurately
- Enhance the knowledge and understanding of listeners
b) Persuade: people, opinion, subjective -> Why, Who
- As an advocate or partisan
- Giving info to espouse a cause, a point of view
- Change or structure the attitude of the audience
Inform Entertain Persuade
SPECIFIC PURPOSES: What you want the audience to act, not to know or understand.
-> I want to inform the audience about …/ I want to persuade the audience about … (just one
infinititve phrase)
- Specific purposes always include the audience. (to whom)
Ex: explan the benefit of music therapy
+ To musician: the kind of music
+ To medical students: the research on the benefit of music therapy
+ To social workers: the way to implement a music corner
-> Each group requires different preparing of speech, suitable for their area of knowledge
- Not too vague or too general: having a topic and a controlling idea
-> Help to limit the research and decide what to include in the speech.
- Not too common or trivial
- Questions to give:
+ Does my purpose meet the assignment?
+ Can I accomplish it the time alloted?
+ Is the purpose relavant to my audience?
+ Is the subject too technical for my audience?
CENTRAL IDEA (TOPIC SENTENCE)
- A one-sentence statement suming up the major ideas of a speech.
- Conducted after thorough research.
- More precise than the topic and purpose. Ex, state excactly what the three main causes are.
- Residual message (thông điệp đọng lại): What to member when forgetting everything
- A complete sentence, not figurative language, not a question.
Central Main
Topic Purpose
idea points
Analyzing the Audience
1. AUDIENCE-CENTEREDNESS
- Open a controversial topic with noncommital position (Không đưa ra ý kiến cá nhân)
- Identification: a process in which the speaker seeks to creat a bond with the audience by
emphasizing common values, experiences and goals.
2. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AUDIENCE
- Every speech contains two messages – the one sent by the speakers and the one received by the
listeners.
- Listeners hear and judge on the basis of their knowledge and beliefs. -> Show how the speech
pertains to them, why it is important to them. => Get inside of their experience by two methods:
Demographic analysis and Situational analysis.
3. DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS
- Analysis that focuses on age, gender, cultural background, racial, group membership, etc.
- Avoid stereotyping.
*Gender: address “he” and “she”.
*Sexual orientation: his wife/ her husband => his spouse/his life partner (couples can be same-sex or
opposite sex, married or unmarried)
*Cultural and racial background:
+ Listeners may have racial, cultural, ethnic perspective that effects their attitude towards the speech.
+ Adjust the speech so that it will be as clear, suitable, convincing as possible.
4. SITUATIONAL AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
- Size of audience: the larger the size is, the formal your presentation must be.
- Physical setting: check for the condition of the room (heating, space, time, etc); self physical
setting also effects the audience (sleepy, enthusiastic,…)
- Disposition toward the speaker: The more competent the listeners believe the speakers to be, the
more likely they are to accept what he or she says. Likewise, the more listeners belive that the
speaker has their best interests at heart, the more likely they are to respond positively.
- Disposition toward the occasion: The speech topic appropriate with the situaion, not exceed alloted
time.