Collaborative Approach: Speech Delivery Strategies in Developing the Speaking
Skills of the Learners
Objectives:
To identify effective oral delivery techniques.
To show proficiency in oral presentation.
To evaluate both your own and your peers' delivery skills.
Activity’s Description
This 40–45 minute delivering course gives participants a hands-on opportunity to
hone their delivery techniques. By moving through three separate stations, each of
which is focused on a different delivery skill, in small groups, the students completing
this activity will specifically practice the aforementioned delivery skills. The instructor
can additionally address additional or different delivery techniques using this approach
depending on the requirements of their specific students. Students learn on-the-spot
and are given a reference point for the instructor's future written feedback by practicing
delivery techniques in a light-hearted and non-threatening setting.
Preparations Prior to Class
The delivery of this workshop is most effective when it has been theoretically
discussed in class, giving students a theoretical framework to work within. Although
instructors are free to approach the topic of delivery in whatever way they see fit, my
discussion usually entails a review of the distinguishing traits of various delivery styles,
the characteristics of effective and ineffective delivery, and an analysis of various
speeches so that students start to think critically about what they consider to be
effective speech delivery. Students should be told to bring a brief (1-2 minute) personal
narrative to share with a group on the workshop day after they have been given this
conceptual framework. Teachers might want to establish standards for acceptable tale
subjects.
Materials
With the discussion questions from the debrief phase, teachers should create
presentations or handouts. The locations of each skill station's classroom should be
designated by teachers using posters. In addition to highlighting the specific skill that
needs to be performed, these posters should provide a set of guidelines that groups
should follow when they rotate to that station. For instance, a poster regarding volume
and articulation should direct the audience to raise their hands if they have trouble
hearing the speaker, ask the speaker to speak clearly and loudly, and urge the
audience to lower their hands if they can hear the speaker clearly.
Procedure
Divide the students into three groups of an equal size, and then place each group
at a different station. Explain the workshop guidelines after you've seated each group at
its designated station. Make sure to include the rules for each station in your
explanations based on your teaching style and the needs of the students for example,
"Eye contact" means maintaining eye contact with each group member for nearly half a
sentence or whatever your rules may be.
Station 1: Eye Contact
The rest of the group should stand while one member of the group is given
the opportunity to speak first. As they continue, the speaker makes eye contact
with each participant while sharing their experience. When the group feels the
speaker has made direct eye contact with them, tell them to take a seat. Until
everyone in the group is seated, tell the speaker to keep talking. The storyteller
should stop after finishing and take a seat before allowing another student to
speak. Every member of the group should practice making direct eye contact
with the audience before continuing.
Station 2: Hand Gestures
The group will decide which member will speak first, while the other
members should take a seat. Each of the prepared gestures is incorporated into
the presentation when the speaker relates their story to the audience. Instruct the
group to point at the speaker's hand(s) if, at any moment, the speaker executes a
gesture improperly or ineffectively; the speaker should then attempt that gesture
a second time. Teachers are encouraged to define particular criteria that match
their expectations. Instruct the speaker to complete their story and to rehearse
any highlighted gestures by the group. The speaker should sit down after
finishing the story so that another student can take over. Everyone should
practice gesturing before the group moves on.
Station 3: Volume and Articulation
The group should decide on one person to speak first, and the others
should remain seated. The speaker makes their way to the other side of the room
and begins to tell the group their personal experience. Tell the speaker to talk
loudly and clearly enough for the group across the room to hear and understand
them. Members of the group should be instructed to raise their hands if they at
any time find it difficult to hear or understand what is being said. The speaker
should then raise their voice or alter their articulation as necessary. When a
group member raises their hand, the speaker continues the story while changing
their volume and/or articulation. After the storyteller is done, everyone should
take a seat and another student should begin. Until everyone has practiced
keeping the proper volume and articulation, the group should continue.
Rotate the groups to a different station after each student has participated
at their designated station. Continue the session until each skill station has had
participation from every student. For each delivery skill, students frequently
"accept" substandard performances since they are not aware of the teacher's
expectations. I advise teachers to repeatedly rotate around each station, taking
part in group activities while demonstrating to pupils the "norms" for each skill, to
overcome this tendency.
Debriefing
After the session is over, assemble the students in a group as a class to discuss the
experience. Generally, because they enjoy the experience and find it to be challenging,
students are ready to give their opinions of the exercise. The debrief offers a special
chance to talk about the students' present comprehension of delivery techniques and
what they might need to work on over the course of the semester. By making the
questions available to the class and requiring that each student react to the question
with a partner, instructors are encouraged to engage in a "think, pair, share" exercise. A
class discussion after this interaction in pairs can be useful for determining what the
students learned from the activity. The following inquiries could be beneficial for the
debriefing discussion:
What did you learn from the delivery workshop you recently completed?
Which station did you find the most challenging or awkward, and why?
How did you feel as a speaker when you were sharing your tales at each station?
How did the skills at each station impact you as an audience member?
What have you learned from each station?
What impact did the techniques you tried at each station have on your own
experience and on your groupmates’ stories?
How can you/will you put these skills into practice in your future speeches?