CH 6 Organizing and Outlining Your Speech

Front

What are the three steps involved in organizing information for public speaking?

Back

The three steps are grouping, labeling, and ordering (putting information into a good order). Labeling is often an iterative process where you "tweak" how you name your main points for clarity.

Front

What is the recommended maximum number of main points for a public speech, and why?

Back

You should avoid having more than five main points in a speech, even for greater length speeches, to be on the safe side of audience information retention limits. For most class speeches (5-7 minutes), three points is probably safe, though two points are also acceptable if it supports the specific purpose. The audience has limits on how many categories of information they can keep in mind (often cited as "seven plus or minus two").

Front

Define the Chronological pattern of organization.

Back

The chronological pattern arranges the main points in time order. This pattern is necessary when discussing stages or historical periods where order matters. Chronological speeches can be used for understanding (explaining a process) or for action and instruction (enabling the audience to perform a process).

Front

Define the Spatial pattern of organization.

Back

The spatial pattern arranges the main points according to movement in space or direction. This pattern follows a common thought process of movement or orientation (e.g., North to South, or outside to inside). The key is to be logical in the progression rather than jumping around.

Front

Describe the Topical/Parts of the Whole organizational pattern.

Back

This is an all-purpose pattern often used when the subject naturally divides into "types of," "kinds of," "sorts of," "categories of," or "parts of the whole". When using the topical pattern, categories should be simple, clear, distinct, and five or fewer.

Front

What is Climax organization?

Back

Climax organization is a principle of organization (often used with topical organization) that involves putting your strongest argument or most important point last to build up to a climax.

Front

When is the Problem-Solution pattern most frequently used, and what is the typical structure?

Back

The Problem-Solution pattern is primarily used in persuasive speaking. The principle is that if you explain a problem, you should not leave the audience without solutions. Psychologically, it makes more sense to use problem-solution rather than solution-problem, as the audience is more motivated to listen if needs or deficiencies are addressed first. A variation is the Problem-Cause-Solution pattern, which is necessary when solving a problem requires first identifying its cause.

Front

What is Parallelism and how is it helpful in a speech?

Back

Parallelism is the repetition of grammatical structures that correspond in sound, meter, and meaning. It is a simple repetition of sentence structure used to make the main points clearer and helpful for the audience in remembering information.

Front

What are Connectives and what functions do they perform?

Back

Connectives are phrases or sentences that connect various parts of a speech and show the relationship between them. They are designed to help audience members follow the speech. Functions include: reminding the audience of what came before, forecasting what is coming next, explaining the logical connection between ideas, and helping the audience maintain context and attention.

Front

Name the five types of connectives discussed in the chapter.

Back

The five types of connectives are: Internal summaries, Internal previews, Transitions, Signposts, and Bridging statements.