Category Archives: Outlines

Speech Outlining… Just fill in the blanks with good stuff Part 2

COM 207 Intro Communication Studies, COM 345 Business & Professional Speaking, Outlines

In Speech Outlining… Just fill in the blanks with good stuff Part 1 we broke down each part of the speech introduction.  It’s important stuff.

Now, let’s take a look at the body of the speech and the conclusion.  Once again, I’ll be using my transmedia outline as an example.

Transition lines

Sometimes I’ll listen to a student’s speech and find it to be choppy.  Different parts of the speech seem unrelated to each other.  Nine times out of 10 I’ll look at their outlines and discover they haven’t included any transition lines.  You need transition lines.

Think of transition lines as road markers at an intersection.  They help guide the listener into the right direction.
Continue reading Speech Outlining… Just fill in the blanks with good stuff Part 2 →

Speech Outlining… Just fill in the blanks with good stuff Part 1

COM 207 Intro Communication Studies, COM 345 Business & Professional Speaking, Outlines

When I first started teaching public speaking, I didn’t require outlines.

BIG mistake! Big, big, big mistake.

What I had learned about outlining a weathercast, live shot or classroom lecture was branded into my brain.  Not the case for rookie speakers.

800px-Ducks-in-orderOutlining helps you get all your ducks in an order.  It helps you place those ducks in such an order that your information builds up to a point rather than dashing here or there through a topic.

I still get out a pencil and paper and sketch out what I want to say when I’m giving a class lecture about an important concept.  A lesson I learned from television is… I generally only get one shot at getting information across to my students.  Better make it a good one.

Where to start

A good place to start is to download the Informative Speech Outline template from Canvas.  Then, all you have to do is fill in the blanks with your good information.  Since you’ve got it up on your computer screen, let me walk you through it.
Continue reading Speech Outlining… Just fill in the blanks with good stuff Part 1 →