When you give a speech—especially a rhetorical speech, it's important to deliver the speech rather than just read it aloud. President John F. Kennedy is considered one of the most brilliant rhetorical speakers in American history. Fortunately, he lived recently enough that we can listen to recordings of many of his speeches. Listen to this famous line from Kennedy's first Inaugural Address, delivered on January 20, 1961. You'll probably recognize it right away.
Which word receives the most emphasis from Kennedy in this clip?
Kennedy emphasizes the word not. The effect is to leave his listeners wondering what question they should ask, which prepares them to hear and accept that question when it comes.
Now, practice delivering your own speech. You can give the speech to relatives or friends and ask for their feedback. You could also record yourself using free software like Audacity and then listen to the file and make notes about what to do differently for the "final delivery" of your speech. Consider the tips below as you practice.
| Big and Bold | Your speech will be easier to refer to during delivery if you use extra-large, double-spaced typing for your script. Boldface key phrases and ideas so that you can see them at a glance. |
| Memorize | You'll want to look up at your audience as often as possible, so try to memorize the most important points you want to make and the language you want to use to make those points. |
| Notecards | Some speakers prefer to use notecards instead of a typed sheet of paper. They write each main point on a different notecard and place the notecards in the order they want to cover the points. |
| Be Expressive | If you vary your tone of voice and your volume, your speech will be clearer, and you won't sound like a robot. Use your voice to emphasize important points, raise questions, or get your audience's attention. |
| Speak Up | Be sure to speak loudly, clearly, and slowly so that your audience can easily understand you. |
Unless your teacher tells you that you will deliver your speech "live" or in person, you should use Audacity or another audio recording program to create an audio file of your speech and then submit that file to your teacher.
Make sure you've completed all the requirements for this assignment. Look at the rubric below to see how you will be graded.
| Superior 5 points | Average 3 points | Poor 1 point | |
| Introduction | Your speech’s introduction really “hooks” readers and makes them care about the topic. | Your speech’s introduction pulls in readers or suggests why the topic event is significant. | Your speech’s introduction does not include details that will “hook” readers, and does not suggest why the topic event is significant. |
| Body | The speech’s body includes the kinds of details that keep listeners wanting to know more and provides a great deal of information in a short time period. | The speech’s body uses plenty of relevant details to keep readers interested and to inform them about the topic. | The speech’s body pertains to the topic but does not include enough detail. |
| Organization and Transitions | You use transition words and phrases throughout your speech to signal changes in ideas or focus, and your ideas flow smoothly as a result. | You use transition words and phrases occasionally in your speech to signal changes in ideas or focus, so your ideas flow smoothly at times but not consistently. | You use almost no transition words and phrases to signal changes in ideas or focus, which makes it difficult to follow your ideas or learn the information you have to share. |
| Conclusion | Your speech’s conclusion sums up your main ideas in a way that is satisfying for listeners. | You include a concluding paragraph that sums up at least some of your speech’s ideas. | You include a concluding statement, but it should have said more. |
