Tips for writing a formal speech.

1. The Formal Speech
Guidelines forTaurikoTeachers and Students
Tauriko School Speech Finals – Wednesday, 19th August
(Week 5)

2. What is the purpose of a formal speech?
To entertain
To inform
To persuade
To interest or stimulate
or a combination of these.
Write a purpose sentence:
* I want to inform and entertain the audience about body language.
* The purpose of my speech is to persuade the audience that children should
start school at six years of age.
Your speech must be 3-5 minutes long (Year 7/8), 2½ -4 minutes (Year 5/6).

3. How do I choose a topic?
Think of a subject that:
 you are interested in - Words
 you/your family know quite a lot about – Autism, Growing Old
 you feel strongly about – DoWe Really Need a New Flag?
 you have had experience with – Junior Search and Rescue
 people can relate to – Life as a Leftie or
 comes from a different angle than the usual one – Stop the Madness
Your speech should have a message. It might:
 show how you feel about a situation
 be aimed to provoke others’ thinking
 add to the audience’s knowledge and appreciation of a topic
 help people see the funny side of life or
 present another point of view.

4. What are some suggested topics?
Small is Okay
The Dentist
Monsters orTeenagers?
For Love of Reading
21st Century Parents
Becoming Popular
Always Hungry
Why I Don’t Want to be a
Millionaire
What Can AnimalsTeach Us?
Body Language
Family
What is Really InYour Food?
A Natural Disaster – do you
have a particular involvement?
A sport you are involved in
Sleep
ProudTo Be
Maori/Island/Chinese ….
A famous person – someone
you have a connection
with/interest in?
The Power of Love
Family
Adoption
Schools Should Feed Children
Winning is Not What Matters
It isTough to be a ChildToday
Life is Better Than ItWas FiftyYears
Ago
Bad Roads or Bad Drivers
Does NZ Really Have Free Primary
Education?
Bullies are Not BornThat Way
Saving the Arctic
Children are Over-protected
We Learn By Example

5. How Do IWrite My Speech?
Brainstorm first then use the Hamburger model – your teachers will help you
It is said that an audience judges us
in the first 30 seconds of our
speech.
How will you ensure that you make a
memorable first impression?
• A short anecdote that relates to
your topic
• A link with the audience
• A question/s
• A list
• A profound thought or fact
Never start with, “I am going to talk
to you about ….” or “My speech
today is about …” but you must
greet your audience:
Introduce your speech, pause, greet
your audience (Good morning ……),
pause again and then start.
You do not need to say your name –
you have already been introduced.
This is the main part of your speech. Go
back to your brainstorm and organise
your information into 3-5 main areas
(paragraphs) which will follow a logical
order.
Each paragraph will contain information
(statements) which you should back up
with your research: examples, evidence,
quotations, anecdotes.
Try not to use too many long sentences
or words that you will stumble on.
If it isn’t helping to get your message
across, get rid of it.
Make sure your paragraphs flow into
each other smoothly – try to use
transitions that make it easy to follow
your ideas.
As of this year, there are to
be no visual aids or props
used in the Formal Speech.
How will you sum up your speech,
tie it all together, relate it back to
your introduction? (Try to
summarise your main points
without making it sound like a list.)
How will you leave your audience
with a lasting impression? What
will be your ‘takeaway point’?
How will your audience know you
have finished?
The last thing you say should be
said with your head held high
and in a manner that lets the
audience know that it is time to
applaud.
Never say “Thank you” at the end.
Stand still and enjoy the applause.

6. Come out swinging!
• A short anecdote: My Mum and I were driving home from town the other day, tucked in
behind a line of traffic and enjoying the fading autumn sunshine. Imagine our shock when,
out of nowhere, a vehicle screamed up beside us and the front-seat passenger proceeded
to …
• Link with the audience: I wonder if any of you have a grandparent or great-grandparent
in their eighties or even nineties. Perhaps your Mum and Dad may be involved in their daily
lives.
• A question: What is it that babies and old people get lots of but not necessarily at the right
time? What is this thing that we think we get plenty of but our parents feel it’s not enough?
New mothers talk about this thing all the time – it rules their life!
• A list: Handwriting, knitting, shaking hands, can openers, scissors, hockey sticks, computer
number pads, writing in spiral binders – these things all have something in common.
• A profound thought or fact: The fifty-star American flag that we know today was
designed by an Ohio high school student for a class project in 1958. His teacher gave him a
B- for his efforts!

7. Speech written, preparing for delivery
LEARN YOUR SPEECH OFF BY HEART and PRACTISE
Cue Cards: Because you know your speech off-by-heart, you will only need one cue card with some
highlighted main sentence starters on it to help find your way should you forget. (If you write out
your whole speech on cards, you will be tempted to read it!) You can write on both sides of the card.
Your cue card should fit inside your hand – you will be penalised for big cue cards and/or binding
rings.
By having just one card with the main starting points, it frees up your hands for gestures. Try not to
cling to your card. RELAX!
LEARN YOUR SPEECH OFF BY HEART and PRACTISE

8. Delivering your speech
• Stand tall with your chin level with the ground, legs slightly apart and hands
at your side or clasped comfortably in front or behind.
 Cue card - hidden in your left palm.
 Dress neatly, wear shoes/sandals and keep hair off your face. Avoid
clothing/accessories which will distract the audience.
 When you stand to speak, wait 5 seconds before starting to speak.
 You may move a little from your starting spot but it should be natural.
 Scan your audience – make eye contact.
 Use natural and appropriate facial expression and gestures to help emphasise
a point.
 Maintain a pleasant demeanour – the audience enjoys a friendly, inclusive
face.
 Speak with confidence, passion, assurance and enthusiasm. Show that you
believe in your speech.

9. My
Voice
Articulation
– clear, easily
understood
speech
Pitch and
Volume – vary
these for effect
Projection –
the people at
the back should
hear you
Pace and
Pause – a
steady pace and
frequent, well-
placed pauses

10. Some other bits and pieces:
 The language used should not offend – no slang.
 Try to avoid annoying mannerisms often brought on by nervousness – touching your
hair or face, pulling at clothes, shuffling legs/feet, giggling or pulling faces.
 Remember – no props or visual aids
- always greet the audience but don’t introduce yourself
- avoid saying, “I am going to talk about…” or “My speech is about…”
- slow down
- small cue card hidden in your palm
- keep to the time limits - 3-5 minutes (Y7/8), 2½-4 minutes (Y5/6).
- don’t thank your audience at the end or say, “That is the end
of my speech.”
- relax and enjoy yourself – if you prepare well, you will!