Speaker:
Curt Smith, Senior Lecturer of English, University of Rochester
& former Presidential speechwriter
Curt discussed the important elements of speaking
and writing skills.
Writing and speaking are intertwined
"Speaking for the ear and speaking
for the eye”
People use the English language differently
(i.e. presidents and broadcast announcers)
JFK commanded the language
Broadcaster Dizzy Dean fractured the language
Keep public speaking short, simple, and conversational
You should look to those who did it well
Universal aspects of public speakin
You are being judged from the moment you stand
up to the moment you sit down
Audiences don’t know you. They only
know you by your conduct at that moment
Eye contact – “public speaking is not public reading”
Pick four to six different parts of the audience to focus on
to give the illusion of eye contact
Posture is important – must stand erect to project; slouching
communicates boredom
Have a sense of movement
Communicate with the audience
Shed your albatross/security blanked (a.k.a.
manuscript)
Memorize the STRUCTURE of the speech, not every word
Use humor when possible
Ice breaker
Self-facing humor is best
Rhetorical questions involve the audience
Be aware of your rate of speaking
Practice speaking
very slowly
Adreline automatically increases your rate of speaking during
the actual speech
