Fundamentals Of Public Speaking (1950)

[Music] did you ever hear about the tree stumps from which the early settlers delivered speeches a couple of hundred years ago well we have that in mind when some of the young fellows in my neighborhood asked me to help them form a speech Club so we called it the stump speaker society now of course as a lawyer I've got a great deal of public speaking but did you ever consider how many jobs depend on your ability to express yourself to a group of people whether it's the foreman on a project or a judge on the bench or a Salesman it's important to be a good speaker and when you speak well you get along better with people whether it's persuading them to come along and have fun at a wiener roast or trying to be a better citizen at school or in the community and so it was that an assembly meeting for the student council election led eventually to the forming of our stump speaker society Tom Carey was one of the candidates and he wanted to win that election but well what do you think of his speech and I'm elected and I hope I will be I promise you that the student council will investigate the possibilities of bagley in the lunch hour to reduce the convention and crowd I also think that the students yes Tom's audience was not tuned in on it no matter how good his ideas were he was not getting them across and his friend Bill brent was worried why didn't they listen to tom he was trying to tell them something but what was it hey Bill you fella don't catch a minute are we far from across what you say did you understand my pidgin English no I was trying to get across the idea that you aren't getting any idea because of the gang in there what you do with it sounded like a lot of don't talk to me that what's good idea that people won't listen you've got to make a world that I can only win this election I think you can't pay that so I did but how do we go first we're going to have a big job before your ideas across your audience I mean making good speeches I know just a man who can help us identically the lawyer so we came to see you mr. Norton how can we learn to speak more effectively to put time across in this election well what have you got to say who your audience your purpose i'm talking to the way in a minute who's asking the questions if you are both of you to get yourselves ready to speak you see there are three major steps to effective speaking and three sub points in each of those three steps in fact these can be made into a series of triangles that i use to help me remember oh can you remember to analyze plan and deliver analyze plan deliver you got that huh got it but what does it mean well let's take them one step at a time all right right now when you analyze the speech situation consider your subject your audience and your purpose first your subject consider your facts and argue so you will know what you can contribute on this subject second your audience what is your audience interested in and why it does make a difference doesn't it consider also your purpose in making a speech whether it's simply to amuse or to convince someone another word why are we speaking now you're on the right track what certainly seems to cover the Allies part of the mr. Norton what's the next basic step well after analyze comes plan I have it right here there we are plan plan what we consider in planning a speech first select select the material you'll use of the information the arguments and so forth then after you select you arrange oh that must mean like writing a term paper you have your introduction with an interest arouser and a statement of your key idea in the main part body all outline main points some point now a logical development of ideas and in conclusion you wind it up tell them what you told them then the third part of your plan is to illustrate illustrate I can't draw well that doesn't necessarily mean drawing though it does help to visualize your ideas but you can sometimes paint a picture with words to make your points clear oh I get it I usually use a notecard like this when i speak i dot down an outline of the ideas and illustrations that i have selected and arranged then I know my speech will be according to plan based on my analyzer and oh there's more oh yes the result that you've done all this for the deliverer alright this one brand me let's see delivery includes being direct what about it would you rather hear me speak while I gaze at the ceiling or around the room or would you prefer that I look at you as i speak holding your interest and showing you that i am interested in what I'm saying boy that one is on me I guess I wasn't very direct when I made my speech last week was I let's see Peter's think that makes sense but I guess all of us don't always remember it is oh you're speaking if people don't understand that's it open your mouth wake up your speech muscles improve your enunciation yeah yeah let's see be lively you mean dance around not exactly but I put it up to you should I speak with a fixed expression and stance or should my gestures and facial expression be lively to hold your interest and emphasize what I'm saying should my voice be lively to changing in loudness and in emphasis yeah I guess we have been sort of lays involved speaking and I can see that it's better speaking to be distinct yes you've done a lot of work now top it off with a good delivery I can see there's a lot to be learned a lot in fact we have a line of some of the others learn some of the speaking and really put this election over that's all right it's a speaking business that'll be important long after the elections forgotten mr. Norton if we get together to form of speech Club when you help out PR adviser well that was the start of our speech Club the stump speaker society we agreed that there were many good books to study together and we could learn by examining good speakers in action in person in films and on the radio and Bill and the other fellows in the club are developing effective speaking techniques as they go on through school and out into life they'll find many occasions when the ability to express themselves will be a real asset they'll find that these principles of public speaking are good guides analyze your subject your audience and your purpose plan your speech first select your material then arrange it and illustrate and when you deliver your speech d directs be distinct and be lively whether Tom wins the election or not he and the others are learning the power and personal development that comes when one is able to express what else to a group of people Tom still has much to learn but he's on his way to a better social life when you better school life and better business life with effective speaking [Applause] [Music]