Speech to persuade (purpose and objectives)

The other task for today  is to choose the topic of a persuasive speech that I’m going to deliver at the end of the term. Then, I have to decide on the purpose of my speech and the objectives that will help me to understand what direction to follow.

The statement: Hard work is not enemy but it is your friend.

The purpose of the statement: To tell them the importance of hard work and make them more organized

The objectives: 1. Name some examples of ordinary people who are successful now 2. Help them to change their lifestyle.

I believe, my speech will be really helpful and maybe some people will get inspired and start working harder to succeed in the future.

Thank you for your attention!

Challenge #3

Hello, dear readers!

The idea of today’s challenge is to ask for a discount card from someone you do not know at the cash desk. 

It is not an easy matter because the person who stands in the line can just refuse. I was not quite sure that it would work and I had been changing my mind several times before I asked the question. It was also interesting that I took little more things that I planned to buy first. That meant that if I did not get the card, I would have to give up on some of them.  It was like a double challenge for me!

There was a mid-aged man in front of me. I was scared to ask him as he seemed severe. Then I asked him to help me and said that I had forgotten my card at home. His smiled with his eyes and answered that there was nothing to worry about and I could take the card. After paying my purchases, I thanked the man.

It was my first experience of asking for the discount card. In the beginning, I was painfully shy but when I said some words to him my spirits rose, and I felt a rush of adrenalin in my blood. Now it seems was I can manage with everything.

Thank you for reading this!

Heuristic Methods and Creative Writing

Hi there!

I hope, you’re doing pretty well today!

Now I'm developing my creativity with a help of some heuristic methods. It'll help me to write exciting public speeches in the future.
 The methods that are used: “one letter” and “random words”, “what if…” and “six thinking hats activitie” .  

       I.   First, I should pick one letter to write down 10 words:

w- wings, wool, wolf, wonder, wave, word, work, waiter, wage, war

1.2.   Using this website  ClickMe!, I’m to write a paragraph:

It is a typical Western tavern where people like playing dominoes and drinking ale. Whenever you come here, you hear the sound of a good Scottish drum. Local public is a real noisemaker here. You won’t find anything like this anywhere else!

         1.3.  What if there were no desks in the classrooms, but only beanbags?

Students would…

1.  have only speaking tasks

2.  use mobile phones/tablets to make some notes
3. sell these bean bags using Avito app to buy desks

4.  ask their fathers to make some wooden desks

     5. spend more time doing home tasks (there is no possibility to do it in the classroom)

6.  get rid of bean bags and write down lectures lying on the floor 

 7.  have classes in the canteen

          II.  “How many foreign languages should be taught to students in school?”

A topic sentence:
Nowadays it is important to learn 2 languages: one of them should be European and the second one should be Asian.

·    White thinking hat – 1. English language is  Universal, then Chinese is the language which most people on the planet speak. 2. The earlier student start learning the second foreign language, the more successful the educational process will be.

·    Red thinking hat – The second language is better than one because you communicate with different people all over the world. It is less difficult and time-taking to learn only two languages.

·    Black thinking hat – Learning 2 languages may be difficult more many students. Besides, to know language well we have to practice it 6 hours a week, but there is no time in the school schedule.

·    Yellow thinking hat – We’ll use modern technologies and memory techniques to ease the process.

·    Green thinking hat – We can do optional classes for some students who are interested in learning the second language.

·    Blue thinking hat – There are some difficulties but the realization of the idea is possible. 

Thank you for your attention! 

Challenge #2

Today’s challenge is to phone to any organization and ask for some information. It’s a pity that I didn’t do the task earlier because many of them don’t work on weekends. That’s why made a call to a pharmacy. I’ve chosen the farthest one then to ask how to get to the place.

At first, I felt my fingers got cold and legs wobbling. When I was dialing the number, my heart was a bit faster. Then, I heard a pleasant voice of a woman – she told the full name of the pharmacy and asked me whether I wanted to buy something. I said “yes” and asked about some cough medicine (it was the first thing to come to my mind). At that moment, I felt more confident and relaxed and then started asking some question about location and public transport.  After that, she wondered if I wanted the medicine to be reserved. I refused thanking for her help and wishing her well. She said “have a good day”, too.

After this telephone call, I had a feeling as if something stressful had gone far away, and now my mood is much better and I feel more confident. I liked this kind of experience: to hear human voice is exciting! I believe it’d be better to talk on the phone more than send messages.

Have a nice day!

Setting out clear, measurable objectives

Continuing the topic “Speech preparation”, I am to indentify the possible objectives of following speeches:

1.  https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution

2.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKVTzuvjEpg

3.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD2cVhC-63I

In his performance, Ken Robinson reflects on educational system and calls for changing the modal of it: the idea is that we should develop our talents in the sphere of our interests – the ones that give passion and excite our spirits. We should improve the situation by changing the educational modal according to students’ interests and talents

Objective of the speech is to change the situation and rethink the educational system  

Zifang Su tells about her fears that she has to overcome. She also points out though it seems very difficult and sometimes frightening to do something, it’s important to get over worries and gain a new experience. You should always give a chance to something new.

Objective of the speech is to help people change their lifestyle

In the video, Matthew McConaughey thanks everyone for the Oscar and names the rules of his life. As he says, a person should always make himself/herself better.  

Objective of the speech is to inspire change in one person  

Clarifying the Purpose

Hello, dear readers!

How are you? Are you enjoying your time?

Today’s task is to learn how to clarify a purpose while writing the speech. There are three situations and I am to answer some questions on them.   

The first speech is on the topic “Why children should listen to their parents”.

• ·    Why should I want to talk about this? – As a teacher, I should pay attention not only to studies but also to manners and rules that children ought to follow. Philologists suppose the main authority for primary school students is a teacher.
• ·    Why should anybody listen to me? – As I said earlier, the teacher is important part in schoolchildren’s life that’s why if I give the speech in an interesting and understandable way (e.g. tell them a story or fairytale) they will surely like it.
• ·    What single message would I want to put across? – I’d like to put across that parents love their children very much and know what is best for them therefore school children should listen to them. I want children to improve and encourage their behavior.
• ·    What need in the audience do I want to have satisfied when I have finished speaking? –  I’d like to satisfy the need of emotional response. I want them to trust me.
• ·    When they all walk away what state would I like them to leave in? – I’d be pleased if they were in high spirits.

The second speech is connected with the statement “You will learn most from friends that are different from you”. Let’s imagine that I’m working in a camp:

·    Why should I want to talk about this? – Everyone should feel comfortable and enjoy themselves in the camp that’s why my purpose is to help them make friends with others.  

·    Why should anybody listen to me?  - If we are in the camp, we are one team. There are some rules to follow.

·     What single message would I want to put across? – Though it seems you do not have much in common with someone, it doesn’t mean that a person is silly or nasty. There are always some things that we can learn from others.

·     What need in the audience do I want to have satisfied when I have finished speaking? – I want to change their point of view.

·    When they all walk away what state would I like them to leave in? – I want them to be inspired.

The third situation takes place at World Champion of Public Speaking. The speech is on the topic “Embarrassing moments make you stronger”.

• ·    Why should I want to talk about this? – All people sometimes make mistakes and I am not an exception. This problem concerns me a lot.
• ·    Why should anybody listen to me? – I’ll help them to get rid of some fears and understand that nothing bad happens if we look ridiculous.
• ·    What single message would I want to put across? – Whatever happens it is only an experience and any experience is always good because we learn from mistakes.
• ·    What need in the audience do I want to have satisfied when I have finished speaking? – I want them to think in a different way.
• ·    When they all walk away what state would I like them to leave in? – It’d be wonderful if they got inspired and wanted to try some new things.

Thank you for reading this!

Challenge #1

For some people it is a piece of cake just to come to a stranger in the street and ask for some help or ask a question. I always wonder where such brave people come from. As for me, I find it unpleasant and a bit scary to ask for help because I’m afraid of being too intrusive as the strangers always look tired and annoyed.  I have a feeling that they will scold me if I initiate a conversation with them. Erm…sounds a bit odd, I know. Maybe, the reason is that there was no need to communicate with strangers. Ever since I can remember, there have been someone with me – my parents or my friends – they usually spoke for mе. Besides, I used to travelling by car or bus to the places I know like the back of my hand. That’s why I don’t need anyone help. However, today I got rid of this “habit”.

I went to the bus stop. It was raining steadily and people were standing lonely with their heads bowed. I looked around to find someone who could help me. There was a woman with his little son and two strange men dressed in some dirty working clothes. The men had a lively conversation – they were laughing and giggling all the time. One of them looked at me with love interest and I got scared and was about to leave with a failed task but then I said to myself ‘no way!’ and came to the woman who was also quite unfriendly at the first sight.

Perhaps, my first time was not brilliant but I believe the first step has been taken to some changes.

Thank you for reading this.

10 frightening activities

Hello, my dears!

How are you? Did you sleep well? Did you like your mealtime? I hope you are doing well and you are in high spirits today.

Continuing the topic of a stage fright, I want to present a list of social challenges that will help me to overcome my fears of performing in front of an audience. I have to fulfill one challenge per a week to improve my social skills and just feel more confident and fearless. Here is the top 10 frightening activities:

1.    Ask a total stranger for a direction

2.  Telephone an organization and ask for some help/information

3.  At the cash desk ask someone to give you a discount card

4.  Find the nearest shop and ask for a change

5.  Sing a favorite song in the street

6.  While riding a bus, initiate a conversation with someone in the seat next to you

7.  Ring the doorbell of your neighbor(s) and ask them for some salt  

8.  Go to a café, try some tasteless food and express your dissatisfaction to a waitress

9.  Go to an exhibition with a friend and initiate a conversation with one person you don’t know

10.    Give a complement to a barista that you find handsome

Choose the strategy

As a continuation of the topic “stage fright”, I have to think over three strategies to overcome it.

Being an introverted person, I do not used of speaking a lot and, even more, acting on stage. Public speaking is like a challenge for me and that’s why it causes anxiety and fear because there always come such questions: “How will I be evaluated?”, “What if something goes wrong, what should I do?”. In fact, when I start thinking about it, the situation only gets worse.  Fortunately, psychologists knowing about the existence of introverts (someone like me) developed the ways of beating the stage fright.

First, recognize the stress as excitement. As the scientists say, when you ride a roller coaster, your body produces adrenaline too but in contrast to “stage adrenaline”, you enjoy it. The idea is that you should replace the word “fear” to “fun” in your brain.  At first glance, it may sound strange, but it really works: some days ago, I chatted with my friend and said that my practice in school was coming. He answered that there was nothing to worry about because it is uncomplicated to perform in front of the audience. I was shocked to hear that since he is also quite an unsociable person. Then I asked him, what you did to get rid of a stage fright. He smiled kindly at that moment (I believe so) and answered that he imagined that he was speaking with his closest friend.

So, the goal is not a control of a stage fright but a change of your perception.

Second, you should exercises more. It is a well-known fact that if you are healthy it is easy to undergo mood swings and stress. Besides, regular exercises do not only strengthen your immune system, they also produce endorphins. That’s why even a workout before your speech is an effective method of relaxation.

Finally, keeping your body in shape is important for public speaking.

Third, take vitamins. As well as exercises vitamins will help you to maintain your nervous system in balance. Then, vitamin C is used to increase energy and stamina. We usually take vitamin B when we feel exhausted. It is also prescribed when you have tremors, insomnia and even a depression. Taking calcium and magnesium is important, too.

All and all, when you take vitamins you are more resistant to stress.

Finishing my post, I should say during several months I’ll follow these rules to learn about their effectiveness . In the end of my experiment,  I’ll share my thoughts with you.

Have a nice day! 

Feel your body

Good morning, dear readers! 

How are you? Are you having a good time? If something bothers you and you are thinking about some problems a lot – just take it easy and then you’ll understand there’s nothing to worry about. Life is so beautiful and we should appreciate every minute of it!

 Today my task is to think about causes of a stage fright and describe one of them in my blog.

To begin with, stage fright is fear of performing in front of an audience and it is a sensible response to a stressful situation. When you feel frightened, the brain signals that your body is in danger now and it wants to protect you – then a release of adrenalin happens. The function of adrenalin is to provide energy and rush the body into effective action – running or attacking. When it gets into the blood stream, there are side effects as stomach pain, shaking, trembling and shortness of breath. Now I’d like to describe the feeling that I have while performing. It is an elevation of blood pressure. So, what is it?

When you are stressed, you start feeling the heat in some particular areas – the head, chest, stomach. It happens because the most important parts of the body should be provided with blood that brings oxygen. Then, your heart beats fast because of the high blood pressure. Moreover, your breaths may become rapid and a fit of dizziness come over you. In this situation, not to overheat the body, it begins sweating and hence your armpits, nape and arms are cold and wet.

Do you feel the same when you have to perform in front of someone? What are the reactions of your body?

Public Speaking Evaluation #2

My task is to compare three speeches and show their strong and weak points.

The 1^st place –  The speech №2

The 2d place–  The speech №1

The 3d place –  The speech №3

To prove the results I will compare the speeches according to evaluation speech content component:

Speech №1

1.  Introduction

·    What technique(s) was used in the introduction? (attention-getter?) Yes, rhetorical question was used as an attention-getter. There were series of questions that lead to the supporting sentence.

·    Any link element? There is the link to the thesis: “If your answer is ‘yes’ something needs to be done immediately…”

                

·    Was the thesis statement given?

The thesis was given after the link element: “…To answer the question let’s have a look at three things…the Ps of our life: plans for the future, people around us, and our personal development”.

·    How effective was introduction? Very effective (10 points)

Max points 10

2.  Body

·    How well structured was the information presented?

 Highly organized (9). There are 3 paragraphs for each statement referenced in the thesis.

·    What organizational structure was used in the body of the speech?

1.  Topical sentence outline

2.  Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence

3. Concluding sentence

·    How understandable was the information (was it clearly explained?) Had some problems (6).  It is hard to follow the main idea of the speech as the given arguments deviate from the topic.  There are few link elements and the logic of the narration is ruined in some parts of the speech.

·    Quality of point – support (appropriates, completeness, variety) Some (7).  The support is not completed because some aspects stay untold.

·    Use of facts/illustrations/examples/stories Almost no (4). Explanation of the thesis badly organized because there is only one example, in other cases the argumentation is not connected with the statement.

·    Was it coherent? Despite the mistakes, the speech body is coherent. (9)

Max points 7

3.  Conclusion

·    What technique(s) was used in the conclusion? Use a quotation, rhetorical question.  

·    Were all the steps followed (summary, action, emotional appeal?) The short summary is not used but there  are call for some kind of action and emotional appeal.

·    How effective was the conclusion?

Effective (7).

Max points 7

STRENTH: All the components of the introduction are observed. The use of the thesis is evident.

WEAKNESS: The link elements in the main body are inadequate. The argumentation is poorly organized.

TOTAL 8

Speech №2

4.  Introduction

·    What technique(s) was used in the introduction? (attention-getter?)

Quotation from the book.

·    Any link element?

The link element is “These words were written by Somerset Maugham in his novel..”

·    Was the thesis statement given? Yes, it was: “And I want to prove it examining three things – suffering, train, love”.

·    How effective was introduction?

Very effective (8).

5.  Body

·    How well structured was the information presented?

Highly organized (8).

·    What organizational structure was used in the body of the speech?

1.  Topical sentence outline

2.  Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence

3. Concluding sentence

·    How understandable was the information (was it clearly explained?)

Had some problems (7). There is a lack of clearance of the explanation of the given statement.

·    Quality of point – support (appropriates, completeness, variety)

Lots of. (9) The argumentation is organized in different ways. The author shows his/her attitude towards the problem by showing personal experience and use a quotation as an argument to support the position.

·    Use of facts/illustrations/examples/stories

Lots of (8).

·    Was it coherent?

Yes, i give 8 pts.

6.  Conclusion

·    What technique(s) was used in the conclusion? Quotation, the rhetorical question.  

·    Were all the steps followed (summary, action, emotional appeal?) All the steps are used.

·    How effective was the conclusion?

Very effective (8).

STRENTH: The structure of the argumentation part is interesting (the paragraph is divided into two to emphasis). The speech is rich in colorful examples and  quotations, personal experience. The conclusion is thought-provoking and inspiring.   

WEAKNESS: There is a long time-taking introduction in contrast to the conclusion.

TOTAL 8,6

7.  Introduction

·    What technique(s) was used in the introduction? (attention-getter?) Quotation. Series of rhetorical questions.  

·    Any link element?

“Today I want to tell…”

·    Was the thesis statement given?

No, it was not.

·    How effective was introduction?

Average (6).

8.  Body

·    How well structured was the information presented?

Some organization (7).

·    What organizational structure was used in the body of the speech?

1.  Topical sentence outline

2.  Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence

3. Concluding sentence

4. Link to the other paragraph

·    How understandable was the information (was it clearly explained?)

Had some problems (6) because the concrete statements were not given that’s why the argumentation has shortcoming.  

·    Quality of point – support (appropriates, completeness, variety)

Some (7). There is no logical completeness of each statement.

·    Use of facts/illustrations/examples/stories

Lots of (9).

·    Was it coherent?

9.

9.  Conclusion

·    What technique(s) was used in the conclusion? Question to the audience.

·    Were all the steps followed (summary, action, emotional appeal?) There is lack of summary, but the author uses the technique of emotional appeal.

·    How effective was the conclusion?

Some conclusion (6).

STRENTH: Rich in personal experience.

WEAKNESS: The structure of the speech is not observed. There is no thesis.

TOTAL 6,5