ERIC Number: ED270834
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1986
Pages: 8
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Finding Speech Topics and Supporting Material.
Monaghan, Therese A.
Many students in public speaking classes have trouble finding topics and material that will support their ideas effectively. Too often students have a conceptual emphasis, substituting lengthy explanations about their ideas, in place of images, metaphors, and specific details of carefully observed events that make ideas vivid and meaningful. A three part exercise can help students trust more in their own experiences when they search for topics and look for material to support their ideas. The first phase is a breathing and relaxation exercise. This is followed by a visualization phase, in which the students let their minds wander over recent events in their lives, while the third phase involves putting those visualizations into words and then sharing them with peers. At the end of the exercise, students give a general response to what happened. Some students want to tell their stories again before the whole group. They respond to each other, picking up the universal truths contained in the stories, and finding themselves absorbed in the concreteness of the events described. The purpose of the exercise becomes clarified, and students become more aware of how easily they can find speech topics and material supporting their ideas. (HTH)
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A