Hello, Everyone:

Welcome to week #5!

This week we’ll be reading about speech delivery. Be sure you understand the 4 speech delivery styles, the importance of ethos and how to use your voice and body to make your presentation successful.

As Roscoe Drummond once remarked, “The mind is a wonderful thing. It starts working the minute you’re born & never stops until you get up to speak in public.” This week’s “Links to Additional Materials” cover delivery tips and dealing with speech nervousness. If you’re concerned about speaking in public you’re not alone. The People’s Almanac Presents the Book of Lists ranks the 10 greatest human fears in this order.

1. Speaking before a group.
2. Heights
3. Insects & bugs
4. Financial problems
5. Deep Water
6. Sickness
7. Death
8. Flying
9. Loneliness
10. Dogs

Compare that with this list of the 10 greatest human fears from the TigerX.COMmunications web site.

Dale Carnegie, who wrote many books about public speaking, also wrote a book about worrying. In his book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Carnegie described three steps for successfully coping with worrying. First, decide what you’re worried about. Second, decide how likely it is your worry will happen. Third, decide what you will do if your worry does happen. We’ll use the “Week #5 Topic” Discussion Forum to apply Dale Carnegie’s method to our first speech concerns.

There are also two links in the “Homework Assignments” category. The “Preparing the Delivery Copy of Your Speech” link offers practical advice for writing your final outline draft. The “Persuasive Speech Checklist” link summarizes the Persuasive Speech requirements.

This week’s “Study Break” is a series of tongue twisters. Use them warm up for your Persuasive Speech.

As always, keep in touch. Let me know if you need anything. I’m never more than en email away.

Take care,
Steven