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17.6: Activities and Glossary

  • Page ID
    9069
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    Review questions

    1. What is the purpose of a special occasion speech?

    2. Discuss the influence of epideictic speaking on what we know about special occasion speaking today.

    3. Generate a definition and purpose for each type of special occasion speech.

    4. Compare and contrast presenting an award with receiving an award.

    5. What do you think are the most important guidelines for an effective after-dinner speech?

    6. Why is it a good idea to keep a special occasion speech short (whenever possible)?

    7. What does it mean to “finesse the obvious” in a special occasion speech?

    8. What should be the main purpose of humor in a special occasion speech? What steps can you take to use humor effectively?

    Activities

    1. Find a partner and construct a role play of an awards event. One partner will prepare a speech presentation for a fictitious award, and the other partner will prepare a speech accepting the fictitious award. Give the two speeches back-to-back for the class.

    2. Find a sample commencement address online (You can consult the list of web resources listed on the chapter home page). Bring a copy of the address to class and determine which of the following components below are contained in the sample.

    A. Is celebratory in nature

    B. It marks a milestone on graduates’ lives

    C. Provides a call to action for its audience

    D. Gives practical and/or memorable advice

    E. Draws attention to social or political issues of the day

    F. Lays out paths the audience can take beyond graduation

    G. Addresses tools for change needed to make an individual impact

    H. Illustrates factors that contribute to a good life

    3. In class, get into small groups (about 3 to 5 people) and brainstorm a list of famous people—alive or dead—who can be the subject of a commemorative or tribute speech. For each individual listed, generate at least two characteristics that should be acknowledged in the speech.

    4. Suppose you are called upon to give a toast or tribute speech to someone you believe is not deserving. You can think of a fictitious or real person. Discuss how you would go about preparing and delivering this speech. Also discuss how you would still be true to your own principles as well as conduct yourself in an ethical and professional manner.

    5. Suppose you have a guest coming to speak to your class. Prepare a speech of introduction for this person. What are this person’s attributes? What would be the topic of this person’s guest lecture, and how would you incorporate that into your speech?

    Glossary

    Acceptance Speech

    Also called the speech to accept an award, the acceptance speech gives the recipient an opportunity to express appreciation for the award as well as humility and grace.

    After-dinner Speech

    During the after-dinner speech, audiences expect to be entertained by a speech that informs them about a particular issue. This speech sometimes uses humor to make a serious point.

    Ceremonial Speech

    A ceremonial speech includes one of several kinds that celebrate an occasion. More specifically, a ceremonial speech may introduce a speaker, entertain an audience, or inspire people. Another term for ceremonial speech is special occasion speech.

    Commemorative or Tribute Speech

    A commemorative or tribute speech is one that pays special accolades to an occasion, extraordinary person, event, idea, or monument. Such a speech is intended to reflect the emotions of the audience.

    Commencement Speech

    The commencement speech is given by a well- known person of local, national, or international acclaim to mark a university or secondary school graduation ceremony.

    Epideictic Speech

    This is a ceremonial speech intended to praise or blame.

    Identification

    A technique used in ceremonial speaking to enhance feelings of familiarity and closeness.

    Keynote Address

    The keynote address represents the keynote of a larger idea taking place at a conference or exposition usually organized around a central theme.

    Magnification

    A technique in ceremonial speaking used to give benefit to the audience, amplify emotion, and exceed audience expectations.

    Presentational Speech

    Also called a speech to present an award, the presentational speech serves to highlight the merits of the award recipient and to point out the purpose and significance of the award being given.

    Roast

    A roast is a variation of the toast in which the speaker pays tribute to a person by poking fun at her or him in a friendly way.

    Special Occasion Speech

    A special occasion speech includes one of several kinds that celebrate an occasion. More specifically, it might introduce a speaker, entertain an audience, or inspire people. Another term for special occasion speech is ceremonial speech.

    Speech of Introduction

    A speech of introduction is a brief presentation used to introduce the main speaker of an event and to inspire the audience to listen to that speaker.

    Toast

    A toast is a brief tribute to a person or event.


    This page titled 17.6: Activities and Glossary is shared under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Juliann Scholl@Texas Tech University (Public Speaking Project) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.