Major kinds of supporting materials
Examples
Statistics
Testimonies
Examples
With examples…
Without examples…
Considered the “…”
- Vivid, concrete examples have a strong impact on listeners’ beliefs and actions
- With examples–ideas become more specific, personal, lively
- Without examples–ideas seem vague, impersonal, and life-less
- Considered the “very life of the speech”
Types of examples
Brief examples
Extended examples
Hypothetical examples
Brief examples
Also called___
(Also called specific instances) are specific cases referred to in passing to illustrate a point
- Can also pile one brief examples upon another until you reach the desired impression
Extended examples
A story, narrative, or anecdote developed at some length to illustrate a point.
Hypothetical examples
An example that describes an imaginary or fictitious situation.
- Brief stories that relate to a general principle
- Create realistic scenario, relate it directly to your listeners, get audience involved in speech
4 Tips for using examples
- Use examples to personalize your ideas
(People are interested in people,
Put issue in terms everyone could understand) - Reinforce examples with stats or testimony
(Examples can bring an issue alive but listeners may still wonder how many people the issue actually affects. In that situation you need to add stats or testimony) - Make your examples vivid and richly textured
(More vivid=more impactful) - Practice delivery to enhance your extended examples
(Extended example= a story or narrative.
Use voice to get listeners involved.
Speak faster here to create a sense of action, slower there to build suspense. Raise voice in some places, lower in others. Pause occasionally for dramatic effect.
Most important–maintain eye contact.)
Statistics
How to get them (3 ways)
3 types of statistics
- We feel more secure in our knowledge when we can express it numerically
- Often cited in passing to clarify or strengthen speaker’s points
(Like brief examples) - Can be used in combination to show the magnitude or seriousness of an issue.
(Air pollution kills 7 mil people a year. That makes it five times as deadly as traffic accidents.)
How to get them
- Can be easily manipulated and distorted
- Need to be representative
- Get from objective, nonpartisan sources
Types of stats
- Mean
- Median
- Mode
Mean
Average value
Median
Middle number in a group arranged lowest to highest
Mode
Most common occurring number
4 tips testimonies
Quote/paraphrase accurately
Use qualified sources
(Use testimonies from sources qualifies on the subject at hand
Ex: Pro tennis play would not know more about the average person about watches so they would not be qualified)
Use from qualified sources
Use from unbiased sources (From credible, objective authorities)
Identify the people you quote/paraphrase
(Cite name and their qualifications
If you don’t=plagiarism, even if it was paraphrased)
5 Tips statistics
- Use them only when needed and make sure they’re easy to understand
- Identify source of your stat
- Explain the stats and relate them to your audience
(Explaining stats is particularly important when you deal with large numbers, because they are hard to visualize) - **Round off **complicated stats
- Use visual aids to show statistical trends
Testimony (definition)
Quotations or paraphrases used to support a point
Testimony
- Audiences respects opinions of people who have special knowledge/experience on the topic at hand
- Expert testimony vs peer testimony
- Quoting vs paraphrasing
Expert testimony
Testimony from people who are acknowledged authorities in their fields
- Increases credibility of your speech
- Very important when the topic is controversial/audience is unsure about the speaker’s opinion
Peer testimony
Testimony from ordinary people with firsthand experience/insight into the topic
- Gives more personal viewpoint on issues
- More emotional impact
Direct quotation
Testimony that is presented word for word
Better to use direct quotation when…
- Brief
- Convey meaning better than you can
- They are particularly eloquent/witty/compelling
Paraphrasing
Presenting what the person said but in your own words.
Better to paraphrase when…
- Wording of a quotation is obscure or cumbersome
- When quotation is longer than 2-3 sentences
Citing orally
- Do not have a standard format
- Tell your audience enough that they will know where info is from and why they should accept it as qualifies and credible
- Skillful speakers do not always have to say “According to…” or “quote…unquote”
Include
- Book/magazine/ newspaper you are citing
- Author/sponsoring organization
- Author’s qualifications with regard to the topic
(Don’t need if they are known) - Publication date/date last updated
(Only need if the date affects the relevance of the person’s words)
Quote/paraphrase accurately
Don’t accidentally mis-direct-quote someone
Don’t violate meaning of statements you paraphrase
Make sure you don’t quote out of context
- Quote out of context: Quoting a statement in a way to distort its meaning by removing the statement from the words/phrases surrounding it
- Most subtle and dangerous way
- Highly unethical
What three questions should you ask to judge the reliability of statistics?
Are the stats representative?
Are they used correctly?
Are they from a reliable source?
Explaining stats is particularly important when…
… you deal with large numbers, because they are hard to visualize.
