Comprehensive Analysis

in
Oral Communication

Submitted by :
Roland Lonquino

Submitted to :
Ms.Kareen Jane I. Canillas
(Subject Teacher)
Persuasive Speech
A persuasive speech is given for the purpose of persuading the audience to feel a certain way, to
take a certain action, or to support a specific view or cause.
Notice that the purpose of a persuasive speech is similar to the purpose for writing an
argumentative or persuasive essay . The organizational structure and type of information in a
persuasive speech would be similar to that in an persuasive essay.

To write a persuasive speech, you choose a topic about which people disagree or can have
differing opinions. Your persuasive argument will be made stronger if you can demonstrate that
you are passionate about the topic and have a strong opinion one way or the other. Then, you
outline and draft your persuasive speech by taking a position on the topic and outlining your
support for your position. It is often helpful to also discuss why the "other side" is incorrect in
their beliefs about the topic. Make sure you catch your audience's attention and that you
summarize key points and "take-aways" as you go.

Examples of Persuasive Speech:

1. A teenager attempting to convince her parents that she needs to be able to stay out until
11pm instead of 10pm.

2.A persuasive speech claiming that Coke is better than Pepsi.

3.A student council president trying to convince school administrators to allow the students to
have a dance after the final football game of the season.

An effective persuasive speech may be achieved by using the methods devised by the Greek
Philosopher Aristotle [ considered as to be the most articulate speaker of his time.]. These
methods include: ethos ,pathos and logos.

Persuasive vs. Informative Speaking

Informative and persuasive speeches differ in what they want the audience to walk away with:
facts or an opinion.

Informative speeches (or informational speeches) seek to provide facts, statistics, or general
evidence. They are primarily concerned with the transmission of knowledge to the audience.

Persuasive speeches are designed to convince the audience that a certain viewpoint is correct.
In doing so, the speaker may utilize information.

Characteristics of Persuasive Speech

Persuasive speeches are designed to convince the audience of a speaker's point of view. If
you're writing one, every element -- from your opening statement, to the main
body and conclusion -- must reinforce that goal. Good persuasive speeches share several
common characteristics. Those qualities include an opening statement that grabs interest,
evidence that establishes your credibility and a conclusion that compels the listener to support
your position or take action.

1. Attention-getting Introductions

A persuasive speaker engages his audience from the start. One way is to open with a simple
declarative statement and details that support your position.

2.Goal

The objective of the speaker is to convince his/ her audience to agree with his/her argument.

3.Know Your Audience

The most important aspect of creating a powerful speech is addressing who will be hearing it.
Ask a few questions about the event: How big is the audience? Why have they been brought
together? What are they expecting, and what do they already know? By considering the types
of people who will comprise your audience, you can craft the information in your speech to
appeal directly to them. Focus on conveying a message that is relevant to your audience.

4.Voice

Any connection you’ve made with your audience could be broken by tones that seem ‘fake’ or
‘too perfect’. In general, you should try to speak in a conversational tone. If you say few “ahhs”
and “umms” that’s ok, don’t sweat it.

5.Focus of Persuasion

A. Fact

Factual persuasive speech is based on whether or not a particular topic is true, and is backed by
concrete evidence. This type of speech persuades the audience as to whether something exists
or does not exist, whether it happened or did not happen.

B.Value
Value persuasive speech is a speech about whether or not something is right or wrong. It
questions the moral or ethical aspect of an issue.

C.Policy

Policy persuasive speech is a speech given to convince an audience to either support or reject a
policy, rule, or candidate.

Methods of Persuasion
Aristotle, perhaps the most famous arguer, described three routes to change the mind of the
other person.

1.Ethos
Ethos uses trust, and focuses first on the speaker. showing the speaker as a person of integrity
and good character.

Reputation

The reputation of a person depends on their past, and what is known and spoken about them.
Note that although there is usually a close relationship between reputation and reality, this is
not always so. Politicians, for example, guard their reputation carefully, yet many still have
skeletons in the closet.

Character

Character paints you as a three-dimensional human, even with a few flaws (though these should
not be important to the audience). It shows you as being subject to the same problems and
pressures as other people.

Credibility

Credibility, depends both on expertize and how this is portrayed. If you want people to believe
you, you must first show that you believe yourself.

2.Pathos
Pathos appeals to the emotions of the listener, seeking to excite them or otherwise arouse their
interest.An effective way of arousing passions is in appeal to values. Tell stories of poor values,
for example where innocent people are harmed. Use Ethos to show your own values and how
you put others before yourself. You can also work with their goals and interests or even
challenge their beliefs .

3.Logos
Logos focuses first on the argument, using cool logic and rational explanation, as well as
demonstrable evidence.

Evidence

Evidence can include statistics, pictures and recounted experience (especially first hand). Pathos
may also be evoked when giving evidence as you give it an emotional spin. Ethos is also
important to establish the credibility of the witness.

Reason

Reason uses rational points that call on accepted truths and proven theories. Where evidence
does not exist, reason may still prevail. A common tool in reasoning is to link two items
together, for example by cause and effect.

Structure in Preparing and Delivering a Persuasive Speech

The Introduction
Focuses the attention of your audience. Use to command the attention of the audience and get
them interested in the speech. Avoid gimmicks and stay consistent with your speech topic and
style of speaking. Can include humor, startling ideas, drama, suspenseful story, quotations, etc.

Orients your audience to the topic. Give your audience a sense of why the subject matter of
your speech is relevant or important, set the stage and prepare them for the main ideas of the
speech to come.

Previews the content of the speech. Give the audience a preview of the ideas to come and
their organization. This makes your speech much easier to follow and aids in audience
knowledge retention.

The Body:
Organized around a limited number of main ideas. Audiences have to remember all of your
ideas and their connections. Most speakers should work to limit themselves to 3-5 main ideas
which are organized in a clear pattern that is highlighted for the audience.

The Conclusion:
Summarizes your main points. Remind the audience of the main ideas explored in your speech.
Paraphrase and combine in logical ways—do not just mechanically recount the previous ideas.

Leave your audience with something to think about. Speeches should end with a bang, not a
whimper. Try to finish with a sentence or two that leaves your audience with a sense of the
significance of what they just heard. This may be accomplished by returning to the focus of the
introduction, ending with a powerful and appropriate quotation, or concluding with your own
assessment of the importance of the topic