You can do it.

And at this point in the class, your instructor and group cohort for speech preparation will be on board to help you.

We will be available to help you plan your delivery. Did I say support group? Its function is to sort out the choices among delivery options and discuss ways of managing the stress of speaking.

Postings for topic 18 will be made to the public speaking cohort group page. We will return to the class discussion board for topics 19 and 20.

There are three options for delivering your speech. You may memorize the speech, read it from a manuscript or speak extemporaneously from notes.

Each of these methods of delivery has its advantages and disadvantages. So, choose the method that you think is going to suit you the best. To guide that choice, review some of the points about each method of delivery in Chapter Ten. You can also review some additional comments and examples of the three choices on the "Select a Mode of Delivery" page on the Allyn & Bacon Public Speaking Website.

Next, it's time to rehearse. Chapter Ten provides some key tips on how to work on vocal and physical aspects of delivery.

The page on "Delivery Dynamics" provides additional reflections on what to rehearse for your presentation.

Visual Aids can also enhance your delivery, especially for persuasive messages.

I also recommend an exercise on the Allyn & Bacon Public Speaking Website called "Yeas and Nays on Delivery."

For your posting on this topic, discuss your plans and concerns as you rehearse your speech. Which mode of delivery have you selected? What are the parts of delivery that you need help and encouragement rehearsing? Are you planning to use any visual aids in your speech?

Our posting for this module will be a critique of one of the two model speeches.

Informative speakers should evaluate "Thermocaoustic Stirling Heat Engine" by Chris Lacey, which you can find on page 319. Persuasive speakers will evaluate "Dirty Hands Across America" by Holly Sisk. That speech text is on page 351.

Then, use the evaluation criteria found in our textbook on pp. 315-318 (excluding delivery points) if you are judging the informative speech or the evaluation criteria on pp. 348-350 (excluding delivery) if you are assessing the persuasive speech.

What were the strongest points of the speech? Consider the various steps in the process of speech preparation that we have been doing: choice of topic and adaptation to the audience, use of an organizational pattern of arrangement, development of the ideas with supporting materials and effective language choices.

Note that for each of the model speeches, the authors provide marginal notes representing their critique of the speech. Build on their points: Do you agree with their critique? In places where they cite weaknesses with the speech, what would you do differently?

Now that the formal speech is done, give yourself a pat on the back and commend at least two of your classmates.

Specific points to consider in this post are the following:

How effective were you in:

• choosing a topic?
• analyzing the audience and adapting your speech to your listeners?
• using supporting material?
• organizing your main ideas and developing an effective introduction and conclusion?
• making good language choices and presenting your delivery well?
• managing speech anxiety?

Next, use the same factors to judge at least two of the speeches of your colleagues in the class.

And, take a bow!