Thursday, October 11, 2012

Introduction & Conclusion


When beginning a speech, once you've researched your topic thoroughly, your audience is going to want something that draws their attention. In this case, the first sentence should be a “hook” something that draws your audience in. whether it’s statistical facts, a joke, or perhaps a story everyone could relate to, you are expected to get their attention. Once you've established the first introduction element, everything else should follow: indicate purpose and thesis, establish credibility, and a preview of main points. For my intro, I will most likely take a more serious approach with something statistical and shocking. For example, “According to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) working full-time year round, women are paid 77% of what their male counterparts are paid”.  I think starting out with facts, the audience will become aware there is a problem with society and government.
Furthermore, whenever you are about to conclude or end your speech, you should always give your audience a recap of what you just went over. Usually the best way to do something like this is to restate the main points you brought up. In my case, I’ll probably start out my conclusion stating, “In summary, today we went learned about the social impact of women in society. I went over the history of women’s struggle in society, their undervalued achievements, and the future of women globally”. Note that it’s important to use transitions to smooth out your next paragraph when moving on to new ideas. This gives your audience the heads-up that you’re about to end your speech. Not to mention, it reinforces the main ideas of what you just went over. 

2 comments:

  1. I like your introduction and conclusion post and I agree with you 100%. I would like to add one comment I found the article in the Internet. I think the introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give an idea of the speech focus.
    Begin with an attention grabber. The attention grabber you use is up to you, but here are some ideas:
    Startling information
    This information must be true and verifiable, and it doesn't need to be totally new to your readers. It could simply be a pertinent fact that explicitly illustrates the point you wish to make.
    Anecdote
    An anecdote is a story that illustrates a point. Be sure your anecdote is short, to the point, and relevant to your topic. This can be a very effective opener for the speech, but use it carefully.
    A good conclusion plays a key role in determining how your audiences will remember you and your message, summing up your points or providing a final perspective on your topic. All the conclusion needs is three or four strong sentences which do not need to follow any set formula. Simply review the main points (being careful not to restate them exactly) or briefly describe your feelings about the topic.
    In the model of a presentation as the smooth flight on the airplane, the conclusion is the landing. The passengers - your audiences - don't want the landing to be sudden or bumpy. They don't want to land in the wrong place.
    Here are the main tips:
    SUM IT UP! 
    The conclusion must provide a summary of your major points.
    PROVIDE CLOSURE! 
    The conclusion must give the audience a feeling that your presentation is complete. People have a psychological need for closure. They want to have a beginning, a middle and an end of the presentation - especially an end. They don't want to be left hanging. People expect a conclusion to sound a certain way - like a conclusion. Use phrases such as "in conclusion", "to conclude" or "in closing". "Turning now to my final point…." This type of statement gives the audiences confidence that you'll reach your final destination.
    MAKE A GREAT FINAL EXPRESSION!
    You want to end on a high note. The conclusion should grab their attention.
    We have to make the last word memorable!
    WHAT NOT TO DO:
    Here are some common mistakes to avoid. Don't go overtime! If you want to be perceived as a genius, finish five minutes earlier, but don't go longer than expected. Don't say you forgot to mention something. It makes you look disorganized, and the audience worries that you'll make another speech. Don't mumble! Be decisive. All article you can find in the website: http://www.just-english.ru/introduc.htm
    It was a good post, thank you

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  2. Wow, that is actually a really surprising statistic. I always thought that women do get paid less than men but I did not think that the gap was that big. The hook that leads into the introduction is probably one of the most important aspects of a speech or essay. I personally think that if the hook does not get the audience’s attention right away, it will be hard, close to impossible to capture their attention in the same way later on. I wonder if the beginning of a conclusion also needs an attention getter, but putting that thought aside, I think you have a really good hook and conclusion. Very interesting.

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