Memorization Techniques

There are a lot of techniques that you can use to memorize speeches. One of the best ideas is to record yourself saying your speech and listen to it over and over. Another good idea is to print your speech out in large print, split up into chunks, with different colored ink for each chunk. Then memorize red first, the orange, yellow, etc.

Here is a post that you might also find useful from the group Drama Resource:

12 Tips for Learning Lines

Here are twelve practical techniques for learning lines. These should be effective whether you are an actor, lecturer, speech-giver or storyteller. Good luck – and practise, practise, practise!

1. Read the lines aloud. By speaking the lines you will hear them and they are more likely to stick.

2. Ask a friend to help you. Friends can correct you on any mistakes you make, give you the cue lines and go back over any weak areas.

3. Practise, practise, practise. This is the only way to make the lines stick. There is no such thing as a “photographic” memory. Everybody has to do this, even Kenneth Branagh.

4. Little and often. Go over them first thing in the morning, a few times during the day and last thing at night.

5. There are several apps which can help with learning lines. Here are some I have reviewed and recommend: With Line Learner you record all the lines including those of other characters and then listen to them leaving silent pauses to speak your own lines. With Rehearsal you can upload a script and watch it scrolling by as you record your lines to listen to.

6. Even if you don’t use an app you can make a recording of the scene with a tape-recorder or mp3 player. Listen to it while you are shaving/washing up/driving (but keep your eyes on the road). It’s a good idea to leave gaps in the recording to speak your own lines.

7. Move around while you are saying your lines. This has been scientifically proven to aid memory. The best thing to do is to act and feel the emotions of the character so that you are learning the meaning of the speech as much as the words. Or just for a change you can even do something entirely unrelated like juggling or sweeping the floor.

8. Go for a drive or better still a walk. Walking and saying your lines can be quite relaxing (though beware of strange looks from passers-by).

9. Learn the cue lines that lead in to each of your lines. Being prompt with your lines will give you and your fellow actors more confidence.

10. As you say or read the lines, follow the thought pattern of each speech and the overall progression of the scene. Your lines are a part of the play. They don’t exist on their own.

11. In rehearsals, listen to and think about what the other actors are saying. Don’t just concentrate on what you’ve got to say.

12. Make a recording of the cast reading the script and use this to practise with so that you get used to hearing the other characters’ voices.

Fallacy Quizzes

Click on these websites to test your knowledge of Logical Fallacies:

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz2814762039ae8.html

http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=logical-fallacies-quiz

Then identify the following fallacies if you know the name or say why it is a fallacy:

a. Since scientists cannot prove that global warming will occur, it probably won't.

b. Most people believe that Hillary Clinton is a liar; therefore you shouldn't vote for her. 

c. If we pass laws against fully automatic weapons, then it won't be  long before we pass laws on all weapons, and then we will begin to restrict other rights, and finally we will end up living in a communist state. Thus, we should not ban fully automatic weapons.

d. A book is pornographic if and only if it contains pornography.
 
e. We should not believe President Clinton when he claims not to have had sex with Monica Lewinsky.  After all, he's a liar.

f.  Fred, the Australian, stole my wallet. Thus, all Australians are thieves.

g. Satanist Quarterly reports that 87% of Americans are atheists.  Therefore, there is no god.

h. Immigration to California from Mexico increased. Soon after, the welfare rolls increased. Therefore, the increased immigration caused the increase in welfare rolls.  

i. Protesting against racial injustice only causes more of it to occur.

j. The car accident would not have occurred if the parking meter had not gotten in the way.

k. All of those movie stars are really rude. I asked Ryan Gosling for his autograph in a restaurant once, and he told me to get lost,

l. What's the big deal about the early pioneers killing a few Indians in order to settle the West? After all, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

m. Either you buy a large car and watch it guzzle away your paycheck, or you buy a small car and take a greater risk of being injured or killed in the event of an accident.

n. There is no reason to listen to the arguments of those who oppose school prayer, for they are the arguments of atheists!

o. If the Supreme Court allows abortion, next thing you know they'll allow euthanasia, and it won't be long before society disposes of all those persons whom it deems undesirable.

p. I wore my lucky red shirt when I took the test, so that is probably why I did so well on the test.

q. Guns are like hammers—they're both tools with metal parts that could be used to kill someone. And yet it would be ridiculous to restrict the purchase of hammers—so restrictions on purchasing guns are equally ridiculous.

r. Grading this exam on a curve would be the most fair thing to do. After all, classes go more smoothly when the students and the professor are getting along well.

s. You should fly an American flag off your front porch.  It’s the patriotic thing to do.

t. I'm moving to Connecticut because it is the richest state in the nation and I'm tired of being poor.

u. If you do poorly in Ms. Lawrynovicz’s class, you will start doing poorly in other classes too. The first thing you know, you'll end up on probation, and then you will get kicked out of college. Without a college degree, you won't get a good job, and you'll starve to death. So you had better do well in Ms. Lawrynovicz’s class.

v. Why should you feel guilty for seeking your own happiness when that's what everyone else is doing, too?

w. A recent Time Warner commercial suggested that you should stick with cable because “DirectTV hates puppies.”

x. "We should clean out the closets. They are getting a bit messy." 

    "Why, we just went through those closets last year. Do we have to clean them out every day?" 

    "I never said anything about cleaning them out every day. You just want to keep all your junk forever, which is just        ridiculous."

Another Resource on Logical Fallacies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdSB137pFrs

Key Terms and Concepts Handout

Public Speaking Debate Unit: Key Terms and Concepts

3 Elements of Argument:

Logos

Pathos

Ethos

Debate Terminology:

Opening Statement

Position/Assertion/Claim/Premise

Rebuttal

Concession

Refutation

Closing Statement

Logical Fallacies:  https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/fallacies_list.html

Debate #1 Stats from the New York Times

Hillary Clinton

Time speaking: 41 minutes, 21 seconds

Words spoken: 6,181

Questions asked: 17

Questions dodged: 0

Interruptions by opponent: 29

Fact-checks by moderator: 0

Assertions that opponent was untruthful: 10

Donald J. Trump

Time speaking: 44 minutes, 23 seconds

Words spoken: 7,870

Questions asked: 15

Questions dodged: 4

Interruptions by opponent: 9

Fact-checks by moderator: 5

Assertions that opponent was untruthful: 26

Speech Feedback

Comment on your peer's draft:


1. Intro -- is it a good hook? Does it get you interested? Does it also introduce the main topic?


2. Body -- is it broken into sections? Is each section a clear topic? Is each section equally interesting or do any sections need more work?


3. Ending -- Is there a clear takeaway? Does it have a unique or memorable ending?


4. Clarity -- Note any sections, sentences, or words that are unclear, awkward phrasing, or not correct.


5. Engagement -- Note one place where the speech is very engaging; note one place where your attention was lost.


6. Overall -- What are the strengths? What does the writer need to work on most?

Welcome to Public Speaking

Welcome to Public Speaking!

 Whether you are here because someone put this on your schedule or because your mom told you to or because you want to become a better communicator, the first step is to become comfortable speaking out in front of others. For those of you working on conquering the fear of Public Speaking (the most common fear in North America!), here is a useful piece you might want to read.

I found this blog post written by Nick Morgan from Forbes Magazine (8/15/2015) that offers some tips:

How Can You Deal With The Fear Of Public Speaking?
I’ve recently been reminded that one of the universal constants in the public speaking world is fear. Most speakers have it, a few manage to avoid it, and some are crushed by it. A recent article about a survey of UK CEOs found that they, too, experience fear. Recent work with a client involved helping him with his fear of opening a speech. He’s fine once he gets going, but those first few minutes are debilitating. And I recently gave a speech after taking about a month off to work on a book proposal, and I found myself rusty and nervous just like everyone else.

What can you do about it? Here are 5 ideas to help you with that universal annoyance.

1. Redefine the fear as adrenaline, and therefore a good thing.This is my personal favorite, and it works pretty well if you stick to it over a long period of time. When we’re faced with having to speak in front of a crowd – or the prospect of one – the adrenaline starts flowing. It’s the well-known flight-or-fight syndrome that helps you get ready to do battle with ancient enemies. In addition to the annoying symptoms like dry mouth, or shaky knees, or clammy palms, your brain works faster, you have more energy, and you look a little larger than life. And that’s all good. So focus on the good things that those symptoms are bringing you, and you’ll start to think differently about those clammy palms.

2. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Rehearse a lot. Rehearsal is the best way to deal with nerves, objectively speaking, because what you do a lot you get comfortable with and thus are less likely to get frightened about. Rehearsal has the added benefit of most likely making you better at the presentation – certainly better than if you wing it. And you’ll look more polished because your body will signal to the audience, “I’ve done this before; I’m cool.”

3. Breathe deeply, from the belly. Breathe slowly, and often.Breathing is good for you, your voice, and your composure. A slow, deep belly breath supported from the diaphragmatic muscles will start an autonomic relaxation response that nicely counteracts those feelings of terror, so start at the first sign of symptoms. Because those belly breaths will ground you, make sure you do them just before you get up to speak – while you’re being introduced, for example.

4. Focus on the audience, not on yourself. The real insight at the core of successful public speaking is that it isn’t about you, it’s about the audience getting it (or you were never there, in some sense). So focus on the audience, let go of yourself, and have a great time. I think of this as the Zen insight into public speaking, and it is truly liberating if you can convince yourself of it.

5. Focus on an emotion that you want to convey to the audience.If you’re the sort of speaker who starts riffing on all the things that might go wrong when you get nervous about speaking, then you’re like most of us. The idea is to replace that doom loop with something more productive. For a host of reasons, replacing nervous mental chatter with a strong emotion is a great substitute. Here’s how you do it. First, figure out what emotion is appropriate to the beginning of your speech. It might be anger, joy, excitement, whatever. Then, recall a time when you felt that emotion naturally and strongly. But don’t just remember it – relive it. Recall what it smelled, tasted, looked, sounded and felt like. Shut your eyes and put yourself there. With practice, this can become a powerful and quick way to focus before speaking. And if you do this sense memory thoroughly enough, you’ll chase the nervous thoughts out of your head.

We all get nervous, but there are ways to minimize nerves, and to use the mental state to your advantage, to make you a better speaker. Try them all, and pick the one or ones that works best for you.