Page 296 - Essentials of Human Communication

Presentation Aids 275

Public SPeaking SamPle aSSiStant

Special Occasion Speeches Largely Informative

In addition to the speeches of description, definition, and demonstration, there are special occasion speeches.
These speeches are dominated by the context and occasion for the speech. Here are a few such speeches
that are largely (though not exclusively) informative. For specific examples of these and other types of special
occasion speeches, search YouTube or any search engine’s videos. Chapter-length coverage of the “special
occasion speech,” may be found at MyCommunicationLab.

The Speech of Presentation or Acceptance
In a presentation speech you seek to (1) place an award or honor in some kind of context and (2) give the award
an extra air of dignity or status. A speech of presentation may focus on rewarding a colleague for an important
accomplishment (being named Teacher of the Year) or on recognizing a particularly impressive performance
(winning an Academy Award). It may honor an employee’s service to a company or a student’s outstanding grades
or athletic abilities.
The acceptance speech is the other side of this honoring ceremony. Here the recipient accepts the award and at-
tempts to place the award in some kind of context.
In your speeches of presentation, follow these three principles:
● State the reason for the presentation. Make clear why this particular award is being given to this particular person.
● State the importance of the award.
● Be brief.
Follow these guidelines when preparing and presenting your speech of acceptance:
● Thank the people responsible for giving you the award.
● Acknowledge those who helped you achieve the award.
● Put the award into personal perspective.

The Eulogy
The eulogy, a speech of tribute to praise someone who has died, puts a person’s life and Watch the Video “Elegy for a Special Person”
contributions in a positive light. This type of speech is often given at a funeral or at the at MyCommunicationLab
anniversary of the person’s birth or death. This is not the time for a balanced appraisal of the
individual’s life. Rather, it’s a time for praise. In developing the eulogy, consider the following:
● Relate the person whose life you’re celebrating to yourself and to those in the audience.
● Be specific; show that you really knew the person or know a great deal about the
person.
● Make the audience see this person as deserving of the praise you’re bestowing.
● Show the audience what they can learn from this individual’s life.

The Toast
The toast is a brief speech designed to celebrate a person or an occasion. You might, for example, toast the next CEO
of your company, a friend who just got admitted to a prestigious graduate program, or a colleague on the occasion
of a promotion. Often toasts are given at weddings or at the start of a new venture. The toast is designed to say
“congratulations” or “good luck” in a relatively formal sense. In developing your toast consider the following:

● Be brief; realize that people want to get on with the festivities.
● Focus attention on the person or persons you’re toasting, not on yourself.
● Avoid inside jokes that only you and the person you’re toasting understand.
● When you raise your glass in the toast—an almost obligatory part of toasting—make the audience realize
that they should drink and that your speech is at an end.