The objective of the introductory speech is for you to share a meaningful event in your life such as coming of age, overcoming hardships, and the like. Remember to keep the audience best interest in mind by building a speech that shares a life’s lesson.
RUBRIC
Outline title, purpose, and thesis statement fully developed.
5 points
Introduction follows stages as shown in sample.
6 points
Transition statements are clearly marked and developed.
6 points
Conclusion fully developed as shown in sample.
5 points
Outline is spelling, grammar, and punctuation error–free.
3 points
TOTAL
Prof. Llopis-Speech 100
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Title: Embracing Solitude
General Purpose: To share an important aspect or event in my life
Specific Purpose: At the end of my speech, my audience will know how I have
overcome fear of being alone.
Thesis statement: Many people regard being alone as boring, dull. I believe that
exploring life on our own can produce lifelong benefits.
I. Introduction
A. Attention Getter: Albert Einstein once said, “I live in that solitude which
is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.”
B. Motivation for listening: By now, you all should have an idea of what is
my speech topic. You got it, overcoming fear. All of us in this room can
relate to the childhood experience of being afraid of the boogieman.
C. Preview: Today, I am going to share with you three stages of my life,
which turned out to be the most enlightening moments of them all. I will
begin with my childhood, then my teenage years, and finally adulthood.
Transition: I will begin by going a few years back. Ok, more than a few, when I was 5.
II. Body
a. My mom, a mother of four, when grocery shopping with all the
kids. I remember wondering alone in the cookie aisle, and then
hearing the light switchers being turned off, immediately the entire
aisle was pitch black. I could not see my feet. I panic! My voice
Prof. Llopis-Speech 100
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was cracking as I called for my mom. Then, I felt a hand over my
shoulder. I screamed!
b. Long story short, the manager and the cashier held me in the store
hoping for my parents to soon realize that I was not with them.
c. The morale of this story is for all of us in this room to think back to
a moment in our lives when we have felt forgotten by loved ones.
Transition: Now that you have a better sense of my childhood experience, let me talk to
you about going alone to the movies.
B. Growing up in a big family with kids running around gave me a sense of
constant companionship.
a. One day in school, I overheard my friends planning going to the
movies on Saturday. I was waiting to be invited. I waited, and
waited. They did not.
b. I obsessed over the movie issue for months. One day, I got up
early, took the bus to the mall, and watched two movies back to
back.
c. I discovered something new, self-reliance!
Transition: You may be thinking, big deal, you went to the movies alone and liked it. Let
me tell you that it was more than that. This lesson came handy 10 years later.
C. I was 25-year old. I just finished graduate school and wanted to celebrate
with a trip to London.
a. I asked various friends to join me. Too expensive, too soon, later,
what about Hawaii, these were some of their responses.
Prof. Llopis-Speech 100
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b. I bought my ticket. In May 21, my flight landed at the London
Heathrow Airport.
c. For the first two days, I visited the Covent Garden, the Big Ben,
and Piccadilly Circle alone. By the third day, I met new friends.
Transition: I am not going to lie; having parents, family, and good friends by our side
makes the journey much more fun. However, we ought to learn to live life to the fullest
without waiting around for someone else.
III. Conclusion
A. To sum up, I have shared with you three stages of my life which made me
who I am today, determine and self-reliant.
B. Throwback: In Einstein words, solitude might be scary at first, but greatly
rewarding, as we grow older.
