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Giving a before or after thanksgiving dinner speech
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Thanksgiving is a great time to practice your public speaking skills. You have an available audience, a special occasion, an obvious speech purpose, and little pressure--usually.
Special Occasion Speeches
Delivering a special occasion speech offers the speaker a chance to create a short and sweet celebratory message to honor a tradition or an important milestone. Common specialty speeches include: wedding toasts, graduations, christenings, anniversaries, or holiday gatherings, such as Thanksgiving Day.
The Purpose Is The Occasion
The pupose of a Thanksgiving speech is to give thanks. For whom and for what your family is most thankful (and grateful) should be the primary focus. Enumerate each gratitude point clearly--don't forget to pause for effect. Make sure each item refers back to your overall message. Express your heartfelt feelings and use vocal variety to support speech delivery.
This is A Teachable Family Moment
By offering to 'say a few words' during a family gathering, you are modeling a ritual which other family members can emulate in the future. This is an important social task to introduce to younger family members. They will one day have their own families and have an opportunity to carry out this time-honored, social practice. Early exposure and repetition (annually) will facilitate learning.
Keep It Light, Simple and Heartfelt
The best speeches at family events are those that are light in tone, simplistic in intent and heartfelt. Your family will remember how well you translated the mood of the moment and communicated the general sentiment of the gathering. In fact, you have the privilege of doing this on behalf of all those relatives who find speaking in public--even among family--a challenge.
Using family events as a platform to improve your public speaking skills is a opportunity that should not be missed. Whatever you say will be appreciated and you will be praised for your bravery as well as your words. Seize these moments and savor your ability to say something special in your own inimitable speech style!
Copyright © 2009 Sheryl T. Smikle, Ph. D
