Since ancient times, public speaking has been considered an effective method of influencing people. Its foundations originated in Ancient Greece, when people demonstrated their works, performing on the agora or in ancient theaters. Since then, this art has undergone some changes that relate to the performance of speech, but its purpose and basic structure are still appreciated.
Oratory basics
There are several rhetorical canons by which speech is constructed. They are appropriate not only in public speaking, but also in everyday life, during ordinary conversation. Following them, a person will be able to correctly express their thoughts, which will be available to others.
- The first stage is an inventory. Here, the speaker selects material, which will then undergo processing (reflection) and will be demonstrated. It is at this first, stage of speech construction that the subject of illumination stands out, i.e. what the author will talk about.
- The second stage is disposition. Here the subject becomes a concept, it is included in the system of other knowledge. During this period, a composite speech pattern is formed, logical connections between the objects of analysis are highlighted. Thus, disposition acts as the guarantor of the correct conceptual apparatus of speech.
- The third stage is elocation. Here, the author draws up the selected concepts in verbal form. Verbalization can occur through illogical methods, which often become the main tool of influence: paths and figures.
- The fourth stage is the action. Here, the author works out a future performance, taking into account the intonation of the voice, pause and the pronunciation of the words. Also at this stage, gestures and facial expressions are determined that will allow you to harmoniously convey information and correctly influence the audience.
- The fifth stage is a memorial. Now the speaker needs to remember his speech in order to quickly navigate what he intends to say.
Childbirth and types of oratory
Modern rhetoric has several genera and types of eloquence. They depend on the area for which the speech is intended, the situation in which it is implemented, as well as topics and forms. Genus is the broadest concept, it is determined depending on the object of speech, purpose, form and situation. Speech can be classified into several genera. Namely:
- academic;
- socio-political;
- spiritual;
- social and domestic;
- judicial.
Oratory, depending on the gender is classified into species. They specify the area, situation and audience of the speech.
Academic speech is presented by lectures (school or university), scientific reports, reviews, reports, as well as speeches on popular science topics. These species are characterized by information saturation, the minimum use of expressive expressions, as well as the handling of facts. The presentation is built in an accessible language for a wide audience with the absence of excessively specific concepts, the meaning of which may not be known to the audience.
Judicial oratory is represented by two types: prosecutorial and lawyer. They are characterized by emotional richness, which is necessarily supported by arguments.
Socio-political speech has many forms, the most common of which are propaganda and rally speech, which in democratic states can often be heard on the eve of elections. Also, this kind of public speaking includes diplomatic, parliamentary, military-patriotic speech and a report. They are characterized by expressive vocabulary, unexpected comparisons in combination with statistical data and other objective facts.
The social-household kind of performance is represented by 5 types: anniversary speech, welcome, table, tombstone and reception. They are characterized by emotional exclamations and personal assessments.
Spiritual speech has two types: sermon and church (official). They are saturated with Old Slavicism, are instructive in nature and are not necessarily based on specific facts.
Thus, there are many types and kinds of public speech. They, in turn, are divided into genres that determine the volume and style of the text. However, no matter what type or genre the performance belongs to, it should contain useful and accessible information, and the author should have good command of facial expressions, gestures and voice in order to correctly and effectively convey what he intends to say.