DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES | Toastmasters NZ

DELIVER SOCIAL

SPEECHES

LEVEL 3 PROJECT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Your Assignment

Assess Your Skills

Competencies

The Basics of Social Speeches

Types of Social Speeches

Composing Social Speeches

Review and Apply

Complete Your Assignment

Resources

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

www.toastmasters.org

Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all other

Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property

of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission.

Rev. 11/2016 Item 8302

Social speeches can be any speech given at a social occasion or event. They

are personalized to those being honored or recognized and are usually shorter

than informative or persuasive speeches. Depending on the occasion, often the

purpose of a social speech is to remember, praise, or celebrate.

In this project, you will learn how to compose a speech appropriate for a social

occasion and recognize the characteristics of a toast, a eulogy, an acceptance

speech, and a speech to praise an individual or group. You will also learn to adapt

and personalize anecdotes for speeches in diﬀerent situations.

INTRODUCTION

Page 2 DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice delivering social speeches in

front of your club members.

Overview: Develop two diﬀerent social speeches—each 3 to 4 minutes—and

present them at two separate club meetings. You may choose any two types of

social speeches that appeal to you or that you would like to practice.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Throughout this project you will see icons in the margins next to the text.

These icons indicate additional resources available online.

Interactive Activity: Sign in to Base Camp to complete an

interactive activity.

Resource: Sign in to Base Camp to view this resource

online.

Video: Sign in to Base Camp to watch a video that supports

this project.

For all

assignment

details and

requirements,

review the

Project Checklist

on page 11.

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 3

ASSESS YOUR SKILLS

Pre-Project Statement Post-Project

5 4 3 2 1

I can compose a speech appropriate for a social occasion.

5 4 3 2 1

I recognize the characteristics of a toast, a eulogy, an acceptance

speech, and a speech to praise an individual or group.

5 4 3 2 1

I can adapt and personalize anecdotes for speeches in

diﬀerent situations.

5 4 3 2 1

I recognize how this project applies to my life

outside of Toastmasters.

5 4 3 2 1

EXEMPLARY

ACCOMPLISHED

EXCEL

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

Evaluate your current skill level by rating each statement.

Select the appropriate number based on your skills today:

Page 4 DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES

The following is a list of competencies that

you will learn and practice in this project.

■ Compose a speech appropriate for a social occasion.

■ Recognize the characteristics of a toast, a eulogy, an acceptance speech, and a

speech to praise an individual or group.

■ Adapt and personalize anecdotes for speeches in diﬀerent situations.

COMPETENCIES

It is important to understand the value of developing the skills required to

deliver a successful social speech. Many members begin their Toastmasters

journey ahead of a speech they will present at a life event—such as a toast, an

introduction, or acceptance speech at an awards ceremony. Fear of delivering a

social speech can cause some people to avoid participating in important events.

Knowing the basic structure and eﬀective delivery techniques for these types of

speeches can alleviate many of the stressors around the delivery. Social speeches

are similar to any other speech with the added responsibility of honoring a person

or an organization.

Many social speeches require you to speak in praise of an individual or group

being honored. To develop this type of speech, review the positive qualities and

characteristics of the honoree. When possible, include memories or anecdotes to

personalize your speech and make it more meaningful.

Depending on the setting and tone of the event, you may consider using

humorous stories or appropriate quotations to highlight the honoree’s character

or successes. It is essential that your content is appropriate and respectful. If you

are unsure of the impact a particular story or fact will have on the honoree or the

audience, leave it out. It is better to err on the side of caution than to oﬀend your

audience.

PREPARE IN ADVANCE

Although the tone and presentation of social speeches may be personal in nature,

prepare in the same way you would for any speech. This is especially true if you

are speaking about an emotional topic or at a meaningful life event, such as a

memorial service or wedding. The same techniques used for other speeches are

applicable.

THE BASICS OF SOCIAL SPEECHES

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 5

A successful social speech requires preparation. Develop an introduction, body,

and conclusion. Research stories or facts you may not know by speaking to

colleagues or family members before the event. By organizing your material in

advance, you are more likely to feel prepared and deliver a polished, successful

speech.

PRACTICE YOUR DELIVERY

The most successful social speeches ﬂow with ease from the speaker—they may

even seem impromptu to the audience. The best way to achieve a high level of

ease before a speech is to practice. Using techniques that you would for other

speeches, such as recording your presentation to review, practicing in front of a

friend or colleague, or working with your mentor, will help you reach a level of

comfort that mimics impromptu delivery.

As with all speeches, be aware of your vocal variety and body language. Eﬀective

use of both can help you convey your emotional investment and commitment

to your words and the honoree, elevating your speech and creating a strong

connection with audience members.

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TYPES OF SOCIAL SPEECHES

There are many diﬀerent reasons to give a social speech, but most speeches fall

into the following categories.

Toast

A toast is the action of raising your glass in honor of someone or something.

Toasts are typically given at weddings or other noteworthy events. It is

important to remember that the most signiﬁcant person at the event is the

person or persons you are honoring. Though you are the speaker, you want

audience members to focus on the honoree.

Be aware that some cultures do not commonly toast at events. If you have

not been speciﬁcally invited to give a toast or you are unfamiliar with the

customs of the host culture for an event, seek permission before leading a

toast.

Acceptance Speech

You may be called upon to speak when accepting a prize, honor, or award.

The opportunity to give an acceptance speech is a privilege. If the award or

honor is a surprise, it may be diﬃcult to recall your intended speech. Prepare

in advance by making notes and practicing so the opportunity to speak is

managed with respect and humility.

Speech in Praise of an Individual or Group

A speech that praises an individual or group typically takes place when

presenting an award or honoring someone who has passed away.

When presenting an award, your goal is to honor the individual or group

for their accomplishments and remind the audience why they are being

honored.

When honoring an individual who has passed away, your goal is not only to

recognize the individual, but also to acknowledge her impact on others in

attendance. Including stories, facts, and anecdotes that put the honoree in

the best possible light will praise the subject of your speech and leave the

audience with a positive feeling.

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 7

TOAST

When composing your toast, create a speech that ﬁts the occasion in both mood

and language. For formal gatherings, a good toast is digniﬁed, although some

humor may be appropriate.

For informal occasions, where guests are likely to be acquainted with one another,

toasts can be lighter in tone and phrased to ﬁt the relaxed atmosphere. It is

generally best to avoid clichés, as they may be perceived as insincere or shallow.

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

Express your gratitude and be genuine when composing an acceptance speech.

This speech is your opportunity to demonstrate why you are deserving of the

honor being bestowed on you. Let your behavior at the event and during your

speech demonstrate your highest nature. Recognize the people who may

have helped you achieve success. Be sure to respect the time allotted for your

acceptance speech and end on time.

SPEECH IN PRAISE OF AN INDIVIDUAL

OR GROUP

If you are praising an individual or group, you may be presenting an award or

delivering a eulogy. When presenting an award, review the honoree’s positive

characteristics and qualities. Maintaining a positive tone is essential when

highlighting the honoree’s accomplishments that led to receiving recognition.

Review how these actions beneﬁted others.

Depending on the time allotted to you for your award presentation, you may

choose to write the speech based on the individual’s life or organization’s history.

For shorter, more concise timeframes, you may choose to focus and elaborate on

one or two speciﬁc attributes.

THE EULOGY

A eulogy is a speech that honors someone who has passed away. Eulogies can

present challenges to even the most seasoned speakers. You may be hesitant

to speak for fear of becoming upset or concerned that your words will not be

enough. As you write your speech, consider all the ways the honoree impacted

your life and the lives of others. Know that your speech will be appreciated.

COMPOSING SOCIAL SPEECHES

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Before you complete the assignment, take a moment to read through the

questions you see here. If you are not able to answer them comfortably, review

the project.

■ What other Toastmasters skills might you be able to apply to speaking socially?

■ Are there any behaviors to avoid while giving the speech?

■ How can social speaking help your professional life?

■ How can you ensure your humor is appropriate for the event?

■ What is the value of having your speech reviewed by a trusted friend, family

member, or colleague before you deliver it?

REVIEW AND APPLY

If you are overcome with emotion when delivering your speech, remember that

all in attendance understand and relate to your emotional state. To help you

prepare for this emotional challenge, practice your speech. If you are worried

about being unable to ﬁnish your speech, ask someone ahead of time to ﬁnish

for you in the event that you are unable. Many attendees admire and respect the

person who delivers a eulogy because they recognize the challenge of presenting

a sensitive speech in a diﬃcult situation.

As with all speeches, conducting personal research will help you develop your

content with conﬁdence. There are many sources of information available,

including books and the internet to expand your knowledge. You may choose to

search for information on social speeches, toasts, eulogies, or any type of speech

you are developing. It may be helpful to watch or listen to more examples of

eﬀective social speeches as you compose yours.

The Social Speech Basics resource on page 17 oﬀers tips for composing successful

social speeches.

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 9

COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Now that you have read through the project, plan and prepare your speech or report.

Review: Return to page 3 to review your assignment.

Organize: Use the Project Checklist on page 11 to review the steps and add your

own. This will help you organize and prepare your assignment.

Schedule: Work with the vice president education to schedule your speeches.

Prepare: Prepare for your evaluation. Review the evaluation resources on pages

12–16 and share all resources with your evaluator before your speech. You may

choose to share your evaluation resources online.

Page 10 DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 11

PROJECT CHECKLIST

Deliver Social Speeches

Page 1 of 2

Schedule your speeches with the vice president education. Each 3- to 4-minute speech is to be

presented at a different club meeting.

______________________________________________________________________

Select two different types of social speeches to present to your club.

______________________________________________________________________

Write your speeches.

______________________________________________________________________

Rehearse your speeches.

______________________________________________________________________

After you have completed all components of the assignment, including your speeches, return to

page 4 to rate your skills in the post-project section.

______________________________________________________________________

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice delivering social speeches in front of your club members.

Overview: Develop two different social speeches—each 3 to 4 minutes—and present them at two separate club

meetings. You may choose any two types of social speeches that appeal to you or that you would like to practice.

This project includes:

■ The Social Speech Basics resource

■ Two 3- to 4-minute speeches

Below are tasks you will need to complete for this project. Please remember, your project is unique to you. You may

alter the following list to incorporate any other tasks necessary for your project.

Page 12 DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES

Page 1 of 5

EVALUATION FORM

Deliver Social Speeches—First Speech

Speech Title

Evaluator

Member Name Date

Speech Length: 3 – 4 minutes

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this project is for the member to practice delivering social speeches in front of club members.

Notes for the Evaluator

The member completing this project has spent time preparing a social speech.

Listen for: A well-organized, well-delivered speech with appropriate content for the type of social speech. You may

be evaluating one of the following types of social speeches:

■ A toast

■ An acceptance speech

■ A speech to honor an individual (the presentation of an award, other type of recognition, or a eulogy)

■ A speech to honor an organization

General Comments

You excelled at:

You may want to work on:

To challenge yourself:

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 13

Page 2 of 5

EVALUATION FORM –

Deliver Social Speeches—First Speech

For the evaluator: In addition to your verbal evaluation, please complete this form.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

Clarity: Spoken language is clear and is easily understood

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Vocal Variety: Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Eye Contact: Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Gestures: Uses physical gestures effectively

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Audience Awareness: Demonstrates awareness of audience engagement

and needs

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Comfort Level: Appears comfortable with the audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Interest: Engages audience with interesting, well-constructed content

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Topic: Content fits the topic and the type of social speech

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Page 14 DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES

Page 3 of 5

EVALUATION FORM

Deliver Social Speeches—Second Speech

Speech Title

Evaluator

Member Name Date

Speech Length: 3 – 4 minutes

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this project is for the member to practice delivering social speeches in front of club members.

Notes for the Evaluator

The member completing this project has spent time preparing a social speech.

Listen for: A well-organized, well-delivered speech with appropriate content for the type of social speech. You may

be evaluating one of the following types of social speeches:

■ A toast

■ An acceptance speech

■ A speech to honor an individual (the presentation of an award, other type of recognition, or a eulogy)

■ A speech to honor an organization

General Comments

You excelled at:

You may want to work on:

To challenge yourself:

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 15

Page 4 of 5

EVALUATION FORM –

Deliver Social Speeches—Second Speech

For the evaluator: In addition to your verbal evaluation, please complete this form.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

Clarity: Spoken language is clear and is easily understood

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Vocal Variety: Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Eye Contact: Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Gestures: Uses physical gestures effectively

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Audience Awareness: Demonstrates awareness of audience engagement

and needs

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Comfort Level: Appears comfortable with the audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Interest: Engages audience with interesting, well-constructed content

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Topic: Content fits the topic and the type of social speech

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Page 16 DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES

Page 5 of 5

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Deliver Social Speeches

other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be

used only with permission. Rev. 5/2016 Item 8302E

This criteria lists the specific goals and expectations for the speech. Please review each level to help you complete

the evaluation.

Clarity

5 – Is an exemplary public speaker who is always

understood

4 – Excels at communicating using the spoken word

 – Spoken language is clear and is easily understood

2 – Spoken language is somewhat unclear or

challenging to understand

1 –

Spoken language is unclear or not easily understood

Vocal Variety

5 – Uses the tools of tone, speed, and volume

to perfection

4 – Excels at using tone, speed, and volume as tools

3 – Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools

2 – Use of tone, speed, and volume requires

further practice

1 – Ineffective use of tone, speed, and volume

Eye Contact

5 – Uses eye contact to convey emotion and

elicit response

4 – Uses eye contact to gauge audience reaction

and response

3 – Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience

2 – Eye contact with audience needs improvement

1 – Makes little or no eye contact with audience

Gestures

5 – Fully integrates physical gestures with content to

deliver an exemplary speech

4 – Uses physical gestures as a tool to enhance speech

3 – Uses physical gestures effectively

2 – Uses somewhat distracting or limited gestures

1 – Uses very distracting gestures or no gestures

Audience Awareness

5 – Engages audience completely and anticipates

audience needs

4 – Is fully aware of audience engagement/needs

and responds effectively

3 – Demonstrates awareness of audience

engagement and needs

2 – Audience engagement or awareness of audience

requires further practice

1 – Makes little or no attempt to engage audience or

meet audience needs

Comfort Level

5 –

Appears completely self-assured with the audience

4 – Appears fully at ease with the audience

3 – Appears comfortable with the audience

2 – Appears uncomfortable with the audience

1 – Appears highly uncomfortable with the audience

Interest

5 – Fully engages audience with exemplary, well-

constructed content

4 – Engages audience with highly compelling, well-

constructed content

3 – Engages audience with interesting, well-

constructed content

2 – Content is interesting but not well-constructed

or is well-constructed but not interesting

1 –

Content is neither interesting nor well-constructed

Topic

5 – Content is exemplary for both the topic and the

type of social speech

4 – Content fully supports the topic and the type of

social speech

3 – Content fits the topic and the type of social

speech

2 – Content could be improved for the topic and the

type of social speech

1 – Content seems inappropriate for the topic and/

or the type of social speech

DELIVER SOCIAL SPEECHES Page 17

Page 1 of 1

SOCIAL SPEECH BASICS

other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be

used only with permission. Rev. 5/2016 Item 8048

Use the tips below to guide you as you craft your social speeches. For more in-depth guidelines and examples,

research online.

Toast

■

Prepare an opening, body, and conclusion, just as you would with a longer speech.

■ Make sure the mood and language of the speech fit the occasion.

■ Be sensitive to your audience and to the occasion. Avoid embarrassing anyone.

■ Be sincere.

■ Avoid clichés.

■ Use vocal variety.

Acceptance Speech

■

Include the following three components:

■ Gratitude. Thank one or two people who played a major role in your achievement.

■ Recognition. Recognize the organization giving you the award and express your appreciation.

■ Sincerity. Give an honest and unexaggerated expression of gratitude.

■ Remain modest and dignified as you speak. Avoid statements such as, “I really don’t deserve this.” as well as, “I’ve

wanted this for so long!”

Speech in Praise of an Individual or Group

■

Create an opening statement that you are confident you will be able to deliver. If you become emotional when

you practice, consider adjusting the sentence.

■ Relate the meaning of the individual’s life to lives of those in attendance. You can achieve this by:

■ Sharing important stories about the individual’s life

■ Elaborating on one or two specific attributes that best characterize the individual

■ Personalize your speech by talking about the individual’s attributes or accomplishments, such as:

■ The qualities that define his or her legacy

■ The inspiration received or the lessons learned from the individual

■ The individual’s place in history

■ Conclude your speech with a positive statement, anecdote, or quote that fits the occasion and your message.