What's the best way to outline and take notes for public speaking?

1 Why outline and take notes?

Outlining and taking notes are essential tools for public speaking because they help you structure your speech, clarify your purpose, and support your arguments. Outlining helps you create a logical flow of information, from the introduction to the conclusion, and identify the key points and subpoints of your speech. Taking notes helps you gather and organize relevant facts, examples, statistics, quotes, or stories that can illustrate and back up your points. Outlining and taking notes also help you avoid plagiarism, by crediting your sources and using your own words.

2 How to outline your speech?

When it comes to public speaking, the most common type of outline is the alphanumeric outline, which uses letters and numbers to indicate the levels of hierarchy and indentation. This type of outline is composed of four main parts: the title, introduction, body, and conclusion. Each part is labeled with a roman numeral (I, II, III, IV) followed by a main point in the form of a complete sentence that summarizes the main idea of that section. Main points can have subpoints indicated by capital letters (A, B, C) and each subpoint can have sub-subpoints indicated by arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). All of these should be complete sentences that support or explain the main point. For example: I. Introduction A. Attention getter: Start with a surprising fact, a quote, a question, or a story that relates to your topic and captures the audience's attention. B. Thesis statement: State the main idea and purpose of your speech in one clear and concise sentence. C. Preview: List the main points that you will cover in the body of your speech and how they relate to your thesis statement. II. Body A. Main point 1: State the first main point of your speech and explain why it is important or relevant to your thesis statement. 1. Subpoint 1: Provide a fact, an example, a statistic, a quote, or a story that supports or illustrates your main point 1. 2. Subpoint 2: Provide another fact, an example, a statistic, a quote, or a story that supports or illustrates your main point 1. B. Main point 2: State the second main point of your speech and explain why it is important or relevant to your thesis statement. 1. Subpoint 1: Provide a fact, an example, a statistic, a quote, or a story that supports or illustrates your main point 2. 2. Subpoint 2: Provide another fact, an example, a statistic, a quote, or a story that supports or illustrates your main point 2. C. Main point 3: State the third main point of your speech and explain why it is important or relevant to your thesis statement. 1. Subpoint 1: Provide a fact, an example, a statistic, a quote, or a story that supports or illustrates your main point 3. 2. Subpoint 2: Provide another fact, an example, a statistic

3 How to take notes for your speech?

When taking notes for your speech, it is important to remember that you don't need to write down everything you want to say. Instead, focus on keywords, phrases, or abbreviations that can help you remember your outline, main points, and supporting details. Utilize symbols, colors, or highlights to emphasize important points or transitions. Use bullet points, numbers, or letters to organize your notes according to your outline. For writing or typing your notes, use index cards, a notepad, or a tablet. Avoid using large sheets of paper that can be noisy or messy. Make sure the font size is large and handwriting is clear with adequate spacing for easy readability and scanning. Additionally, include citations, references, or sources to credit your information and avoid plagiarism. Finally, use cues, prompts, or reminders to signal yourself when to pause, look at the audience, change your tone, or use a visual aid.

4 How to use your outline and notes during your speech?

Creating and using effective outlines and notes can be a valuable asset for public speaking. Before your speech, review your outline and notes to make sure you are familiar with the content and structure. Place your outline and notes in a convenient location, such as a lectern, table, chair, or stand. When delivering your speech, use your outline and notes sparingly and discreetly, glancing at them occasionally to refresh your memory or check a fact. Remain confident and professional when using them; don't apologize or make excuses for needing to look at them. With these tips in mind, you can become a more confident and competent speaker.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?