Develop and present a five-minute extemporaneous talk on the person who has had the greatest

influence on your life. Among the questions that you should plan to answer are the following:

● Who is this person?

● If the person is not a relative, how did you come to know him or her?

● What influence did he or she have in your life?

● Why do you consider this person's influence to be the greatest or most important?

● What particularly funny, touching, or enlightening moments can you recall with this person?

The audience is your classmates and your instructor.

Grading will be done using a standard evaluation sheet, a copy of which is attached.

To prepare, you should first jot down your ideas, then develop an outline to organize your ideas

and help you to recall them during your talk. You might wish to write out the introduction and

conclusion (usually the most difficult parts of a speech), but do not write out the entire talk and

do not read from your notes verbatim during your presentation.

Of special importance is a good and graceful conclusion. Do not simply say, "Well, I guess that's

all ..." and walk back to your seat!

Practice your speech until you can deliver it with good eye contact, good pacing, and good vocal

characteristics. Do not attempt to memorize it but do practice enough so that you do not have to

bury your face in a piece of paper throughout the presentation.