{"id":96,"date":"2015-08-13T21:15:57","date_gmt":"2015-08-13T21:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/standupspeakoutxmaster\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=96"},"modified":"2015-08-13T21:23:37","modified_gmt":"2015-08-13T21:23:37","slug":"11-2-steps-of-a-conclusion","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/chapter\/11-2-steps-of-a-conclusion\/","title":{"raw":"Steps of a Conclusion","rendered":"Steps of a Conclusion"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist\">\r\n\t<li>Examine the three steps of an effective conclusion: restatement of the thesis, review of the main points, and concluding device.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Differentiate among Miller\u2019s (1946) ten concluding devices.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn Section 11.1 \"Why Conclusions Matter\", we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech. In this section, we\u2019re going to examine the three steps in building an effective conclusion.\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Restatement of the Thesis<\/h2>\r\nRestating a thesis statement is the first step in a powerful conclusion. As we explained in Chapter 9 \"Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively\", a thesis statement is a short, declarative sentence that states the purpose, intent, or main idea of a speech. When we restate the thesis statement at the conclusion of our speech, we\u2019re attempting to reemphasize what the overarching main idea of the speech has been. Suppose your thesis statement was, \u201cI will analyze Barack Obama\u2019s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, \u2018A World That Stands as One.\u2019\u201d You could restate the thesis in this fashion at the conclusion of your speech: \u201cIn the past few minutes, I have analyzed Barack Obama\u2019s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, \u2018A World That Stands as One.\u2019\u201d Notice the shift in tense: the statement has gone from the future tense (this is what I will speak about) to the past tense (this is what I have spoken about). Restating the thesis in your conclusion reminds the audience of the major purpose or goal of your speech, helping them remember it better.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Review of Main Points<\/h2>\r\nAfter restating the speech\u2019s thesis, the second step in a powerful conclusion is to review the main points from your speech. One of the biggest differences between written and oral communication is the necessity of repetition in oral communication. When we preview our main points in the introduction, effectively discuss and make transitions to our main points during the body of the speech, and finally, review the main points in the conclusion, we increase the likelihood that the audience will retain our main points after the speech is over.\r\n\r\nIn the introduction of a speech, we deliver a <em class=\"im_emphasis\">preview<\/em> of our main body points, and in the conclusion we deliver a <em class=\"im_emphasis\">review<\/em>. Let\u2019s look at a sample preview:\r\n<blockquote>In order to understand the field of gender and communication, I will first differentiate between the terms biological sex and gender. I will then explain the history of gender research in communication. Lastly, I will examine a series of important findings related to gender and communication.<\/blockquote>\r\nIn this preview, we have three clear main points. Let\u2019s see how we can review them at the conclusion of our speech:\r\n<blockquote>Today, we have differentiated between the terms biological sex and gender, examined the history of gender research in communication, and analyzed a series of research findings on the topic.<\/blockquote>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<blockquote>In the past few minutes, I have explained the difference between the terms \u201cbiological sex\u201d and \u201cgender,\u201d discussed the rise of gender research in the field of communication, and examined a series of groundbreaking studies in the field.<\/blockquote>\r\nNotice that both of these conclusions review the main points originally set forth. Both variations are equally effective reviews of the main points, but you might like the linguistic turn of one over the other. Remember, while there is a lot of science to help us understand public speaking, there\u2019s also a lot of art as well, so you are always encouraged to choose the wording that you think will be most effective for your audience.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Concluding Device<\/h2>\r\nThe final part of a powerful conclusion is the concluding device. A <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">concluding device<\/span><\/span> is essentially the final thought you want your audience members to have when you stop speaking. It also provides a definitive sense of closure to your speech. One of the authors of this text often makes an analogy between a gymnastics dismount and the concluding device in a speech. Just as a gymnast dismounting the parallel bars or balance beam wants to stick the landing and avoid taking two or three steps, a speaker wants to \u201cstick\u201d the ending of the presentation by ending with a concluding device instead of with, \u201cWell, umm, I guess I\u2019m done.\u201d Miller observed that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices when ending a speech.<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_003\" class=\"im_footnote\">[footnote]Miller, E. (1946). Speech introductions and conclusions. <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Quarterly Journal of Speech, 32<\/em>, 181\u2013183.[\/footnote]<\/span> The rest of this section is going to examine these ten concluding devices.\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Challenge<\/h2>\r\nThe first way that Miller found that some speakers end their speeches is with a challenge. A <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">challenge<\/span><\/span> is a call to engage in some kind of activity that requires a contest or special effort. In a speech on the necessity of fund-raising, a speaker could conclude by challenging the audience to raise 10 percent more than their original projections. In a speech on eating more vegetables, you could challenge your audience to increase their current intake of vegetables by two portions daily. In both of these challenges, audience members are being asked to go out of their way to do something different that involves effort on their part.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Quotation<\/h2>\r\nA second way you can conclude a speech is by reciting a quotation relevant to the speech topic. When using a quotation, you need to think about whether your goal is to end on a persuasive note or an informative note. Some quotations will have a clear call to action, while other quotations summarize or provoke thought. For example, let\u2019s say you are delivering an informative speech about dissident writers in the former Soviet Union. You could end by citing this quotation from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: \u201cA great writer is, so to speak, a second government in his country. And for that reason no regime has ever loved great writers.\u201d<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_004\" class=\"im_footnote\">[footnote]Solzhenitsyn, A. (1964). <em class=\"im_emphasis\">The first circle.<\/em> New York: Harper &amp; Row. Cited in Bartlett, J., &amp; Kaplan, J. (Eds.), <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Bartlett\u2019s familiar quotations<\/em> (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown &amp; Co., p. 746.[\/footnote]<\/span> Notice that this quotation underscores the idea of writers as dissidents, but it doesn\u2019t ask listeners to put forth effort to engage in any specific thought process or behavior. If, on the other hand, you were delivering a persuasive speech urging your audience to participate in a very risky political demonstration, you might use this quotation from Martin Luther King Jr.: \u201cIf a man hasn\u2019t discovered something that he will die for, he isn\u2019t fit to live.\u201d<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_005\" class=\"im_footnote\">[footnote]King, M. L. (1963, June 23). Speech in Detroit. Cited in Bartlett, J., &amp; Kaplan, J. (Eds.), <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Bartlett\u2019s familiar quotations<\/em> (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown &amp; Co., p. 760.[\/footnote]<\/span> In this case, the quotation leaves the audience with the message that great risks are worth taking, that they make our lives worthwhile, and that the right thing to do is to go ahead and take that great risk.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Summary<\/h2>\r\nWhen a speaker ends with a summary, he or she is simply elongating the review of the main points. While this may not be the most exciting concluding device, it can be useful for information that was highly technical or complex or for speeches lasting longer than thirty minutes. Typically, for short speeches (like those in your class), this summary device should be avoided.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude by Visualizing the Future<\/h2>\r\nThe purpose of a conclusion that refers to the future is to help your audience imagine the future you believe can occur. If you are giving a speech on the development of video games for learning, you could conclude by depicting the classroom of the future where video games are perceived as true learning tools and how those tools could be utilized. More often, speakers use visualization of the future to depict how society would be, or how individual listeners\u2019 lives would be different, if the speaker\u2019s persuasive attempt worked. For example, if a speaker proposes that a solution to illiteracy is hiring more reading specialists in public schools, the speaker could ask her or his audience to imagine a world without illiteracy. In this use of visualization, the goal is to persuade people to adopt the speaker\u2019s point of view. By showing that the speaker\u2019s vision of the future is a positive one, the conclusion should help to persuade the audience to help create this future.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s05\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with an Appeal for Action<\/h2>\r\nProbably the most common persuasive concluding device is the appeal for action or the call to action. In essence, the <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">appeal for action<\/span><\/span> occurs when a speaker asks her or his audience to engage in a specific behavior or change in thinking. When a speaker concludes by asking the audience \u201cto do\u201d or \u201cto think\u201d in a specific manner, the speaker wants to see an actual change. Whether the speaker appeals for people to eat more fruit, buy a car, vote for a candidate, oppose the death penalty, or sing more in the shower, the speaker is asking the audience to engage in action.\r\n\r\nOne specific type of appeal for action is the <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">immediate call to action<\/span><\/span>. Whereas some appeals ask for people to engage in behavior in the future, the immediate call to action asks people to engage in behavior right now. If a speaker wants to see a new traffic light placed at a dangerous intersection, he or she may conclude by asking all the audience members to sign a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.petitiononline.com\">digital petition<\/a> right then and there, using a computer the speaker has made available. Here are some more examples of immediate calls to action:\r\n<ul id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s05_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>In a speech on eating more vegetables, pass out raw veggies and dip at the conclusion of the speech.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In a speech on petitioning a lawmaker for a new law, provide audience members with a prewritten e-mail they can send to the lawmaker.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In a speech on the importance of using hand sanitizer, hand out little bottles of hand sanitizer and show audience members how to correctly apply the sanitizer.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In a speech asking for donations for a charity, send a box around the room asking for donations.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThese are just a handful of different examples we\u2019ve actually seen students use in our classrooms to elicit an immediate change in behavior. These immediate calls to action may not lead to long-term change, but they can be very effective at increasing the likelihood that an audience will change behavior in the short term.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s06\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude by Inspiration<\/h2>\r\nBy definition, the word <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">inspire<\/span><\/span> means to affect or arouse someone. Both affect and arouse have strong emotional connotations. The ultimate goal of an inspiration concluding device is similar to an \u201cappeal for action\u201d but the ultimate goal is more lofty or ambiguous; the goal is to stir someone\u2019s emotions in a specific manner. Maybe a speaker is giving an informative speech on the prevalence of domestic violence in our society today. That speaker could end the speech by reading Paulette Kelly\u2019s powerful poem \u201cI Got Flowers Today.\u201d \u201cI Got Flowers Today\u201d is a poem that evokes strong emotions because it\u2019s about an abuse victim who received flowers from her abuser every time she was victimized. The poem ends by saying, \u201cI got flowers today\u2026 \/ Today was a special day\u2014it was the day of my funeral \/ Last night he killed me.\u201d<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_006\" class=\"im_footnote\">[footnote]Kelly, P. (1994). I got flowers today. In C. J. Palmer &amp; J. Palmer, <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Fire from within<\/em>. Painted Post, NY: Creative Arts &amp; Science Enterprises.[\/footnote]<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s07\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with Advice<\/h2>\r\nThe next concluding device is one that should be used primarily by speakers who are recognized as expert authorities on a given subject. <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">Advice<\/span><\/span> is essentially a speaker\u2019s opinion about what should or should not be done. The problem with opinions is that everyone has one, and one person\u2019s opinion is not necessarily any more correct than another\u2019s. There needs to be a really good reason your opinion\u2014and therefore your advice\u2014should matter to your audience. If, for example, you are an expert in nuclear physics, you might conclude a speech on energy by giving advice about the benefits of nuclear energy.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s08\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude by Proposing a Solution<\/h2>\r\nAnother way a speaker can conclude a speech powerfully is to offer a solution to the problem discussed within a speech. For example, perhaps a speaker has been discussing the problems associated with the disappearance of art education in the United States. The speaker could then propose a solution of creating more community-based art experiences for school children as a way to fill this gap. Although this can be an effective conclusion, a speaker must ask herself or himself whether the solution should be discussed in more depth as a stand-alone main point within the body of the speech so that audience concerns about the proposed solution may be addressed.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s09\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Question<\/h2>\r\nAnother way you can end a speech is to ask a rhetorical question that forces the audience to ponder an idea. Maybe you are giving a speech on the importance of the environment, so you end the speech by saying, \u201cThink about your children\u2019s future. What kind of world do you want them raised in? A world that is clean, vibrant, and beautiful\u2014or one that is filled with smog, pollution, filth, and disease?\u201d Notice that you aren\u2019t actually asking the audience to verbally or nonverbally answer the question; the goal of this question is to force the audience into thinking about what kind of world they want for their children.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s10\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Reference to Audience<\/h2>\r\nThe last concluding device discussed by Miller (1946) was a reference to one\u2019s audience. This concluding device is when a speaker attempts to answer the basic audience question, \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d The goal of this concluding device is to spell out the direct benefits a behavior or thought change has for audience members. For example, a speaker talking about stress reduction techniques could conclude by clearly listing all the physical health benefits stress reduction offers (e.g., improved reflexes, improved immune system, improved hearing, reduction in blood pressure). In this case, the speaker is clearly spelling out why audience members should care\u2014what\u2019s in it for them!\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Informative versus Persuasive Conclusions<\/h2>\r\nAs you read through the ten possible ways to conclude a speech, hopefully you noticed that some of the methods are more appropriate for persuasive speeches and others are more appropriate for informative speeches. To help you choose appropriate conclusions for informative, persuasive, or entertaining speeches, we\u2019ve created a table (Table 1 \"Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices\") to help you quickly identify appropriate concluding devices.\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s04_t01\" class=\"im_table im_block\">\r\n\r\n<span class=\"im_title-prefix\">Table 1.<\/span> Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices\r\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th rowspan=\"2\">Types of Concluding Devices<\/th>\r\n<th colspan=\"3\">General Purposes of Speeches<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><em class=\"im_emphasis\">Informative<\/em><\/td>\r\n<td><em class=\"im_emphasis\">Persuasive<\/em><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Challenge<\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Quotation<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Summary<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Visualizing the Future<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Appeal<\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Inspirational<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Advice<\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Proposal of Solution<\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Question<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Reference to Audience<\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<td>x<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\r\n<h3>Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>An effective conclusion contains three basic parts: a restatement of the speech\u2019s thesis; a review of the main points discussed within the speech; and a concluding device that helps create a lasting image in audiences\u2019 minds.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Miller (1946) found that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices. All of these devices are not appropriate for all speeches, so speakers need to determine which concluding device would have the strongest, most powerful effect for a given audience, purpose, and occasion.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3>Exercises<\/h3>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Take the last speech you gave in class and rework the speech\u2019s conclusion to reflect the three parts of a conclusion. Now do the same thing with the speech you are currently working on for class.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Think about the speech you are currently working on in class. Write out concluding statements using three of the devices discussed in this chapter. Which of the devices would be most useful for your speech? Why?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","rendered":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist\">\n<li>Examine the three steps of an effective conclusion: restatement of the thesis, review of the main points, and concluding device.<\/li>\n<li>Differentiate among Miller\u2019s (1946) ten concluding devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>In Section 11.1 &#8220;Why Conclusions Matter&#8221;, we discussed the importance a conclusion has on a speech. In this section, we\u2019re going to examine the three steps in building an effective conclusion.<\/p>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Restatement of the Thesis<\/h2>\n<p>Restating a thesis statement is the first step in a powerful conclusion. As we explained in Chapter 9 &#8220;Introductions Matter: How to Begin a Speech Effectively&#8221;, a thesis statement is a short, declarative sentence that states the purpose, intent, or main idea of a speech. When we restate the thesis statement at the conclusion of our speech, we\u2019re attempting to reemphasize what the overarching main idea of the speech has been. Suppose your thesis statement was, \u201cI will analyze Barack Obama\u2019s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, \u2018A World That Stands as One.\u2019\u201d You could restate the thesis in this fashion at the conclusion of your speech: \u201cIn the past few minutes, I have analyzed Barack Obama\u2019s use of lyricism in his July 2008 speech, \u2018A World That Stands as One.\u2019\u201d Notice the shift in tense: the statement has gone from the future tense (this is what I will speak about) to the past tense (this is what I have spoken about). Restating the thesis in your conclusion reminds the audience of the major purpose or goal of your speech, helping them remember it better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Review of Main Points<\/h2>\n<p>After restating the speech\u2019s thesis, the second step in a powerful conclusion is to review the main points from your speech. One of the biggest differences between written and oral communication is the necessity of repetition in oral communication. When we preview our main points in the introduction, effectively discuss and make transitions to our main points during the body of the speech, and finally, review the main points in the conclusion, we increase the likelihood that the audience will retain our main points after the speech is over.<\/p>\n<p>In the introduction of a speech, we deliver a <em class=\"im_emphasis\">preview<\/em> of our main body points, and in the conclusion we deliver a <em class=\"im_emphasis\">review<\/em>. Let\u2019s look at a sample preview:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>In order to understand the field of gender and communication, I will first differentiate between the terms biological sex and gender. I will then explain the history of gender research in communication. Lastly, I will examine a series of important findings related to gender and communication.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In this preview, we have three clear main points. Let\u2019s see how we can review them at the conclusion of our speech:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Today, we have differentiated between the terms biological sex and gender, examined the history of gender research in communication, and analyzed a series of research findings on the topic.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>In the past few minutes, I have explained the difference between the terms \u201cbiological sex\u201d and \u201cgender,\u201d discussed the rise of gender research in the field of communication, and examined a series of groundbreaking studies in the field.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Notice that both of these conclusions review the main points originally set forth. Both variations are equally effective reviews of the main points, but you might like the linguistic turn of one over the other. Remember, while there is a lot of science to help us understand public speaking, there\u2019s also a lot of art as well, so you are always encouraged to choose the wording that you think will be most effective for your audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Concluding Device<\/h2>\n<p>The final part of a powerful conclusion is the concluding device. A <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">concluding device<\/span><\/span> is essentially the final thought you want your audience members to have when you stop speaking. It also provides a definitive sense of closure to your speech. One of the authors of this text often makes an analogy between a gymnastics dismount and the concluding device in a speech. Just as a gymnast dismounting the parallel bars or balance beam wants to stick the landing and avoid taking two or three steps, a speaker wants to \u201cstick\u201d the ending of the presentation by ending with a concluding device instead of with, \u201cWell, umm, I guess I\u2019m done.\u201d Miller observed that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices when ending a speech.<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_003\" class=\"im_footnote\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Miller, E. (1946). Speech introductions and conclusions. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 32, 181\u2013183.\" id=\"return-footnote-96-1\" href=\"#footnote-96-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/span> The rest of this section is going to examine these ten concluding devices.<\/p>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Challenge<\/h2>\n<p>The first way that Miller found that some speakers end their speeches is with a challenge. A <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">challenge<\/span><\/span> is a call to engage in some kind of activity that requires a contest or special effort. In a speech on the necessity of fund-raising, a speaker could conclude by challenging the audience to raise 10 percent more than their original projections. In a speech on eating more vegetables, you could challenge your audience to increase their current intake of vegetables by two portions daily. In both of these challenges, audience members are being asked to go out of their way to do something different that involves effort on their part.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Quotation<\/h2>\n<p>A second way you can conclude a speech is by reciting a quotation relevant to the speech topic. When using a quotation, you need to think about whether your goal is to end on a persuasive note or an informative note. Some quotations will have a clear call to action, while other quotations summarize or provoke thought. For example, let\u2019s say you are delivering an informative speech about dissident writers in the former Soviet Union. You could end by citing this quotation from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: \u201cA great writer is, so to speak, a second government in his country. And for that reason no regime has ever loved great writers.\u201d<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_004\" class=\"im_footnote\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Solzhenitsyn, A. (1964). The first circle. New York: Harper &amp; Row. Cited in Bartlett, J., &amp; Kaplan, J. (Eds.), Bartlett\u2019s familiar quotations (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown &amp; Co., p. 746.\" id=\"return-footnote-96-2\" href=\"#footnote-96-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Notice that this quotation underscores the idea of writers as dissidents, but it doesn\u2019t ask listeners to put forth effort to engage in any specific thought process or behavior. If, on the other hand, you were delivering a persuasive speech urging your audience to participate in a very risky political demonstration, you might use this quotation from Martin Luther King Jr.: \u201cIf a man hasn\u2019t discovered something that he will die for, he isn\u2019t fit to live.\u201d<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_005\" class=\"im_footnote\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"King, M. L. (1963, June 23). Speech in Detroit. Cited in Bartlett, J., &amp; Kaplan, J. (Eds.), Bartlett\u2019s familiar quotations (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown &amp; Co., p. 760.\" id=\"return-footnote-96-3\" href=\"#footnote-96-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/span> In this case, the quotation leaves the audience with the message that great risks are worth taking, that they make our lives worthwhile, and that the right thing to do is to go ahead and take that great risk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Summary<\/h2>\n<p>When a speaker ends with a summary, he or she is simply elongating the review of the main points. While this may not be the most exciting concluding device, it can be useful for information that was highly technical or complex or for speeches lasting longer than thirty minutes. Typically, for short speeches (like those in your class), this summary device should be avoided.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude by Visualizing the Future<\/h2>\n<p>The purpose of a conclusion that refers to the future is to help your audience imagine the future you believe can occur. If you are giving a speech on the development of video games for learning, you could conclude by depicting the classroom of the future where video games are perceived as true learning tools and how those tools could be utilized. More often, speakers use visualization of the future to depict how society would be, or how individual listeners\u2019 lives would be different, if the speaker\u2019s persuasive attempt worked. For example, if a speaker proposes that a solution to illiteracy is hiring more reading specialists in public schools, the speaker could ask her or his audience to imagine a world without illiteracy. In this use of visualization, the goal is to persuade people to adopt the speaker\u2019s point of view. By showing that the speaker\u2019s vision of the future is a positive one, the conclusion should help to persuade the audience to help create this future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s05\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with an Appeal for Action<\/h2>\n<p>Probably the most common persuasive concluding device is the appeal for action or the call to action. In essence, the <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">appeal for action<\/span><\/span> occurs when a speaker asks her or his audience to engage in a specific behavior or change in thinking. When a speaker concludes by asking the audience \u201cto do\u201d or \u201cto think\u201d in a specific manner, the speaker wants to see an actual change. Whether the speaker appeals for people to eat more fruit, buy a car, vote for a candidate, oppose the death penalty, or sing more in the shower, the speaker is asking the audience to engage in action.<\/p>\n<p>One specific type of appeal for action is the <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">immediate call to action<\/span><\/span>. Whereas some appeals ask for people to engage in behavior in the future, the immediate call to action asks people to engage in behavior right now. If a speaker wants to see a new traffic light placed at a dangerous intersection, he or she may conclude by asking all the audience members to sign a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.petitiononline.com\">digital petition<\/a> right then and there, using a computer the speaker has made available. Here are some more examples of immediate calls to action:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s05_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>In a speech on eating more vegetables, pass out raw veggies and dip at the conclusion of the speech.<\/li>\n<li>In a speech on petitioning a lawmaker for a new law, provide audience members with a prewritten e-mail they can send to the lawmaker.<\/li>\n<li>In a speech on the importance of using hand sanitizer, hand out little bottles of hand sanitizer and show audience members how to correctly apply the sanitizer.<\/li>\n<li>In a speech asking for donations for a charity, send a box around the room asking for donations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are just a handful of different examples we\u2019ve actually seen students use in our classrooms to elicit an immediate change in behavior. These immediate calls to action may not lead to long-term change, but they can be very effective at increasing the likelihood that an audience will change behavior in the short term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s06\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude by Inspiration<\/h2>\n<p>By definition, the word <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">inspire<\/span><\/span> means to affect or arouse someone. Both affect and arouse have strong emotional connotations. The ultimate goal of an inspiration concluding device is similar to an \u201cappeal for action\u201d but the ultimate goal is more lofty or ambiguous; the goal is to stir someone\u2019s emotions in a specific manner. Maybe a speaker is giving an informative speech on the prevalence of domestic violence in our society today. That speaker could end the speech by reading Paulette Kelly\u2019s powerful poem \u201cI Got Flowers Today.\u201d \u201cI Got Flowers Today\u201d is a poem that evokes strong emotions because it\u2019s about an abuse victim who received flowers from her abuser every time she was victimized. The poem ends by saying, \u201cI got flowers today\u2026 \/ Today was a special day\u2014it was the day of my funeral \/ Last night he killed me.\u201d<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn11_006\" class=\"im_footnote\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Kelly, P. (1994). I got flowers today. In C. J. Palmer &amp; J. Palmer, Fire from within. Painted Post, NY: Creative Arts &amp; Science Enterprises.\" id=\"return-footnote-96-4\" href=\"#footnote-96-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s07\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with Advice<\/h2>\n<p>The next concluding device is one that should be used primarily by speakers who are recognized as expert authorities on a given subject. <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">Advice<\/span><\/span> is essentially a speaker\u2019s opinion about what should or should not be done. The problem with opinions is that everyone has one, and one person\u2019s opinion is not necessarily any more correct than another\u2019s. There needs to be a really good reason your opinion\u2014and therefore your advice\u2014should matter to your audience. If, for example, you are an expert in nuclear physics, you might conclude a speech on energy by giving advice about the benefits of nuclear energy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s08\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude by Proposing a Solution<\/h2>\n<p>Another way a speaker can conclude a speech powerfully is to offer a solution to the problem discussed within a speech. For example, perhaps a speaker has been discussing the problems associated with the disappearance of art education in the United States. The speaker could then propose a solution of creating more community-based art experiences for school children as a way to fill this gap. Although this can be an effective conclusion, a speaker must ask herself or himself whether the solution should be discussed in more depth as a stand-alone main point within the body of the speech so that audience concerns about the proposed solution may be addressed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s09\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Question<\/h2>\n<p>Another way you can end a speech is to ask a rhetorical question that forces the audience to ponder an idea. Maybe you are giving a speech on the importance of the environment, so you end the speech by saying, \u201cThink about your children\u2019s future. What kind of world do you want them raised in? A world that is clean, vibrant, and beautiful\u2014or one that is filled with smog, pollution, filth, and disease?\u201d Notice that you aren\u2019t actually asking the audience to verbally or nonverbally answer the question; the goal of this question is to force the audience into thinking about what kind of world they want for their children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s03_s10\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Conclude with a Reference to Audience<\/h2>\n<p>The last concluding device discussed by Miller (1946) was a reference to one\u2019s audience. This concluding device is when a speaker attempts to answer the basic audience question, \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d The goal of this concluding device is to spell out the direct benefits a behavior or thought change has for audience members. For example, a speaker talking about stress reduction techniques could conclude by clearly listing all the physical health benefits stress reduction offers (e.g., improved reflexes, improved immune system, improved hearing, reduction in blood pressure). In this case, the speaker is clearly spelling out why audience members should care\u2014what\u2019s in it for them!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Informative versus Persuasive Conclusions<\/h2>\n<p>As you read through the ten possible ways to conclude a speech, hopefully you noticed that some of the methods are more appropriate for persuasive speeches and others are more appropriate for informative speeches. To help you choose appropriate conclusions for informative, persuasive, or entertaining speeches, we\u2019ve created a table (Table 1 &#8220;Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices&#8221;) to help you quickly identify appropriate concluding devices.<\/p>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch11_s02_s04_t01\" class=\"im_table im_block\">\n<p><span class=\"im_title-prefix\">Table 1.<\/span> Your Speech Purpose and Concluding Devices<\/p>\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"border-spacing: 0px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th rowspan=\"2\">Types of Concluding Devices<\/th>\n<th colspan=\"3\">General Purposes of Speeches<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><em class=\"im_emphasis\">Informative<\/em><\/td>\n<td><em class=\"im_emphasis\">Persuasive<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Challenge<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Quotation<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Summary<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Visualizing the Future<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Appeal<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Inspirational<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Advice<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Proposal of Solution<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Question<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Reference to Audience<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<td>x<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\n<h3>Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>An effective conclusion contains three basic parts: a restatement of the speech\u2019s thesis; a review of the main points discussed within the speech; and a concluding device that helps create a lasting image in audiences\u2019 minds.<\/li>\n<li>Miller (1946) found that speakers tend to use one of ten concluding devices. All of these devices are not appropriate for all speeches, so speakers need to determine which concluding device would have the strongest, most powerful effect for a given audience, purpose, and occasion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3>Exercises<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Take the last speech you gave in class and rework the speech\u2019s conclusion to reflect the three parts of a conclusion. Now do the same thing with the speech you are currently working on for class.<\/li>\n<li>Think about the speech you are currently working on in class. Write out concluding statements using three of the devices discussed in this chapter. Which of the devices would be most useful for your speech? Why?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-96\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Public Speaking: Practice and Ethics. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Anonymous. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Anonymous. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics\/\">http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-96-1\">Miller, E. (1946). Speech introductions and conclusions. <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Quarterly Journal of Speech, 32<\/em>, 181\u2013183. <a href=\"#return-footnote-96-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-96-2\">Solzhenitsyn, A. (1964). <em class=\"im_emphasis\">The first circle.<\/em> New York: Harper &amp; Row. Cited in Bartlett, J., &amp; Kaplan, J. (Eds.), <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Bartlett\u2019s familiar quotations<\/em> (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown &amp; Co., p. 746. <a href=\"#return-footnote-96-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-96-3\">King, M. L. (1963, June 23). Speech in Detroit. Cited in Bartlett, J., &amp; Kaplan, J. (Eds.), <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Bartlett\u2019s familiar quotations<\/em> (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Little, Brown &amp; Co., p. 760. <a href=\"#return-footnote-96-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-96-4\">Kelly, P. (1994). I got flowers today. In C. J. Palmer &amp; J. Palmer, <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Fire from within<\/em>. Painted Post, NY: Creative Arts &amp; Science Enterprises. <a href=\"#return-footnote-96-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Public Speaking: Practice and Ethics\",\"author\":\"Anonymous\",\"organization\":\"Anonymous\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-96","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":93,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/96","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/96\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":437,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/96\/revisions\/437"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/93"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/96\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=96"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=96"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-ccc-spch-1080-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=96"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}