SAMPLE DEMONSTRATION SPEECH OUTLINE
STUDENT'S NAME:
Yung-Ming Ou
SPEECH #2
SUBJECT:
Chopsticks
GENERAL PURPOSE:
To inform
SPECIFIC PURPOSE:
To inform the audience about the history of chopsticks,
To inform the audience on the different types of chopsticks,
To inform the audience how to use chopsticks.
CENTRAL IDEA: Chopsticks have been used for centuries and they are easy to use
with practice.
SUPPORTING MATERIALS:
1.
Documented Sources:
a.
"Chopsticks." Diner's Digest. 7 Oct 1998
<http://match.cuisinenet.com/glossary/chopsticks.html>.
b.
"Chopsticks (Hashi)". The Japanese Tutor. 8 Oct 1998
<http://tiger.coe.missouri.edu/~language/Chops/Chopsticks.html>.
c.
Giblin, James Cross. From Hand to Mouth, Or, How We Invented Knives,
Forks, Spoons, and Chopsticks, and the Manners to Go With Them. New
Faux
City: Pseudo, 19??. 1-3.
d.
"Learn 2 Use Chopsticks". Learn2.com. 7 Oct 1998
<http://www.learn2.com/06/0607/0607.html>.
2.
Visual aids: posters and chopsticks
I.
INTRODUCTION
A.
no
Attention-Getting device: Imagine you are invited to a nice Chinese or
Japanese restaurant to have dinner with your good friends. What kinds
of utensils are you going to use when you start to enjoy your meal? A
fork and a knife? Or chopsticks? Do you know some kinds of foods taste
better when you use the right utensil? Chinese and Japanese foods are
exception. They taste better when you eat them with chopsticks.
B.
Preview: In China and Japan, chopsticks play a very important role in the
dining culture. Today, I am going to share with you several topics about chopsticks:
1.
Where did they come from?
2.
How do you use them in the proper way?
3.
How can you practice using them?
II.
BODY
A.
The History of Chopsticks -- We are not sure when chopsticks were first
used but, we do know that they were invented in China where their use
has been traced back at least as far as the 3rd century B.C. The famous
philosopher Confucius, who lived over 200 years earlier, influenced the
development of chopsticks with his nonviolent teaching. According to his
teaching, food should be cut up in slaughterhouses or kitchens, not at the
table. Knives, with their association to war and death, were not to be
brought to the dinner table. Today, chopsticks are used in Japan, Korea,
and Vietnam as well as China, making them the world's second most
popular method of conveying food to mouth.
1.
What chopsticks are made of -- Most chopsticks are made of
bamboo or other wood. But they can be made of plastic or
There is a very special purpose for chopsticks that are
silver. I will talk about this later.
2.
The name of chopsticks
a.
In Chinese, chopsticks are pronounced "Kuai-zi" meaning
"something fast" or "quick one."
b.
In Japanese, chopsticks are called "Hashi." It means
silver.
made of
"bridge."
c.
3.
and tapered to a
facilitate the
part of the
4.
are
The word "chopsticks" as we use it today came from the 19th
century when the Chinese word was translated by trader
into pidgin English. The word "chop" means "fast" -- as in
the phrase "chop chop!"
The Shape of chopsticks -- Chinese chopsticks are squared-off and
blunt at the end. Japanese
chopsticks are rounded
point. It has been suggested that this is in order to
removal of bones from fish which makes up a major
Japanese diet.
Other uses of chopsticks -- Besides being an eating utensil, there
other ways to use chopsticks:
a.
In ancient China, chopsticks were always made of silver in
the royal family. The emperor was very important to the
whole country. To prevent the emperor from being
poisoned, servants would test the food with silver chopsticks
which change color upon contact with certain types of
poisons.
b.
c.
d.
B.
C.
In Taiwan, there is a special kind of folk dance called the
"chopsticks dance" in which dancers would hold a pair of
chopsticks in each hand while they dance. In this situation,
chopsticks are like paint brushes to the painter. They
become a tool for artistic expressions.
In Japan, chopsticks can be treated as decorative objects.
They are usually made of lacquered wood and are
sometimes elaborately painted and personalized for their
owners.
It is said that using chopsticks helps to prevent old people
from becoming demented. There could be wisdom to this
adage since people who always use their fingers tend to
keep their minds sharp.
How to use chopsticks
1.
Hold one stick between your first two fingers and the other stick
between your second and third fingers
2.
Use your thumb as a pivoting point for the upper stick. Then push
down on the lower stick with the area between your thumb's joint
and your thumb's knuckle.
3.
The lower stick should remain stationary and only the upper stick
moves.
4.
You should hold chopsticks at the correct position Holding
chopsticks in the incorrect position will make them difficult to use.
How Do You Practice
1.
Position the chopsticks like in the above mention steps
2.
Time: 3 minutes a day for several days
3.
What you will need:
a.
Some pieces of food
b.
A set of chopsticks -- preferably tapered
4.
Tips:
a.
Practice with salad first
b.
Start with large pieces and decrease the size as your skill
improves
c.
Soon you can even pick up peanuts
5.
chunk of
III.
Like any other skills, repetition is the key to success. Several short
practices over a period of time is more effective than a big
time spent in one day.
Conclusion
A.
Summary -- Today, I have shared with you the history of chopsticks, how
to use them, and how to practice using them.
B.
Concluding Device -- I mentioned in the beginning that food will taste
better if you use the right utensil. Just like you need to use a fork and a
knife when you order steaks at a steak house, you need to use chopsticks
to eat when you go to a Chinese or Japanese restaurant. So practice how
to use them when you have a chance. Next time you are in a
Chinese or
Japanese restaurant, you will appreciate the real taste of
Chinese and
Japanese foods.