The Fundamentals of Public Speaking

The Fundamentals of Public Speaking

Anxiety / NervousnessAnxiety / Nervousness

• Nervousness is normalNervousness is normal

• Survey: Death vs. Public SpeakingSurvey: Death vs. Public Speaking

• This class is “safe”This class is “safe”

• This class is a place to practiceThis class is a place to practice

• Remember, the audience wants you to Remember, the audience wants you to succeed.succeed.

Anxiety / NervousnessAnxiety / Nervousness

• Know your audienceKnow your audience

• Don’t procrastinateDon’t procrastinate

• Pick an appropriate topicPick an appropriate topic

• Prepare & be organizedPrepare & be organized

• InstructorInstructor opens floor for critique (feedback) opens floor for critique (feedback)

• Audience provides critique (feedback)Audience provides critique (feedback)

“A Speech” vs. Conversation“A Speech” vs. Conversation

• Planned• Formal• Roles of audience

and speaker well defined

• Planned• Formal• Roles of audience

and speaker well defined

• Spontaneous• Informal• Roles are fluid

• Spontaneous• Informal• Roles are fluid

Communications ProcessCommunications Process

SenderSender

EncodingEncoding

ReceiverReceiver

DecodingDecoding

StaticStatic

TransmissionTransmission

FilterFilter

Visual Materials

• Visual Aids should support and reinforce your points

• Avoid irrelevant or distracting “eye candy” or gimmicks

Organize Your Speech

Use major divisions:

• Introduction Get attention & focus audience

(joke, story, shocking statistic)

Provide an idea of where the speech is going

Preview structure (sometimes)

Organize Your Speech• Body (Structured with subdivisions)

I. Major Idea

A. Supporting idea or evidence

B. Supporting idea or evidence

II. Major Idea A. Supporting idea or evidence

B. Supporting idea or evidence

• Conclusion Should remind audience of central idea

“Call to action”

Rehearse

• First, in your head

• Then, out loud

• Work out pronunciations and inadvertent tongue twisters

Deliver Your Speech

• Make eye contact

• Audiences will not perceive nervousness as much as you think

• Have water, but not milk, caffeine or carbonated beverages

• Spit out the gum

Memorized Speaking

Advantages: - Can have direct eye contact

- No need for notes

- Can move around freely and gesture

Disadvantages: - Speaker may forget

- May sound overly mechanical or rehearsed

Impromptu Speaking

Advantages: - Can move around freely and gesture

- Spontaneously and authentically delivered

Disadvantages: - May be less organized

- Difficult to cite evidence

Extemporaneous Speaking

Knowing major outlined points, butnot memorizing exact wording

Advantages: - Well organized and researched - Audience sees authentically delivered speech

Disadvantages: - Takes time to prepare - Takes skill to deliver well - Notes are usually needed

Characteristics of Effective Delivery

• Good eye contact• Gestures

- Pointing

- Hands on hip(s)

- “Parade rest”

- “Fig Leaf clutch”• Gesture functions

- Repeating/reinforcing, substituting, contradicting

Characteristics of Effective Delivery

• Movement

- Can eliminate barriers between speaker and audience

- Maintain eye contact while moving

• Posture

Characteristics of Effective Delivery

• Vocal Quality & Delivery

- Pitch

- Volume

- Articulation / Diction

- Examples of poor articulation

“Lemme”

“Dint”

“Seeya”

“Wanna”

“Mornin”

“Whayado?”

“Fogedaboudit”

Characteristics of Effective Delivery

• Pronunciation

“aks”, “Nucular”

• Dialect

po’-lice vs. “po-lice’

um’-brella vs. Um-brell’-a

in’-sur-ance vs. in-sur’-ance

• Rate

• Pauses

Organizing Supporting Details

Central Idea

Main Idea

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Summaries

• Remind the audience of key points• Can reinforce a conclusion• Can lead up to a call-to-action

The Purpose of Introductions

• Get the audiences favorable attention

• To give the audience a reason to listen

• Introduce the subject

• Establish credibility

• Preview your main ideas

Possible Introductions

• Illustrations or anecdotes

• Startling facts or statistics

• Quotations

• Humor

• Questions

• References to historical or recent events

• Personal references

The Purpose of Conclusions

• Summarize the speech

• Restate main ideas

• Provide closure

• Motivate the audience to respond

Conclusion Possibilities

• Reference back to the introduction

• Issue an appeal or challenge

Speaking to Inform

Reading: Chapter 15 Please turn OFF all cell phones

The Goals of Informative Speaking

• To enhance understanding

• To maintain interest

• To be remembered

• To present information objectively

Strategies to Enhance Recall

• Build in Redundancy

• Make your Ideas Short and Simple

• Pace the flow of Information

• Reinforce the Key Ideas