Chapter One

Becoming a Public Speaker

Chapter One

Table of Contents

 The Many Benefits of Public Speaking  Public Speaking as a Form of Communication  Public Speaking and the Communication Process  Learning to Speak in Public*

The Many Benefits of Public Speaking

 Becoming a More Knowledgeable Person  Honing Critical Thinking and Listening Skills  Enhancing Your Career as a Student  Accomplishing Professional and Personal Goals  Exploring and Sharing Values*

The Many Benefits of Public Speaking:

Becoming a More Knowledgeable Person

 By studying public speaking you will learn about the craft itself and be exposed to a wide range of speech situations you are likely to experience in life.  Grappling with the challenge of explaining things to others will make you possess a greater understanding of the topics you choose to talk about.*

The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Honing Critical Thinking and Listening Skills

 Public speaking training sharpens your ability to reason or think critically.

 You learn to make claims and then present evidence and reasoning that logically support them.

 Also, listening skills are improved, which enables you to separate fact from falsehood.*

The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Enhancing Your Career as a Student

 Preparing speeches involves numerous skills that you can use in other courses:  Research  Oral presentation  Basic communication  Creative thinking*

The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Accomplishing Professional and Personal Goals

 Professional Goals:  People at work use public speaking to convey information, to persuade and motivate others, and even to celebrate their special skills.

 Skill in public speaking tops the list of sought-after skills by many organizations.

 Personal Goals  Public speaking offers a way to communicate your personal concerns to others.*

The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Exploring and Sharing Values

 Public speaking enables you to express values and explore those of others in a civil dialogue, regardless of whether or not the audience shares your viewpoint.*

Public Speaking as a Form of Communication



Dyadic communication

 A form of communication between two people 

Small group communication

 Involves a small number of people who can see and speak directly with each other 

Mass communication

 Occurs between a speaker and a large audience of unknown people 

Public speaking

 A speaker delivers a message with a specific purpose to an audience of people who are present during the delivery*

Public Speaking as a Form of Communication

 Similarities between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication  Differences between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication*

Public Speaking as a Form of Communication: Similarities between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication

 Like small group communication, public speaking requires you to clearly address issues that are relevant to the topic and occasion.

 Like mass communication, you have to appeal to a listener’s interest, attitudes, and values.

 Like in conversations, you have to attempt to make yourself understood, involve and respond to the listeners, and take responsibility for what you say.*

Public Speaking as a Form of Communication: Differences between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication

 Feedback in public speaking is more restrictive.

 Preparation must be careful and extensive.

 The degree of formality tends to be higher.*

Public Speaking and the Communication Process

 Communication is an interactive process in which people exchange and interpret messages with one another.*

Public Speaking and the Communication Process

 Elements of Communication  Special Speaker Considerations: Speech Context, Goals, and Outcome*

Public Speaking and the Communication Process:

Elements of Communication



Source

 Person who creates a message 

Encoding

• Physical process of delivering a message 

Receiver

 Recipient of the source’s message 

Decoding

• The process of interpreting the speaker’s message 

Message

 Content of the communication process; thoughts and ideas*

Public Speaking and the Communication Process:

Elements of Communication



Channel

 The medium through which the speaker sends a message 

Noise

• The interference that serves as a barrier to communication 

Audience Perspective

 The needs, attitudes, and values of your audience*

Public Speaking and the Communication Process: Elements of Communication



Shared Meaning

 Mutual understanding of a message between speaker and audience*

Public Speaking and the Communication Process:

Special Speaker Considerations

 Critical Factors to ensure your speech message is effective:  Keeping in mind the specific context.

 Speech context is anything that influences the speaker, the audience, the speech, the occasion, or the situation.

 Maintaining a clear focus on your goal.

 Making sure afterward that you have accomplished the goal you set out to reach.*

Learning to Speak in Public

 Draw on Familiar Skills  Recognize Public Speaking’s Unique Requirements  Aim to Become a Culturally Sensitive Speaker*

Learning to Speak in Public

 Public speaking is an acquired skill. People who fear it, as well as those with a natural proclivity to it, have to devote time and effort to improvement.*

Learning to Speak in Public:

Draw on Familiar Skills

 There are many skills to public speaking that you have used unknowingly throughout your life, in conversation and writing.*

Learning to Speak in Public:

Draw on Familiar Skills

 Although public speaking requires more thought and effort than ordinary conversations, the two have the same principles.  For example:  Checking to make certain of understanding and adjusting accordingly.

 Discussing things that are appropriate for specific circumstances.

 Trying to ascertain the interests and attitudes of your listener.*

Learning to Speak in Public:

Draw on Familiar Skills

 Writing and public speaking also have many similarities.  Like:  Depending on having a focused sense of who the audience is.

 Often requiring research and documentation.

 Using effective transitions to signal the logical flow of ideas.

 Relying on persuasion tactics.

Learning to Speak in Public: Recognize Public Speaking’s Unique Requirements

 Use familiar words and straightforward syntax.

 Use a conversational tone along with a formal style.*

Learning to Speak in Public: Aim to Become a Culturally Sensitive Speaker

 Every audience member wants to feel that the speaker has his or her particular needs and interests at heart.

 To reach everyone, create a sense of inclusion. You can accomplish this by assuming cultural differences and addressing them with interest and respect.*