An Introduction to Public Speaking

English 115 Prof. Miguel A. Arce Ramos

Before we begin…

■  In your personal computer download Adobe Reader and aTube Catcher.

■  Find out about online HDD such as Windows Sky Drive, Free Drive, Google Docs, etc.

■  Know about free word processors, presenters and Office like applications such as Google Docs, Open Office,etc.

History

■  Before going into how to make a presentation, we must understand the history of oratory presentations.

■  The art of the oratory was originated in Ancient Greece where it was studied and considered an important skill in public and private life.

History

■  Aristotle discussed this with Quintilian and it was emphasized in education during the Middle and Renaissance Era.

■  In the Greek school of oration , this skill is looked upon to persuade and to obtain influence.

History

■  Oratory presentations are presentations where something is read aloud with specific pauses and with different tones differing on what is important and what is not.

Great Public Speakers

Ghandi

Great Public Speakers Martin Luther

King

Great Public SpeakersAdolph Hitler

Great Public SpeakersSteve Jobs

What things are important when you are doing presentations?■  Body Language/Relaxing

■  Knowing your Materials/Not being overly dependent on your Power Point

■  Not panicking when things don’t go your way

■  Preparation

■  Knowing your audience

Body Language■  Start with eye

contact. ■  Being prepared

■  Having control of your message.

■  Don’t just pass your gaze throughout the room

Body Language

■  Smile!

■  Express emotion with your facial muscles.

■  Avoid distracting mannerisms

Body Language

■  Tell a story ■  Stay true to your personality.

■  Make gestures convincing. ■  Vary your speaking position by moving from one

spot on the stage to another.

Tips when Public Speaking■  Know your material.

–  Pick a topic you are interested in. –  Know more about it than you include in your

speech. –  Use humor, personal stories and

conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.

Tips for Power Point

Don't read!

Make text large

Choose colors that are easy to

read

Use bullet points

Not a lot of animation

Everything easy to read

Tips when Public Speaking

Tips when Public Speaking

■  Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.

■  Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking.

Top Mistakes when Public Speaking■  Starting with a whimper. ■  Attempting to imitate other speakers. ■  Failing to “work” the room. ■  Failing to use relaxation techniques. ■  Reading a speech word for word.

Mistakes■  Using someone else’s stories. ■  Speaking without passion. ■  Failing to prepare. ■  Failing to recognize that speaking is an

acquired skill.

When Things Go Wrong

■  Do: Maintain your dignity.

■  Do: Your best under any circumstances.

■  Do: Keep your sense of humor

■  HAVE A PLAN B!

■  Don’t: Surrender to the situation.

■  Don’t: Continually refer to the problem

■  Don’t: Blow your cool.