Chapter One

Becoming aPublic Speaker

Chapter One

Table of ContentsThe Many Benefits of Public SpeakingPublic Speaking as a Form of

CommunicationPublic Speaking and the

Communication ProcessLearning 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 StudentAccomplishing Professional and

Personal GoalsExploring 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 ofsought-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 CommunicationSpecial 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

messageNoise

• 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 SkillsRecognize Public Speaking’s

Unique RequirementsAim 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.

Use familiar words and straightforward syntax.

Use a conversational tone along with a formal style.*

Learning to Speak in Public:

Recognize Public Speaking’s Unique Requirements

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.*