THE ART OF PUBLIC

SPEAKING

is the process and act of speaking or giving a lecture to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain a listening audience. Public speaking is commonly understood as a face-to-face talk between individuals and an audience for the purpose of communication. It is closely allied to "presenting", although the latter is more often associated with commercial activity. Most of the time, public speaking is to persuade the audience.

Public Speaking is…

• A vital means of civic engagement;

• A way to express your ideas and to have an impact on issues that matter in a democratic society;

• A form of empowerment, and

• It can and often does make a difference in things people care about very much.

 

Orator - a term to designate someone with special skills in public speaking.

Eloquence has always been highly prized.

A good speech could be: clear, well reasoned, articulate, thoughtful, compelling, witty, touching, convincing, and believable.

A. Organizing your thoughts logically;

B. Tailoring your message to your audience;

C.  Telling a story for maximum impact, and

D.  Adapting to listener feedback;

These are among the most important skills you will need for public speaking:

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUBLIC SPEAKING

AND CONVERSATION

•Public speaking is more highly structured;

• requires more formal language, and

• requires a different method of delivery.

make you a more adept communicator in a variety of situations, such as:

•conversations; •classroom discussions; •business meetings, and•interviews

Training in public speaking can…

THINGS TO PREVENT:

•stock phrases A phrase frequently or habitually used by a person or group, and thus associated with them.

Bart Simpson's stock phrase "I didn't do it." • casual posture

• vocalized pauses Verbal fillers

◦"ahh..., uhh..., umm..." and, “like”

Swaying, rocking, and pacing

Hands in pockets

Lip smacking

Fidgeting

Failure to be audience-centered

THINGS TO DO:

•Adjust your voice to be heard clearly throughout the audience;

•Assume a more formal posture ；

•Avoid distracting mannerisms and verbal habits.

DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE:

•Battle your stage fright •Nervousness is normal, even desirable at the start of a speech;

•Use your nervousness to your advantage, to put your butterflies to good use.

How can we control our nervousness and make it work for us rather than against us? How to turn it into

Positive nervousnes

s

POSITIVE NERVOUSNESS

An enthusiastic, lively feeling with a slight edge to it.

The controlled nervousness that helps energize a speaker; not victimized by it, but vitalized by it.

THE WAYS ARE:

A. Acquire speaking experience;

B. Prepare, prepare, prepare;

C. Think positively;

D. Use the power of visualization;

E. Know that most nervousness is not visible, and

F. Don’t expect perfection.

REMEMBER…

Speechmaking is not a kind of performance, but an act of communication.

PRE-SPEECH PREP:

A. Be at your best physically and mentally;

B. Tighten and relax your leg muscles or squeeze your hands together and then release them;

C. Take a couple of slow, deep breaths before you start to speak;

D. Work especially hard on your introduction.

• E. Make eye contact with members of your audience; and

• F. Concentrate on communicating with your audience rather than on worrying about your stage fright.

REFERENCE

The Art of Public Speaking (8th edition) - Stephen E. Lucas