Chapter 1 - Notes PDF

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Chapter 1: Public Speaking The Power of Public Speaking -

People use public speaking to communicate. o It allows you to share your ideas with other people and influence them. An important part of modern-day life is the ability to effectively communicate. o Some jobs are asking college graduates to give a presentation as part of an interview. The growth of the internet has not reduced the need for public speaking. No matter where you are you need to effectively communicate. Public speaking allows you to make a difference.

The Tradition of Public Speaking -

Egypt had the first known handbook on effectively speaking. Aristotle’s Rhetoric, from the 3rd century is still considered the most important work on the topic. Over the years people have developed methods and strategies for public speaking. o You need to learn to apply them.

Similarities Between Public Speaking and Conversation -

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You have already developed the following skills: o Organizing your thoughts logically. o Tailoring your message to your audience. o Telling a story for maximum impact. o Adapting to listener feedback. You organize your ideas so that they are in the most persuasive manner. You adapt the message to the people you are talking to. You should tell your story to influence the audience the most. Adept your message to feedback.

Differences Between Public Speaking and Conversation -

As the size of your audience grows, you will adapt to 3 major differences: o Public speaking is more highly structured.  There are time limits.  The speaker does not get interrupted with questions.  The purpose must be accomplished withing the speech. o Public speaking requires more formal language. o Public speaking requires a different method of delivery.  Be able to adjust your voice to be heard clearly throughout the audience.

Developing Confidence: Your Speech Class -

One of the major concerns of students in any speech class is stage fright. o A 2014 survey asked people across the country what their greatest fear was, and public speaking topped the list.

A 2012 study produced similar results, with 62 percent of respondents being terrified by the prospect of speaking in public. In comparison, only 43 percent said they were afraid of dying. Nervousness Is Normal o Most people tend to be anxious before doing something important in public.  To be successful you need to learn to use your nervousness to your advantage.  No matter how much your practice, you must be able to perform. o It is perfectly normal to be nervous at the start of the speech.  Your body is responding as it would to any stressful situation—by producing extra adrenaline. Dealing with Nervousness o Rather than trying to eliminate every trace of stage fright, you should aim at transforming it from a negative force into what one expert calls positive nervousness.  This kind of nervousness is one you are in control of. o Think of stage fright as stage excitement. o The following are six ways you can turn your nervousness from a negative force into a positive one:  Acquire Speaking Experience  The more you learn about public speaking and the more speeches you give, the less threatening speechmaking will become.  Learning to give a speech is not much different from learning any other skill—it proceeds by trial and error.  The purpose of your speech class is to shorten the process, to minimize the errors, to give you a nonthreatening arena in which to undertake the “trial”.  Prepare, Prepare, Prepare  Another key to gaining confidence is to pick speech topics you truly care about—and then to prepare your speeches so thoroughly that you cannot help but be successful.  You should spend one to two hours of preparation time for each minute of speaking time. o Proper preparation can reduce stage fright by up to 75 percent.  Think Positively  Confidence is mostly the well=known power of positive thinking.  You need to learn how to transform your negative thoughts into positive ones.  Many psychologists believe that the ratio of positive to negative thoughts in regard to stressful activities should be at least five to one.  Use the Power of Visualization  Visualization is closely related to positive thinking. o It can help speakers control their stage fright.  The key to visualization is creating a vivid mental blueprint in which you see yourself succeeding in your speech. o

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As you create these images in your mind’s eye, be realistic but stay focused on the positive aspect of your speech.  Don’t allow negative images to eclipse the positive ones.  Acknowledge your nervouseness, but picture yourself overcoming it to give a vibrant, articulate presentation. o The more lucid your mental pictures, the more successful you are likely to be.  As with your physical rehearsal of the speech, this kind of mental rehearsal should be repeated several times in the days before you speak.  Know That Most Nervousness Isn’t Visible  Many novice speakers are worried about appearing nervous to the audience. o You need to remember that only a fraction of what you feel inside is visible on the outside.  Remember to try your best to act cool and confident on the outside.  It helps to know that you look in control even though you may not feel that way.  Don’t Expect Perfection  There is no such thing as a perfect speech.  The audience does not know what the speaker plans to say. They only hear what the speaker does say. o If you momentarily lose your place, reverse the order of a couple of statements, or forget to pause at a certain spot, no one need be the wiser.  When such moments occur, just proceed as if nothing happened.  One of the biggest reasons people are concerned about making a mistake in a speech is that they view speechmaking as a performance rather than an act of communication.  As you work on your speeches, make sure you prepare thoroughly and do all you can to get your message across to your listeners. o Don’t panic about being perfect or about what will happen if you make a mistake. Along with the previous six points, your instructor will probably give you several tips for dealing with nervousness in your first speeches. o

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Public Speaking and Critical Thinking -

A course in public speaking can develop your skills as a critical thinker. What is critical thinking? o Critical thinking is a matter of logic. o It is the ability to spot weaknesses in someone else’s arguments and to avoid them in your own.

It is the ability to distinguish fact from opinion, judging the credibility of statements, and assessing the soundness of evidence. As the class progresses, you will probably spend a good deal of time organizing your speeches. o Organizing a speech is not just a matter of arranging the ideas you already have. Rather, it is an important part of shaping the ideas themselves. As you work on expressing your ideas in clear, accurate language, you will enhance your ability to think clearly and accurately. As you learn to listen critically to speeches in class, you will be better able to assess the ideas of speakers in a variety of situations. If you take full advantage of your speech class, you will be able to enhance your skills as a critical thinker in many circumstances. o

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The Speech Communication Process -

Regardless of the kind of speech communication involved, there are seven elements—speaker, message, channel, listener, feedback, interference, and situation. o Here we focus on how these elements interact when a public speaker addresses an audience.  Speaker  Speech communication begins with a speaker o In public speaking, you will usually present your entire speech without interruption.  Your success as a speaker depends on you—on your personal credibility, your knowledge of the subject, your preparation of the speech, your manner of speaking, your sensitivity to the audience and the occasion.  You also need to be excited to speak about what your speech is on.  Message  The message is whatever a speaker communicates to someone else.  Your goal in public speaking is to have your intended message be the message that is actually communicated. o Achieving this depends both on what you say and on how you say it.  Getting the verbal message just right requires work. o You must narrow your topic down to something you can discus adequately in the time allowed for the speech. o You must do research and choose supporting details to make your ideas clear and convincing. o You must organize your ideas so listeners can follow them without getting lost. o You must express your message in words that are accurate, clear, vivid, and appropriate.  You also send a message with your tone of voice, appearance, gestures, facial expression, and eye contact.  Channel  The channel is the means by which a message is communicated.

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Public speakers may use one or more of several channels, each of which will affect the message received by the audience.

Listener  The listener is the person who receives the communicated message.  Everything a speaker says is filtered through a listener’s frame of reference—the total of his or her knowledge, experience, goals, values, and attitudes.  Because people have different frames of reference, a public speaker must take great care to adapt the message to the particular audience being addressed. o To be an effective speaker, you must be audience-centered.  You will quickly lose your listeners’ attention if your presentation is either too basic or too sophisticated.  You will also lose your audience if your do not relate to their experience, interests, knowledge, and values. Feedback  Your listeners don’t simply absorb your message like human sponges. They send back messages of their own. These messages are called feedback.  In public speaking there is plenty of feedback to let you know how your message is being received.  Like any kind of communication, feedback is affected by one’s frame of reference. Interference  Interference is anything that impedes the communication of a message.  In public speaking there are two kinds of interference. o One is external to the audience. o A second kind of interference is internal and comes from within your audience.  As a speaker, you must try to hold your listeners’ attention despite these various kinds of interference. Situation  The situation is the time and place in which speech communication occurs.

Public Speaking in a Multicultural World -

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Cultural Diversity in the Modern World o The internet allows for instant communication. Cultural Diversity and Public Speaking o Speechmaking becomes more complex as cultural diversity increases.  Part of the complexity stems from the differences in language from culture to culture. Avoiding Ethnocentrism

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Ethnocentrism is the belief that our own group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures.  Because of ethnocentrism, we identify with our group or culture and see its values, beliefs, and customs as “right” or “natural”—in comparison to the values, beliefs, and customs of other groups or cultures, which we teen to think of as “wrong” or “unnatural.” Ethnocentrism is part of every culture, and it can play a positive role in creating group pride and loyalty.  It can also lead to prejudice and hostility toward differebt racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural groups. To be an effective public speaker in a multicultural world, you need to keep in mind that all people have their special beliefs and customs. If speakers are to be successful they must show respect for the cultures of the people the address. They need to adapt their messages to the values and expectations of their listeners. When you work on your speeches, be alert to how cultural factors might affect how listeners respond....