The Art of Public Speaking
Wuhan University SummerIntensive English Program, 2006
Effective speaking skills
Actual speaking and presentation
Listening skills
Critical thinking skills
Writing and research ability
Why study public speaking?
Pervasive – We are judged how we talk
Range of audiences – from 2 to millions
Same principles
Same fundamental elements – intro,body, and conclusion, as well as others
Empowerment – in work, civics, etc
Public speaking versus normalconversation
Similarities
You organize ideas in your head or onpaper
You tailor your message to your audience
You adapt to your listener
Public speaking versus normalconversation, continued
Differences
Public speaking is more formal
Time limits
Detailed preparation
Formal language
Delivery style – improved voice, posture, dress
Can you think of any other differences?
Problems with Public Speaking
Fear
1. Death
2. Public Speaking
Communication apprehension
Communication Apprehension
It happens to everyone
It is normal, and should happen
You can channel your nervousness:
Debilitate vs. motivate
More apparent to you than others
Tips for success
Choose a topic you are enthusiasticabout
Research your topic well
Good organization
Practice, practice, practice, practice…
Good rule of thumb – practice at least 6times before performance
Tips for success
Know your audience and how theymight react
Be familiar with your introduction andconclusion, especially the first sentence
Think positively! Remember eachspeech delivery is a chance toimprove
Relax – deep breathing or meditate
Communication model
feedback
message
Context (time and place)
Interference
(internal and external)
sender
receiver
Listening
Listening!
As you already know, listening is just asimportant as speaking, if not more
4 general stages to listening
Selecting what we want to listen to
Attending to the message, with effort
Understanding the message
Remembering – short term and long-term
Barriers to effective listening
Distractions
External – noise, light, temperature,physical characteristics
Internal – not concentrating; physiologicalissues like hunger, tired, angry
Listening too hard
Jumping to conclusions
Listening Overall
We can improve our listening skills
Critical listening
Evaluate
Analyze
Assess
Consider
Summarize
Ethical Responsibilities ofListeners
1. Be prepared
2. Have high expectations
3. Be sensitive and tolerant
4. Listen critically
1. Be prepared
Ready to
Listen
Learn
2. Have high expectations
Expect presentations that are:
Coherent
Organized
Competently delivered
3. Be sensitive and tolerant
Speakers’ messages may reflectdifferent
Opinions
Ideas
Ethnicities
Cultures
4. Listen critically
Holds speaker to ethical speakingresponsibilities.
Communicate your reactions throughnonverbal cues.
Do not resort to unethical messages andtactics while seeking to express youropinions and beliefs about others’messages.
A little more on listening
We pay attention to what we think isimportant, touches our experiences andplays on what we already know –selective perception
Distractions – how do we get past them?
First of all, hear them out
Improving Active Listening
Set listening goals
What do you need and expect?
Listen for main ideas
Is there a pattern or structure?
Watch for nonverbal cues as well
Body language, facial expressions
Topics
Picking a good topic
Three questions to ask yourself:
1. What do I want my audience to knowafter leaving this room?
2. What do I want my audience to thinkabout after leaving?
3. What do I want my audience to thinkabout me when leaving this room?
Picking a good topic (cont.)
Focus on the type of speech and/oroccasion:
A toast at a wedding
A sales presentation at work
What else?
Picking a good topic (cont.)
Write the following on a sheet ofpaper:
10 things you like and/or care about
5 things you would do if you had anentire day off with no responsibilities
These are the things you really careabout. There are speeches hiding inthere somewhere.
Important points abouttopics
1. You: Topic boring…Them: Topic boring
2. Ask a friend: What do you think?
3. Creative and fun – If you use your imagination, so willthe audience.
4. Don’t be afraid to take a chance.
5. Choose a topic focused enough to handle in theallotted time.
6. At the end of a speech, each member of the audienceshould be able to write your thesis on a piece ofpaper.
Your topic and the audience
Need to understand the psychology ofyour audience
•Your task to make them pay attention
•Audiences are selective
•Audiences are egocentric
•What’s in it for me?
•Listeners will judge a speech based on what theyalready know and believe
•You must take care to relate your message to anaudience’s existing knowledge and beliefs
Appendix: Organizing yourSpeech
Preparing your speech
Choose an interesting topic you arepassionate about
Narrow your focus for a short speech
Organizing your speech
Introduction: tell audience what you will tellthem
Body: tell them your main ideas
Conclusion: remind them what you just toldthem
Delivering our speech
Speaking extemporaneously
Don't write down every word
Practice enough to be familiar with main points
Rehearsing a prepared speech
Practice out loud, not just in your head
Time the length of your speech!!
Presenting your speech
Take a few deep breaths
Don't READ it!!
Use gestures but not too many
If you forget a part, keep going
Establish eye contact with many members of the audience.