CHAPTER 2: Public Speaking and Reports in the
Information Age
LESSON 1: Public Speaking
INTRODUCTION
The introduction of public speaking cannot be denied. Great speeches have moved
nations to war and revolution; they inspired and move people to act. What people
say, and how they say it can get them elected in public office or create a new
movement in society. For the Greeks, public speaking was political in nature, and the
spoken word was thought to be such an important skill that citizens were thought the
art of rhetoric.
Public speaking is an important life skill, yet few people master it, in fact, many
people are afraid of speaking in public. However, the significance of public office
speaking has only gotten stronger in contemporary times, Public speaking platforms
such as TED Talks and YouTube, have captured and disseminated public speech to
an unprecedented scale, and one say at the spur of the moment can live forever on
the internet. Great speeches have created hope in perilous situations, and have
made people change their minds about the world and their places in it.
According to acclaimed public speakers Dale Carnegie and Joseph Berg Esenwein
(2007). “Public speaking is public utterance, public issuance, of the man himself:
therefore, the first thing both in time and importance is that the man should be and
think and feel things that are worthy of being given forth”
A Short History of Public Speaking
The most well-known public speaking traditions came from the West, specifically
from the Greco-Roman tradition. The Greeks studied the art of rhetoric on the island
of Sicily, and it begin with a practical need. Their government had been overthrown,
a new democracy was formed, and Greek court were filled with clashing property
claims. The Greek teacher of rhetoric, Corax and his student, Tisias, proceeded to
help citizens when it came to speaking persuasively in courts of law, and this led to
the expansion of the teaching of rhetoric to mainland Greece. According to Corax a
basic speech has three parts, the introduction, evidence, and conclusion. And his
simple organization of speeches has endured throughout the ages (Morreale 2010).
Other famous Greek teachers were Protagoras, the father of debate, who made his
students argue for against issue of the day, to sharpen their reasoning skills and
appreciate different sides of an issue. And there was the famous philosopher,
Aristotle, also known as the father of modern communication. Aristotle wrote a
treatise entitled “Rhetoric” where he discussed the use of logos (logical argument).
pathos (emotional argument), and ethos (the speaker’s character and credibility, in
the use of persuasive speaking (Morreale, 2010)
According to Grenville KLEISER (2009). In successful methods in public speaking
“Thegreatorators of the world did not regard eloquence as simply an endowment of
nature, but applied themselves, diligently to cultivating their powers of expression
“The most famous orator in Ancient Greece was Demosthenes. In the beginning, he
had many flaws when it came to public speaking, chief among them were his
stammer and weak voice. According to Kleiser (2009), Demosthenes practiced by
declaiming on the seashore with pebbles in his mouth, walking up and downhill while
reciting” and that his speeches were known for their deliberation and forethought.
On the other hand, the most famous Roman orator was Cicero, whose eloquence
was described as a “resistless torrent” (kleiser, 2009) Cicero was statesman who
argued that the teaching of rhetoric should be considered an art form, and that this
could be useful in “all practical and public affairs” Cicero believed that in order to
use certain strategies, such as using humor, questions, etc. to engage the audience
(Morreale 2010)
The Roman lawyer and educator, Quintilian, also forwarded the idea that people
speakers should be ethical. According to Morreale (2010), the ideal speaker was “a
good man speaking well. a good speaker is ethical and of high character and
speaking well-meant being well-informed and presenting the speech effectively
It is interesting to note that during these times, women were not allowed speak
publicity in this countries, and that for a long time this was true for women in other
areas of the world. However, during pre-colonial times. The Philippines was one of the
few places that allow women to speaking public for the purpose of presiding over
religious rituals. These women are the warriors were known Babaylan, priestesses of
community and along with the warrior’s community. The mandirigma, they were the
leaders of pre-colonial Philippines (Mallari, 2013) Although most of the babaylan
were women, babaylan priests also existed, wearing feminine clothing and adopting
feminized role in Philippine society.
The Philippine actually has its own tradition of public speaking. It is called different
words in different regions in the Philippines. According to Monte mayor (n.d), among
the tagalogs, the karagatan is said to be a game where in young men and woman
duel with each other using words when it comes to talking about love, while the
“Huwego de prenda … is a game to entertain quests and the bereaved family
during wakes” During the American period, the more widely known balagtasan was
also staged, on order to honor Francisco Balagtas a well-known Filipino poet. The
balagtasan is ‘like an ordinary debate, except that one has to reason and ague in
verse. Two master poets are assigned to defend the pros and cons of an issue, and a
board of judges sits to determine the winner” at first whole enterprise was scripted
and staged, but theater, they were made in a more impromptu manner.
Speech of the Troops at Tilbury
Queen Elizabeth 1
My Loving people,
We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safely, to take heed how
we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery: but I assure you I do
not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people, let tyrants fear. I have
always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my heart my cheapest
strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subject; and therefore
I am come amongst you. As you see, at this time, not my recreation and disport, but
being resolved in the midst and heat of the bottles to live and die amongst you all; to
lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people honor and my blood
even in the dust.
I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart
and stomach of a king, and a king of England too, and think foul skarn that Parma or
Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the boarders of my realm; to
which rather than any dishonor shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I
myselfwill be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the
field
I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crow; and
we do assure you in the word of a prince. They shall be duty paid you, in the
meantime, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, then whom never prince
commanded a more noble, or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience
to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your velour in the field. We shall
shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and
my people.
Speeches
of
( by Queen Elizabeth I)
the
Troops
at
Tilbury
Short Background of the Text
This speech was delivered by queen ElizabethI to the troops at Tilbury on July 1588.
According to the Britishlibrary (2017), “the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588 has
long been held as one of England’s greatest military achievements. This documents
records the famous speech delivered by queen Elizabeth to her troops who were
assembled at tilbury camp to defend the country against a Spanish invasion on such
an unprecedented scale boosted the prestige of England’s queen Elizabeth I and
encouraged a sense of English pride and nationalism. In the speech, Elizabeth
defends her strength as a female leader, saying ‘I know I have the body but of a
weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king
of England too.’ “It is possible to see the historic document that recorded the speech
at the website of the website of the British library. Simply go to this link:
http://www.Bl.Uk/learning/timeline/item102878.Html(retrievedApril 11, 2017).
LESSON 2: The Tools Needed in Critical/Creative Reports
The Tools Needed in Critical/Creative Reports

Introduction
Speeches can be so effective they trigger adrenaline, while other speeches, trigger
a sense of peace and calm in the midst of chaos. Great speakers have been called
hypnotic, magnetic, and charismatic, and this is not just because they have a
compelling message, but because of the captivating manner they deliver these
speeches, as well.

Performance
Speeches are performances, and they are delivered best when they have the feel of
authenticity and earnestness. People respond when they think that the one speaking
is being honest and sincere, and they respond more strongly when they feel that
they can relate to the speaker in question.

Plan the Speech
It is best to choose one’s words carefully, and to ensure that one’s speech builds on
the foundations of logos, pathos, and ethos.

Eye Contact
One way of coming across as authentic is the ability to make good eye contact with
the audience, and to speak in a manner that touches them.

Speaking Style
Different people have different speaking styles, and one can only find one’s personal
style through constant practice.

Hand Gestures
Hand gestures can create as much of an impact as the content of the speech itself.
They must look smooth and natural, rather than robotic or artificial. Hand gestures
can be useful signposts in making a point.

Recording the Speech for Feedback
One of the best practices in public speaking is to videotape speakers. The speakers
can watch it for feedback and to assess their mannerisms and gestures during the
speech

Peer Evaluation
It is not enough to be given a grade for the speech, or just be accorded high praise.
Feedback from people is important, and this will be a great tool in improving one’s
speech and ones speaking style in general.

Appearance
It is important to look credible and worthy of respect. But it depends on the kind of
audience.

Clothing
Traditional audiences often call for more formal clothing. For men, donning a suit
and tie at most formal level, or at the very least for the women, a formal coat and a
skirt should suffice. In less formal instances, a dress or blouse and skirt should do as
well.

Good Grooming
As long as ones looks are neat and clean, that should be enough to satisfy most
audiences’ requirements. It is always best to know the cultural expectations of the
audience and the venue.

Visual Aids
Since we live in a world that is more dependent on information technology,
audiences expect speeches to be accompanied with visual aids. Such as
PowerPoint presentations, multimedia and infographics. Any of these are
acceptable as long as they are relevant to the topic at hand.

PowerPoint Presentations
When it comes to the use of PowerPoint, the font size of the text is not too small. An
acceptable size would be 24 or larger, and the text should be in dark colors for easier
reading. The best power points are not text-heavy; instead, they are visually oriented,
which is why the use of multimedia would better serve ones use of the medium.

Handouts
It would be best to have handouts ready for one’s audience, so that the audience
will not have to scramble when taking notes during presentation.

Feedback
It is always good to read the verbal and non-verbal cues from the audience, such as
whether they agree with what one is saying or whether they are resisting to certain
ideas, mirrored by their use of body language.

Conclusion
In the end, public speaking is a dynamic performance that is meant to disseminate
information, create gender awareness, and evoke emotions in the audience. It is
utilized by teachers, lawyers, politicians, and the like. It has been used effectively to
promote human rights on the street and to create policies in government.
Sample Reports
•
News reports are still the best samples when it comes to delivering the best
reports. We will be taking up two reports, one historical and one more recent.
LESSON 3: TED TALKS and Critical/ Creative Thinking In Today’s Society

Sometimes, people with good public speaking skills and mediocre ideas get
more attention than people with the great ideas but average public speaking
skills. That’s actually a problem.

According to John Bates, “I think the worlds need people with great ideas to
have the communication skills to match, because we need those ideas more
than ever” (Quoted in Clark, D.) When people have good ideas, they should
be able to share it with others. There are times when funding a good idea relies
solely on one’s public speaking skills, or times when groundbreaking ideas
need to be shared to create a social revolution.

It is important to know that content is king. Whatever one chooses to talk
about, it should come from a place passion. One’s enthusiasm for the topic
should shine, and it should be something worth sharing to the world. All the
research in the world will not matter if one does not feel strongly about the
topic. After all, the slogan of TED Talks is,” Ideas Worth Sharing,” and not, A Few
O.K. Ideas.”

When people speak in front of an audience, they are already on a place of
vulnerability, which is why some people freeze up or are afraid of showing their
emotions. The opposite should take place-speakers should use their emotions
to connect to the audience-it makes them more relatable and more
accessible. Personal anecdotes are great ways to connect to an audience.

Lastly, it is important to speak slowly so the audience can understand the
concepts one talks about. the temptation is to speak as fast as you can in
order to get the experience over and done with, but that would simply give a
bad impression.
There really isn’t much more to say. The best way to know how to give a TED talk is to
watch several, and to study what makes them effective. And the best way to
present a TED talk is to practice and prepare, as much as possible.
The titles that follow are TED talks in different topics. You are to analyze each TED talk.
links are already provided for your access.
1. “What Are You Creating for Yourself?” (Isaac Lidsky)
2. “All It Takes is 10 Minutes” (Andy Puddicombie)
3. “Confessions of a Bad Feminist” (Roxanne Gray)
4. “Life, Learning and Filipino Martial Arts” (Felipe Jocano Jr.)
5. “What Makes a Good Life?” (Robert Waldinger)