Public Speaking
Unit 1 Lecture Notes
The Two Main Reasons to Study Public Speaking:
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Empowerment (to have the resources, information, and attitudes that
allow you to take action to achieve a desired goal)
o being a skilled public speaker will give you an edge that others
lack – even over those who are more educated, have better
training, or who may even have better ideas because being able
to communicate and to position yourself for leadership puts
you “ahead of the pack”
o when you are confident in your public speaking skills, you are
able to express yourself with assurance, conviction, and
confidence (making others confident in you and your message)
o being an empowered speaker can open up career and
leadership opportunities (because doing so gains you respect
and gives you confidence)
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Employment (to gain employment)
o Charles M. Schwab said, “I’ll pay more for a person’s ability to
speak and express himself than for any other quality he might
possess.”
o if you speak well, you possess a skill that others value highly
o whether you are currently employed at an entry-level position
or aspire to climb the corporate ladder, being able to
communicate effectively (and “talk yourself up”) is the key to
success – in any line of work
o the skills needed (and most sought by employers) in terms of
public speaking include:
 ethically adapting information to listeners
 organize your ideas
 persuade others
 hold listeners’ attention
o communication skills is the top factor in helping college
graduates gain employment
o interviews:
 people interviewing you rely on what you’ve written on
your resume and how you present yourself and
communicate with them
 what to do you think carries more weight?
Public Speaking and Conversation
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as a public speaker, you will need to learn to make decisions in your
feet (like in a conversation)
o these decisions will be based on:
 your knowledge of your listeners
 your listeners’ expectations for your speech
 their reactions to what you are saying
public speaking is more planned than conversation
o you should spend plenty of time practicing your speech
o as you are practicing (both alone and in front of others), you
should also be revising and editing your speech
unlike conversation, public speaking is formal
o as a result, slang or informal language is not appropriate
Remember, you only have one chance to make a first impression. If
you have to present information twice, your audience is already lost
and will have preconceived notions.
Communication is a Process
noise
source
receiver
message
channel
feedback
message
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source – the public speaker is a source of information and ideas for an
audience
encode – the job of the public speaker is to encode, or translate, the ideas
and images in his or her mind into verbal or nonverbal symbols (codes) that
the audience can recognize or understand
code – a verbal or nonverbal symbol for any idea or image (the speaker may
encode into words or into gestures)
message – the speech itself (both what is said and how it is said)
decode – to translate verbal or nonverbal symbols (codes) into ideas and
images (to understand the speaker’s message)
channel – the visual and auditory means by which a message is transmitted
from sender to receiver
o audience members see the speaker and decode his or her nonverbal
symbols – eye contact, facial expressions, posture, gestures, and dress
– along with visuals
o to be successful (and believable), the auditory and visual channels
must match
receiver – the receiver of the message is the individual audience member,
whose decoding of the message will depend on his or her own particular
blend of past experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and values
noise – anything that interferes with the communication of a message
external noise – physical sounds that interfere with communication
internal noise – physiological or psychological causes that interfere with
communication (a cold, worries, etc.)
feedback – verbal and nonverbal responses provided by an audience to a
speaker (nods, facial expressions, murmurs of the audience, questions, etc.)
context – the environment or situation in which a speech occurs, it includes:
o time
o place
o the speaker’s and audience’s cultural traditions and expectations
 no speech occurs in a vacuum, each speech is a blend of
circumstances that can never be replicated exactly again
Being prepared for a speech is only half of the battle when delivering an
effective speech. You also have to pay attention to your audience and adjust
your speech as you are speaking to be the most effective and successful.
The Heritage of Public Speaking
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rhetoric – the use of words and symbols to achieve a goal
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Aristotle formulated guidelines for speakers that we still follow today
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Cicero and Quintilian sought to define the qualities of the “true” orator
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in Medieval Europe, the clergy were the most polished public speakers
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in the 18th century, British subjects in the colonies listened to the town criers
and impassioned patriots of what was to become the United States
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declamation – the delivery of an already famous speech
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elocution – the expression of emotion through posture, movement, gestures,
facial expressions, and voice
Public Speaking and Diversity
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such factors as the gender, ethnicity, and culture of both speaker and
audience are crucial components of the context of a speaking event
to be effective, public speakers need to understand, affirm, and adapt to
diverse audiences
Improving Your Confidence as a Speaker
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it is important to understand your nervousness
o your body summons more energy to deal with the conflict you are
facing (shaking, knees quivering, stomach fluttering, etc.)
o you are experiencing physiological chances because of your
psychological state
the most common causes for feeling nervous when speaking publicly:
o fear of humiliation
o concern about not being prepared
o worry about one’s looks
o pressure to perform
o personal insecurity
o concern that the audience wouldn’t be interested in oneself or the
speech
o lack of experience
o fear of making mistakes
o overall fear of failure
people feel the most nervous right before giving their speeches, the secondhighest level of anxiety when the teacher explains the speech assignment,
and the least amount of anxiety when preparing a speech
there are four styles of communication apprehension:
o average
 you have a generally positive approach to communicating in
public
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 these types of speakers rate themselves the highest
o insensitive
 tend to be less sensitive to apprehenion when speaking
because of previous experience in public speaking
o inflexible
 you have the highest heart rate when speaking
 use this high and inflexible level of anxiety to enhance
performance
 their fear motivates them to prepare and be at their
best
o confrontation style
 you have a very high heart rate as you begin presenting, and
then it tapers off to more average levels
why is it important to know and understand your style of communication
apprehension?
o it helps to know that you are not alone in how you experience
apprehension (and that others are likely to share your feelings)
o having a general idea of your own style may give you greater insight
into how to better manage your apprehension
o the research on apprehension styles lends support to the theory that
communication apprehension may be a genetic trait or tendency
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Keep these tips in mind while speaking:
o you are going to feel more nervous than you look
 realize that your audience cannot see evidence of everything
that you feel
o almost every speaker experiences some degree of nervousness
 it is unrealistic to try to eliminate speech anxiety
 instead, try to manage your nervousness so that it does
not create so much internal noise that it keeps you from
speaking effectively
o anxiety can be useful
 extra adrenaline, increased blood flow, pupil dilation,
increased endorphins to block pain, increased heart rate, and
other physical changes caused by anxiety improve your energy
level and help you function better than you might otherwise
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How to build your confidence:
o don’t procrastinate in preparing for a speech
 a lack of thorough preparation often results in poorer speech
performance, reinforcing a speaker’s perception that public
speaking is difficult
o know your audience
 know to whom you will be speaking and learn as much about
your audience as you can
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consider their goals, needs, and hopes as you prepare
your message
 be audience-centered rather than speaker-centered
select an appropriate topic
 you will feel less nervous if you talk about something you are
familiar with or have some personal experience of
be prepared
 the better prepared you are, the les anxiety you will experience
develop and deliver a well-organized speech
 speakers can better manage their apprehension if they rely on
the rules and structures of a public speaking assignment,
including following a clear outline pattern when preparing and
delivering a speech
know your introduction and your conclusion
 you are likely to feel the most anxious during the opening
moments of your speech
 therefore, it is a good idea to have a clear plan for how
you will start your speech
 if you know how you will end your speech, you will have a safe
harbor in case you lose your place
 if you need to end your speech prematurely, a welldelivered conclusion can permit you to make a graceful
exit
re-create the speech environment when you practice
 when you practice your speech, imagine that you are giving
your speech to the audience that you will actually address
 practice aloud rather than just saying the speech to yourself
 a realistic rehearsal will increase your confidence when your
moment to speak arrives
use deep-breathing techniques
 to help break the anxiety-induced breathing pattern, consider
taking a few slow deep breaths before you rise to speak
channel your nervous energy
 take a walk before you arrive
 as you are waiting to be introduced, focus on remaining calm
 take a moment before you speak to look for a friendly,
supportive face
visualize your success
 imagine a scene in which you exhibit skill and comfort as a
public speaker
 it boosts your confidence by helping you see yourself as
a more confident, accomplished speaker
give yourself a mental pep talk
 it can give you confidence and take your mind off your
nervousness
when you feel yourself getting nervous, use positive messages
to replace negative thoughts
focus on your message rather than on your fear
 think about what you are going to say (focus on your ideas
rather than your fear)
 before you address your listeners, mentally review your major
ideas, your introduction, and your conclusion
look for positive listener support for your message
 when you are aware of positive audience support, you will feel
more confident and less nervous
 look for positive, reinforcing feedback
 be a positive, support listener for your audience so that they
return that favor to you
seek speaking opportunities
 the more experience you gain as a public speaker, the less
nervous you will feel
after your speech, focus on what you have accomplished rather than
on your anxiety
 when you conclude your speech, don’t fixate on your fear
 tell yourself something positive to celebrate your
accomplishment
 don’t replay your mental image of yourself as nervous
and fearful
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