PUBLIC SPEAKING

  1. PUBLIC SPEAKING
  2. WHY WE SPEAK
  3. PUBLIC SPEAKING/CONVERSING
  4. SIMILARITIES?
  5. DIFFERENCES?
  6. SPEECH COMM PROCESS (7 PARTS)
  7. DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE
  8. COMMON FEARS
  9. CONTROLLING ANXIETY


Introduction: Can Be A Profession

People do earn livings on lecture circuits

entertainment and information

* Everyday people may be called to use public speaking, too.

* You can make a difference in things you care greatly about

--persuading someone to do something

--informing them about things they do not know

 

WHY WE SPEAK

* to express selves

* to make attitudes known

* to explain why it matters to us

* for sharing of ideas, feelings and attitudes

We speak to influence others

persuasion
* ask them to change attitudes

* to take action

information

* teaching something new

entertainment

Public speaking provides this opportunity

Public speaking (one to many)

* there is an economy

* there is immediacy of reaction; observing of reactions

Public speaking augments public & professional life

As confidence grows:

= you'll give better speeches

= you'll have enhanced ability to communicate with family and friends

= you'll have more successes in personal life

= enables you to pursue more public endeavors

= you'll have better self-image

Professional growth depends on how well you can communicate

* impressions; credibility

 

 

PUBLIC SPEAKING vs. CONVERSING

The average adult spends 30% of waking hours in conversation; you use these skills every day

 

 

SIMILARITIES?

Four Basic Elements

1--ORGANIZING THOUGHTS LOGICALLY

* giving directions
--How do you get to the Library?

* explaining how to do something

--How to make oatmeal cookies

2--TAILORING MESSAGE TO AUDIENCE

* telling story to teenager and child
--how babies are made

* explaining incident to teacher or lover

--why homework assignment didn't get done

3--TELLING STORY FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT

* saving punch line till the end

4--ADAPTING TO LISTENER FEEDBACK

* when someone is uncomfortable with your message
--talking about presidential candidates

--abortion

* friends laughing at your jokes

 

DIFFERENCES?

1--Public speaking is MORE STRUCTURED

* other are time limits

* in most cases, no interruptions from audience

* you accomplish purpose with the speech

* you must anticipate of questions

* requires more detailed planning

 

2--Public speaking requires MORE FORMAL LANGUAGE

* no slang or jargon

* audiences respond to more polished language

* "specialness" of speech

 

3--Public speaking requires DIFFERENT METHOD OF DELIVERY

informal speech sprinkled with

* interjections

* stock phrases

* cliches

* verbal clutter

--um, uh...

 

Effective speakers use fewer

* they have better vocal control

* they have better physical control

 

4--Public speaking requires MORE PRECISE CRITICAL THINKING

* ability to perceive relationships among ideas

* logical arrangement of ideas

* arranging evidence to produce new insights

 

5--ETHICS MORE IMPORTANT

The goal of public speaking is to get desired response from listeners

* but not at any cost!

* you need strong sense of integrity

ethical goals and methods

1--be well informed

* explore your topic fully

2--be honest in what you say

* easy to distort statistics

3--use sound evidence

* don't quote out of context

* don't present unusual examples as representative

4--employ valid reasoning

 

 

SPEECH COMM PROCESS (7 PARTS)

1--SPEAKER

Success as speaker depends on your

* credibility

* preparation of speech

* manner of speaking

* delivery

* sensitivity to audience

* enthusiasm

 

2--MESSAGE

Goal is have intended message be the one communicated

* depends on what and how you say
--verbal and non-verbal message

making intended message sent be the actual message received requires work

* choose topic you can handle (knowledge and time)

* make your ideas vivid

--do research

--gather interesting examples

organize ideas logically, easy to follow

* use non-verbal expression
--appearance

--gestures

--facial expression

 

3--CHANNEL

medium of transmission

this classroom setting for this lecture

* others:
--telephone, tv, radio

 

4--LISTENER

person who receives communicated message

w/o: no communication

* message filtered through listener's frame of reference
--total of knowledge, experience, goals, values, fears

--comprehended message never the intended message

* make your message audience-centered

--consider their frame of reference

 

5--FEEDBACK

signals from audience

gives you information on whether intended message was the received message. Look for:

* leaning forward

* intent looks

* nodding heads

* laughter

* perplexed looks

* polite coughing

* yawns

 

6--INTERFERENCE/NOISE

impedes comm of message

* external barriers
--room too hot

--loud noises outside

* internal barriers (semantic barriers)

--different attitudes

--different meanings of words

 

7--SITUATION/CONTEXT

time and place speech comm occurs

special occasions require special speeches

 

 

 

DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE

  * public speaking is self-disclosure
  * process where you reveal yourself to others
  * sharing of values
  * shows our personalities and humanity
  * if we can explain why we hold certain values
        -may be possible to persuade
  * people perceive us by how we talk about our ideas
  * not wanting to always do this is normal
  * many people seek to avoid revealing self

Why is it normal (even desirable) to be nervous at the start of a speech?
The value of FEAR

  * energizes you
  * flight or fight response:
  * endocrine system; adrenaline
        --physically stronger
        --more alert about NERVOUSNESS
  * the athlete, the actor, the speaker perform in public
  * nervousness is normal!
        --41% of public afraid of public speaking
  * energy can be channeled into usefulness
  * nervousness can be controlled symptoms of communication apprehension

What are some PHYSIOLOGICAL reactions?

heart rate increases
breathing can become shallow
  * blood pressure increases
  * perspire; tremble
  * knees feel weak
  * face flushed
  * sinking feeling in stomach
  * ringing in ears
  * these are normal and felt by 76% of experienced speakers

What are some PSYCHOLOGICAL reactions?

  * forgetfulness
  * avoiding audience connection
  * seeing only amorphous mass

SIX COMMON FEARS:

1--fear of being in spotlight

  * speaking one to many: the focus is always on the one
  * fear of embarrassing yourself
  * fear of saying something stupid
  * fear of running out of things to say
  * difficult to know how you are really doing
  * it's easy to interpret extraneous noise as negative feedback remember, audience wants you to succeed
  * find the sympathetic listeners and gain strength

2--fear of performing badly

  * most feel they can't give good speech
  * most psych themselves up with negativity
  * this is a very common fear
  * rarely will thing go very wrong
  * accept that sometimes they do
  * don't come unglued or
  * adapt the weirdness
  * use it for humorous effect
  * no need to apologize for mistakes

3--fear of the audience (as aggressor)

  * many feel the audience is "out to get them"
        --THIS IS NOT THE CASE !
  * audience want you to succeed

4--fear that your ideas are not good enough

  * disturbing and crippling fear
  * you have control of what you talk about
  * research your topic fully
  * there are no uninteresting subjects just disinterested people
        --if truly interesting to you; interesting to us

5--fear that you're not good enough

  * we often perceive our selves as inadequate
  * All good speakers were once bad speakers
  * each student is a mix of strengths and weaknesses

6--fear of the unknown

  * all of us have this worry
  * experience brings unknown into the known
  * once accustomed to speaking, it's no longer as threatening
  * choose subjects you know about

A dozen approaches to controlling fear

1--keep it to yourself
  * accept fear as normal
  * your nervousness probably doesn't show
  * never to the degree you feel it
  * don't call attention to it
        --don't announce it
        --don't apologize for it

2--visualize success

  * see yourself being successful
  * give yourself a positive pep- talk
  * imagine your speech succeeding!

3--practice working your body

  * learn to recognize and reduce tension
  * relaxation techniques
  * focus on tension and let it slip away
  * limber up
  * do vocal exercises
  * do deep breathing
  * take care of yourselves

4--have good notes

  * no need to hide them
  * be able to read them
  * use them to them highlight key points
  * use as a focusing tool--not a crutch
  * don't memorize notes
  * refer to them, don't read from them
         --takes eye contact from audience

5--know your audience

  * identify with the listeners

6--control your space

  * check out the arrangements
  * suit them to your needs

7--choose subject familiar and important to you

  * you are your own expert
  * you know your speech better than anyone in room

8--prepare carefully

  * beginnings and endings!
  * polish the introduction
  * hook audience early and they are yours
  * practice moving from idea to idea
         --not word for word

9--nervousness in normal

  * pretend you are not
  * the bluff can take you far

10--pause before beginning

  * collect yourself
  * deep breath
  * exhale
  * unlock knees
  * establish eye contact

11--use your audience

  * talk to your audience
  * they want you to succeed
  * involve them in the speech

12--give yourself permission to make mistakes

  * there are no perfect speeches
  * it will not go as you planned it
  * go with the flow!

 


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