Preparing and Presenting Public Speeches
Public speaking offers the opportunity to speak up when it is important to do so, to develop ideas in one's own way, and to make a difference in the public sphere. (p.262)
Most of you have probably already taken Public Speaking, and if you haven't, I highly encourage you to do so. There are some great instructors in the department who are great public speaking instructors. I, for one, have been teaching public speaking for about 7 years at various colleges around California. It always amazes me how anxious folks can get before they have the practice and skills behind them to prepare and present a speech. Then, at the end of the semester, folks tend to push away most of the anxiety and get straight to the point - presenting a speech of social significance prepared for exclusively by them to encourage change. That is, by far, my favorite part about teaching a public speaking class.
I won't bore you with my opinion about public speaking, and the preparation of a speech, but I will summarize the current chapter for you in the Trenholm text.
After reading chapter 10, you should be able to:
1). Understand how public speeches differ from other forms of discourse.
2). Explain why it is important for speakers to understand audiences, and list some of the demographics that describe audience characteristics.
3). List sources speakers can go to for information about audience motivations and attitudes.
4). Explain the functions of the introduction and conclusion of a speech and describe techniques used in both.
5). Identify stock organizational patterns used to structure material in the body of the speech.
6). Be able to write a formal speech outline.
7). Know the difference between impromptu, extemporaneous and manuscript deliver.
8). Understand ways to manage anxiety.
9). Identify effective and ineffective use of visual aids.
10). Discuss the ethical responsibilities of the public speaker.
Goal of Chapter 10:
To explore ways students can become more effective public speakers; to explain how speakers go about analyzing audiences, organizing speech materials, and delivering public presentations.
I. The public speech is a unique form of communication.
This brief introduction section of the book, pg. 263, introduces the idea of public speaking. As most of you already know from your public speaking classes, most speeches given in a public setting are usually organized, purposeful, and continuous presentations delivered to a group of receivers. While in a normal conversation speakers and listeners are usually acquainted with one another, in public communication a speaker is generally presenting to a largely anonymous audience.
II. In creating public messages, speakers must create a relationship with the audience.
Here's where we start getting into the nitty-gritty aspect of public communication. When giving a speech, the speaker should always consider their audience, also called audience adaptation (p. 264). A speaker should take into account the demographics of their audience. Page 265 talks about demographic analysis, and defines it this way: "Demographic analysis tells you about the groups to which audience members belong. Knowing the age, sex, education level, religious affiliation, occupation, economic status, and cultural identification of audience members can help a speaker draw inferences about current beliefs and interests." Why is this information important? A speaker should write a speech for their particular audience.
III. Public communication involves careful preparation and organization.
Public speeches can be divided into separate parts, each with its own function. Let's start out with the introduction. In the introduction, a speaker should strive to connect with their audience, and create a desire for an audience to listen to their speech. Some instructors call this "gaining the attention of the audience". However, it should be standard function of any speech. The course text goes over other things that can be included in an introduction, such as offering a greet, posing a rhetorical question, etc.... These are ways to connect with your audience, but entice them to listen and engage in what the speaker is saying.
The body of the speech should be organized in a pattern (see p.270-272 in the course text) to aid in the comprehension of the material being presented. In the body of a speech, a speaker should lay out their major arguments, but also include internal previews, transition statement and internal summaries. All of these function to help audiences understand and follow the structure of a speech.
A speech conclusion is the last chance a speaker has to gain agreement for their position. It also serves to conclude the speech, reiterate the significance of the topic, and summarize the main ideas. Just as the speaker did in the introduction, the speaker should ultimately end the speech strongly by using a quotation, illustration, added inducement or ending with a challenge. This will allow the speaker to end with a bang instead of trailing off (as we have probably noticed this time and time again with speeches).
IV. In public contexts, delivery becomes and important concern.
There are a number of ways to present a speech. The one we focus on a bit more at Sierra College, and a number of other college's around California is the Extemporaneous Speaking Style. In short, speaking extemporaneously means that a speech is preplanned, but not memorized. The speech is well researched and outlined, but the speaker has not memorized the exact wording of the speech. Therefore, while practicing the speech, it will sound different every time a speaker delivers the speech.
There is also Impromptu Speaking, which is a speaking situation where a speaker is confronted with a rhetorical situation, and delivers a speech on the spur of the moment. This does not mean that the speech is disorganized. In fact, in impromptu situations, organization is key.
Manuscript Speaking is also covered in the course text. When precise wording is necessary, manuscript speaking is the preferred method. However, one should note that speaking from a manuscript can be very difficult because one may not connect with the audience, use facial expressions, or nonverbal communication, and should be used only when necessary.
V. It is not necessary to be a "born speaker" to communicate effectively in the public spheres.
Some folks tend to think that they aren't good at public speaking because they aren't 'born a natural public speaker'. Well, let's demystify this - no one is a 'born speaker'. Great public speakers need to work at their interesting introductions, their speech organization, the research that goes into a speech, and their strong conclusions. It is a learned skill, not a 'natural skill'.
VI. Public Communicators must strive to communicate responsibly.
Page 277 begins a discussion about being a responsible speaker. Going back to chapter 1, there are guidelines we talked about when it came to the history of communication. Those guidelines or ideas are still in effect today. We can't just throw ethos, pathos and logos out the window. A speaker must assume the ethical responsibilities of a speaker by presenting the whole truth (not half truths), and speakers should encourage critical thinking and critical evaluation of their messages.
As we can see, communicating in the public sphere is something that requires great responsibility. Have you already taken a public speaking course? Is this review information? Or is this information new to you?
To explore ways students can become more effective public speakers; to explain how speakers go about analyzing audiences, organizing speech materials, and delivering public presentations.
I. The public speech is a unique form of communication.
This brief introduction section of the book, pg. 263, introduces the idea of public speaking. As most of you already know from your public speaking classes, most speeches given in a public setting are usually organized, purposeful, and continuous presentations delivered to a group of receivers. While in a normal conversation speakers and listeners are usually acquainted with one another, in public communication a speaker is generally presenting to a largely anonymous audience.
II. In creating public messages, speakers must create a relationship with the audience.
Here's where we start getting into the nitty-gritty aspect of public communication. When giving a speech, the speaker should always consider their audience, also called audience adaptation (p. 264). A speaker should take into account the demographics of their audience. Page 265 talks about demographic analysis, and defines it this way: "Demographic analysis tells you about the groups to which audience members belong. Knowing the age, sex, education level, religious affiliation, occupation, economic status, and cultural identification of audience members can help a speaker draw inferences about current beliefs and interests." Why is this information important? A speaker should write a speech for their particular audience.
III. Public communication involves careful preparation and organization.
Public speeches can be divided into separate parts, each with its own function. Let's start out with the introduction. In the introduction, a speaker should strive to connect with their audience, and create a desire for an audience to listen to their speech. Some instructors call this "gaining the attention of the audience". However, it should be standard function of any speech. The course text goes over other things that can be included in an introduction, such as offering a greet, posing a rhetorical question, etc.... These are ways to connect with your audience, but entice them to listen and engage in what the speaker is saying.
The body of the speech should be organized in a pattern (see p.270-272 in the course text) to aid in the comprehension of the material being presented. In the body of a speech, a speaker should lay out their major arguments, but also include internal previews, transition statement and internal summaries. All of these function to help audiences understand and follow the structure of a speech.
A speech conclusion is the last chance a speaker has to gain agreement for their position. It also serves to conclude the speech, reiterate the significance of the topic, and summarize the main ideas. Just as the speaker did in the introduction, the speaker should ultimately end the speech strongly by using a quotation, illustration, added inducement or ending with a challenge. This will allow the speaker to end with a bang instead of trailing off (as we have probably noticed this time and time again with speeches).
IV. In public contexts, delivery becomes and important concern.
There are a number of ways to present a speech. The one we focus on a bit more at Sierra College, and a number of other college's around California is the Extemporaneous Speaking Style. In short, speaking extemporaneously means that a speech is preplanned, but not memorized. The speech is well researched and outlined, but the speaker has not memorized the exact wording of the speech. Therefore, while practicing the speech, it will sound different every time a speaker delivers the speech.
There is also Impromptu Speaking, which is a speaking situation where a speaker is confronted with a rhetorical situation, and delivers a speech on the spur of the moment. This does not mean that the speech is disorganized. In fact, in impromptu situations, organization is key.
Manuscript Speaking is also covered in the course text. When precise wording is necessary, manuscript speaking is the preferred method. However, one should note that speaking from a manuscript can be very difficult because one may not connect with the audience, use facial expressions, or nonverbal communication, and should be used only when necessary.
V. It is not necessary to be a "born speaker" to communicate effectively in the public spheres.
Some folks tend to think that they aren't good at public speaking because they aren't 'born a natural public speaker'. Well, let's demystify this - no one is a 'born speaker'. Great public speakers need to work at their interesting introductions, their speech organization, the research that goes into a speech, and their strong conclusions. It is a learned skill, not a 'natural skill'.
VI. Public Communicators must strive to communicate responsibly.
Page 277 begins a discussion about being a responsible speaker. Going back to chapter 1, there are guidelines we talked about when it came to the history of communication. Those guidelines or ideas are still in effect today. We can't just throw ethos, pathos and logos out the window. A speaker must assume the ethical responsibilities of a speaker by presenting the whole truth (not half truths), and speakers should encourage critical thinking and critical evaluation of their messages.
As we can see, communicating in the public sphere is something that requires great responsibility. Have you already taken a public speaking course? Is this review information? Or is this information new to you?
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