The Art of Public Speaking

STEPHEN E. LUCAS
12TH EDITION
MCGRAW HILL PUBLISHERS
 First Assignment

In your opinion, why is it important for a student to

develop his/her skills in public speaking?

Think about this question for five minutes. During this

time, come up with at least four supporting details for
your answer. Be ready to report to the class at the end
of the allotted time.
Are you willing to share your writing with the class in
the form of a speech? (Extra Points!)
 Chapter One: Speaking in Public

Definition of Public Speaking: Public speaking, as its name

implies, is a way of making your ideas public—of sharing
them with other people and of influencing other people.

Relevance of Public Speaking: In a survey of 480 companies

and public organizations, communication skills—including public
speaking—were ranked first among the personal qualities of
college graduates sought by employers.

Public speaking is also a vital means of civic engagement. Public

speaking is a form of empowerment. It can—and often does—
make a difference in things people care about very much.
 The Tradition of Public Speaking

Almost all cultures have the equivalent of the English word “orator” to
designate someone with special skills in public speaking.

The oldest known handbook on effective speech was written on papyrus in

Egypt some 4,500 years ago.

In classical Greece and Rome, public speaking played a central role in
education and civic life. It was also studied extensively. Aristotle’s Rhetoric
(3rd century BCE) is still considered the most important work on this subject,
and even today, speakers make use of its principles in preparing their speeches.

Cicero, the great Roman leader, wrote several works on oratory.

In recent years, communication researches have provided an increasingly

scientific basis for understanding the methods and strategies of effective
speech
 Similarities Between Public Speaking and
Conversation

The average adult spends about 30 percent of her or his

waking hours in conversation. Children learn the art of
conversation by trial and error. These are the skills you
employ when you talk to people:
1. Organizing your thoughts logically.
2. Tailoring your message to your audience
3. Telling a story for maximum impact
4. Adapting to listener feedback (verbal, facial, and physical)
Training in public speaking can make you a more adept
communicator in a variety of situations, such as
conversations, classroom discussions, business meetings, and
interviews.
 Differences between Public Speaking and Conversation

1. Public speaking is more highly structured

(there are strict time limits)
2. Public speaking requires more formal language
(slang, jargon, and bad grammar must be avoided)
3. Public speaking requires a different method of
delivery
(voice must be adjusted to be heard by entire
audience, posture must be erect, distracting
mannerisms, and verbal habits must be avoided)
 Developing Confidence: Your Speech Class

According to studies, 41 percent of people surveyed

listed speaking before a group among their greatest
fears.
Stage fright happens to everyone in varying
degrees. Nervousness is normal. In other
words, it is perfectly normal—even desirable—to be
nervous at the start of a speech. Your body provides
extra adrenaline (a hormone released into the
bloodstream in response to physical or mental
stress) to deal with the situation.
 How to Deal with Nervousness

Change your nervousness to positive nervousness: an

enthusiasm which you can control and are no longer
victimized by. Steps to accomplish this involve the
following:
1) Acquire Speaking Experience: Pay lots of
attention in this class! 
2) Prepare, prepare, prepare: Choose a topic you
care about and spend lots of time in preparation.
Remember: each minute of speaking time requires
1 to 2 hours of preparation time.
 Continued

3. Think Positively: If you think you can do it, you

usually can. For each negative thought, you should
counter with a minimum of five positive ones.
4. Use the Power of Visualization: Create a vivid
blueprint in which you see yourself succeeding in your
speech.
5. Know that Most Nervousness is Not Visible:
Only a fraction of the turmoil you are feeling inside is
visible on the outside.
6. Don’t Expect Perfection: There is no such thing as
a perfect speech.
 Extra Tips

Be at your best physically and mentally.

As you are waiting to speak, quietly tighten and relax your
leg muscles, or squeeze your hands together and then
release them.
Take a couple of slow, deep breaths before you start to
speak.
Work especially hard on your introduction.
Make eye contact with members of your audience.
Concentrate on communicating with your audience rather
than on worrying about your stage fright.
Use visual aids.
 Public Speaking and Critical Thinking

Definition of Critical Thinking: It is focused,

organized thinking—the ability to see clearly the
relationships among ideas.

These skills can make the difference between the

articulate debater and the pushover, the careful
consumer and the easy mark, and the A student and
the C student. Critical thinking is the ability to
take information that is readily available and
to reconstruct it differently to gain new
insights.
 Critical Thinking In Speech Preparation

If the structure of your speech is disjointed and

confused, odds are that your thinking is also disjointed
and confused. If, on the other hand, the structure is
clear and cohesive, there is a good chance your
thinking is too. Organizing a speech is not just a
matter of arranging the ideas you already have.
Rather, it is an important part of shaping the ideas
themselves.