Unit 1

Introduction
to
Public
Speaking
 Chapter 1
Speaking in Public
 Why Study Public
Speaking?
• Empowerment
– Give you an edge
– Audition for leadership
• Employment
– 1st factor sought by employers
– 2nd is writing skills
 Public Speaking and
Conversation
• Public speaking is more
planned
• Public speaking is more
formal
• The roles of public speakers
and audiences are more
clearly defined
 What is Communication?
• The sending and receiving of messages in
order to establish shared meaning
• Requires Competence In:
* Understanding Cultural
Guidelines
* Critical Thinking
* Ethics
* Power
* Listening
Models of Communication

Linear
Interactional
Transactional
 Interference / Noise
Frame of Frame of
Reference Reference
Encode Decode

Messages
&
Context
Decode Encode

Sender Points of Receiver

Contact
The Communication Model
 Frame of Reference
• Age • Education
• Gender • Experiences
• Ethnicity • Interests
• Environment • Dislikes
• Culture • Prejudices
• Family • Self-Perceptions
• Values • Personal
• Beliefs Expectations
 Messages & Context
Messages Context
• Feedforward • Setting / Situation
• Feedback • Timing
• Meanings • Cultural Rules
Channels • Relationships
Visual & Auditory between
communicators
Tactile & Chemical
 Noise
Internal External

Physiological Environmental
(Auditory and
Psychological Visual)
7 Principles of Communication
1. Communication is a process of
adjustment
2. Communication is a Package of
Messages
3. Communication is Ambiguous
(Messages can have multiple
meanings)
7 Principles of Communication
4. Communication Involves content
and relational dimensions
5. Communication is punctuated
(Organized into stimuli/response)
6. Communication is Purposeful
7. Communication is Inevitable,
Irreversible, and Unrepeatable
 Public Speaking and
Audience Diversity
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Culture
 Chapter 2
Overview
of the
Speechmaking
Process
 Consider Your Audience
• Needs
• Attitudes
• Beliefs
• Values
• Other Characteristics
 Select and Narrow
Your Topic
• Who is the audience?
• What is the occasion?
• What are my interests, talents,
experiences?
 Determine Your Purpose
• To Inform
– Teach
– Define
– Illustrate
– Clarify
• To Persuade
• To Entertain
Develop Your Central
Idea
• Does it have logical
divisions?
• Reasons idea is true?
• Can you support with
series of steps?
Gathering Verbal/Visual
Supporting Material
• Facts
• Examples
• Definitions
• Quotations
• Relate Material to Listeners’
Lives
Organize Your Speech
• Central Idea
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• Outlining
Rehearse Your Speech
• Practice Out Loud
• Practice Eye
Contact
• Decide On Style
Deliver Your Speech
• Assess Audience
• Use Effective Eye
Contact
• Concentrate on Message
and Audience
• Use Conversational
Style
 Chapter 3
Credibility, Ethics
and
Public Speaking
Aristotle’s Persuasive Appeals
• Ethos - Speaker Credibility
• Pathos - Message Tone
• Logos - Message Logic /
Reasoning
• Mythos - Implied / Symbolic
Meaning
 Credibility
Defined:
The Audience’s Perception of
Whether a Speaker Is Qualified to
Speak on a Given Topic.

Two Main Factors:

Competence and Character
 Competence Character
How the Audience How the Audience
Regards the Regards the Speaker’s:
Speaker’s:
• Sincerity
•Intelligence
•Trustworthiness
•Expertise
•Concern for the
•Subject Audience
Knowledge
 Types of Credibility
• Initial - before the presentation (past
knowledge and first
impressions)
• Derived - Developed during the speech
delivery
• Terminal - What is thought after the
speech is completed
Credibility Is Significantly
Affected by Delivery
• Rate of Speech
• Dialect/Accent and Inflection
Patterns
• Use of Language
• Use of Vocalized Pauses and Fillers
• Use of Body Language and
Appearance
 Ways to Build Credibility
Before, During, and After the Speech,
Project the Qualities of:
• Competence
• Concern
• Trustworthiness
• Dynamism
 Ethics
Defined:
The branch of philosophy that deals
with issues of right and wrong in
human affairs

Ethical Decisions:
Involve weighing a potential action
against a set of ethical standards or
guidelines.
 Speakers Make Ethical
Decisions When:
• Selecting a Topic
• Researching the Speech
• Organizing the Message
• Delivering the Speech
 The First Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution
I. Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of
grievances.
 Ethical Speaking Guidelines
1. Develop a Clear, Responsible Goal
2. Use Sound Evidence and Reasoning
3. Demonstrate Sensitivity to and
Tolerance of Differences
4. Speak Honestly
5. Avoid Plagiarism
6. Follow the Guidelines for Ethical
Listening
 Ethical Listening
• Communicate Your Expectation and
Provide Feedback
• Be Sensitive To and Tolerant Of
Differences
• Listen Critically
• Hold The Speaker To His or Her
Ethical Responsibilities
Three Types of Plagiarism
• Global - Stealing an Entire Message and
Claiming It As Your Own
• Patchwork - Taking Ideas From Two or
Three Sources and Not Crediting the
Source
• Incremental - Failing to Give Credit for
Particular Parts of a Message (Quotations,
Paraphrases, Statistics, Etc.)
Protect Yourself from Committing
Accidental Plagiarism
• Be Careful When Taking Research
Notes
– Distinguish Between:
• Direct Quotations
• Paraphrased Material
• Your Own Ideas
• When in Doubt, Always Cite Your
Source
 Chapter 4
Improving
Your
Confidence
 Reasons for Being Nervous

1. Fear of Being Stared At

2. Fear of Failure
3. Fear of Rejection
4. Fear of the Unknown
 Understanding Speaking
Apprehension
1. Realize That Some Apprehension Is
Normal
2. Understand the Type of Apprehension
You Are Experiencing
Apprehension Can Be Based On:
a. Context - Type of Communication
b. Audience - Reaction to Receiver(s)
c. Situation - Timing or Level of
Preparation
d. Personality – Trait-like Characteristics
 Causes of Apprehension
Influences Situational Elements
• Heredity • Novelty
(Communibiology) • Formality
• Modeling • Status
• Childhood • Unfamiliarity
Reinforcement • Degree of Attention
• Expectancy from Others
Learning
 Reactions to Apprehension
• Physiological Reactions
– Fight or Flight – Adrenaline Rush
• Behavioral Reactions
– Avoidance and Excuse-making
• Psychological Reactions
– Feelings of Failure Before the Event
– Hyper Awareness
– Loss of Concentration
Understanding Your
Apprehension

Using the Personal Report of

Communication Apprehension
PRCA-24
 The PRCA-24
Sub-Scores
Low Moderate High

6 15-18 30
Mean St. Deviation
Group 15.4 4.8
Meeting 16.4 4.8
Interpersonal 14.5 4.2
Public Speaking 19.3 5.1
 The PRCA-24
Overall: Trait-like CA
Low Moderate High

24 50 65 80 120
Mean St. Deviation
Overall Score 65.6 15.3
 Coping Strategies
(Treatments)
• Cognitive Restructuring
• Visualization
• Systematic Desensitization
• Rhetoritherapy (Skills Training)

Physical Exercises
Breathing / Stretching / Isometric
 Guidelines for Controlling
Nervousness
1. Put Fear Into Perspective
• Accept some fear as normal
• Analyze the cause of the fear
2. Build Confidence with Preparation and
Practice
3. Use Positive Self-Suggestion to Combat
Anxiety
 Building Your Confidence
• Know Audience
• Be Prepared
• Select Appropriate Topic
• Recreate Environment
• Know Introduction And
Conclusion
Building Your Confidence
• Visualize Success
• Use Deep-breathing
• Focus On Message
• Mental Pep Talk
• Channel Energy
• Seek Opportunities