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Public Communication

Public communication as enlarged conversation (James Winans, 1938) Preparation time Turn-taking delay

Public speaking in everyday life: A means to three important goals Personal satisfaction to give voice Being effective citizens Linking to professional success ( Stanford study)

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Types of Public Speeches Speaking to entertain

To engage, interest, amuse listeners May include information about occasion Humor and offense Narrative speaking

Speaking to inform To increase listeners’ understanding, awareness May take form of demonstration

Speaking to persuade To change attitudes, beliefs, behaviors

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Features of Public Speaking

Greater responsibility to plan and prepare Evidence Reasoning Structure of ideas Delivery practice

Less interaction Speaker dominates Listeners still participate “actively”

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Preparing and Presenting Effective public speaking is a process, not an

isolated event. The process begins with understanding of credibility and ways to earn it.

Earning credibility Listener believing in a speaker and trust what is said Based on listeners perceptions of speaker’s position,

authority, knowledge, dynamisms, and trustworthiness Initial credibility: Titles, experience Derived credibility: During presentation Terminal credibility: Cumulative combination of two

above

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Preparing and Presenting

1. Planning Public Speeches

2. Researching and SupportingPublic Speeches

3. Organizing Speeches

4. Developing Effective Delivery

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Planning Public Speeches

Selecting a topic Topic that you care about Appropriate to listeners Appropriate to situation Limited in scope

Defining the purpose General and specific purpose

Developing the thesis Clear thesis statement – “I want listeners to buckle up.”

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Researching and SupportingPublic Speeches

Evidence To make ideas more clear, more compelling To fortify speakers opinions (more persuasive) To heighten speaker’s credibility Effectiveness depends on whether listeners

accept. Five forms of evidence:

Statistics, Examples, Comparisons, Quotations, Visual aids

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Researching and SupportingPublic Speeches

Checking on evidence Statistics still valid? Quoted person’s personal interest (biased?) Quoted person an expert? Example representative? Comparison fair? Visual aids clear?

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Organizing Speeches Effectiveness can be increased:

Structure - Ideas coming in some order Organized speech more persuasive than disorganized

one Organization reflects preparation and enhances

credibility. Organization:

The introduction The body Conclusion Transitions

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Organization of Speech The introduction

To gain attention, state the thesis, preview the claims The body of the speech

To organize content into related points Temporal (Time) pattern Spatial pattern Topical pattern Comparative pattern Problem-solution pattern Cause-effect; effect-cause pattern Motivated sequence pattern: Order of human thought

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Organization of Speech

Motivated sequence pattern: 5 sequential steps Attention step Need step Satisfaction step Visualization step Action step

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Organization of Speech

Conclusion A good speech ends on a strong note. Summarizing main ideas Leaving a memorable final ideas

Transitions Moving from one idea to another Words, phrases

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Developing Effective Delivery

Speaker’s credibility Oral style is more personal than written: I vs.

The speaker Eye contact Immediacy; short sentences rather than long

ones Rhetorical questions, interjections,

redundancy

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Four Styles of Delivery

Impromptu delivery Little or no preparation; not for novice speaker

Extemporaneous delivery Substantial preparation; relying on notes not exact

words; politician, attorney Manuscript delivery

Presenting written manuscript; precision Memorized delivery

Presenting memorized text; risk of canned delivery lacking dynamism; forgetting

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Challenges in Public Speaking

Understanding and controlling anxiety Causes of communication apprehension Reducing communication apprehension

Adapting to audiences Learning about listeners Tailoring speeches to listeners

Listening critically to speakers Four checking questions (p. 298)

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Understanding Anxiety

Causes of apprehension Unfamiliar with people (audience) Uncertain situations Being in the spotlight Being evaluated Past failure Chronic; Learned apprehension

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Reducing Anxiety

Methods of reducing apprehension Systematic desensitization

Relax and reduce psychological features

Cognitive restructuringIdentify and challenge negative self-statement

Positive visualizationEnact positive mental pictures in speaking situation

Skills training