Communication and Social InteractionPublic Speaking Lecturer – Jerome Mak

Benefits of Public Speaking• Improve your public speaking abilities• Improve your social and personal abilities• Improve your academic and career skills

Managing Your Anxiety• Reduce the newness of public speaking by

gaining experience• Reduce your self-focus by visualizing

public speaking as conversation• Reduce your perceived differentness from

the audience (think of similarities rather than differences)

Managing Your Anxiety• Reduce your fear of failure by preparing

and practicing• Reduce your anxiety by moving about and

breathing deeply• Avoid chemicals as tension relievers

(these can create problems such as forgetting your speech rather than relieving your anxiety)

Steps in Public Speaking Preparation and Delivery

Step 1: Select Your Topic, Purposes, and Thesis• Your Topic• A Good Public Speaking Topic• Substantive (important)• Appropriate (if you’re male, the stages of

childbirth probably isn’t a good topic)• Culturally sensitive (discussing sex in

some cultures would be thought offensive)

Step 1: Select Your Topic, Purposes, and Thesis• Finding Topics• Yourself (what are you interested in? where

have you lived? what are your talents?)• Brainstorming• Surveys (issues identified in opinion polls as

being of interest)• News items• Topic lists (available online)

Step 1: Select Your Topic, Purposes, and Thesis

• Limiting Topics• System of topics• Tree diagrams• Search directories

(available online)

Step 1: Select Your Topic, Purposes, and Thesis• Purposes• General purpose• Informative (e.g., seminar on career choices)

• Persuasive (e.g., getting you to vote for a politician)

• Specific purposes• Use an infinitive phrase (e.g., to inform my

audience of the new registration procedures)

• Focus on the audience (including the phrase “my audience” keeps you focused on your aim)

• Limit your specific purpose (“and” is a sign you have more than one purpose – choose only one)

• Use specific terms (limit your topic: “colour” rather than “clothing design”)

Step 1: Select Your Topic, Purposes, and Thesis• Your thesis• What is a thesis?• Central idea, theme or essence of speech• Informative thesis – states what you want

audience to learn• Persuasive thesis – states what you want your

audience to believe or accept

• Wording and Using Your Thesis• Limit thesis to one central idea• State thesis as declarative sentence (e.g., we

should all contribute to the homeless)• Use thesis to focus audience attention

Step 2: Analyze Your Audience• Analyzing the Sociology of the Audience• Cultural factor (does the culture of the audience

affect the way they see your topic?)• Age (investment advice for over 60s vs under 30s)• Gender (is your topic of interest to the gender that

makes up your audience?)

• Affectional Orientation (is yours a topic that may be seen differently by gay and straight people?)

• Religion and religiousness (e.g., abortion may not be a suitable topic for some religions)

Step 2: Analyze Your Audience

• Analyzing the Psychology of Audience• How willing is the audience? (are they there

because they have to be?)

• How favorable is the audience? (do they support your view? Start by stressing commonality)

• How knowledgeable is the audience? (don’t teach grandma to suck eggs)

Step 2: Analyze Your Audience

• Analyzing and Adapting During Speech• Focus on listeners as message senders• Address audience responses (“I know this

might seem confusing but bear with me; it will become clear in a minute”)• Ask “what if” questions (“what if my

audience is different to the one I expected?” This will make you think about possible answers as you prepare your speech)

Step 3: Research Your Topic

• Principles of Research• Research for specifics (e.g., the average age

of accountants)

• Research to discover what is known (this is important in informative speeches)

• Research to support a position (this is important in persuasive speeches)

Step 3: Research Your Topic

• Principles of Time Management• Multi-task (research two or more things at once)

• Watch detours (don’t get distracted)

• Access your library from home• Consult your librarian (they know where to find

things fast)

Step 3: Research Your Topic

• Interviewing for Information• Select the person you wish to interview• Secure an appointment• Select your topic area• Create a sheet (list of questions)• Establish rapport with the interviewee• Ask open-ended questions• Display effective interpersonal communication• Ask for permission to tape or print the interview• Close with an expression of appreciation• Follow up with thank-you note

Step 3: Research Your Topic

• Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources (original, comments on, meta-analysis)• Scholarly and popular journals (to

enhance knowledge vs to entertain)• General Reference Sources• Encyclopedias• Specialized reference works• E-mail• Newsgroups and chat groups• Web searches

Step 3: Research Your Topic

• News Sources• Newspaper indexes • Electronic newspaper databases• Newspaper and newsmagazine Web sites• News wire services• News networks online

• Other Sources• PsycINFO and sociological abstracts• Medline• Indexes• Listservs, Usenet, WWW• Book sources

Step 3: Research Your Topic

• The Web• The Open Web (anyone can access)• The Deep Web (needs a password/payment

of fee)• The Social Web (blogs, Facebook, etc.)

• Evaluating Internet Resources• Fairness• Accuracy• Currency• Qualifications• Sufficiency

Step 3: Research Your Topic

• Plagiarism• Violation of another’s intellectual

property rights• You are in college to develop your own

ideas and expression• Evaluations assume work is your own

Step 4: Collect Supporting Materials• Examples, illustrations, and narratives• Stress relevancy• Real v. hypothetical

• Analogies 類比• Figurative analogies (e.g., your degree is a

passport to success)• Literal analogies (e.g., similarities between 2

companies)

Step 4: Collect Supporting Materials• Definitions • Etymology詞源學 (origin of words)• Authority (define according to the inventor)• Negation (e.g., a wife isn’t a cook, cleaner etc…

a wife is..)• Specific examples (human rights: job, wage,

education etc.)

Step 4: Collect Supporting Materials• Testimony• Expert witness testimony (such as psychiatrist)• Eyewitness testimony (person who witnessed

event)

• Numerical Data• Raw numbers – figures unmodified by

mathematical operation• Statistics-complex set of numbers (e.g., average

wage)• Mean, the mode, the median

Step 4: Collect Supporting Materials• Using numerical data• Make clear• Make meaningful• Make explicit• Connect with point• Use in moderation• Reinforce visually

Step 4: Collect Supporting Materials• Presentation Aids• A visual or auditory means for clarifying

ideas• Help you gain attention and maintain

interest• Add clarity• Reinforce your message• Contribute to credibility and confidence• Type of aids: The object (e.g., the jewelry or the

car you are speaking about), Models, Graphs, Word charts, Maps, People, Photographs and illustrations

Step 4: Collect Supporting Materials• Using Presentation Aids• Know your aids intimately (know how they

work and in what order you want to use them)

• Rehearse your speech using aids• Integrate presentation aids into your

speech seamlessly• Avoid talking to your aid (keep eye contact with

the audience)

• Use aid only when relevant (remove it after use or your audience might stay focused on it)

Step 4: Collect Supporting Materials• Computer-Assisted Presentations• Ways of using presentation software• Suggestions for designing slides• Use software templates• Use consistent typeface, size and color• Be brief• Use colors wisely• Use only the visuals you need• Use charts and tables when necessary

Step 5: Develop Main Points• Eliminate points less relevant to thesis• Combine points that have common focus• Select points that are most relevant or

interesting to audience• Use two to four major points (too much

information otherwise)

• Word main points in parallel style (use the same style for the same level of points)

• Develop main points so they are separate and discrete (colour is important; style is important. Not colour and style are important)

Step 6: Organize Your Speech• Organizing will help guide the speech

preparation process (you can see what needs changing)

• Organizing will help your audience understand your speech• Organizing will help your audience

remember your speech • Organizing will help establish your

credibility (your audience will see you put effort into your speech)

Step 6: Organize Your Speech• Temporal (chronological)

• Spatial (top to bottom, left to right)

• Topical (divisions such as faculties)

• Problem-Solution (identify problem, then solution)

• Cause-Effect/Effect-Cause (alcohol use leads to birth defects; birth defects are due to alcohol use)

• Motivated sequence (gain audience’s attention; identify need; identify solution; visualise what would happen if your solution was implemented; identify what action needs to happen for your solution to happen)

Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion & Transitions• Introduction• Gain attention• Ask a question• Use humor• Use a presentation aid• Use a quotation• Cite a little-known fact• Use an illustration or dramatic story

• Establish connection• Between speaker, audience and topic

• Orient audience

Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion & Transitions• Conclusion• Summarize• Restate thesis, importance, main points

• Motivate• Ask for specific response• Provide directions for action

• Close • Use a quote• Pose a challenge or question• Refer back to introduction• Thank audience

Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion & Transitions• Transition• Connectives between parts of speech (e.g.,

“now that we have some idea of … we can examine it further”)

• Previews what is coming next (e.g., “in conclusion..”)

• Reviews remind listeners of what you’ve covered• Signposts (e.g., First… A second argument… Next,

consider… )

Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion & Transitions• Pitfalls• Introductions• Don’t apologize (may be okay in Chinese

culture)• Avoid promising something you won’t deliver• Avoid gimmicks include only relevant items

or actions• Don’t introduce your speech with ineffective

statements (“I’m really nervous, but here goes…”)

Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion & Transitions• Pitfalls• Conclusions• No new material• Don’t dilute (“I hope I wasn’t too nervous…”)• End crisply (don’t drag out your conclusion)

• Transitions• Numbers (too many/too few transitions can cause

problems)

Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion & Transitions• Outline your speech• Preface the outline with identifying data• Outline the introduction, body and

conclusion as separate units• Insert transitions• Include a list of references• Use a consistent set of symbols• Use visual aspects to reflect the

organizational pattern• Use complete, declarative sentences

Step 7: Construct Introduction, Conclusion & Transitions• Sample• Preparation Outline• Template Outline• The Phrase/Key-Word Presentation

Outline• Be brief• Be clear• Be delivery minded• Rehearse with presentation outline

Step 8: Word Your SpeechOral Style is…• Different from written style• Listeners hear a speech only once• Speech must be instantly intelligible• Shorter, simpler, more familiar words

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Choosing words• Clarity• Be economical (blue in colour)

• Use specific terms and numbers (don’t say dog if you want listeners to picture a St Bernard)

• Use signposts (next, first, another argument)

• Use short, familiar terms (use instead of utilise)

• Carefully assess idioms (“go to pieces”)

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Vividness• Active verbs

• Instead of “The teacher was in the middle of the crowd” use “The teacher stood in the middle of the crowd”

• Strong verbs• Instead of “walked” use “strode”, “rambled”, “strutted”

• Figures of speech• Use “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” instead of “I’m

hungry”

• Imagery • Describe height, weight, colour, size; tyres screeching;

the smooth skin of a baby

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Appropriateness• Level of formality • less formal than written essay but more

formal than conversation• Avoid unfamiliar terms• don’t use jargon or acronyms

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Appropriateness• Avoid slang• informal terms that may embarrass your

audience• Avoid ethnic expressions• Words and phrases that are peculiar to a

particular ethnic group (“blood”, “bro”, “my man” for African Americans)

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Personal Style

• Use personal pronouns I, me, my instead of

one’s, the speaker’s, the listeners

• Use questions these can be rhetorical in a large

audience

• Create immediacy• Use personal examples• Address audience as “you”

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Create immediacy• Refer directly to commonalities between

you and the audience• Refer to shared experiences and goals

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Forcefulness/power

• Eliminate weakeners• Avoid hesitations

• Avoid using too many superlatives

• Avoid tag questions (e.g., “This is great, don’t you think?”)

• Avoid self-critical statements (I’m not very good at this)

• Slang and vulgar expressions (low social class = little power)

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Forcefulness/power• Vary intensity as appropriate

• Avoid bromides and cliches 陳詞濫調• Bromides are worn out sayings (It is what it is)

• Cliches are overused phrases (It goes without saying)

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Phrasing sentences• Use short sentences • easier to understand and remember

• Use direct sentences• Easier to understand (I want to tell you of

three main reasons why we should not adopt Program A vs We should not adopt Program A. There are three main reasons.)

Step 8: Word Your Speech

• Phrasing sentences• Use active sentences• The lower court’s decision was reversed by

the Supreme Court vs The Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s decision

• Use positive sentences• The committee did not accept the proposal

vs The committee rejected the proposal• Vary types of sentences• All the same = boring

Step 9: Rehearse Your Speech• Rehearse as a whole including using aids• Time speech• Approximate actual situation as close as

possible to actual conditions• See yourself as speaker use a mirror• Incorporate changes include things like

slow down messages• Rehearse often at least 3 – 4 times

Step 9: Rehearse Your Speech1. Seek feedback2. Learn the differences between effective

and ineffective patterns 3. Seek additional feedback 4. Consult resources for practice exercises

on volume, rate, pitch, and quality5. See a speech clinician6. Seek professional help if you’re

uncomfortable with any aspect of your voice or bodily action

Step 10: Present Your Speech• Effective Presentation • Comfortable• Consistent with subject matter• Interesting, e.g., don’t stand still all the

time

Step 10: Present Your SpeechMethods of Presentation• Impromptu no preparation• From manuscript advantage = don’t forget

what you want to say; disadvantage = difficult to respond to audience feedback

• From memory advantage = free to move about; disadvantage = difficult to respond to audience feedback

• Extemporaneously know what you want to say but speak spontaneously

Step 10: Present Your SpeechMaking presentation effective• Be natural• Use presentation style to reinforce your

message• Dress appropriately• Vary your presentation (slow/fast; louder/softer)

• Be conversational• Be expressive• Avoid common mistakes don’t display discomfort

• Use notes appropriately used sparingly, they show the audience that you have worked on your speech

Step 10: Present Your Speech

Voice• Volume• Rate• Pitch highness or

lowness of your voice

Step 10: Present Your SpeechArticulation and Pauses1. Articulation• Omission (not gov-a-ment, government)

• Substitution (not wader, waiter)

• Addition of sounds or syllables (not ath-a-lete, athlete)

• Accent (not Insurance, insUrance)

• Pronunciations of silent sounds (not ofTen, offen)

Step 10: Present Your SpeechArticulation and Pauses2. Pauses• Filled• Vocalized Pauses - er, um, ah, well, and ‘you

know’• These make you seem unprepared and unsure

• Unfilled• These can be effective• Pause before an important idea; at transition

points; before asking for questions

Step 10: Present Your SpeechBodily Action• Eye contact • Facial expression

• Posture• Gestures (don’t fix your hair)

• Movement• Proxemics (close but not too close)

Step 10: Present Your SpeechHandling Audience Questions• Anticipate likely questions and prepare answers• Encourage questions• Maintain eye contact • Pause before answering• If a question is deemed personal, respond that the

question is not relevant to the topic• If appropriate, thank the questioner or note that it’s a

good question• If you’re asked a question and don’t know the answer,

say so• Q&A sessions can connect with main points• Don’t allow one person to dominate

Step 10: Present Your Speech• Criticizing Speeches• What is criticism?• evaluation

• Culture and criticism• Giving and receiving public criticism

uncomfortable• Guidelines for effective criticism• Don’t express negative evaluation in public• Don’t prove someone wrong• Don’t correct someone’s errors• Don’t ask difficult questions