Fatima V.

Al Amiri December 02, 2011 AB English Public Speaking

A. Nature of Public Speaking

1. Essence of Public Speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. It is closely allied to "presenting", although the latter has more of a commercial connotation. In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as "who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?" The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, to simply telling a story. Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just to inform them. Public speaking can also be considered a discourse community. Interpersonal communication and public speaking have several components that embrace such things as motivational speaking, leadership/personal development, business, customer service, large group communication, and mass communication. Public speaking can be a powerful tool to use for purposes such as motivation, influence, persuasion, informing, translation, or simply entertaining. A confident speaker is more likely to use this as excitement and create effective speech thus increasing their overall ethos.

2. Etymology of Communication

Communication is of Latin origin. It is derived from the word communis, which means common. As a fundamental social process, communication is the attempt to establish common understanding with someone using a media and expecting for a feedback. 3. Purposes of Public Speaking a. To Entertain. It seems that the best public speakers these days tend to be the comedians and storytellers who can make us laugh or touch our emotions. If you have good storytelling techniques, you can command the attention of any audience. As a public speaker, you can lift the spirits of your listeners through an entertaining presentation and still any of the items listed below as well.

Fatima V. Al Amiri December 02, 2011 AB English Public Speaking

b. To Educate. A well-prepared public speaker can help anyone of any age learn new ideas, concepts and skills. In formal settings such as schools, a good speaker moves students beyond "Do I haft a learn this?" to "I can't believe I learned so much!" Outside of learning institutions, there are many places for anyone to give great educational speeches such as community organizations and health-care institutions. Smart people of any age always want to learn and there is a place for you to teach with public speaking.

c. To Convince. If you want someone to change his or her mind about a subject, then public speaking is the key to that change. While the Internet has brought us many ways to be in touch, the well-told story from an authentic speaker is still King in communication.

d. To Inspire. While the "motivational speaker" may be a clich that is abused on comedy shows, a person who is passionate about their topic and has coupled that with effective audience-reaching speaking skills can inspire both young and old to reach for something beyond them. While most public speakers try to create positive messages, it is possible to fall into a fifth reason for speaking: to manipulate. When you speak, think about your goals and reason for speaking. Are you trying to build up your community and the people in it? Or, are you attempting to build up something or someone through false stories and lies? Be wary of manipulating your audience through your speeches. Public speaking can be fun and educational for both your audience and you. Create some good presentations today. Many people are nervous about public speaking, but a good coach and teacher can help you overcome that hurdle. The author, Sean Buvala, has been speaking about and training clients in the use of storytelling techniques for public speaking since 1986. Hundreds of companies and thousands of individual learners have experienced his work as a coach. He is the executive director of Storyteller.net and lives in Arizona.

4. Principles of Good Speech

Fatima V. Al Amiri December 02, 2011 AB English Public Speaking

a. Command attention verbally and non-verbally. As well as words, gestures and body language are important in conveying your point. Your position in a room and eye contact are important factors in holding attention. b. Provide overview and timing cues. Let the audience know how long you plan to speak - this will make them more likely to pay attention throughout. If you are giving a long speech, break it up with summaries or question and answer sessions. c. Use simple language. A listener can only understand new information if it is conveyed in a manner that is familiar to them.

d. Repeat key points. The subtle and deliberate repetition of key points makes sure that key ideas stick in the minds of the audience. e. Rule-example-rule procedure. Reinforcing a rule or piece of information with an example, particularly when teaching, is an effective way of ensuring understanding. f. Use linking signals. Words like 'because', 'therefore' or 'this is consistent with' emphasize to the audience that the points you are making are linked and form a wider understanding. g. Metaphor and analogy. The use of metaphor and analogy is proven to promote memory and understanding because they take advantage of prior knowledge. h. Avoid vagueness. Vague phrases like 'a good deal' or 'not everybody wants this' do not help improve understanding and can lead to confusion. i. Avoid false starts. Speakers often fall into the trap of beginning a sentence and changing

Fatima V. Al Amiri December 02, 2011 AB English Public Speaking

thought mid-stream. Again this can confuse the listener and hinder understanding. j. Avoid discontinuity. Speeches are often interrupted and confused by irrelevant interludes and time-wasting. It is important to stick to an efficient and simple structure.