1. Becoming a Public Speaker
Chapter One
Becoming a Public Speaker

2. Chapter One The Many Benefits of Public Speaking
Table of Contents
The Many Benefits of Public Speaking
Public Speaking as a Form of Communication
Public Speaking and the Communication Process
Learning to Speak in Public*

3. The Many Benefits of Public Speaking
Becoming a More Knowledgeable Person
Honing Critical Thinking and Listening Skills
Enhancing Your Career as a Student
Accomplishing Professional and Personal Goals
Exploring and Sharing Values*

4. The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Becoming a More Knowledgeable Person
By studying public speaking you will learn about the craft itself and be exposed to a wide range of speech situations you are likely to experience in life.
Grappling with the challenge of explaining things to others will make you possess a greater understanding of the topics you choose to talk about.*

5. The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Honing Critical Thinking and Listening Skills
Public speaking training sharpens your ability to reason or think critically.
You learn to make claims and then present evidence and reasoning that logically support them.
Also, listening skills are improved, which enables you to separate fact from falsehood.*

6. The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Enhancing Your Career as a Student
Preparing speeches involves numerous skills that you can use in other courses:
Research
Oral presentation
Basic communication
Creative thinking*

7. Professional Goals: Personal Goals
The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Accomplishing Professional and Personal Goals
Professional Goals:
People at work use public speaking to convey information, to persuade and motivate others, and even to celebrate their special skills.
Skill in public speaking tops the list of sought-after skills by many organizations.
Personal Goals
Public speaking offers a way to communicate your personal concerns to others.*

8. The Many Benefits of Public Speaking: Exploring and Sharing Values
Public speaking enables you to express values and explore those of others in a civil dialogue, regardless of whether or not the audience shares your viewpoint.*

9. Public Speaking as a Form of Communication
Dyadic communication
A form of communication between two people
Small group communication
Involves a small number of people who can see and speak directly with each other
Mass communication
Occurs between a speaker and a large audience of unknown people
Public speaking
A speaker delivers a message with a specific purpose to an audience of people who are present during the delivery*

10. Public Speaking as a Form of Communication
Similarities between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication
Differences between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication*

11. Public Speaking as a Form of Communication: Similarities between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication
Like small group communication, public speaking requires you to clearly address issues that are relevant to the topic and occasion.
Like mass communication, you have to appeal to a listener’s interest, attitudes, and values.
Like in conversations, you have to attempt to make yourself understood, involve and respond to the listeners, and take responsibility for what you say.*

12. Feedback in public speaking is more restrictive.
Public Speaking as a Form of Communication: Differences between Public Speaking and Other Forms of Communication
Feedback in public speaking is more restrictive.
Preparation must be careful and extensive.
The degree of formality tends to be higher.*

13. Public Speaking and the Communication Process
Communication is an interactive process in which people exchange and interpret messages with one another.*

14. Elements of Communication
Public Speaking and the Communication Process
Elements of Communication
Special Speaker Considerations: Speech Context, Goals, and Outcome*

15. Source Receiver Message Person who creates a message
Public Speaking and the Communication Process: Elements of Communication
Source
Person who creates a message
Encoding
Physical process of delivering a message
Receiver
Recipient of the source’s message
Decoding
The process of interpreting the speaker’s message
Message
Content of the communication process; thoughts and ideas*

16. Channel Audience Perspective
Public Speaking and the Communication Process: Elements of Communication
Channel
The medium through which the speaker sends a message
Noise
The interference that serves as a barrier to communication
Audience Perspective
The needs, attitudes, and values of your audience*

17. Public Speaking and the Communication Process: Elements of Communication
Shared Meaning
Mutual understanding of a message between speaker and audience*

18. Critical Factors to ensure your speech message is effective:
Public Speaking and the Communication Process: Special Speaker Considerations
Critical Factors to ensure your speech message is effective:
Keeping in mind the specific context.
Speech context is anything that influences the speaker, the audience, the speech, the occasion, or the situation.
Maintaining a clear focus on your goal.
Making sure afterward that you have accomplished the goal you set out to reach.*

19. Learning to Speak in Public
Draw on Familiar Skills
Recognize Public Speaking’s Unique Requirements
Aim to Become a Culturally Sensitive Speaker*

20. Learning to Speak in Public
Public speaking is an acquired skill. People who fear it, as well as those with a natural proclivity to it, have to devote time and effort to improvement.*

21. Learning to Speak in Public: Draw on Familiar Skills
There are many skills to public speaking that you have used unknowingly throughout your life, in conversation and writing.*

22. Learning to Speak in Public: Draw on Familiar Skills
Although public speaking requires more thought and effort than ordinary conversations, the two have the same principles.
For example:
Checking to make certain of understanding and adjusting accordingly.
Discussing things that are appropriate for specific circumstances.
Trying to ascertain the interests and attitudes of your listener.*

23. Writing and public speaking also have many similarities.
Learning to Speak in Public: Draw on Familiar Skills
Writing and public speaking also have many similarities.
Like:
Depending on having a focused sense of who the audience is.
Often requiring research and documentation.
Using effective transitions to signal the logical flow of ideas.
Relying on persuasion tactics.

24. Use familiar words and straightforward syntax.
Learning to Speak in Public: Recognize Public Speaking’s Unique Requirements
Use familiar words and straightforward syntax.
Use a conversational tone along with a formal style.*

25. Learning to Speak in Public: Aim to Become a Culturally Sensitive Speaker
Every audience member wants to feel that the speaker has his or her particular needs and interests at heart.
To reach everyone, create a sense of inclusion. You can accomplish this by assuming cultural differences and addressing them with interest and respect.*