BUILDING CONFIDENCE Lesson 1 Intro to Public Speaking

Business meeting game  Make a tie or a bow.  Write 2-3 facts on it and your name.  1 fact should not be true.  Go around the room and try to guess which is not true.

Introduction  What is your major? How can you see yourself having to speak in public in the future? Agree or Disagree:  “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your brain won’t get you anywhere.”(Lee Iacocca)

Similarities Between Public Speaking & Conversation  Same goals: inform, persuade, entertain  Organizing your thoughts logically  Tailoring your message to your audience  Telling a story for maximum effect  Adapting to listener feedback

Differences Between Public Speaking & Conversation Public speaking requires:  more structure  more formal language  different method of delivery.

Critical thinking skills: Strengths & weaknesses of an argument Credibility of sources Logical relationships among ideas, Soundness of evidence, Differences between fact and opinion. Structure of speech parallels thinking on topic--disjointed & confused OR clear & cohesive. Public Speaking and Critical Thinking

Public Speaking and Critical Thinking, cont. Skills learned in PS will help you become a more effective thinker in:  Organizing ideas  Expressing idea in clear, accurate language  Thinking clearly and accurately  Using evidence & reasoning effectively  Critically assessing ideas of speakers & writers

The Speech Communication Process  Speaker  Speaker —person presenting oral message to listener  Message  Message —whatever speaker communicates to someone else  Channel -  Channel --means by which message is communicated  Listener -  Listener --person who receives speaker’s message

The Speech Communication Process, cont.  Feedback -  Feedback --messages, usually nonverbal, sent from a listener to a speaker  Interference -  Interference --anything that impedes communication of message (external to listener or internal to listener)  Situation -  Situation --time & place in which communication occurs

Interference Parlez-vous Francais? Schprechen sie Deutsch?

Public Speaking in a Multicultural World How diverse is Russia? 150 languages, >100 nationalities Ethnocentrism—belief that one’s own group or culture is superior to others T/F Avoiding ethnocentrism means that you must agree with values and practices of all groups and cultures??? How can you avoid ethnocentrism when speaking & listening to speeches?

Avoiding Ethnocentrism  Put yourself in shoes of other backgrounds.  Use a variety of examples & comparisons.  Use visual aids to overcome language barriers.  Be alert to feedback.

Public Speaking Produces Anxiety in Most People 3. Death 2. Snakes 1. Public Speaking People’s Biggest Fears

Stage Fright (Communication Apprehension) FightFlight

Managing Stage Fright 1. Understand it. 2. Select interesting topics. 3. Be prepared. 4. Use extra energy constructively. 5. Realize audience is FOR you. 6. Remember fear isn’t obvious. 7. Maintain sense of humor.

How to overcome nervousness  Know the room. Arrive early  Know the audience. Ask and greet  Know your material. Practice and revise

How to overcome nervousness  Relax. Use Deep-breathing Techniques  Work from your personal brand Work from your personal brand (Try the exercise) Visualize yourself giving your speech. =success  Realize that people want you to succeed.

How to overcome nervousness  Don't apologize.  Concentrate on the message -- not the fear.  Turn nervousness into positive energy. = vitality and enthusiasm

How to overcome nervousness  Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking.

Bag Speech  Give a short (2-2 1/2 minutes) speech of introduction telling class how you view yourself.  Place 3 or 4 items which you think help explain who you are inside a bag. (The bag itself should tell something about you.)  Use the objects in the bag & tell the class how they are descriptive of how you view yourself. (Items may be symbolic.)

3 Cs  Clear  Concise  Consistent message It's quite simple. Say what you have to say and when you come to a sentence with a grammatical ending, sit down." - Winston Churchill