1. Human Communication: The Basic Course Twelfth Edition
PowerPoint™ Presentations prepared by:
Naomi Young
University of California, San Diego
Joseph A. DeVito
Hunter College of the City University of New York

2. Chapter Fourteen: Topics, Audiences, And Research
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3. Chapter Goals Learn About: The nature of public speaking
The very normal nervousness that most people feel
The first three steps for preparing a public speech
Learn To:
Manage your anxiety
Select an appropriate speech topic, purpose and thesis
Analyze and adapt to your audience
Research your topic
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4. Introducing Public Speaking
Speaker presents a continuous message to an audience in a unique context
The Western tradition of public speaking began in ancient Greece and Rome
Aristotle’s Rhetoric, written some 2,300 years ago in ancient Greece
One of the earliest systematic studies of public speaking
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5. Benefits of Public Speaking
Improve your public speaking abilities
Improve your social and personal abilities
Improve your academic and career skills
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6. Managing Your Apprehension
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
Reduce your fear of failure by preparing and practicing
Reduce your anxiety by moving about and breathing deeply
Avoid chemicals as tension relievers
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7. The Steps in Public Speaking Preparation and Delivery
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8. Step 1: Select Your Topic, Purposes, and Thesis
A Good Public Speaking Topic
Substantive
Appropriate
Culturally sensitive
Finding Topics
Yourself
Brainstorming
Surveys
News items
Topic lists
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9. Limiting Topics Topoi Tree diagrams Search directories
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10. Purposes General purpose Specific purposes Informative Persuasive
Use an infinitive phrase
Focus on the audience
Limit your specific purpose
Use specific terms
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11. Your Thesis What is a thesis? Wording and Using Your 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
Use thesis to focus audience attention
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12. Step 2: Analyze Your Audience
Analyzing the Sociology of the Audience
Cultural factor
Age
Gender
Affectional Orientation
Religion and religiousness
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13. Step 2: Analyze Your Audience
Analyzing the Psychology of Audience
How willing is the audience?
How favorable is the audience?
How knowledgeable is the audience?
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14. Step 2: Analyze Your Audience
Analyzing and Adapting During Speech
Focus on listeners as message senders
Address audience responses
Ask “what if” questions
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15. Step 3: Research Your Topic
Principles of Research
Research for specifics
Research to discover what is known
Research to support a position
Principles of Time Management
Multi-task
Watch detours
Access your library from home
Consult your librarian
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16. Step 3: Research Your Topic
Research notes
Create folders
Key your notes
Take complete notes
Libraries and Bookstores
Libraries and bookstores
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17. Interviewing for Information
Select the person you wish to interview
Secure an appointment
Select your topic area
Create a cheat sheet
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
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18. Step 3: Research Your Topic
Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources
Scholarly and popular journals
General Reference Sources
Encyclopedias
Specialized reference works
and listservs
Newsgroups and chat groups
Web searches
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19. 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
ERIC
Indexes
Listservs, Usenet, WWW
Book sources
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20. Step 3: Research Your Topic
The Web
The Open Web
The Deep Web
The Social Web
Evaluating Internet Resources
Fairness
Accuracy
Currency
Qualifications
Sufficiency
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21. 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
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22. Integrating and Citing Research
Mention source
Provide smooth transitions
Avoid useless expressions
Use signal verbs
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23. Knowledge to Action
Brainstorm some speech topics and choose one to focus on as a class. How would the speech topic be presented differently if the audience were children, young adults, or the elderly?
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