University of Guelma Communication Practices

Department of English Mrs. BISKRI

Master II

Why Should We Learn Public Communication?

1. The ability to understand public communication and rhetorical theory is important in all

walks of life. You will have to communicate and understand that communication in relationships that are

friendly, intimate, business-like, formal, short-term, and long-term. Families often rise and fall on their ability to

communicate and listen. Business relationships are built on communication systems. Even if you have not been

in the best communication systems so far, in order to do better in your future, it is important to understand

how people can communicate.

2. Good public speaking skills are important in most careers. Many of you will be asked to

present yourself in public in your job. Some will have to do this in presentations at work; others will have

to sell their product in public. Even if you never give a speech, this does not mean you will never speak in

public. But even above this, good communication skills and a solid grounding in understanding the theory of

public communication will be invaluable in any job.

3. Communication is vital in a democracy. You will be reading many theorists ranging in time

from ancient Greece to America today who argue that the ability for every citizen to voice his opinion is

essential. Without good public speaking skills, you may be at a disadvantage, whether it is before the local

PTA, the local political party, or even if it is just voicing your opinions to your friends about the way you

believe the country should work.

4. Public speaking can help raise self-confidence. You can learn how to overcome fear, knowing

that you are able to express yourself clearly and convincingly in public situations. That skill can, in turn, help

you feel more in control of your own life and more empowered as a communicator.

Ethical Public Speaking

Key issues for today's public speaker center on ethics, cultural awareness, and using

presentation software. Increased access to information puts greater ethical responsibilities on speakers
to carefully research their speeches and scrupulously document their sources. Speakers must remain

especially vigilant against plagiarism. Speaking today also requires applying critical thinking skills to

reflect on and evaluate information. In addition, because they have so many opportunities to learn

about others' perspectives, speakers must speak with cultural sensitivity. Finally, although presentation

software provides an important mechanism for developing visually rich presentations, poor use of

digital slides detracts from the speaker's message.

When we have an audience’s attention, we are in a unique position to influence or persuade listeners

and, at times, to move them to act—for better or worse. With this power to affect the minds and hearts

of others comes responsibility— “a charge, trust, or duty for which one is accountable.”1 Taking

responsibility for your message lies at the heart of being an ethical speaker.

There are two skills that are vital to the rhetorical situation when you are in the audience: listening and

giving feedback. Since all of you will be audience members more often than you will be speakers, it is

essential to think about these skills.

We know humans are capable of listening to twice as much information in a minute than people are able to say.

Consequently, there are many chances for the mind to wander, for people in the audience to think about things other

than the speech. When you are in the audience, however, you can help out the speakers (and yourself) by listening

carefully and critically to your fellow students.

There are many different styles of listening. Sometimes we listen for comprehension and we just want to

gather information. Sometimes we listen therapeutically, when we seek to understand another person’s feelings.

And there are times we listen critically, to evaluate the speaker’s message. We want to listen to learn, but also

to evaluate the speaker’s message. Do we agree with the speaker or not? What criteria would we use to

evaluate the subject of their speech?

How can we listen this way? First, we can concentrate and think about what is being said. Yet, while doing

this, try not to carry on so much of an internal debate with the speaker that you cease listening and start blocking

out what they are saying. Finally, give your attention to the speaker with a mind toward helping them later.

When they sit down, you will be asked to give the speaker “feedback,” and feedback requires careful listening.
 The main purpose of feedback is to help the speaker, not destroy them and their confidence. With that in

mind, try to include positive as well as critical comments in your feedback. If they did something good, tell them.

If they need to work on some aspect of their speaking, lei them know that as well, but do it in a helpful way.

Remem-ber, the more you give feedback, the more you can help the speaker become better in the future. If no

one talks after a speech, the speaker can’t know what they need to do differently in the future. You are

criticizing the speech, not the speaker. So it’s okay to speak up, and okay to give feedback.

Although new communication technologies have transformed how people communicate, four core

ideas provide the foundation for public speaking in any age. First, public speaking requires audience-

centered communication in which speakers focus on listeners' needs, knowledge, and interests.

Second, public speakers must choose excellent supporting materials that fit the audience, topic, and

occasion. Third, public speaking incorporates five arts, or divisions: invention, arrangement, style,

memory, and delivery. These categories provide guidance in learning about public speaking and

developing a speech. Fourth, public speaking encourages narrative thinking, allowing communicators

to use their imaginations, recognize patterns, structure past events, and identify their relationships with

each other and with the world.

Organizing

Models of human communication have evolved from the transmission model that views

communication as one-way, to more sophisticated models that incorporate today's complex

communication environment. Public speaking has eight elements: speaker, message, channel,

audience, noise, feedback, context, and environment. The speaker is the person who has the primary

responsibility for presenting information. The speaker's message includes both verbal and nonverbal

communication. Public speaking typically involves multiple channels of communication, such as

integrating presentation media while speaking in person. The intended recipients of the speaker's

message are the audience. Noise can interfere with the audience's ability to understand the message.

The audience provides feedback in the form of nonverbal responses, questions and comments, and
other communication with the speaker. The context for public speaking includes the physical setting

and the occasion.

The speechmaking process involves six basic stages. First, determine your speech's topic and purpose.

Second, analyze your audience so you can adapt your speech to them. Third, thoroughly research your

topic. Fourth, organize your ideas in a way that fits your topic, purpose, and audience. Fifth, rehearse

your speech aloud, preferably in front of an audience. Sixth, manage your voice and body, presentation

media, audience, and time when you present your speech.

there are various standard patterns of organization which can make speeches clearer.

There are a number of patterns of organization, but we will only speak of the most common here. Some

speeches may be arranged chronologically, from the earliest time period to the latest. If 1 were giving a speech on

the fall of Rome, I might want to begin when Rome was in its glory and end when it was invaded. This would be a

chronological order.

Some speeches can be ordered geographically. You may begin in one part of a country, for instance, and end

in another. Or you may organize your speech in a causal manner, starting with an event that then “causes”

another event to be brought about. If I am giving a speech on why the Roman Empire fell, I may want to structure

it causally by talking about which elements “caused” the fall of the Empire.

There is also an order known as topical. Topical order is probably the most common pattern of organization. For

instance, my speech on Job as a virtuous man would be arranged by the three “topics” that were suggested above.

Most of your speeches will probably end up being arranged topically. (There are other ways to arrange speeches

which we will speak about in the following semesters.)

Once I decide on my pattern of organization, I then need to organize my speech. Here is one method to

use, which breaks any speech down into three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

— The Introduction— Start your speech with some kind of attention-getter. A quote, a startling statistic, a

rhetorical question (one that does not require the audience to answer), or a story or illustration are all good ways

to grab the audience’s attention.

 — Work out an introduction. Lead us into the thesis statement with a few lines that set the scene. Tell us the

general topic of your speech

— Say your thesis. If you don’t tell us early what your thesis is, we may not find out until it is too late. By

then, we in the audience may have given up trying to figure out what you are taking about.

— Finally, preview the points you are going to make. Tell us, in other words, the main things you are going

to tell us. If you have three main points, say what they are going to be. This helps the audience follow you once

you reach the body of the speech.

— The Body— This is where you spend most of the time in the speech. You need to have two or three main

points you wish to make about the thesis. The sub points to these will be helped along by your supporting

material.

— Try, over the next year, to develop transitions, as well. These are sentences that smooth the move from

one point to the next.

— Once you have organized this part of your speech, which should take the most time . . .

— The Conclusion

— Review the points you have made. In this way, you are telling [Link] you just told us, reminding us of

the major points of the speech.

— Conclude. Don’t just stop talking, but try to end with a general set of statements. You may want to end

with a quote or a story or a call to action.

Outlining

Once you organize the material, you need to turn it into an outline. Why? There are several reasons to outline
speeches. First, it is a way to make sure you have the speech organized well. This is vital to any successful
speech, and in order to make sure you learn how to do it right, you are required to turn in a full outline to your
instructor before you speak. Secondly, you do not want to take a manuscript of your speech up front with you.
(If you do, it is likely you will read it and that is not acceptable.) You need something to remind you of what to
say, and the outline is a good tool.
 EVERYONE WHO SPEAKS IN PUBLIC IS NERVOUS.

So it is natural that you feel nervous about speaking. Everyone, to some degree or another, feels that way. And

the less you have spoken in public, the more nervous you probably feel. But don’t forget that most of your

classmates feel the same way. The only “cure” for nervousness in public speaking is . . . well, getting up and

speaking!

There are a number of physical symptoms of nervousness you may experience. You may breathe harder,

your blood pressure may go up, more blood sugar may be released, your body can tense up . . . these are just

some of the things people may experience. But viewed another way, these are also symptoms most athletes feel

before they go out to compete! And just like an athlete, you need to make your nerves work for you, not against

you.

It order to do that, here are a few things to remember. Recall that the audience is not out there criticizing

your every move, waiting for your every mistake. People are hoping you do well. And if you make a mistake —

well, we all make mistakes. It is normal, and one mistake will not ruin your chances for a good grade. Just gather

your thoughts and continue, trying not to dwell on what went wrong. Everyone, even the best speaker, makes

mistakes.

Remember to plan. The more you plan, the less are your chances of making error after error and the more

confident you can be. Also, remember you will get less nervous the more often you speak in public. Finally,

keep in mind that if you weren’t nervous at all, it would be very irregular. Some nervousness may even help you

“get up” for the speech, giving you some adrenaline to help you win your audience over.

So even though you are nervous, “go for it.”

Any speech is not just a simple one-way situation where you speak and people merely hear. It is a complex

series of events. Every speaker faces an audience whose members have their own opinions, desires, attitudes, and

values. These are influenced by their past, their hopes for the future and their present situation. The audience is

more or less “open” to hear your message. The speaker enters with her/his own desires and attitudes, and

her/his own past experience, future hopes and present feelings. The speaker wishes in some way to alter the
audience’s feelings. When we look at the speech situation in this way, we can see that it is an event in which: 1) it

is very important for every speaker to understand the audience and their attitudes and values; 2) it is very

important for the speaker to carefully pick their topics and arrange their argument (because ail speeches are

given for an audience, not just so the speaker can sound off); and 3) the conditions of the speech and the occasion

of the speech have a real impact. We will spend the rest of this booklet going over many of these factors.

Delivery

DO NOT READ YOUR SPEECH. This rule should be strictly adhered to. We realize that it is difficult not
to read a speech — all that work, and no one wants to make a mistake. But mistakes are usually small,
and it is much more important that you give a lively and focused presentation. Reading a speech will
ruin your delivery, no matter how well you read.

We require you to speak in extemporaneous style. This does not mean that you are unprepared. It
means that you speak from notes, in a conversational voice with enthusiasm and interest, and worry
less about the “right” word and more about having the audience understand the “right” idea. You
should practice your speech to know it, but once up front, concentrate on trying to just tell us what you
know.

DO NOT MEMORIZE YOUR SPEECH WORD FOR WORD. Again, extemporaneous speaking is
not memorized. Learn your material and have a clear idea of what you are going to say. But don’t work at recalling
every word. Memorization will make your delivery flat and it will often speed your voice up until you are talking too
fast, It will generally cause you to sound unenthused about your topic, thereby making the audience less interested in
your speech.

If you miss a word or a sentence, it does not matter. Chances are good that no one will notice it. The important
thing is to get your ideas clearly across. So the reason for memorizing or reading — to make sure every word is said
at the right place — is not needed as a part of extemporaneous public speaking.

As far as your own delivery goes, remember that we are not acting. Oratory today is grounded in the idea that the
speaker is comfortable and confident, not stiff and stumbling. BE YOURSELF. Think about what you are saying while
you are saying it, and concentrate on simply getting your information across m as clear a manner as you can.

The vocal cords should be as relaxed as possible. Even if you hear some shaking in your voice, most of the
time the audience will not. Try to clearly enunciate your words. Put some variety in the way you are saying
things. And try not to talk too fast. Most of the delivery work will pay off later in the program, so don’t worry if
the first time is a bit rough. We’ll try to help you know what you need to work on.
Nonverbal

Just a few words on what to do with your body up in front of the class. If you notice your hands shaking,
don’t worry. Everyone shakes and hardly anyone ever notices. Chances are, no one will see.

You should begin to be more comfortable moving up in front of the class. But right now, try to stand
comfortably but also fairly still. Watch swaying back and forth or useless pacing. Remember, anything that can
be distracting to the audience needs to be eliminated.

Simply take a few deep breaths as you go up front and try to relax. Most of the gestures will come naturally
n
as you do more speeches, so you don’t need to try to make your hands do anything special. Place them in front of
you however, and try to keep them out of your pockets or from behind your back.

We have given you a lot of information — perhaps too much to digest the first time around. And perhaps the
more you read, the more nervous you became! Well, try not to worry. Remember, it is everyone’s first speech;
you are not alone in being apprehensive. Also, remember that the first speech is not graded. It is for your
benefit, to help you get comfortable and learn about speaking in public.

Learning effective presentation skills is the key to overcoming the fear

fear and anxiety of public
communication and becoming
coming a powerful, persuasive speaker.

Confident speaking is a hallmark of the successful professional. This how-to

how guide to public
speaking and improving presentation and communications skills is designed for managers, business
people, teachers, researchers,
archers, corporate executives, students, and anyone who must give professional
presentations.

Effective public speaking begins the moment the presenter walks on stage or steps behind the

podium or stands in front of a group. Body language and appropriate dress

dress give the first

impressions of a speaker to an audience. Being well groomed and using confident body

language, with tall posture and eye contact, sends a message that the speaker is someone that

the audience should listen to.

An old saying tells us that

that one picture is worth a thousand words. This is true since about 85%

of our knowledge comes to uss through visual impressions. Visual presentation aids can be an essential

part of giving speeches, and when used correctly, can drive home key points and enhance persuasive

speaking.
Audio and visual aids can be as simple or as complex as the speaker desires. Simple aids

include charts, graphs, and key points drawn on chart paper, handouts for the audience, clips

of music or video, or props used by the presenter on stage.

Light backgrounds with dark colors have the most impact, and give better visual acuity. This

is especially important when making a presentation in a large auditorium. Black, blue, red,

and green are the colors most visually appealing. They also give a psychological impact.

Public speeches are much more interesting when visual and audio aids are included. The

speaker appeals to three levels of learning; auditory, visual, and verbal. Keeping these

guidelines in mind when creating audio visual aids will make the presentation effective,

powerful, and memorable. No matter what type visual aids you plan to use, prepare them ahead of

time. This way you will have time and resources to devise a creative attractive visual aid that will

enhance your presentation.

If you can get your message across in fifteen minutes, why take thirty-five? To sound more

intelligent? To “impress” your audience? To show how hard you worked? The truth is, no one likes

a speech that runs too long. Even if your speech is interesting, the audience wants it to end. And if

your speech is boring, the audience wants it to end even sooner!