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How to Use This Book

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A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking, Fourth Edition, is designed to provide quick, clear answers to your questions about public speaking—whether you’re in a public speaking class, in a course in your major, on the job, or in your community. Here, you will find the tools you need to prepare and deliver a wide range of speeches and presentations.

In Part 1 through Part 6, you will find chapters covering all the steps necessary to create a speech—from planning, research, and development to organization, practice, and delivery. Chapters in Part 7 contain guidelines for creating three of the most commonly assigned speeches in public speaking classes: informative, persuasive, and special occasion. For specific guidelines on preparing online presentations, communicating and speaking in small groups, and speaking on the job, see Part 8. Part 9 contains advice on speaking in other college courses, from science and math to engineering, education, and nursing and allied health.

Finding What You Need

TABLES OF CONTENTSBrowsing through the brief table of contents inside the front cover will usually guide you to the information you need. If not, consult the more detailed table of contents included inside the back cover.

INDEXIf you can’t locate what you need in either set of contents, consult the index at the back of the book, beginning on page 337. This can be especially useful if you’re looking for something specific and you know the term for it. For example, if you need to prepare a sales presentation for a business course, you could simply look under “sales presentations” in the index and then go to the designated pages.

LISTS OF FEATURESOn pages 352–55, you’ll find a quick guide to some of the most often consulted parts of this book: the Checklists, Quick Tips, Visual Guides (illustrated explanations of key points), and full-length model speeches.

SPEAKING BEYOND THE SPEECH CLASSROOMIn Part 8, “Online, Group, and Business Contexts,” you’ll find useful information on preparing online presentations, communicating and speaking in teams, and speaking in the workplace. In Part 9, “Speaking across the Curriculum,” you’ll find detailed directions for speaking in a range of college classes, including courses in the social sciences, arts and humanities, education, science and mathematics, engineering and architecture, and nursing and allied health.

GLOSSARYFor definitions of key terms highlighted in the book, see pages 300-320.

Quick Speech Preparation

If you have to prepare a speech quickly (for example, giving a first speech early in the semester), consult Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 in A Pocket Guide:

Chapter 1, “Becoming a Public Speaker,” provides a brief discussion of public speaking basics.
Chapter 2, “From A to Z: Overview of a Speech,” offers quick guidance on each step in the speechmaking process, from selecting a topic to delivery.
Chapter 3, “Managing Speech Anxiety,” provides techniques that will help you overcome any fears you may have.

For more on specific types of speeches, consult Chapter 23, Chapter 24, and Chapter 25 in Part 7 on informative, persuasive, and special occasion speeches, or the appropriate chapter in Part 9.

Other Useful Tools

CITATION GUIDELINESAppendix A (pp. 278–92) contains guidelines for documenting sources in the following styles: Chicago, American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), Council of Science Editors (CSE), and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

TIPS FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISHAppendix D (pp. 296–99) addresses the most common ESL challenges, including difficulty pronouncing words and problems in being understood.