Chapter 14 Outline

What to Expect

Chapter Outline

  1. It is normal to experience public speaking anxiety (PSA), the nervousness we feel when approaching a public speaking situation.
    1. Communication apprehension (CA) is “fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication,” such as answering a question in class or meeting new people.
    2. Common anxiety triggers include upsetting past experiences, fear of evaluation, and distaste for attention.
    3. There are several effective methods for building up confidence to deal with public speaking anxiety.
      1. Embrace your anxiety; it can have positive effects, such as driving you to be more prepared and giving you energy.
      2. Desensitize yourself by getting up in front of crowds in less threatening situations.
      3. Visualize your success using performance visualization, which allows you to define situations and reduce uncertainty.
      4. Take care of yourself: get enough rest, budget your time effectively to make room for your speech practice sessions, try to eat a light meal before the presentation, and try relaxation techniques.
      5. Be prepared: adequately preparing for your speech will increase the likelihood of success and lessen your apprehension.
      6. Rehearse your delivery in front of friends, or try recording a few practice sessions and ask friends for feedback.
      7. Challenge yourself and reframe your anxiety, viewing your presentation as an opportunity to gain a valuable new skill.

    Ask Yourself:

    • Do you struggle with public speaking anxiety?
    • How can you overcome this to be a more confident and effective speaker?
  2. There are four primary methods for delivering a speech.
    1. Speaking from manuscript involves reading a speech verbatim from a written text.
    2. Speaking from memory, often referred to as oratory, involves preparing a speech and committing it to memory.
    3. Speaking spontaneously, with no warning or preparation beforehand, is known as impromptu speaking.
      1. Think on your feet.
      2. Reflect on what other speakers have said.
    4. Extemporaneous speaking makes the speech look easy and impromptu, but it’s actually based on an outline of key words and phrases or presentation aids and requires a great deal of practice.
      1. Prepare well in advance.
      2. Use an outline.
      3. Practice as much as possible.

    Ask Yourself:

    • Based on the purpose of your speech, which type of delivery is most appropriate?
  3. There are guidelines for effective delivery.
    1. It is important to have an effective vocal delivery when speaking.
      1. Vary your pitch, the sound range from high to low, to avoid a monotone (not varying your pitch at all).
      2. Adjust your speaking rate (speed) and volume (loudness).
      3. Use pauses for effect.
      4. Speak clearly and precisely, using correct pronunciation (correct formation of word sounds).
        1. Articulation is the clarity and forcefulness with which the sounds are made.
        2. Mumbling is omitting certain sounds in a word, running words together, and speaking too softly to be heard.
        3. Accents are patterns of pronunciation specific to a certain upbringing, geographical region, or culture.
    2. Visual cues can enhance or distract from a presentation.
      1. Dress for the occasion: the way you dress is your visual résumé.
      2. Use effective eye behavior, such as maintaining appropriate eye contact through scanning (moving your eyes across the audience).
      3. Incorporate appropriate facial expressions and gestures to amplify the meaning of your speech.
      4. Control your body movements so that the audience can focus on your words. You can achieve proper posture (the position of your arms and legs and how you carry your body) through planting, standing with your legs shoulder-distance apart and your knees slightly bent.
    3. Connect with your audience.
      1. Expressing emotion helps your audience connect with you and the content of your speech.
      2. Adapt to your audience, gauging their responses to what you say and do so that you can make adjustments to your speech as you go along.
      3. Create immediacy (a feeling of closeness, involvement, and warmth between you and your audience, as communicated by nonverbal behavior).
    4. There are special points to keep in mind when delivering a speech for an online course.
      1. Be clear about your assignment, and check your instructor’s preferences for speech delivery.
      2. Be mindful of speaking rate and volume.
      3. Note the location of your video camera.
      4. Involve your audience by establishing eye contact with the camera, smiling, using inclusive gestures and posture, speaking in a conversational tone, and using humor.
      5. Take your presentation seriously.

    Ask Yourself:

    • How can you connect with your audience based on your specific speech topic?
    • What are the differences and similarities between speeches delivered in person and online?
  4. Presentation aids can add to the effectiveness of a speech when used appropriately.
    1. There are three functions of presentation aids, which should supplement your speech, rather than substituting for it.
      1. Aids help listeners process and retain the information.
      2. Aids promote interest and motivation.
      3. Aids convey information clearly and concisely.
    2. Based on the needs of your presentation, you can choose among various types of presentation aids.
      1. Props (objects) and models (scaled versions of objects)
      2. Media clips and images
      3. Graphs and charts (including bar graphs and pie charts)
      4. Posters and transparencies
      5. Flip charts and whiteboards
      6. Handouts
      7. Presentation slideware (Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, Prezi)

    Ask Yourself:

    • Which aids are most appropriate for your topic and purpose?
  5. Practice and polish your speech presentation.
    1. Remember your speaking outline. Make sure that it is easy to follow and that you are comfortable using it.
    2. Practice using presentation aids ahead of time.
      1. Eliminate surprises by practicing with technology before your speech.
      2. Be proactive by testing the facilities in advance, if possible.
      3. Write notes and delivery cues to yourself on your delivery outline.
      4. Rehearse your demonstrations with a partner.
      5. Have a backup plan in case something doesn’t work as planned.
    3. Simulate the speaking situation when you are rehearsing.
      1. Create similar conditions (for example rehearse in the room where you will be giving your speech, if possible).
      2. Practice in front of someone who can provide feedback.
      3. Keep an eye on the time.
    4. Practice your delivery until you feel comfortable.
      1. Focus on your message.
      2. Rehearse in front of mirrors cautiously (they can make some speakers more nervous).
      3. Record a practice session and analyze it.
      4. Ask for feedback from a considerate but honest friend.

    Ask Yourself:

    • Have you seen a speech that was obviously unrehearsed? How could you tell?
    • How can you best prepare for delivering your speech?