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Public speaking is right for you.

In this chapter, we introduced the field of public speaking. Key elements of public speaking are communication between speaker and audience, a focus on the audience by the speaker, an emphasis on the spoken word, and a prepared presentation. We also examined the benefits of mastering public speaking—in the classroom, on the job, in your community, and in everyday situations.

Next, we turned to the rich tradition of public speaking, citing examples from across time (including antiquity) and from around the world (such as ancient Greece and Rome, China, Africa, India, and the United States).

We also examined the ways in which public speaking has evolved as a discipline to reflect changes in society. We provided examples of several contemporary developments in the field: new ways of viewing the public speaking process, the impact of changing technologies, an emphasis on understanding your audience’s cultural background, the usefulness of critical thinking when you’re planning your speech, and the importance of protecting freedom of expression and making ethical use of that freedom.