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There are potentially countless distractions in any speaking situation, both external and internal. External distractions, or external noise, include street noise, a flashy visual aid left up during an entire presentation, or chattering audience members. Internal distractions, often referred to as internal noise, are any thoughts that make it hard for you to concentrate—such as worrying about how well you’re doing in class or pondering aspects of your personal life. If you are an audience member, filtering out distractions means avoiding nonlistening activities, such as gazing around the room or surfing online. As a speaker, filtering out distractions during presentations or question-and-answer sessions means focusing on reactions or questions from audience members rather than looking ahead to your next point. When conducting interview research, this means focusing on your current question and the interviewee’s response rather than thinking about your next question or an unrelated topic.