SPEAKER’S REFERENCE

• A lack of public speaking experience: It can be difficult to put into perspective the anxiety that often precedes new experiences. (p. 42)
• Feeling different: Remember, even seasoned speakers feel anxiety. (p. 43)
• Being the center of attention: The audience won’t notice things about you that you don’t want to reveal. (p. 43)

• Some people become anxious upon hearing that they must give a speech (pre-preparation anxiety). (p. 43)

  Don’t allow your anxiety to deter you from planning your speech.

• For some, anxiety occurs as they begin to prepare the speech (preparation anxiety). (p. 44)

  Beware of avoidance and procrastination.

• Some people begin to feel anxious when it is time to rehearse the speech (pre-performance anxiety). (p. 45)

  Practice your speech to build confidence.

• Many people experience public speaking anxiety only when they begin to deliver the speech (performance anxiety). (p. 45)

  Practice stress-control breathing and other relaxation techniques.

• Plan your presentation thoroughly. (p. 46)
• Rehearse often until you know how you want to express yourself. (p. 46)
• Lessen anxiety by using positive thoughts prior to delivery. (p. 46)

• Visualize a positive outcome. (p. 47)
• Consider meditation, stress-control breathing, and natural gestures. (p. 48)

• You have the chance to influence others. (p. 50)
• Use feedback from others constructively to note your strengths and discover where your speechmaking can be improved. (p. 50)

• Listening to speeches takes focus and skill. (p. 51)
• Listening scholars note different types of listening linked to different purposes: comprehensive, critical, empathic, and appreciative. (p. 51)
• Skill in listening is linked to leadership potential. (p. 51)
• Active listening is focused and purposeful. (p. 52)
• “Listenable language” is language written for the ear. (p. 52)

• Hearing is the physiological process of perceiving sound; listening is a conscious act of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and nonverbal messages. (p. 52)

• People pay attention to what they hold to be important. (p. 53)
• People pay attention to information that touches their experiences. (p. 53)
• People filter new information based on what they already know. (p. 53)

• Think about sharing ideas rather than delivering a monologue. (p. 53)

• Plan ahead in order to minimize the impact of external distractions such as noise, movement, light, darkness, heat or cold, and so forth. (p. 54)
• Try not to let internal distractions, such as daydreaming, time pressures, emotional turmoil, or fatigue, disrupt your concentration. (p. 54)
• Beware of listening defensively: Wait for the speaker to finish before devising your own mental arguments. (p. 55)
• Refrain from multitasking, such as checking cell phones. (p. 55)
• Be an empathetic listener and respect cultural differences. (p. 55)

• Focus instead on what is actually being said. (p. 56)

• Set listening goals that encourage action. (p. 57)
• Listen for main ideas and take notes. (p. 57)

• Evaluate the speaker’s evidence for accuracy and credibility. (p. 59)
• Analyze the speaker’s assumptions and biases. (p. 59)
• Assess the speaker’s reasoning: Look for weak arguments. (p. 59)
• Consider alternate perspectives. (p. 59)
• Summarize and assess the relevant facts and evidence before deciding how you will act on the speaker’s information or argument. (p. 59)

• Be honest and fair in your evaluation. (p. 60)
• Do not judge the message’s content on the basis of the speaker’s communication style. (p. 60)
• Be compassionate in your criticism: Start with something positive; be selective in your criticism; and focus on the speech, not on the speaker. (p. 60)

• Be morally accountable to yourself and your audience for your message. (p. 62)
• Accept responsibility for the stands you take. (p. 62)

• Display good character (ethos). (p. 62)
• Develop a solid grasp of your subject (competence). (p. 63)
• Display sound reasoning skills. (p. 63)
• Present information honestly and without manipulation. (p. 63)
• Be genuinely interested in the welfare of your listeners. (p. 63)

• Consider the audience’s values as you plan your speech. (p. 63)
• Be aware that conflicting values lie at the heart of many controversial issues. (p. 63)
• When your topic is controversial, consider both sides of an issue. (p. 63)

• Three prominent ethical theories—consequentialist ethics, rules-based ethics, and virtue ethics—propose different standards and rationales for making ethical choices. (p. 64)
• Analyze values using the instruments in the text. (p. 65)

• Advance constructive goals. (p. 65)
• Avoid introducing conversation stoppers into public discourse. (p. 65)
• Follow the rules of engagement for civil public discourse. (p. 67)

• As a public speaker, you face balancing your rights of free speech with the responsibilities that accompany these rights. (p. 67)
• The First Amendment provides protection both to truthful speakers and to speakers whose words are inflammatory and offensive. (p. 67)
• Be aware that certain types of speech are illegal:
  • Speech that provokes people to violence (“fighting words”)
  • Speech that can be proved to harm an individual’s reputation (slander or defamatory statements)
  • Words spoken with a reckless disregard for the truth

• Hate speech is any offensive communication directed against people’s racial, ethnic, religious, gender, or other characteristics. (p. 68)
• Avoid ethnocentrism and any hint of stereotyping. (p. 69)

• Demonstrate dignity and integrity in your own character and accord it to each audience member. (p. 70)
• Tell the truth, don’t distort information, and acknowledge sources. (p. 71)
• Show respect for audience members. (p. 71)
• Be accountable for what you say. (p. 71)
• Acknowledge alternative and opposing views. (p. 71)

• Orally acknowledge any source that requires credit in written form: other people’s ideas, opinions, theories, evidence, and research; direct quotations; paraphrased information; facts and statistics. (p. 72)
• Know how to directly quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source. (p. 73)

• Copyright law protects intellectual property (original authorship). (p. 75)
• The fair use doctrine permits limited use of copyrighted materials without permission; such material must be orally credited in your speech. (p. 75)