Public Speaking and Persuasion Reviewer

Chapter 1: What is Public Speaking?

 Public Speaking – Conveying your message, thoughts, ideas, etc.; influencing other people, to
mobilize people.
 “One who form a judgement on any point but cannot explain(clearly) might as well as we’ll never
have thoughts at all on subject.”
Pericles
- Greek - explain your thoughts clearly
- Famous Public Speaker - Make sure you review your points
 Orator – Skilled Public Speaker/ who delivers speech
 The Power of Public Speaking

Example: One of your children has a learning disability. You hear that your local school board has
decided, for budget reasons, to eliminate the special teacher who has been helping your child. At an
open meeting of the school board, you stand up and deliver I thought full, compelling speech on the
necessity for keeping the special teacher. The school board changes its mind.

- Powerful Weapon of Change - Vital Means of Civic Engagement

- Power to build Connection - Helps in Career Advancement and Development

 Similarities (between Public Speaking and Conversation)

- Organize your thoughts logically > Introduction – Body – Conclusion
- Tailoring your message to your audience > Make your way of speaking be based on your
audience depends on your audience
- Telling a story for maximum impact > Begin telling your speech by knowing your audience
impact, if you need to increase or lower your voice
- Adapting to listeners’ feedback > know your listeners’ feedback
 Differences
- Public Speaking is highly structured > It Usually imposes strict time limitations on the speaker.
- Public Speaking Formal Language > avoid using of slang words/language // Be Grammatically
correct
- Public Speaking required a different method of delivery > Recommended to use formal words/
Language. Avoid mannerisms, verbal habits.
 Developing Confidence
 Stage Fright – The anxiety Over the prospect of giving a speech in front of your audience
 Adrenaline Rush - a hormone released into the bloodstream in response to physical or
mental stress
 Dealing w/ Nervousness – You should aim at transforming it from a negative force into
what one expert calls positive nervousness
 Positive Nervousness – controlled nervousness that helps a speaker for or his presentation
 Ways to turn nervousness into positive
 Visualization - mental imaging in which a speaker vividly pictures himself or herself giving a successful
presentation

1. Acquire speaking experience 4. Use the power of visualization (imagination)

2. Prepare, prepare, prepare 5. Know that most nervousness is not visible
3. Think positively/ be positive 6. Do not expect perfection

 Public Speaking and Critical Thinking

 Critical Thinking – Focused, organize think about such thing’s logical relationships among
ideas, the soundness of evidence and the differences between fact and opinion.
 Speech Communication Process
1. Speaker. Speech communication begins with a speaker. He/she is the person who is presenting an
oral message to a listener.
2. Message. It is whatever a speaker communicates to someone else. Your goal in public speaking is to
have your intended message that is actually communicated. Achieving this depends both on what you
say (the verbal message) and on how you say it (the non-verbal).
3. Channel. It is the means by which a message is communicated. When you pick up the phone to call a
friend, the telephone is your channel. Public speakers may use one or more several channels, each of
which will affect the message received by the audience. Examples are television, radio, and a direct
channel.
4. Listener. The listener is the person who receives the communicated message from the speaker.
Without a listener, there is no communication. Everything as speaker says is filtered through listener's
frame of reference.
frame of reference - the sum of a person's knowledge, experience, goals, values, and attitudes. No two
people can have exactly the same frame of reference
5. Feedback. Communication is a two-way process. Listeners do not simply absorb messages like human
sponges. They send back messages of their own. Feedback is the message, usually nonverbal, sent from
a listener to a speaker.
6. Interference. It is anything that impedes the communication of a message. Interference can be
external or internal to the listeners.
internal interference- this comes from within your audience. Examples are an audience having a
toothache, pain, worrying about a test in the next class period, or someone could be brooding about an
argument with his girlfriend.
external interference- these happens outside you audience such as traffic outside the building, the
clatter of a radiator, students conversing in the hall, and a room that is stifling or freezing cold.
7. Situation. It is the time and place in which speech communication occurs. Conversation always takes place in
a certain situation. Public speakers must be alert to the situation. Certain occasions - funeral, church services,
graduation ceremonies - require certain kinds of speeches. Physical setting is important. It makes a great deal of
difference whether a speech is presented indoors or out, in a small classroom or in a gymnasium, to a densely
packed crowd or to a handful of scattered souls.
CHAPTER 2: ETHICS

Ethics – The branch of philosophy that deals with the issues or right and wrong in human affairs

 Avoid name-calling and other forms of abusive language.

 Be fully prepared for each speech.
 Put ethical principles into practice.

GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL SPEAKING

1. Make Sure your goals are ethically sound

2. Be Fully prepared for each speech
3. Be honest in what you say
4. Avoid name calling and other forms of abusive language

Name-Calling – it is the use of language to defame, demean, or degrade individuals or groups. It includes
epithets

Epithets – is the literary term for the application of a word or phrase to someone that describes that
person’s attributes or qualities.

Plagiarism – to plagiarize means to present another person’s language or ideas as your own.

KINDS OF PLAGIARISM

1. GLOBAL PLAGIARISM – it is the stealing your speech entirely from another source and passing it of as
your own

2. PATCHWORK PLAGIARISM – it occurs when a speaker pilfers from two or three sources.

3. INCREMENTAL PLAGIARISM – it is when the entire speech is cribbed more or less verbatim from a
single source or a few sources. It occurs when the speaker fails to give credit for particular parts –
increments – of speech that are borrowed from other people.

3.1 QUOTATIONS - whenever you quote someone directly, you must attribute the words to that person.
It would make a strong addition to your speech as long as you acknowledge the owners/authors.

3.2 PARAPHRASES – you need to acknowledge the author or the person because still, with just affair
amount of his/her language, you are still using his opinions, ideas, and judgement.

GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL LISTENING

1. BE COURTEOUS AND ATTENTIVE – When you listen to speech classes, give your fellow students the
same courtesy and attention you want from them.
2. AVOID PREJUDGING THE SPEAKER – do not judge the speech by the name, race, lifestyle,
appearance, or reputation of the speaker. The NCA states that listeners should strive to understand and
respect speakers before evaluating and responding to their messages. Your aim is to listen carefully to
the speakers’ ideas, to assess the evidence and reasoning offered.

3. MAINTAIN THE FREE AND OPEN EXPRESSION OF IDEAS – Just as public speakers need to avoid name-
calling and other tactics that can undermine free speech, so listeners have an obligation to maintain the
right of speakers to be heard.

CHAPTER 3: LISTENING

*NOT LISTENING DOESN’T MEAN WE DO NOT HEAR

HEARING – is a physiological process involving the vibration of the sound waves on our eardrums and
firing of electrochemical impulses from the inner ear to the central auditory system of the brain.

LISTENING – Involves paying close attention to and making sense of, what we hear. Even we think we
are listening carefully; we usually grasp 50% only of what we hear. After 24 hours, we can remember
only 10% of the original message. It is little wonder that listening has been called a lost art.

KINDS OF LISTENING

1. APPRECIATIVE LISTENING - listening for pleasure and enjoyment

2. EMPHATIC LISTENING – listening to provide emotional support for the speaker

3. COMPREHENSIVE LISTENING – listening to understand the message of the speaker

4. CRITICAL LISTENING – Listening to evaluate a message for the purpose of accepting or rejecting it

FOUR CAUSES OF POOR LISTENING

1. NOT CONCENTRATING – the brain is incredibly efficient.

Spare bare time - the difference between the rate at which most people talk (120 to 150 words a
minute) and the rate at which the brain can process language (400 to 800 words a minute).

2. LISTENING TO HARD – this happens when we turn into human sponges, soaking up a speaker’s every
word as if every word were equally important.

3. JUMOING TO CONCLUSIONS – This happens when we put words into a speaker’s mouth. We are so
sure we know what they mean. We do not listen to what they say. We also prematurely reject a
speaker’s ideas as boring or misguided.

4. FOCUSING ON THE DELIVERY AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE – this happens when we judge people by
the way they look or speak and do not listen to what they say. It is easy to become distracted by a
speaker’s accent, personal appearance, or vocal mannerisms and losing sight of the message
HOW TO BECOME A BETTER LISTENER

1. TAKE LISTENING SERIOUSLY – the first step towards becoming a better listener is to accord listening
the seriousness it deserves. Good listeners are not born that way. Good listening does not go hand in
hand with intelligence, education, or social standing. Like any other skills, it comes from practice and
self-discipline.

2. BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER – when listening to a speech, you should not allow yourself to be distracted
by internal or external interference, and do not prejudge the speaker.

Active listening – giving undivided attention to a speaker in a genuine effort to understand the
speaker’s point of view.

3. RESIST DISTRACTIONS – we cannot eliminate all physical and mental distractions because we think so
much faster than a speaker talks. If this happens, make a conscious effort to pull your mind back to what
the speaker is saying.

4. DO NOT BE DIVERTED BY APPEARANCE OR DELIVERY – you must be willing to set aside preconceived
judgements based on person’s looks or manner of speech. Do not let negative feeling about a speaker’s
appearance or delivery keep you from listening to the message.

5. SUSPEND JUDGEMENT – we should hear people out before reaching a final judgement. Try to
understand their point of view. The aim of active listening is to set aside “one’s own prejudices, frames
of reference and desires so as to experience as far as possible speaker’s world from the inside.

6.FOCUS YOUR LISTENING – Skilled listeners do not try to absorbs a speaker’s word.

6.1 Listen for main points – as with any speech, main points are the most important things to listen for.

6.2 Listen for evidence – identifying the main points is not enough we should look for evidences that
support claims.

6.3 Listen for techniques – if you want to become an effective speaker, you should study the methods
other people use to speak effectively.

7. DEVELOP NOTE TAKING SKILLS – Note-taking is a surefire way to improve your concentration and
keep track of a speaker’s ideas. It accurately summarizes the speaker’s ideas.

Key-word outline – an outline that briefly notes a speaker’s main points and supporting evidence in
rough outline form.

CHAPTER 4: SELECXTONG A TOPIC AND A PURPOSE

Choosing a Topic

The first step to speechmaking is choosing a topic. For speeches outside the classroom, this is seldom a
problem. Usually, the speech is determined by the occasion, the audience, and the speaker’s
qualification.
Topic – it is the subject of the speech

TWO BROAD CATEGORIES

 TOPIC YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT

Most people speak best about subjects with which they are most familiar. When thinking about a topic,
draw on your own knowledge and experience everyone know things or has done things that can be used
in speech

 TOPIC YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

This happens when you decide to make your speech a learning experience for yourself and or your
audience. You may choose a subject which you already have some knowledge or expertise but not
enough to prepare a speech without doing additional research.

Brainstorming – a method of generating ideas for speech topics by free association of words and ideas.

1. PERSONAL INVENTORY – first, make a quick inventory of your experiences, interests, hobbies, skills,
beliefs, and so forth.

2. CLUSTERING – if the first method does not work, try to use clustering – wherein you take a sheet of
paper and divide it into nine columns as follows: people places, things, events processes, concepts,
natural phenomena, problems, and plans and policies.

3. REFERENCE SEARCH – this done by browsing through an encyclopedia, a periodical data, or some
other reference work until you come across that might be a good speech topic.

4. INTERNET SEARCH – do subject-based search enging such as google, yahoo!, or the librarians’ index to
the internet.

DETERMINING THE GENERAL PURPOSE

General Purpose – the broad goal of a speech

1. To Inform – your goal is to convey information clearly, acurately, and interestingly.

2. To Persuade – your primary goal is to win over your listeners to your point of view – to get them to
believe something or do something as a result of your speech.

DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE

Specific Purpose – a single infinitive phrase that states precisely what a speaker hopes to accomplish in
his/her speech

Ex. Topic: Music therapy

General purpose : to inform

Specific purpose : to inform my audience about the benefits of music therapy for people with
psychological or cognitive disabilities
Tips for Formulating the Specific Purpose Statement

1. write the purpose statement as a full inifinitive phrase not as a fragment.

2. express your purpose as statement not a question.

3. avoid figurative language inn your purpose statement.

4. limit your purpose statement to one distinct idea

5. make sure your specific purpose is not too vague or personal

QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC PURPOSE

1. Does my purpose meet the assignment?

2. Can I accomplish my purpose in the time alloted?

3. Is the purpose relevant to my audience?

4. Is the purpose too trivial for my audience?

5. Is the purpose too technical for my audience?

PHRASING THE CENTRAL IDEA

Central Idea – a one-sentence statement that sums up or encapsulates the major ideas of a speech

Residual message – what a speaker wants the audience to remember after it has frogotten everything
else in a speech.

GUIDELINES FOR THE CENTRAL IDEA

1. should be expressed in a full sentence 3. should avoid figurative language

2. should not be in the form of a question 4. should not be vague or overly general

CHAPTER 5: ANALYZE THE AUDIENCE

Audience-centeredness – keeping the audience foremost in mind every step of speech preparation and
presentation.

Identification – a process in which speakers seek to create a bond with the audience by emphasizing
common values, goals, and experience.

YOUR CLASSMATES AS AN AUDIENCE

There is a tendency – among students and teachers alike – to view the classroom as an artificial speaking
situation. In a way, it is. Your speech class is a testing ground where you can develop our communication
skills before applying them outside the classroom.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AUDIENCES

What do you do when you listen a speech? Sometimes, you pay close attention; at other times, you let
your thoughts wander. People may be compelled to attend a speech, but no one can make them listen.
The speaker must make the audience choose to pay attention.

Egocentric – the tendency of people to be connected above all with their own values, beliefs, and well-
being.

DEMOGRAPHIC AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

-It focuses on demographic factors such as age, gender, religion, sexual, orientation, group
membership.

Stereotyping – creating an oversimplified image of a particular group of people, usually by assuming

that all members of the group are alike

MAJOR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER

1. AGE – there is no generation in which everyone thinks alike, buys the same products or votes for the
same political candidates.

2. GENDER – Vocational distinctions between sexes have been eroding for many years. Speakers who fail
to take account of such factors are almost certain to provoke negative reactions among some listeners,
male and female alike.

3. Sexual Orientation – no matter what one’s attitude toward gays, lesbians, or heterosexuals, audience-
centered speakers are alert to how their messages will be received by people of various sexual
orientations.

4. Racial, Ethic, and Cultural Background – understanding attitudes of listeners about race and ethnicity
is crucial for speakers. They do not know whether they are addressing a mixed-race audience or one
with little apparent racial diversity.

5. Religion – you cannot assume that your views on religion – whatever they may be – are shared by
your listeners whenever you speak on a topic with religious dimensions, then, be sure to consider the
religious orientation of your listeners.

6. Group Membership – similar groups abound on campus. Some of your classmates may belong to
fraternities or sororities, some to campus crusade for Christ, some to the young republicans, some to
the film society, some to the ski club and so forth.

SITUATIONAL AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

- Usually builds on demographic analysis. It identifies traits if the audience unique to the
speaking situation at hand.
- Audience analysis that focuses on situational factors such as the size audience, the physical
setting for the speech, and the disposition of the audience toward the topic, the speaker and
the occasion.
1. Size – Most speech classes consist of between 20 to 30 people – a small- to medium-sized audience.
This is a good size for beginning speakers. Audience size affects your language, choice of appeals, and
use of visual aids.

2. Physical Setting – Adverse conditions could seriously impair audience’s willingness to accept your
ideas or even listen to you at all.

3. Disposition toward the Topic – you should keep your audience in mind when choosing a topic.

3.1. Interest – one of your tasks will be to assess your listener’s interest in advance and to adjust your
speech accordingly.

3.2. Knowledge – there is often a strong correlation between interest in a topic and knowledge about it.

3.3. Attitude – the attitude of your listeners toward your topic can be extremely important in
determining how you handle the material.

Attitude – a frame of mind in favor of or opposed to a person, policy, belief, institution, etc.

4. Disposition toward the Speaker – the more competent listeners believe a speaker to be, the more
likely they are to accept what he or she says.

5. Disposition toward the Occasion – listeners have fairly definite ideas about the speeches they
consider appropriate.

THREE MAJOR TYPES OF QUESTIONS

1. FIXED-ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS – questions that offer a fixed choice between two or more
alternatives.

2. SCALE QUESTIONS – questions that require responses at fixed intervals along scale of answers.

3. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS – questions that allow respondents to answer however they want.

ADAPTING THE AUDIENCE

1. Audience adaptation before the speech – you must keep your audience in mind at every stage of
speech preparation. This involves more than simply remembering who your listeners will be.

2. Audience adaptation during the speech – no matter how hard you prepare ahead of time, thing may
not go exactly as planned on the day of your speech. if something wrong happens, do not panic.