ENG 101: ORAL COMMUNICATION FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
Lesson 2:
Public speaking is an important skill in both education and business.
Basically, public speaking refers to the process of delivering a speech in front of an
audience. It has a long history and was traditionally viewed as part of the art of
persuasion. It probably started in ancient Egypt, but the first written documents
about public speaking go back to the Greeks and Romans. Today, public speaking
has evolved considerably thanks to the introduction of technologies such as
videoconferencing, multimedia presentations, and other nontraditional forms.
Public Speaking Purposes
Public speaking generally aims at informing, persuading, or entertaining.
Here are examples:
Describing a product, an invention, a place, people
Telling a story, talking about important events (e.g. historical events,
natural disasters, and their causes/effects, etc.)
Communicating information, such as research findings, survey results,
new products.
Persuading the audience; having a say in a debate, political campaigns,
conferences, by providing to the point arguments; motivating people to
act…
Types Of Presentations
There are three types of public speaking presentations: informative,
persuasive, and entertaining.
Informative - Informative public speaking attempts to convey information or
clarify an idea. e.g. school presentations, science and technology presentations,
business seminars.
Persuasive - Persuasive public speaking aims at causing a change in the belief,
attitude, or behavior of the audience. e.g. in sales, debates, to a group of peers,
political speeches.
Entertaining - Entertaining public speaking includes storytelling or ceremonial
speeches like those occurring during religious and wedding occasions.
Basic Principles of Public Speaking
The four principles of effective public speaking are both simple and complex
at the same time. Effective public speeches are audience centered, organized
appropriately, written clearly, and presented compellingly. Within each of these
aspects of an effective speech, however, there are various ways to accomplish the
task well.
ENG 101: ORAL COMMUNICATION FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
A. Audience-Centered Speeches
The first principle, being audience centered, means that effective public
speaking relies on understanding who the audience is and, once this is known,
developing a speech that is appropriate to that particular audience. The most basic
information that needs to be known about any potential audience is the
demographic information (i.e., factors such as age, ethnicity, gender, education
level) that may influence the audience's perception of the speaker's message.
B. Appropriate Organization
Effective public speeches need to be organized appropriately both for the
topic and for the potential audience.
C. Clear Writing
Effective speeches must also be clearly written. A well-organized speech is
useless unless the audience understands the message that is being communicated
to them. One of the most important ways to ensure clear writing is to make sure
that the vocabulary used in the speech is appropriate for the particular audience.
For example, it is possible to use highly technical medical jargon when speaking to
physicians, but that would not be effective for an audience of college students. In
the same way, sports terminology is useful for communicating a message and
establishing credibility with a group of sports fans, but it would be ineffective with
people who are unfamiliar with the nuances of a particular sport.
D. Compelling Presentation
A speech does not have to be overly dramatic or theatrical to be effectively
compelling. Instead, an effective delivery should be sincere, honest,
straightforward, and dynamic. Varying vocal pitch, speech, and volume are effective
devices for keeping the attention of an audience. However, an overemphasis on
these aspects can be disastrous and can make the speaker seem phony or
insincere. It is a good rule of thumb for a speaker to remember to talk to the
audience as if he or she were talking to one person at a time. A speaker should try
to convince the listeners that he or she is competent to speak on the topic and that
he or she is sincere in wanting the listeners to understand the message.
How to Become a Better Public 5. Know Your Audience.
Speaker 6. Add a Visual Aid.
1. Study Great Public Speakers. 7. Rehearse.
2. Relax Your Body Language. 8. Record Your Speeches.
3. Practice Voice and Breath 9. Phone a friend.
Control. 10.Take a public speaking class.
4. Prepare Talking Points.
Prepared by: Mr. Josua Jimenez Amante, LPT, MBA
Instructor
