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chapter chapter

11Speaking in PublicSpeaking in Public

The McGraw-Hill Companies © 2009 Stephen E. Lucas. All rights reserved.

Public Speaking to spread influence or

ideas• MLK

• Bono

• Ronald Reagan

• Cesar Chavez

• Margaret Thatcher

• Nelson Mandela

• Barbara Jordan

• Susan B. Anthony

The McGraw-Hill Companies © 2009 Stephen E. Lucas. All rights reserved.

Public Speaking• Helps people succeed in nearly all

professions.

• Is a vital means of civic engagement

• Is a form of empowerment.

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Public Speaking & Public Speaking & ConversationConversation

Similarities:

• Organizing thoughts logically

• Tailoring message to audience

• Telling story for maximum impact

• Adapting to feedback

The McGraw-Hill Companies © 2009 Stephen E. Lucas. All rights reserved.

Public Speaking & Public Speaking & ConversationConversation

Differences:

• Public speaking more highly structured

• Public speaking requires more formal language

• Public speaking requires different method of delivery

The McGraw-Hill Companies © 2009 Stephen E. Lucas. All rights reserved.

Stage FrightStage Fright

Anxiety over prospect of speaking in front of audience

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Reducing Speech Reducing Speech AnxietyAnxiety

• Acquire experience

• Prepare, prepare, prepare

• Think positively

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Reducing Speech Reducing Speech AnxietyAnxiety

• Use power of visualization

• Know that most nervousness is not visible

• Don’t expect perfection

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Other Tips for Other Tips for Overcoming Overcoming NervousnessNervousness• Introduction is the KEY

• EYE CONTACT

• Use visual aids to help occupy the audience

• Focus on communicating with the audience

• Be at your physical and mental best when speaking

• While waiting to speak, tighten and relax hand and leg muscles

• Take a few slow, deep breaths before beginning

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Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

• Focused, organized thinking

• Relationships among ideas

• Soundness of evidence

• Differences between fact, opinion

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Speech Communication Speech Communication ProcessProcess

• Speaker

• Message

• Channel

• Listener

• Feedback

• Interference

• Situation

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Speech Communication Speech Communication ProcessProcess

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Frame of ReferenceFrame of Reference

Sum of person’s knowledge, experience, goals, values, attitudes

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Frame of ReferenceFrame of Reference

• Everything said is filtered through listener’s frame of reference

• No two people have same frame of reference

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EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

Believing one’s group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures

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Avoiding Avoiding EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

• Respect listeners’ cultural values

• Adapt messages to audience expectations

• Imagine yourself in place of listeners

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Avoiding Avoiding EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

• Be alert to feedback

• Listeners also have to avoid ethnocentrism