Page 281 - Essentials of Human Communication

260 Chapter 12 Public Speaking Preparation and Delivery (Steps 7–10)

Summary of Concepts and Skills Study and Review materials for this chapter
are at MyCommunicationLab

Listen to the Audio Chapter Summary 9. Use rehearsal to time and perfect your speech from begin-
at MyCommunicationLab ning to end; rehearse under realistic conditions and with
listeners if possible.
This chapter looked at the last four steps in the public speak-
ing process: wording the speech; constructing the conclusion, step 10: deliver your speech
introduction, transitions, and outlines; and rehearsing and
delivering the speech. 10. When you deliver your speech, regulate your voice for
greatest effectiveness. For example, adjust your volume on
step 7: word your speech the basis of the distance between you and your audience
and the emphasis you wish to give certain ideas. Adjust
1. Compared with written style, oral style contains shorter, your rate on the basis of time constraints, the speech’s con-
simpler, and more familiar words; greater qualification; and tent, and the listening conditions.
more self-referential terms. 11. Avoid the major problems of articulation and pronuncia-
2. Effective public speaking style is clear (economical and tion; errors of omission, substitution, addition, and accent.
specific; uses transitions, and short, familiar, and com- 12. Use unfilled pauses to signal a transition between the ma-
monly used terms); vivid (uses active verbs, strong verbs, jor parts of the speech, to allow the audience time to think,
figures of speech, and imagery); appropriate to your audi- to allow the audience to ponder a rhetorical question, and
ence (is on a suitable level of formality; avoids written-style to signal the approach of a particularly important idea.
expressions; avoids slang, vulgar, and offensive terms); per- Avoid filled pauses; they weaken your message.
sonal (uses personal pronouns, asks questions, and creates
immediacy); and powerful (avoids hesitations, intensifiers, 13. Effective body action involves maintaining eye contact with
disqualifiers, self-critical statements, and slang and vulgar your entire audience, allowing facial expressions to convey
language). your feelings, using your posture to communicate command
3. Effective sentences for public speeches are generally short, of the public speaking interaction, gesturing naturally, mov-
ing around a bit, and using notes effectively.
direct, active, positively phrased, and varied in type and
length.
Critically evaluating speeches
step 8: Construct your Conclusion, introduction, 14. When expressing critical evaluations, try to say some-
transitions, and Outlines thing positive, be specific, be culturally sensitive, limit
criticism, be constructive, and focus on behavior. When
4. Conclusions summarize and close the speech. receiving criticism, listen with an open mind, accept the
5. Introductions gain the attention of the audience and orient critic’s point of view, and seek clarification as needed.
them about what is to follow. This chapter stressed several significant skills for style and
6. Transitions and internal summaries connect the parts of a delivery. Place a check mark next to those skills you most want
speech and help listeners better remember the speech. to work on.
7. Preparation, template, and delivery outlines all serve dif-
ferent functions and will help any speaker, but especially 1. I word my speech so it’s clear, vivid, appropriate,
the beginning speaker, in preparing and presenting effec- and personal.
tive public speeches. 2. I construct sentences that are short, direct, active,
and positive, and I vary the type and length of
step 9: rehearse your speech sentences.
3. I construct conclusions that summarize the major
8. There are three basic methods of delivering a public ideas of the speech and bring the speech to a crisp
speech: (1) the impromptu method, which involves speak- close.
ing without any specific preparation; (2) the manuscript
method, which involves writing out the entire speech and 4. I construct introductions that gain attention and
reading it to the audience; and (3) the extemporaneous preview what is to follow.
method, which involves thorough preparation and memo- 5. I use transitions and internal summaries to con-
rizing the main ideas and their order of appearance, but nect the parts of the speech and to help listeners
not a commitment to exact wording. remember what I say.