9/23/2014

FHHM1022
Effective Communication Skills

Topics to be covered today:

What is Public Speaking?

Importance of Public Speaking

Selecting a Speech Topic

Lecture 2
Public Speaking

Criteria in Selecting a Topic

Analysing the Audience

Purpose of a Speech

(Part 1)

Analysing the Setting

Conducting Research

Public Communication / Public Speaking

What is
Public Speaking?

- level 4 of communication
- 1 person addressing or delivering a
message to an audience of usually
more than 20 people who has assembled
to hear the speaker
Example: delivering a speech
teaching a class

- speaking to an audience in a structured,

deliberate manner intended to inform,
persuade, motivate or entertain
the audience
- the audience will listen, without interrupting
the speaker

Importance of
Public Speaking

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Developing Public Speaking skills is

important because
- you are empowered when you are able
to express your ideas to an audience

If all my possessions were taken from

me with one exception, I would choose
to keep the power of speech, for by it,
I would soon regain all the rest.

- you can stimulate and influence the

thinking of others

- it is essential in the workplace &

college/university convince boss/clients,
doing presentations

Daniel Webster (1782

(1782--1852)
Politician

Remember that
1. Public Speaking is a rhetorical art,

not a performing art.

2. People come not to hear how well you
deliver a speech; they come because
they are interested in the
subject matter (content).
3. You are not born with public speaking
skills, it is a skill that you learn and
acquire.

Where do I begin?
What should I do first?
How do I start?
1. Select the Topic
2. Consider the Purpose

The Topic

Selecting a
Speech Topic

1. Is determined by the occasion,

the audience and the speakers
qualifications.
2. The substance of your message must be
worth the audiences time.
3. Not easy to attract an audience.
4. Developed from:
a) Subjects that are important or interesting
b) Subjects that you are familiar with

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5. Think of things you have had direct

experience with and have knowledge.
6. Consider topics you have studied before
or read about.
7. Selecting a topic of interest to you &
audience: easier to construct, better
chances of a successful speech.

Criteria in Selecting
a Topic

Dont spend too much time searching

for the perfect topic!

Criteria in Selecting a Topic

1. Appropriateness
consider whether the topic is suitable to the
audience

consider whether it fits the occasion

2. Complexity

consider

the complexity of the subject matter

dont go beyond what the listeners can
comprehend, nor insult their intelligence

3. Significance
dont waste time on trivial (unimportant) issues
consider its relevance to the audience

4. Scope
bring your topic into focus
if the subject is broad, you will be pressured to
cover too much in the given time
narrow down the scope

Analyse the Audience

Audience

analysis a study of the

intended audience for your speech.

Analysing the
Audience

How to analyse the audience?

?

By gathering audience demographic data
- age, race, gender, education level, occupation,
language, lifestyles, etc.

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Purpose of analysing the audience

By analysing the audience, it will let you
select a topic that is appropriate for the
audience.

Purpose of a Speech

It

also helps in audience adaptation

the process of tailoring (adjusting/altering) the
information suit the audience.
Eg
Eg.. age/education level level of language
race  language used

Purpose of a Speech
There are 4 general purposes of a speech :

a)
b)
c)
d)

to inform
to persuade
to motivate
to entertain

a) to inform

almost

all speeches contain information,

but a speech to inform purely gives
information only and nothing else

points are presented objectively, to impart
knowledge and enhance understanding
without trying to persuade or influence
audience to accept your ideas or solutions

also known as expository speech to
expose, not to interpret information

b) to persuade
if you were making a speech in court or if
you were a politician, you would probably
be giving a speech to persuade

mainly to try to get audience to think
favourably about your points, to think
like you and support you

still giving information, but would also
lead audience to a particular conclusion

may probably use both emotions and logic

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c) to motivate
mainly to inspire people or to try to
generate enthusiasm and to move people
to action

will usually reach audience at the
emotional level and audience become
very chargedcharged-up or hyped
hyped--up after
listening

d) to entertain
designed mainly for the sake of amusement

would not expect audience to learn
anything, but just simply to enjoy the
experience

also known as after
after--dinner speech

appropriate when audience is in a relaxed
or lightlight-hearted mood

Analysing the Setting

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Analyze the Setting



Answers to several questions about the setting

should also guide your topic selection and other
parts of the speech planning.

1. What are the special expectations for

the speech?
- every speaking occasion is surrounded by
expectations from the audience
Example:
a. motivational seminar motivation, tips, etc.
b. religious talk religious issues

3. How large will the audience be?

- it may affect how you adapt your material &
how you present the speech

4. Where will the speech be given?

- space affects the speech
- find out & consider the layout of the room as
you plan the speech

2. What is the appropriate length for the

speech?
- must choose a topic that is narrow enough to be
accomplished in the time given
- speakers who speak less or more time than the
schedule, may interfere with the program and
lose the respect of both their hosts and their
audience

Selecting the Topic

Six questions to ask before you decide
Is/Does the topic

a. too simple or too difficult for the audience?

b. a bore?
c. relevant to the audience?

5. What equipment is necessary to give

the speech?
- the unavailability of equipment may limit the
topic choice

d. fit the expectations of the audience?

e. too broad for the time allocated?
f. require any equipment?

Conducting Research
3 ways of conducting research:

Conducting Research

i) Personal knowledge, experience &

observation
ii) Secondary research
iii) Primary research

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i) Personal knowledge, experience

& observation

ii) Secondary Research

- locating information about your topic
that has already been discovered by
other people

- share your personal knowledge or

experience(s) in your speech
- supplement with careful observation of
certain scenarios or situations

Eg. books, articles, newspapers, encyclopedias,

Internet, etc.

Reference
iii) Primary Research
- conducting your own study to acquire
information for your speech
- more intensive, time consuming &
costly
Eg. survey, interview, experiments

Verdeber, K. S., Verdeber, R. F. & Sellnow, D. D.

(2010). Communicate. (International Student
13th ed.) Belmont: Wadsworth. (pg. 250 265).

Hasling, J. (2010). The Audience, The Message,

The Speaker. (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
(pg. 67 71).

~ to be continued ~