Public speaking key terms chapters 1 & 4

Stage fright

Anxiety over the prospect of giving a speech in front of an audience.

adrenaline

A hormone released into the bloodstream in response to physical or mental stress.

positive nervousness

Controlled nervousness that helps energize a speaker for her or his presentation.

visualization

Mental imaging in which speakers vividly picture themselves giving a successful presentation.

critical thinking

Focused, organized thinking about such things as the logical relationships among ideas, the soundness of evidence, and the differences between fact and opinion.

speaker

The person who is presenting an oral message to a listener.

message

Whatever a speaker communicates to someone else.

channel

The means by which a message is communicated.

listener

The person who receives the speaker’s message.

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.

feedback

The messages, usually nonverbal, sent from a listener to a speaker.

interference

Anything that impedes the communication of a message. Interference can be external or internal to listeners.

situation

The time and place in which speech communication occurs.

ethnocentrism

The belief that one’s own group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures.

ice breaker speech

A speech early in the term designed to get students speaking in front of the class as soon as possible.

introduction

The opening section of a speech.

body

The main section of a speech.

chronological order

A method of speech organization in which the main points follow a time pattern.

topical order

A method of speech organization in which the main points divide the topic into logical and consistent subtopics.

main points

The major points developed in the body of a speech.

transition

A word or phrase that indicates when a speaker has finished one thought and is moving on to another.

conclusion

The final section of a speech.

extemporaneous speech

A carefully prepared and rehearsed speech that is presented from a brief set of notes.

gestures

Motions of a speaker’s hands or arms during a speech.

eye contact

Direct visual contact with the eyes of another person.