Lecture Notes: Public Speaking Foundations (COMM 1020, BGSU)

What is Public Speaking?

• Public speaking is the “process of designing and delivering a message to an audience.”

  • Involves:

  • Understanding your audience and speaking goals

  • Choosing elements for the speech that will engage your audience with your topic

  • Delivering your message skillfully

  • To have a successful speech you need to:

  • Plan

  • Organize

  • Revise your material

Everyday Public Speaking

• We engage in some form of public speaking every day, so improving it is important.

• Most common speech types include:

  • Informative

  • Persuasive

  • Entertaining

Informative Speaking

• Why we give an informative speech:

  • Instruct a group of coworkers on how to do something

  • Tell the audience about activities they can participate in while vacationing in your hometown

  • Teach your classmates how to make your favorite dinner

• Professions that use informative speaking daily:

  • Physicians

  • Firefighters/police officers

Persuasive Speaking

• Purpose: to persuade others

  • Persuading others is a challenging and specific skill you need to work on to perfect

  • Many jobs use this type of speaking as well

• Common contexts:

  • Elected officials

  • Motivational authors/speakers

  • When we want something

• Note from slide: $6$ Persuasive speaking is where we’re trying to convince our audience to do something, believe something, feel motivated to do something, etc.

Entertaining Speaking

• Defined as speaking at special events or occasions, examples include:

  • Wedding toasts

  • Presenting or accepting awards

  • After-dinner speeches

  • Motivational speaking

Why take Public Speaking?

• BGSU perspective on benefits:

  • To develop critical thinking skills

  • Fine-tune verbal and nonverbal skills

  • Overcome your “fears” of public speaking

  • Learn how to be a positive influence

Models of Public Speaking

• Linear Model:

  • Source → Channel → Receiver

• Interactional Model:

  • Source ↔ Receiver

  • Includes Feedback and a two-way communication loop

• Dialogic Theory of Public Speaking:

  • Dialogic theory is based on dialogue being more natural than monologue

  • Meanings are in people, not words

  • Contexts and social situations impact perceived meanings

  • Dimensions:

  • Physical

  • Temporal

  • Social-Psychological

  • Cultural

Appendix 1-5

• BGSU-related material referenced (Appendix 1-5)

Public Speaking Pyramid (Figure 19.1)

• Core components and sequence:

  • Research

  • Speech Purpose

  • Effective Public Speaking

  • Speech Practice

  • Verbal Delivery

  • Nonverbal Delivery

  • Speech Preparation

  • Organize

  • Public Speaking Foundations

  • Topic Selection

  • Support

  • Audience Analysis

• Overall flow: Public Speaking Foundations lead into Practice and Delivery, culminating in an effective speech

Foundations of Public Speaking

• Figure out your Purpose:

  • To inform

  • To persuade

  • To entertain

• Figure out your topic:

  • Choose your own vs. chosen for you

• Conduct an Audience Analysis:

  • Do your research to support your position

• Organize your speech well:

  • Strong introduction, body, and conclusion

Practice, Practice, Practice

• The best way to “Ace” your speech is to PRACTICE

• Focus on both verbal and nonverbal delivery skills

What’s up for next week (Week 1)

• Read Reading Set #1

• Take Quiz #1

• Submit your Introduction “Speech” (more info on Canvas)

• Getting familiar with Canvas

• Reading our syllabus, etc.

Page and content references (from transcript)

• Page 3: What’s public Speaking? definition and process

• Page 4: Everyday Public Speaking; types: Informative, Persuasive, Entertaining

• Page 5: Informative Speaking details and professions

• Page 6: Persuasive Speaking details and examples

• Page 7: Entertaining Speaking examples

• Page 8: Why take Public Speaking? benefits

• Page 9: Models of Public Speaking (Linear, Interactional)

• Page 10: Dialogic Theory details and dimensions

• Page 12: Public Speaking Pyramid (Figure 19.1)

• Page 13: Foundations of Public Speaking details (purpose, topic, audience, organization)

• Page 14: Practice emphasis

• Page 15: Next week activities and Canvas notes

Practical implications and connections

• Public speaking is a daily activity with formal and informal speaking contexts, highlighting the need for:

  • Audience analysis to tailor content

  • Clear purpose and organized structure

  • Practice to improve delivery

• Ethical and practical considerations are implied through the emphasis on clarity, positive influence, and responsible persuasion

• The content ties to foundational communication principles: audience-centered approach, feedback loops, and dialogue-oriented understanding of meaning

Quick references (numbers in LaTeX)

• Pages mentioned: $3$, $4$, $5$, $6$, $7$, $8$, $9$, $10$, $12$, $13$, $14$, $15$

• Figure reference: Figure $19.1$

• Slide reference: $6$ (the Persuasive speaking emphasis)

• Week 1 tasks involve $1$ set and $1$ quiz