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PART FOUR
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Chapter-by-Chapter
Guide to
The Art of Public
Speaking
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54 CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
he following pages contain guides for using each chapter of The Art of Public Speaking.
Each chapter guide consists of a list of chapter objectives, an outline of the chapter, discus-
sions of the Exercises for Critical Thinking and the Using Public Speaking in Your Career sce-
nario from the textbook, and additional exercises and activities for classroom use or homework
assignments. Student worksheets and surveys are also provided at the end of many of the chapter
guides.
The chapter guides are all produced in Microsoft Word, available on Connect and on the
Instructor Resource CD-ROM, so you can easily combine exercises and activities to produce
your own handouts and so you can revise the worksheets to adapt them to your individual
needs. Headers have been removed from the worksheets so they won’t need to be removed for
printing. The page numbers on the worksheets have been moved to the bottom of the page.
T
Speaking in Public
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Explain the value of a course in public speaking.
2. Discuss the long tradition of studying public speaking.
3. Identify the major similarities and difference between public speaking and everyday
conversation.
4. Explain why a certain amount of nervousness is normal—even desirable—for a
public speaker.
5. Discuss methods of controlling nervousness and of making it work for, rather than
against, a speaker.
6. Identify the basic elements of the speech communication process.
7. Explain how the cultural diversity of today’s world can influence public speaking
situations.
8. Define ethnocentrism and explain why public speakers need to avoid it when
addressing audiences of diverse racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds.
1
56 CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
CHAPTER 1⎯SPEAKING IN PUBLIC 57
58 CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
CHAPTER 1⎯SPEAKING IN PUBLIC 59
Discussion: This exercise can be a very effective vehicle for class discussion about the
2. Divide a sheet of paper into two columns. Label one column “Characteristics of an Effective
Public Speaker.” Label the other column “Characteristics of an Ineffective Public Speaker.”
In the columns, list and briefly explain what you believe to be the five most important charac-
teristics of effective and ineffective speakers. Be prepared to discuss your ideas in class.
Discussion: When this exercise is discussed in class, it provides the basis for generating
3. On the basis of the lists you developed for Exercise 2, candidly evaluate your own strengths
and weaknesses as a speaker. Identify the three primary aspects of speechmaking you most
want to improve.
Discussion: This exercise encourages students to set specific goals for improving their
Using Public Speaking in Your Career
(from text page 17)
It’s been three years since you graduated from college, and one year since you and your friends
launched a mobile app development company. The app, a note-taking and collaboration tool for
college students, has taken a while to create, but now you’re ready to unveil it at a regional technol-
ogy conference. Although you have given a few brief talks since your speech class in college, the
conference will be your first major presentation to a large audience.
The closer you get to the day of the speech, the harder it is to control the butterflies in your
stomach. There will be approximately 200 people in your audience, including potential investors,
rival development companies, and members of the press. All eyes will be on you. It’s important
that you come across as confident and well informed, but you’re afraid your stage fright will send
the opposite message. What strategies will you use to control your nerves and make them work
for you?
60 CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
CHAPTER 1⎯SPEAKING IN PUBLIC 61
3. Distribute “How to Succeed in Your Public Speaking Class” (page 66 of this manual) to stu-
dents during the first week of class.
Discussion: “How to Succeed in Your Public Speaking Class” contains a set of useful tips
4. Distribute “Tips for Dealing with Speech Anxiety” (page 67 of this manual) to students during
the first week of class.
Discussion: Like “How to Succeed in Your Public Speaking Class,” “Tips for Dealing with
5. If your class has a fair number of international students, conduct a class discussion in which
the international students compare and contrast common nonverbal signals in their countries
with those in the United States.
Discussion: Depending on the composition of your class, this can be an excellent way to
6. Give students the following assignment: Think of a situation in which you sought to under-
stand the message of, or to convey your own message to, someone from a different culture.
The situation might have involved interpersonal communication, public speaking, or a media
message such as a film, television program, or online video. Write a brief analysis in which
you explain (a) the participants in the communication situation, (b) the message that was
meant to be communicated, (c) the difficulty you had communicating—or understanding—
the message, (d) the outcome of the situation, and (e) what the situation reveals about the
complexity of communicating with people of different cultural backgrounds. Be prepared to
present your analysis in class.
62 CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Discussion: This exercise works best in classes in which a fair proportion of students
7. Over the years a number of metaphors have been used to describe the mix of cultures in the
United States. Best known is the melting pot metaphor, which originated in 1908 with The
Melting-Pot, a play by Israel Zangwill, an English writer of Russian-Jewish heritage. Accord-
ing to this metaphor, the United States is like the kind of huge container used to melt and mix
steel and other metals. As immigrants come to the United States, they blend together into one
assimilated culture that is stronger than the individual cultures of which it is composed.
A second metaphor compares the U.S. to a set of streams or rivers, each of which is com-
posed of many people from different cultures. The streams or rivers flow separately, main-
taining their unique identity until at some point they come together to form a mighty
watershed in which the individual streams and rivers are combined into one.
In a third metaphor the U.S. is compared to a garden salad in which different cultures,
like the different ingredients in a salad, are combined and tossed to create the final product
without losing their individual texture and flavor.
A fourth metaphor likens the U.S. to a giant quilt or tapestry in which people of different
cultural backgrounds, like the individual threads and patterns of a tapestry, are woven to-
gether to produce the overall design. Like the salad metaphor, in which the various ingredi-
ents retain their own texture and flavor, the tapestry metaphor stresses the uniqueness and
importance of the individual threads, patterns, and colors out of which the whole fabric is
constructed.
After presenting these metaphors to the class, conduct a class discussion in which stu-
dents consider the strengths and weaknesses of each metaphor for describing the cultural di-
versity of life in the United States.
Discussion: This exercise can be conducted in small groups or with the class as a whole.
CHAPTER 1⎯SPEAKING IN PUBLIC 63
Third, in both the salad and tapestry metaphors, individual elements of the whole re-
8. Assign a two-minute speech of self-introduction in which students explain a significant as-
pect of their cultural background and how it has made a difference in their lives. Possible top-
ics might include social customs, family traditions, holidays, clothing, food, religious
traditions, sporting activities, and the like. Encourage students to be creative in preparing
their speeches and in finding ways to illustrate how the aspect of their culture they choose to
explain relates to their personal lives.
Discussion: This assignment accomplishes three goals at once. First, it fulfills the need for
9. Assign a two-minute speech in which students introduce one of their classmates to the rest of the
class. The speech should focus on some aspect of the cultural background of the person being in-
troduced⎯social customs, family traditions, holidays, clothing, food, religious traditions, sport-
ing activities, and the like. Encourage students to be creative in preparing their speeches and in
talking about their classmates.
Discussion: This assignment offers an alternative to Additional Exercise/Activity 8 above
64 CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER GUIDE TO THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
10. Assign an informative speech of five to six minutes in which students explain a significant
aspect of a culture different from their own—social customs, family traditions, holidays,
clothing, religious traditions, music, sporting activities, educational systems, etc. Research is
required for this speech. If students have had direct contact with a foreign culture, they should
be encouraged to supplement their research with their personal experience, but the speech is
not to be a travelogue or a presentation on “My Summer in Europe” or “My Year as an Ex-
change Student in Brazil.” However, a speech on how Europeans spend their summer vaca-
tions, or on the educational system of Brazil, would be fine.
Discussion: Unlike Additional Exercises/Activities 8 and 9, this assignment involves a full-
65
Student Introduction Questionnaire
Name _____________________________________________ Year ___________________
Major _____________________________________________
What reason(s) do you have for taking this class?
Do you have any specific goals for improving your speaking? What are they? (What would you
like to learn how to do? What particular problems would you like to overcome?)
What classes in speech and related fields (such as journalism or English composition) have you
had here or at other schools?
What kinds of speaking experiences have you had in your classes, jobs, religious organizations,
extracurricular activities, etc.?
When did you give your last speech? What was the topic?
What are your career plans? Will public speaking be important to your career? How so?
66
How to Succeed in Your Public Speaking Class
1. Strive for Perfect Attendance. Every class session is designed to help you learn and master
the skills of public speaking. Some days will be devoted to lecture, others to class discussion or
activities, still others to the presentation of speeches. You will learn something important every
day—including the days when you listen to your classmates’ speeches. The more faithfully you
attend class, the better you will do in the course.
2. Do the Assigned Readings Before Class. When you read the assigned material ahead of time,
class discussion helps reinforce your understanding of the principles of speechmaking in a way
that doing the reading after class (or just before the exam) cannot.
3. Learn the Language of Public Speaking. Every area of study has its own specialized language.
Terms such as central idea, specific purpose, extemporaneous delivery, preparation outline, and
the like are part of the language of public speaking. Be sure you know what these terms mean.
4. Participate in Class. In addition to helping you learn the material better, class participation
gives you additional experience expressing your ideas in front of others. You owe it to your-
self to take advantage of this opportunity.
5. Ask Questions. If you have no questions about the textbook, your speeches, or the class in
general, you probably aren’t putting much thought into the course. Asking questions is a good
way to increase your understanding of the book, to help get ready for speeches, and to feel
comfortable with your instructor and classmates.
6. Spend Lots of Time Working on Your Speeches. To get a sense of the time commitment
required for this class, think of each major speech assignment as the equivalent of writing a pa-
per in a composition class. The process of preparing a speech includes choosing a topic, nar-
rowing the topic to a specific purpose, researching the topic, determining the main points to
develop in the speech, writing a carefully organized outline, preparing visual aids to accompany
the speech, and rehearsing the speech so you can deliver it fluently and confidently. Doing all
of this well requires a great deal of effort. The more time you spend working on your speeches,
the better they will be. Many B speeches could become A speeches with a little more work.
7. Begin Working on Your Speeches Well in Advance. Because it takes a lot of time to prepare
an effective speech, it is vital that you begin working on your speeches as soon as they are as-
signed. This way you will be able to spend the night before your presentation fine-tuning your
delivery rather than feverishly writing your conclusion. In addition to giving you plenty of time
to accomplish all the stages of speech preparation, starting early will help you avoid the dangers
of plagiarism that arise when students leave their speech preparation to the last minute.
8. Get Feedback on Your Speeches. Most instructors are willing to look at several drafts of a
speech and make suggestions for improvement. You can also get feedback from family, friends,
roommates, and classmates. They may not be able to give as much advice as your instructor,
but they can tell you if you are saying “um” or looking down at your notes too often. Whatever
you do, take advantage of feedback that can help you become a better, more confident speaker.
67
Tips for Dealing with Speech Anxiety
As your textbook explains, most people are nervous when faced with the prospect of giving a
speech. Your aim is not to get rid of your nerves, but to manage them so they will work for you
rather than against you. Learning to do so takes practice—just as it takes practice to improve
other aspects of speechmaking. You can begin by following the suggestions for dealing with
nervousness explained on pages 8–16 of your textbook. In addition, try the tips listed below.
Over the years, many students have found them to be extremely helpful.
1. Get to know the people in your class and find out how they feel about giving speeches. Many
5. Visualize family members and friends in the audience. Pick out three chairs—one on each
side of the room and one in the middle. Now visualize a supportive family member or friend
in each chair. Be specific in your mental imaging. Visualize what they are wearing, how they
are sitting, the positive expressions on their faces, the way they nod their heads in support of
your ideas, etc. Practicing this visualization at home as you rehearse your speech will make it
even more effective.
6. Don’t worry that a single mistake will ruin your speech. Some students worry that they will
look like a fool if their hands shake or their voice trembles. Or they think their whole speech
is ruined if they forget what they are going to say for a moment. But one mistake does not de-
stroy an entire speech any more than missing one question on an exam means that you will
fail the entire test. Remember that you will be graded on many aspects of your speech other
than delivery—including topic selection, research, organization, supporting materials, audi-
ence adaptation, language use, and the like. If you stumble for a moment or two in your de-
livery, you can still do very well on the speech as a whole.
