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What are the benefits of public speaking both personally and professionally?
Based on the benefits of public speaking:
What are the canons of rhetoric?
How do speakers utilize an oral speaking style?
What are the four categories of human communication?
Define and explain the elements of the interactive communication process. (Students
may want to incorporate the elements of communication into an example or real-world
situation.)
Source: The person who creates the message; the sender
Channel: The medium through which the speaker sends a message
Noise: Interference that serves as a barrier to communication; can include physical
sounds (e.g., a slamming door) as well as psychological, emotional, or environmental
interference
Shared meaning: The mutual understanding of a message between speaker and audience
Context: Anything that influences the speaker, the audience, the occasion, and thus,
ultimately, the speech
How does context influence public speaking? Use examples to support your explanations.
Context influences all aspects of public speaking. Considering the context involves more
than an audience analysis. Context includes anything that influences the speaker, the
audience, the speech, the occasion, or the situation. In classroom speeches, context would
include (among other things) the speech assignment, previous performances, the physical
setting, the order in which speeches are given, the quality of other speakers’
presentations, and recent events on campus or in the outside world.
What are the similarities between public speaking and other forms of
communication?
Key features of any communication are a skilled listener and a skilled
are relevant to the topic and the occasion.
What are the differences between public speaking and other forms of
communication?
Opportunities for feedback: Public speaking offers a middle ground between low and
high levels of feedback. It offers less opportunity for feedback than does dyadic or
ACTIVITIES
I Heard It through the Grapevine
Purpose: To have last semester’s students help this semester’s students do their best in
your class. (Instructors need to do this at the end of one course in order to use it at the
beginning of another.)
Instructions: Toward the end of the semester, ask your students to write a letter to next
semester’s students. Ask them to include any information they wish they had known at
the beginning of the semester. This information can include knowledge about the book(s),
the assignment(s), the instructor (his or her strengths, weaknesses, pet peeves), strategies
to make the class fun and beneficial, and how to get a good grade.
At the beginning of the next semester, on the first day of class (either before or
after going over the syllabus), give one letter to each of your students. Tell students that
these letters are from last semester’s students and they contain information that will help
them in this class. Instruct each of the students to read the letter and then, one at a time,
introduce themselves to the class and share some of the information in their letter. This
will help students to get valuable information about you and the class without feeling that
you are lecturing to them—or laying down the law. Also, students will start to get to
know one another and get used to speaking out loud.
Object of My Affection Speech
Purpose: To give students experience speaking in front of the class; to encourage
students to self-disclose so the class can get to know them better; to give students
experience working with props; to give students experience trying to meet a time limit; to
aid in audience analysis for future speeches.
Materials: Students must bring a prop for this speech, so they must be informed in
advance so they can prepare (see instructions).
Instructions: At least one class meeting in advance, assign this speech. Students will
bring in an object that symbolizes who they are or one of the roles they play in life.
Encourage students to be creative with this exercise, as it can help them alleviate anxiety
about the speechmaking process.
Note: An optional approach to this assignment is to have students bring in a personal
belonging that is important to them and explain why.
When you announcement the assignment, set rules for the object:
The object must be smaller than the student’s head. (This prevents all kinds of
large, bulky objects being brought to class.)
The object may not be alive, dangerous, extremely valuable, or breakable, and
may not be illegal to bring on campus.
The object should not be something the students carries every day. (Students who
want to speak about something they have with them every day must obtain
permission in advance.) This rule prevents students from pulling something from
a book bag and “winging it” on speech day.
The object should be large enough for the class to see.
The object should not be something that will make the student overly emotional
while presenting. (Add nerves to emotions, and students can break down and even
leave the room in tears.)
Set a time limit of around three minutes for the speech. Tell students this is a prepared
speech, and they should practice it so that it comes in at approximately three minutes.
Instructors can time these speeches or not, but it is not too early in the course to begin
to acclimate students to time limits.
On the day of this speech, give students some instruction on how to handle their objects.
If possible, give them a surface on which they can rest the object after they’ve introduced
it so they don’t have to hold it the entire time they speak. They should be instructed to
hold the object up and make sure everyone gets a good look at it before putting it down.
If they decide to hold it during the speech rather than put it down, they should be
instructed not to play with the object or make any noise with it. They should also be
instructed not to pass the item around the class while they speak. If classmates would like
a closer look, students can pass the item between speeches. They should be instructed not
to pass objects during someone else’s speech but rather to hold onto the object and
continue passing only between speeches. Ideally, students should record these speeches
and self-critique them. Instructors may wish to give points just for delivering this speech
and may or may not choose to give feedback.
Defining Communication through Words and Pictures
Purpose: To illustrate to students the difference between communication as action,
interaction, and transaction.
Materials: Chalk, a blackboard, a piece of paper, and a pen.
Instructions: Students should be instructed to find a partner. Once they have formed
pairs, students need to identify which person will act as the “source” and which will serve
as the “receiver.” Students will need to arrange their chairs so that the source is able to
see the board, while the receiver’s back is to the blackboard. The instructor will explain
to the students that the source will communicate what he or she sees on the board to the
receiver, and the receiver should attempt to follow the source’s directions and duplicate
what is heard.
The instructor should draw or tape various pictures or shapes on the board for the
students to duplicate. The exercise will be repeated three times. The instructor will
deliver the following instructions each time the exercise is performed.
Action Model
Time 1: The source and the receiver should sit back-to-back so they cannot see each
other. The source will describe what he or she sees on the board. The receiver will make
a drawing that approximates what they are hearing and understanding. Instruct the
receivers not to communicate during this round.
Interaction Model
Time 2: Students will keep the same seating arrangements they had in Time 1. However,
this time the receiver may ask questions or request additional information only after the
source has finished each set of instructions.
Transaction Model
Time 3: This time, source and receiver are allowed to face each other. Partners can
employ any form of communication necessary to accomplish the task. However, the
receiver is still not allowed to look at the board.
Discussion: In most cases the picture from Time 3 will yield the best representation of
what was drawn on the board. This is true because both the source and the receiver of the
message have had free range of communication. Instructors can note that by engaging in
communication as a transaction, individuals are likely to engage in effective
communication. Instructors should ask the students who participate the following
questions:
Participant Looking at the Board
1. Was it hard for you to describe the object to your partner? Why?
2. What would have made it easier? Why?
3. Do you think you could have been a more effective communicator? How?
Participant Who Was Drawing
1. Was it hard for you to draw the object? Why?
2. Did the person answer your questions?
3. What would have made it easier for you to draw the object? Why?
4. Do you think your partner could have been a more effective communicator? How?
5. Could you have been a more effective communicator? How?
Developing an Oral Style
Purpose: To demonstrate how public speaking utilizes an oral style, as opposed to a
written style.
Instructions: Before class, locate several excerpts from newspapers, magazines,
journals, or essays. These excerpts should reflect a more formal, written style of
communication. In groups, ask students to edit these excerpts to reflect an oral style. In
general, students will want their completed/edited work to include personal pronouns,
shorter sentences, more repetition and transitions, the use of contractions, and easy-to-
understand language. Then ask students to read both the original excerpt and their edited
excerpt. This should lead into a class discussion about the differences between written
communication and public speaking.
Personalizing the Communication Process
Purpose: To help students conceptualize the elements of the communication process.
Instructions: After teaching the elements of the communication process, ask students to
recall a recent situation/interaction in which they experienced noise that interfered with
the exchange of a message. Ask students to draw (or create a model on a computer or
electronic device) that depicts the various elements of this specific communication
context. Students can take turns discussing their models in groups or in front of the class.
Public Speaking in the “Real World”
Purpose: To encourage students to explore how public speaking is used in their intended
career fields; to impress upon students the importance of public speaking in the “real-
world.”
Instructions: Talk to someone who works in a field you are interested in pursuing after
graduation. Ask the following questions: What specific communication skills are required
of people entering your line of work? How important are public speaking skills to your
job? What kinds of speaking are required most in your profession?
Suggest that students try to anticipate the answers to these questions before they speak to
their chosen professional. The first question may touch on such skills such as
organization, oral skills, research, and writing. Regarding the second question, the
importance of public speaking may vary given specific duties within a job, or a certain
level of advancement one attains on the job. Students should be prepared to report what
they found out in a discussion on a particular upcoming class day. Another option is to
ask a representative from the campus’s career-placement center to speak to the class
about the importance of public speaking skills, both during the employment interview
and on the job.
Feedback Pantomime
Purpose: To identify the kinds of feedback speakers might encounter from audience
members; to categorize and discuss feedback behaviors; to bring to awareness some
behaviors students may engage in that could be considered rude or disrespectful to
speakers, including their classmates and their instructor.
Instructions: Ask volunteers to come sit in the front of the room and illustrate an
example of possible feedback conveyed by an audience member. Identify each one as
positive or negative. Is it ever appropriate to communicate negative feedback to a
speaker? If so, when? What are some ways in which speakers can deal with negative
feedback they receive while making a speech?
Examples of positive feedback may include smiling, leaning forward, or nodding the
head. Negative feedback may include yawning, rolling the eyes, or talking among
audience members. Speakers should pay attention to the negative cues and adjust to them
so that the audience becomes more positive. Even though negative feedback could be
considered rude or disrespectful, it communicates important information to the speaker. If
the audience seems distracted, the speaker can address the distraction rather than ignoring
it. If the audience members’ faces express they are confused or reacting negatively, the
speaker can try to adjust course or offer to answer questions after the speech. Audience
members have a responsibility to be respectful and to “hear the speaker out,” but negative
feedback and rude, disrespectful feedback is part of the territory. Keep in mind that
speakers cannot pay attention to every single stimulus. Appropriate attention to feedback
requires speakers to determine which behaviors are exhibited by a majority, or at least by
many of the audience members, and adjust their delivery accordingly. Also, students
must remember that they have more control over delivery in terms of responding to
feedback than they do over adjusting a speech’s content. This exercise would also be
fruitful when discussing online presentations, as speakers must rely on less audience
feedback than would be present in a face-to-face public speaking context. Students might
indicate methods speakers could utilize to gauge audience feedback during online
presentations, such as asking audience members to text-message questions during the
presentation.
III. GROUP ACTIVITIES
Building the Perfect Speaker
Purpose: To encourage students to examine their perceptions of effective and ineffective
public speakers; to increase students’ awareness of the qualities they should seek to
exhibit and those they should avoid.
Instructions: Work in a group of three or four classmates. Individually, divide a sheet of
paper into two columns: Characteristics of an Effective Public Speaker and
Characteristics of an Ineffective Public Speaker. Fill in these columns, and then compare
them with other members of your group. Which characteristics of an effective speaker did
your group agree on?
You may want to use this activity to facilitate a friendly debate, with students arguing or
persuading others to agree with their lists. This activity will encourage students to
organize their arguments and put into practice some informal persuasive strategies. Or,
you might consider creating different categories for this activity. For example, you might
have one group identify characteristics of an effective political public speaker, while
having another group identify characteristics of an effective motivational speaker. This
variation could lead to a discussion about the importance of considering the context and
rhetorical situation.
Classy Goals
Purpose: To focus students on their collective goals as classmates; to help students see
their class as a unit and stress the importance of their classmates as supporters and
coaches.
Instructions: In a group, formulate a list of objectives or goals that you think your public
speaking class should accomplish. Compare them with the goals and objectives of other
groups and, as a class, try to come to a consensus on goals or objectives for the course.
You can use this activity in conjunction with the sections on the importance of public
speaking, or on the benefits of public speaking, in order to enhance discussion. This can
also be broken down into individual paper or essay assignments that students can hand in
at the end of class. Or, it could be used as a discussion board prompt.
Communication Is. . .
Purpose: To challenge students to find something analogous to the communication
process and explore the similarities; to lend depth to students’ understanding of the
communication process.
Instructions: In a group, brainstorm possible metaphors/analogies for the
communication process described in Chapter 1. Decide on the one the group thinks is
most appropriate, and flesh out how each part of the communication process compares to
an aspect of your metaphor.
Caution students about coming up with literal answers, such as “Communication is
conversation.” A metaphor or analogy is, by definition, saying something is what it is not.
The instructor might give an example: “Love Is a Rose.” (Credit a song written by Neil
Young and sang by Linda Ronstadt by the same name. The instructor may want to look
the lyrics to this song up online and share the first four lines with the class before
continuing). Obviously, love is not a rose, but how is it like a rose? Love is beautiful, like
a rose. Love can be painful, like the thorns on a rose can be. Love can die if you become
possessive. A rose will eventually die if you pick it. Challenge groups to come up with
something similar, with communication rather than love as the subject.
After the group has had time to arrive at a desired metaphor and identify how each part of
the communication process compares, a representative of each group should present the
group’s chosen metaphor to the class, spelling out how each part of the communication
process “fits” the metaphor. The class can then discuss how close the comparisons are for
each metaphor.
