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Discussion Questions
Chapter 1: Public Speaking and You: Building Confidence
1. How much public speaking anxiety do you possess? Using the following link
http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/prpsa.htm complete the Personal Report of
Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA). Once you have answered all of the questions, tally
your results. Were you surprised by your score? How have you managed your public
speaking anxiety in the past?
2. What role will formal presentations serve in your future career? Describe how this course
will prepare you for your future career.
3. Give the students approximately five minutes to prepare a brief one minute speech about
their greatest fear of public speaking. After all impromptu speeches have been
completed, ask students to reflect upon their speaking experiences and describe elements
of the situation that contribute to higher levels of anxiety. For example, you may ask the
students about whether speaking in front of a small versus large audiences produces the
most anxiety. (Note: This activity could serve as an introduction to a lecture on
communication anxiety.)
4. This question can be used in both on-ground and on-line classrooms. Ask the students to
generate a list identifying the challenges of speaking to a virtual audience and a list that
identifies the challenges of speaking to a live audience, face-to-face.
5. Describe the relationship between culture, channel, and public speaking.
6. Compare and contrast public speaking to interviewing as a form of interpersonal
communication.
7. Compare and contrast public speaking to writing a formal essay.
