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Chapter 13
Delivering Presentations
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
• Identify and control your anxieties
• Choose a delivery style best suited to you and your speaking situation
• Employ effective vocal cues
LECTURE NOTES
• Understanding and Addressing Anxiety discusses ways to identify anxiety triggers that
are related to public speaking and, with this knowledge, build confidence.
ƒ Nervousness about public speaking may take two forms:
ż Public speaking anxiety is the nervousness people feel when they have to
communicate publicly to an audience and may include physical symptoms.
ż Communication apprehension is a more general fear or anxiety associated with either
real or anticipated communication with another person or persons.
ƒ Identifying Anxiety Triggers
ż Many things trigger anxiety related to communication such as a past upsetting
• Methods of Delivery explores four delivery options and the potential benefits and pitfalls of
each.
ƒ Speaking from Manuscript
ż This kind of speaking has you read your speech word for word from a script; this is
useful in situations where accuracy is critical.
ƒ Speaking from Memory
ż Also referred to as oratory, this method requires you to commit your words to
memory.
ƒ Speaking Spontaneously
ż Impromptu speaking is speaking to an audience without warning and preparation.
ƒ Speaking Extemporaneously
ż Extemporaneous speaking is speaking on planned content in a calm and collected
manner.
ż Preparation tips include preparing well in advance, creating a key-word or phrase
outline, and practicing.
• Guidelines for Effective Delivery explores the role of nonverbal channels of
communication while delivering a speech.
ƒ Effective Vocal Delivery requires controlling a number of elements; these include:
ż Varying your pitch so that you don’t speak in a monotone
ƒ Effective Visual Delivery can also help you clarify points in an interesting and
compelling way; this involves the following:
ż Dressing for the occasion by looking like someone who is capable of informing or
persuading the audience
ƒ Connecting with Your Audience can help you give an effective presentation; tips to
accomplish this include the following:
• Effective Presentation Aids
ƒ The Function of Presentation Aids is to supplement a speech, not substitute for it. They
should accomplish the following:
ƒ Type of Presentation Aids include the following:
ż Props (objects) and models (scaled objects) help you describe things that may be
difficult to describe with only words; however, they require preplanning to consider
safety and logistics.
ż Media clips and images provide illustrations to illustrate things that are difficult to
• Practicing Your Speech reviews four important points to consider when preparing to give
your speech.
ƒ Remember Your Speaking Outline
ż Make sure your words and key phrases work as prompts.
ż Write out or change anything that is unclear to you.
ƒ Practice Using Presentation Aids
ż Test your aids and the equipment at the speaking facility ahead of time to eliminate
surprises.
ƒ Simulate the Situation
ż Create similar conditions that mimic the environment where you will be delivering
your speech.
ƒ Practice Your Delivery
ż Focus on your message so that you develop the right delivery.
ż Use mirrors cautiously when practicing gestures and eye contact. Don’t use a mirror if
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why is it more difficult to give a good speech from a manuscript rather than an
extemporaneous speech?
2. What are some ways that students can improve their vocal deliveries?
3. What are some mistakes that people make when using presentation aids?
PERSONAL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
1. What Do Others Think?
Take a cell phone or video camera (or just take notes or use a tape recorder) and ask
people on campus about how they feel about public speaking. Is speaking in front of
others a top fear of people on your campus? Do your findings correlate with your own
2. Death by PowerPoint
Have you ever had an experience where a speaker’s PowerPoint presentation was
ineffective? What was bad or distracting about it? How would you suggest changing the
person’s presentation to make it more effective?
3. Self-Critique
Videotape one of your in-class speeches. Critique yourself. What could you do to change
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Storytelling Speech
Goal: To understand how manuscript speaking can harm delivery skills
Time Required: 2 minutes per student
Materials: Selection of children’s storybooks
Directions:
2. Have students take turns reading their stories aloud to the rest of the class. Have
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3. Have students critique the attempts of a few fellow students based on the good
delivery techniques described in the text.
4. After these first few attempts, have a few more students read their stories aloud.
Encourage the new readers to incorporate elements from the previous critique into
2. Be a Bad Speaker
Goal: To understand bad presentation speaking skills
Time Required: 15–20 minutes
Materials: Script that is two to three paragraphs long. (Note: This can be a part of a story
or even paragraphs from the text.)
Directions:
1. Have volunteers read the scripts out loud to the rest of the class in a way that
presents bad public speaking skills. For example, have students mumble, shift their
3. Are You Apprehensive?
Goal: To understand our own apprehension of public speaking
Time Required: 15 minutes
Materials: Copies of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA;
www.hawaii.edu/gened/oc/PRCA-24.pdf)
Directions:
2. Have students score their PRCA.
Debriefing: Ask students to discuss the results and their feelings or reactions to their
4. Bad PowerPoint
Goal: To understand how certain PowerPoint slides (and PowerPoint presentations) can
detract from presentations
Time Required: 15 minutes
Materials: Computer with Internet and YouTube connections and projection
Directions:
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5. Impromptu Speaking
Goal: To practice impromptu speaking in a nongraded format
Time Required: 20–30 minutes
Materials: None
Directions: Have students volunteer to do an impromptu speech that is not graded. Give
the first student a topic from a list (there is a fun list at homeworktips.about.com/od/
Debriefing: Ask students how impromptu speaking is different from other kinds of
speaking. Ask the students who participated how they felt about doing an impromptu
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are the differences between state and trait communication apprehension?
2. List four ways to build your confidence as a speaker.
3. What are the four methods of delivery? Describe the differences among the methods.
4. According to your textbook, what is the key to succeeding at extemporaneous speaking?
MEDIA
Bill Clinton: Speeches of the Presidential Years, 1993–2001 (Madacy, 2005)
This DVD is a collection of Bill Clinton’s presidential speeches. Clinton is a good
Ronald Reagan: The Great Speeches (The Nostalgia Company, 2004)
This video compilation of Reagan’s most popular speeches can also be used to
