Chapter 12
Public Speaking: First Steps
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CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
• Learn how public speaking is a unique form of communication that everyone uses—in jobs,
school, civic engagement, and everyday life.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
CHAPTER INTRODUCTION
• The chapter begins by describing a student name Miya who was preparing for her first solo
speaking assignment in her human communication course. Miya needed to find a topic that
interested her audience, research the topic and provide credible sources, and find presentation
INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC SPEAKING
• Why Study Public Speaking?
At certain times in your life, you will be called on to present your ideas in front of a large
audience, and you will want to be prepared.
In the workplace
• A knack for public speaking is one of the most important assets you can possess
in the workplace.
• According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers 2016 Job
• A Great Tradition
In the fifth century BCE, adult male Athenian citizens were expected to participate in
self-government and speak out in the assembly.
• Key Elements of Public Speaking
Public speaking features communication between a speaker and an audience.
• In public speaking, the speaker does most of the talking, and the audience
primarily listens.
• Audience members do send verbal and nonverbal messages, however.
Public speaking is audience-centered.
• Public speakers choose their message with the audience’s interests and needs in
mind.
Public speaking emphasizes the spoken word.
• The core of a public speaker’s message is verbal expression, reinforced by
appropriate nonverbal communication.
Public speaking is generally a prepared presentation.
• The best speakers strategically plan what they are going to say and practice their
delivery well in advance of the occasion.
THE SPEECH PREPARATION PROCESS
• Effective public speakers create a well-organized plan for speech preparation and budget enough
time to accomplish each step in that plan.
• The Classical Approach to Speech Preparation
The principles of rhetoric in the speech preparation process have been studied for
twenty-four hundred years. They were introduced by the ancient Greeks and today are
known as the classical canons of rhetoric.
• Invention is the generation and selection of ideas for use in your speech.
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
• To select the right message, you need to understand the other person’s point of view—that is,
the values, concerns, and beliefs that are most important to him or her.
With that information, you can relate your message to that point of view.
• The Importance of Audience Analysis
A speech is given for the benefit of your audience, and its success (or failure) is
measured by its effect on audience members.
The audience drives the message.
Speakers who tailor their message to listeners create enormous value for their audience
and themselves.
• Analyzing Situational Characteristics
Situational characteristics refer to factors in a specific speech setting that you can
observe or discover before you give your speech.
• Audience size
o The smaller the group, the greater the opportunity you will have to
interact with audience members and to tailor the message to the needs of
a few people.
Age
• The age of audience members can influence their response to your message.
• When making a reference to a person or an event that may not be familiar to all
generations represented in the audience, be sure to provide context for them.
Gender composition
• The gender composition of your audience—mixed (male and female) or single
gender—affects how listeners will respond to your speech.
• Although consideration of gender is a valid component of audience analysis, you
Race and ethnicity
• Race usually refers to a commonality based on genetically shared physical
characteristics of people in a group.
• Ethnicity refers to a cultural background that is usually associated with shared
Sexual orientation
• Another demographic characteristic is the sexual orientation—or relational
orientation—of your audience members.
• A speaker must not assume that all audience members are heterosexual.
Religious orientation
• Religious orientation may exert a significant influence on your audience
members’ views on a wide range of social issues, including abortion, gender
roles, poverty, and environmental concerns.
• Seeking Common Ground
o If audience members liked what they heard the first time they were
exposed to the ideas in your message, then you’ll want to push the
envelope in your next speech.
TOPIC SELECTION
• Choose a topic that interests you, that is likely to be relevant to your classmates, and that your
instructor considers appropriate for the assignment.
• Developing a Set of Potential Topics
Often it is the speaker’s responsibility to select a topic, although sometimes you may be
assigned a topic by your instructor, your employer, or those who have invited you to
speak.
Research
• Research is often an effective way to begin your topic selection process.
• Newsmagazines and newspapers include articles on current events, science,
geography and culture, famous people, and the arts.
Brainstorming
• Through brainstorming, you list every idea that comes to mind without
evaluating its merits. The goal is to develop a long list of topics quickly.
• Categories to consider when brainstorming include your interests and
Mind mapping
• To use mind mapping, write down a word or phrase in the middle of a large
piece of blank paper, and then surround it with words and images representing
other ideas that come to you.
• Here are some tips for mind mapping:
o Use images (sketches, doodles, symbols) in addition to words.
• Selecting the Best Topic
After you have generated a list of topics, the next step is to select the best one.
• To make your choice, consider the assignment, your audience, and your
knowledge and interests.
Consider the assignment.
• The topic that you select for a class assignment needs to meet your instructor’s
criteria.
• Picking a fresh or an innovative topic will be more interesting for both you and
your audience.
Consider your audience.
• Determine your listeners’ priorities and backgrounds, and use that information as
a guide.
• Pick a topic that meets one or more of the following criteria:
o It will interest your audience.
• Refining Your Topic
Determine your rhetorical purpose.
• Your rhetorical purpose is your intended effect on the audience. There are
three primary rhetorical purposes for speeches:
o Informative: When your purpose is informative, the message is
educational, and your objective is to increase the audience’s
understanding or awareness of your subject.
o Persuasive: When your purpose is persuasive, you seek to convince
audience members to consider or adopt a new position or belief,
• Consider which ideas about your topic will best accomplish your rhetorical
purpose.
• Drafting Your Specific Purpose
After you’ve identified your rhetorical purpose and narrowed your topic, your next step
is to determine your specific purpose—the objective of your speech—and express it in
a concise phrase.
• Drafting Your Thesis Statement
After you have determined your specific purpose, create your thesis statement—a
single sentence that captures the overall message you want to convey in your speech.
LIST OF KEY TERMS
classical canons of rhetoric
invention
arrangement (organization)
style
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why is public speaking an important component of the basic communication course? Where can
you predict that you will need to make presentations in front of others over the course of your life?
• The basic communication course is one of the most dreaded courses for students because
many have a fear of speaking in front of others. But students will have to speak in front of
audiences at various points in their lives beyond the walls of the classroom. A few public
2. Why is audience analysis important when it comes to delivering a presentation?
• Students sometimes forget that they are speaking for the audience and not for themselves.
They should be passionate about conveying the message they would like their audience to
3. What are some examples of audience demographics, and why should speakers consider each
before giving a presentation?
• When selecting their topics, students need to think about the interests of their audience. If
the speaker decides on a topic that may seem like it will be uninteresting to the audience,
they need to explain why the audience should care. Understanding demographic information
4. How do audience members provide feedback, both verbally and nonverbally, when viewing a
public speaking event? How can you use this feedback to tailor your message? For example, if you
feel that audience members are responding negatively, how might you alter your approach or your
message?
• Give your students a few minutes to think about how they respond both favorably and
unfavorably when listening to a public speaker. Have them think about their own behaviors
when they are audience members. What can a speaker do to make them want to listen?
5. What is the difference between your rhetorical purpose, specific purpose, and thesis statement?
• Rhetorical purpose: Students sometimes confuse these three things. Their rhetorical purpose
is their intended effect on their audience. This can be informative (educational), persuasive
(convincing audience members to adopt a certain belief, to take action, or to strengthen what
APPLY YOUR SKILLS
APPLY YOUR SKILLS FROM CHAPTER 12
1. Look at the “Apply Your Skills” activity on page 379 in the text. After students complete the
activity, have them answer the following questions, either in a small group, in a class discussion, or
in writing:
• After you have completed your mind map, let’s practice narrowing your focus to some
concrete ideas that you could research for a five- to seven-minute speech. Use one of your
speech ideas, narrow the focus of that idea, and come up with three main points you could
MORE “APPLY YOUR SKILLS” IDEAS
1. Review the illustration “Early Preparation Is Key” on page 355 in the text. Why is it important
not to procrastinate on the speech assignment? What are the consequences for changing your topic
at the last minute? Take out your planner or use the calendar in your phone to map out a schedule
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PERSONAL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
1. Have students critique a public speaking event of their choice, applying the five canons of rhetoric
to it.
• Invention: What did the speaker discuss, and how was the speaker a credible source to speak
on the topic?
• Arrangement: What were the main ideas of the presentation, and did they flow easily?
2. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Successful speakers do not achieve great results by accident.” What
does this statement mean? Have you ever made a presentation for which you weren’t prepared? If
so, what was the context of the situation, and what are some potential consequences for not having
a planned and practiced speech prepared?
3. Think of someone who you believe is a great orator (public speaker), and find a one-minute video
of that person speaking. Provide that link in this reflection, and explain how the speaker’s use of
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Have students form groups of four or five people, and give them 15 minutes to complete this
exercise. Provide each group a broad topic (such as food, music, technology, college, or sports), and
have them do a brainstorming exercise to narrow their focus to what could become a five- to seven-
minute speech. Have them write the following items on a piece of paper:
2. Have students take out a sheet of paper, and ask them to write down the following questions:
• What interests you?
• What unique experiences (such as travel, conferences, and so on) have you have?
• What intrigues you?
• What concerns you?
3. Provide students with the following topics:
• Greek life
• Fast food
• Energy drinks
• E-cigarettes
Give them 20 minutes to complete this exercise. Have them narrow their focus for each topic and
develop three main points for an informative approach to a presentation. Then have them change
4. Have students form groups of four or five students. Give each group a broad topic (like music,
sports, entertainment, food, trips, or social media) while you throw a small ball (or wadded up piece
of paper) to one person in each group. After you’ve given each group a broad topic, have group
members toss the ball to one another as they brainstorm ideas from that initial topic. As soon as one
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ADDITIONAL MEDIA RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES
1. Have students watch the three-minute TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Talk by
Colin Robertson titled “Improv Everywhere: A TED Speaker’s Worst Nightmare” (2012). Why is it
important to make sure your technology works prior to giving a presentation? What strategies can
you use to deliver a quality presentation in the event your technology fails?
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HANDOUTS AND READY–TO–PRINT ACTIVITIES
THE FIVE CANONS OF RHETORIC
Use this handout as a checklist when you prepare speeches for your class. After
you’ve solidified your speech topic, check the “Invention” stage off the list. After
you’ve determined the organization of the speech, check the “Arrangement” stage off
the list, and so on.
Invention is the generation and selection of ideas for
your speech. It involves analyzing the audience,
researching the topic, and considering your own ideas
about the subject to generate many possible ideas.
Arrangement (organization) is the structure of your