essay about the public speaking

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

A Plus Topper

Improve your Grades

Public Speaking Essay | Importance of Public Speaking Skills, How To Improve Public Speaking?

December 24, 2021 by Prasanna

Public Speaking Essay: Public speaking is an important part of today’s life. If a person can master the art of public speaking then there is a lot of chance for him or her to make a successful career in life. In whichever field you look at today, public speaking is very important to establish your identity and brand image. We need to know what public speaking is and why we need to master it. Public speaking refers to delivering some important topic in front of a group audience. This group could be small or at times big. But the main objective of public speaking is to catch the attention of the audience and convince them of the idea that the speaker wants to convey. This task is not very easy.

One may think that public speaking is easy as he has the knowledge on a particular subject but there are a lot of intricate things one needs to take care of. Some common mistakes are very often committed by people while delivering a topic on public speaking. All knowledgeable persons can’t become good public speakers. So the first step to public speaking is to go through the process systematically and master the skill. Public speaking is an art so it needs to be learned both in theory and practice. It is a test of an individual’s knowledge and expertise in certain fields. It also helps to develop an individual’s communication skills and confidence. This is a very basic thing and one needs to practice a lot to improve the oratorical skills.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long Essay on Public Speaking

Public Speaking Skills

A good public speaker must have the required skills to create a substantial impact on the audience by communicating his points clearly and by building a connection with the audience. The key to success in public speaking depends on the expressions and body language of the speaker which helps to keep him connected to the audience while speaking. To be a successful public speaker one needs to work on the content as well. The content has to be different from boring lectures overflowing with data and facts but should be made interesting to draw the attention of the audience. This can be done by adding some inspiring and motivational stories, quotes, and real-life examples within the speech.

Another important aspect is to create an environment for effective interaction between the speaker and the audience. It is a special skill of a good public speaker to keep the audience involved all the time so that their mind can never get diverted. The effectiveness of public speaking depends primarily on the speaking skills that keep the audience engaged and engrossed in the topic being discussed. These speaking skills involve some modulation and variations in voice, expression, and delivery. The purpose is to draw the attention of an audience and get you noticed in front of a large gathering.

The Trend in Public Speaking

In the current scenario, public speaking has become a successful career in terms of earning opportunities. People want to hear from certain eminent personalities about their experience and their journey towards success. It is also a professional approach adopted by many coaches and guides to building a brand of their own by appearing as public speakers in a gathering of selected people. It has become a part of organizational culture to conduct sessions for working professionals where an expert public speaker is invited to provide insights into some topics of relevance in a motivational and interesting manner.

One aspect is to provide the audience with some updated knowledge but the main motive is to make the people present in the session more charged and motivated in work with some increased energy. The success of a public speaker depends on how well he can influence the thought process, views, ideas, and corresponding actions of the people after attending the session.

Short Essay on Public Speaking

Opportunities in Public Speaking

There are plenty of situations where good public speaking skills are required, be it in a social or organizational setup. You might be asked to make a speech at an award function or in a cultural event or talk to a group of volunteers or recruits. In the virtual platform, speaking to an audience also includes online presentations or discussions, consulting a team, or speaking to a group of customers in an online meeting. Showing good public speaking skills helps to open up new career opportunities and build your identity in social circles as well.

Strategies for Public Speaking

To become a better public speaker, one has to use the following strategies:

Plan appropriately: Work on the content that can resonate with your audience. As a good speaker, you need to intrigue your audience from the very beginning. It is better to start with an interesting fact, headline, or story in the context of what you’re going to talk about.

Engage with the audience: It is necessary as a speaker to keep everyone involved with your speech so that you don’t feel isolated from the audience. It is very effective to interact and ask questions and encourage people to participate and give feedback.

Pay attention to body language: The gestures and body language of a speaker generates positive vibes to the audience constantly. The confidence and belief can be communicated to the audience through your body language and voice. Instead of standing, walk around and present yourself as more active and passionate.

Think positively: A positive approach with confidence brings effective results in public speaking. The primary focus should be that you’re trying to help a group of people in some way, so convey your message in a more meaningful way.

The essence of public speaking lies in the way you create awareness and educate others to bring some tangible results. As a public speaker, you must ensure your communication is always natural, confident, and authentic.

FAQ’s on Public Speaking Essay

Question 1. How are the main types of public speaking?

Answer: There are mainly three types of speeches public speakers use to influence their audience. The informative speech conveys information, the persuasive speech motivates people to take action and the special occasion speech is given to commemorate a person or event.

Question 2. How one must practice the habit of public speaking to gain confidence?

Answer: One of the best ways to practice public speaking is to be involved in situations that require public speaking, such as volunteering to speak at team meetings and events.

Question 3. How do voice modulation and pace of speech help in building engagement with the audience?

Answer: A vocal variation in volume, pause and pacing can help to break the monotony of speech and create better engagement with the audience.

• Picture Dictionary
• English Speech
• English Slogans
• English Letter Writing
• English Essay Writing
• English Textbook Answers
• Types of Certificates
• ICSE Solutions
• Selina ICSE Solutions
• ML Aggarwal Solutions
• HSSLive Plus One
• HSSLive Plus Two
• Kerala SSLC
• Distance Education

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking, Stop Thinking About Yourself

• Sarah Gershman

Tips for before and during your presentation.

Even the most confident speakers find ways to distance themselves from their audience. It’s how our brains are programmed, so how can we overcome it? Human generosity. The key to calming the amygdala and disarming our panic button is to turn the focus away from ourselves — away from whether we will mess up or whether the audience will like us — and toward helping the audience. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we tend to feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and we feel less nervous.

Most of us — even those at the top — struggle with public-speaking anxiety. When I ask my clients what makes them nervous, invariably they respond with the same answers:

• Sarah Gershman is an executive speech coach and CEO of Green Room Speakers. She is a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where she teaches public speaking to leaders from around the globe.

Partner Center

Essay on Public Speaking

Students are often asked to write an essay on Public Speaking in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Public Speaking

What is public speaking.

Public speaking is when you talk in front of a group of people. It’s not just about giving a speech. It’s about sharing your ideas, telling stories, or teaching something new. Everyone, from teachers to leaders, uses public speaking to share their thoughts with others.

Why is it Important?

Public speaking is important because it helps you share your ideas with more people. It’s a way to make your voice heard. Good public speaking skills can help you do better in school, get a good job, and make new friends.

Getting Better at It

To get better at public speaking, practice is key. Start by talking in front of a mirror or with friends. Listen to feedback and try again. Remember, everyone gets nervous, but with practice, you can become confident and clear in your speaking.

250 Words Essay on Public Speaking

Public speaking: the art of communicating effectively.

Public speaking involves delivering a presentation before an audience, sharing a message, or informing a group of people about a certain topic. It is a valuable skill that helps individuals communicate effectively, share knowledge, and engage others through eloquent words.

Importance of Public Speaking

Key elements of public speaking.

Effective public speaking involves careful preparation, clear structure, and confident delivery. Speakers need to research and gather relevant information related to their topic. They must organize their ideas logically and arrange them into a coherent structure, including an introduction, main points, and conclusion. Additionally, using captivating visual aids, speaking expressively, and practicing effective body language enhance the impact of the speech.

Preparation Tips for Beginners

To excel at public speaking, beginners should start by choosing a topic they are passionate about, allowing them to connect with the audience authentically. Practicing in front of a mirror or with friends helps build confidence. Also, speaking slowly and clearly, using simple language, and engaging the audience through questions or stories can make speeches more captivating.

Overcoming Nervousness

It is common to feel nervous before speaking in public; however, deep breathing exercises, positive self-talk, and visualization techniques can help manage anxiety. Speakers should remember that being authentic and passionate about their topic goes a long way in making a successful presentation.

Public speaking is a powerful tool for sharing ideas, informing audiences, and influencing others. It is a skill that can be developed through practice and preparation. Effective public speakers are admired and make a positive impact on society. Therefore, if you’re given a chance to stand before the public and speak, seize it with confidence, and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

500 Words Essay on Public Speaking

Public speaking: making your voice heard.

Public speaking is the art of talking to a group of people in a structured, purposeful manner. It involves delivering a message, sharing information, or persuading an audience to take action. Public speaking can be intimidating at first, but with practice, anyone can become a confident and effective speaker.

Preparation and Organization

Be confident and engaging.

Confidence is crucial in public speaking. Practice your speech in front of a mirror, a friend, or a family member to build up your confidence. Maintain good posture, make eye contact with your audience, and use hand gestures to emphasize your points. Keep your voice clear and vary your tone to keep your audience engaged.

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you practice, the better you will become at public speaking. Look for opportunities to speak in different settings, such as a school debate or a community meeting. You can also join a public speaking club, where you can get feedback and encouragement from fellow speakers.

Handle Fear and Anxiety

Effective speech delivery.

When delivering your speech, speak clearly and at a moderate pace. Use a confident tone and project your voice so everyone can hear you. Maintain eye contact with your audience, and move around the stage or platform to keep their attention. Use visual aids, such as PowerPoint slides or flip charts to enhance your message.

Handling Questions and Feedback

After your speech, be prepared to answer questions from your audience. Listen attentively, and respond thoughtfully and respectfully. Welcome feedback, both positive and negative, as a chance to improve your public speaking skills.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Why Are We Scared of Public Speaking?

Understanding the roots of this common fear can help us conquer it faster..

Posted November 27, 2017 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

• What Is Fear?
• Find a therapist to combat fear and anxiety
• There are many benefits to being a good public speaker.
• Fear of public speaking is very common, affecting about 25% of people.
• The fear may be caused by physiology, beliefs, specific situations, or lack of skill.

Communicating your ideas clearly and presenting them openly in a public forum is an essential component of success across several domains of life. Being a good public speaker can help you advance your career , grow your business, and form strong collaborations. It can help you promote ideas and move people to action on issues that affect them directly and society at large. To do any of these things well requires a fair amount of standing in front of an audience and delivering a pitch, an idea, or a body of work. And sometimes the only thing that stands between you and your audience is fear.

Glossophobia —a really cool and geeky name for the fear of public speaking —appears when you are performing or expecting to perform an oral presentation or a speech in front of other people. Fear of public speaking is frequently but incorrectly cited as people’s biggest fear. Fear of public speaking is often not people’s biggest fear; there are many other things that people are really scared of . Nevertheless, fear of public speaking is very common; approximately 25 percent of people report experiencing it.

While some people experience a debilitating form of glossophobia, even a mild form can have devastating effects. Fear of public speaking can prevent you from taking risks to share your ideas, to speak about your work, and to present your solutions to problems that affect many people—and as a result, it can affect how much you grow personally and professionally, and how much impact you can have. At the same time, any negative public speaking experiences will make it less likely that you will speak in public in the future—fear teaches you to protect yourself from risky situations.

Why Are We Afraid of Public Speaking?

Fear of public speaking is not so much related to the quality of a speech as it is to how the speaker feels, thinks, or acts when faced with speaking in public. There are many reasons why people become afraid when having to speak in public. The theories exploring the fear of public speaking have identified four contributing factors:

1. Physiology

Fear and anxiety involve the arousal of the autonomic nervous system in response to a potentially threatening stimulus. When confronted with a threat, our bodies prepare for battle. This hyperarousal leads to the emotional experience of fear, and it interferes with our ability to perform comfortably in front of audiences. Eventually, it prevents people from pursuing opportunities for public speaking.

Some researchers suggest that there are people who generally experience higher anxiety across different situations, and are therefore more prone to feel anxious about speaking in public as well. People who are predisposed to feeling anxious find it more challenging to master their anxiety and conquer their fear of public speaking and will opt to avoid it. For other people, the anxiety is limited to public speaking situations, but the physiological signs of fear they experience as they anticipate, prepare, and perform in public are similar.

Moreover, some people experience what researchers call anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of fear. Anxiety sensitivity means that in addition to being worried about public speaking, people are worried about their anxiety about public speaking and how their anxiety will affect their ability to perform in challenging communication situations. So, along with worrying about whether they will accomplish their objectives with their speech, people with high anxiety sensitivity also worry that they will be overwhelmingly anxious in front of their audience, and they will come across as a shaky speaker.

2. Thoughts

Another factor involves people’s beliefs about public speaking and about themselves as speakers. The fear often arises when people overestimate the stakes of communicating their ideas in front of others, viewing the speaking event as a potential threat to their credibility, image, and chance to reach an audience. Negative views of oneself as a speaker ( I am not good at speaking in front of crowds, I am not a good public speaker, I am boring , etc.) can also raise anxiety and augment the fear of speaking in public.

Some theories make the distinction between a performance orientation and a communication orientation. Performance orientation means you view public speaking as something that requires special skills, and you see the role of the audience as judges who are evaluating how good of a presenter you are. In contrast, communication orientation means that the main focus is on expressing your ideas, presenting information, or telling your story. For people with this orientation, the objective is to get through to their audience the same way they get through to people during everyday conversations.

Think about this in reverse: If you view any conversation that you have in the presence of another person as a form of “public” speaking, you have enough evidence that you can express yourself clearly and communicate effectively. You would then take the same approach to public speaking events where the focus is simply on sharing ideas and information. However, when the focus shifts from being heard and understood to being evaluated, the anxiety tends to be higher.

3. Situations

While there are people who by nature tend to be more anxious, or people who don’t think they are good at public speaking, there are certain situations that are likely to make most of us more anxious when presenting in a public forum.

• Lack of experience. As with anything else, experience builds confidence . When you don’t have a lot of stage hours under your belt, you are more likely to experience fear of public speaking.
• Degree of evaluation. When there is a real or imagined evaluation component to the situation, the fear is stronger. If you are speaking in front of a group of people who have the evaluation forms ready to fill out, you may feel more anxious.
• Status difference. If you are about to speak in front of people of higher status (e.g., people at your workplace in higher positions, or groups of accomplished professionals in your line of work), you may feel a higher dose of fear tingling through your body.
• New ideas. If you are sharing ideas that you have not yet shared in public, you may worry more about how people will receive them. When your public appearance involves presenting something new, you may feel more uncomfortable stating your position, taking questions from the audience, or dealing with those audience members who try to poke holes.
• New audiences. You may already have experience speaking in public and presenting to familiar audiences. You may, for instance, be used to speaking in front of professionals in your area of expertise. Fear may arise, however, when the target audience shifts. If you are standing in front of an audience that is very different from the people you usually speak to, your confidence may be a little shaky.

Finally, another factor that contributes to the fear of public speaking is how skilled you are in this area. While many people consider themselves naturally good speakers, there is always room for growth. The people who work on their skills, instead of relying on natural talent, are the speakers who stand out the most. There are many different approaches to enhancing this skill set and increasing competence in public speaking. Increased competence leads to increased confidence, which is an effective antidote to fear. Nevertheless, confidence alone does not translate into effective public speaking.

The many benefits of sharing information and ideas in public definitely outweigh the need to protect ourselves from the horror of having to speak in front of others. The next logical question is: How do we conquer this fear? Luckily, there are many approaches that work well, both in terms of building skills and boosting confidence.

Read more about how to conquer the fear of public speaking here .

LinkedIn image: fizkes/Shutterstock

Theo Tsaousides, Ph.D. is a neuropsychologist, assistant professor, and author of the book Brainblocks: Overcoming the Seven Hidden Barriers to Success .

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

Career Tips , Choosing a Job , Higher Education News , Tips for Online Students

Why Is Public Speaking Important? Because It’s Useful

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: February 9, 2020

Why is public speaking important? The reason is that everyone encounters a situation where public speaking skills are necessary. It could be at work, school, or in your personal life. Whether you are looking for tips on conquering stage fright, looking to improve your public speaking skills, or trying to motivate others on the importance of public speaking, we have all the info you need here. Find out all the benefits of public speaking below.

Public Speaking Definition

According to Merriam-Webster , public speaking is “the act or process of making speeches in public,” or “the art of effective oral communication with others.”

Everyday Public Speaking

Public speaking for the everyday person is still extremely important. Public speaking has many benefits in everyday life and can be grouped into the following categories:

1. Informative Speaking:

This type of speaking is the most common and happens to most people daily. It involves speaking in order to inform others, or get information out. This can be academic or professional knowledge, but can also be to report your progress on a project, or tell someone how to use something.

2. Persuasive Speaking:

Public speaking will often be in order to persuade others. This can be in a debate or formal speech, but can also be minor persuasions such as going to a place you choose for lunch. Persuasive public speaking is a very valuable skill to have.

3. Entertaining Speaking:

Public speaking for entertainment is used for award ceremonies, wedding speeches, comedy sketches, poetry reading, and much more. The purpose of this type of public speaking is to entertain the audience, instead of merely informing.

Why is Public Speaking Important?

Photo from  pexels, 1. win over your crowd.

No matter the crowd in front of you — whether at a social gathering, business meeting or large audience at a conference — being able to speak publicly is a very important asset. With public speaking skills and experience, speakers are able to captivate the interest of their listeners and keep them interested in order to deliver the message.

2. Motivate Others

Public speakers motivate their listeners to make a change. It could be to stop or start something, try something new, or reach their goals. Public speaking is important because the speaker can motivate others to go in the direction they wish, and the speaker can motivate others to be their best selves.

3. Inform People

When you have information to share, you don’t want it to be portrayed in a boring way. You want people to listen! This is done with public speaking skills. Inform people about something that matters by using great public skills and they will be sure to listen and be more likely to understand the information.

Benefits of Public Speaking In Your Life

Photo by  christina morillo  from  pexels, career benefits.

If you’re currently working in sales, the benefits of public speaking are many. You can reach for higher sales goals, get more customers and make more sales with public speaking skills.

2. Career advancement:

When you are a good public speaker, you will be more comfortable in interviews , be better able to sway others in your favor, and convince your boss to give you a promotion.

3. Stand out in the workforce:

Most will avoid speaking up and putting themselves in the spotlight at work, but with public speaking skills you have the confidence to do so!

4. Bring people together:

Within your company or on your team, public speaking is a way to bring workers together. When many people feel confident in public speaking, workers will speak their mind and collaborate better together.

5. Become a thought leader:

A thought leader is someone that people go to for ideas, consult on problems, and more. Being a good public speaker makes you that person and will get you ahead in your job when people know they can come to you.

Make New Social Connections

1. Find supporters:

When you practice public speaking, you are championing for others or a cause, and you will find a tribe of supporters to surround yourself with. These will be people who are like-minded or who share your values.

2. Get comfortable in social settings:

Public speaking allows you to relax in a group situation or when the spotlight is on you. This will make you more comfortable around people and easier to make connections.

3. Increase your professional network :

As you speak in more public settings such as work events and conferences, you will undoubtedly meet other speakers in your field, as well as audience members who are interested in what you have to say.

Developing Leadership Skills

If you want to do well and get ahead in school or your career, leadership is part of the equation. As a leader, you will have many public speaking opportunities.

1. Good speaker = good leader:

Most of the great leaders in human history were also great public speakers.

2. Good leader = opportunities:

As a good leader, you will be given more opportunities in social settings, your career, and other aspects of life.

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Photo by  startup stock photos  from  pexels, 1. boost confidence.

Public speaking repeatedly is a great boost of self confidence. Every time you speak, you gain a bit more confidence as you see your ideas and yourself were well-received by your audience.

2. Personal Satisfaction

Being able to speak in front of a crowd is a huge accomplishment. The first time can be very nerve-wracking, but coming out on the other end of the speech is a huge win! After the first time, you will keep getting better and better at public speaking and will get great personal satisfaction from this skill.

3. Critical Thinking

When preparing and conducting a speech, you also increase your critical thinking skills by working through problems, imagining positive and negative consequences, and finding solutions.

4. Improve Communication Skills

When you practice public speaking, you are practicing both verbal and nonverbal skills — and both will improve. The more you speak out, the better you get at communication . Public speakers are better overall communicators in all facets of life.

5. Learn to Argue

Presenting an argument in a formal setting will help you in informal settings as well. Public speaking helps you form better arguments, and you can increase your arguing skills even more through public speaking by engaging in Q&A with your audience.

6. Be a Better Listener

Attending conferences as a speaker means you will also listen to other speakers. As you listen to other speakers, you will have a greater appreciation and understanding of their material and craft, as a speaker yourself.

Public Speaking Helps You Drive Change

Photo by  denniz futalan  from  pexels.

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to get your message across. With public speaking, you can influence the world around you. If you see something that needs to change, use public speaking to change it!

• Make the difference:

Every public speaking opportunity you come across is a time to spread you influence for the greater good.

• Reach people fast:

Instead of waiting for your message to spread by word of mouth, social media , or print media, put it in front of a huge audience and you’ll instantly inspire many.

• Your message comes to life:

Written information is useful in some cases, but when you really want to make a difference in the world, you need to campaign for your cause and the best way to do so is to get it to come to life with public speaking.

How to Get Better at Public Speaking

Writing the speech.

1. Be prepared:

When you are comfortable, you are confident. Write a good speech that makes sense to you and that you are prepared to deliver.

2. Research the topic:

When you have thoroughly researched the topic, you will feel more confident when writing and delivering the speech.

3. Outline or write it out?

When you write out an entire speech, it will be easier to memorize as it can be stored word for word in your memory. The downside is that it could sound robotic and you risk reading it straight from the page. When you write an outline for a speech, it may sound more natural and you can glance at your outline as you. However, it is more difficult to rehearse and some people feel less confident with only an outline in front of them. It all depends on what you prefer.

Overcoming Your Stage Fright

Photo by  mentatdgt  from  pexels.

Fear of public speaking is a common one, but it can be overcome. Use these tips to help you overcome the fear:

1. Read your speech out loud:

Even if it’s just to yourself, reading it aloud will help you work out any hiccups and have you feeling confident with your voice.

2. Practice in front of a group:

Don’t just practice in the mirror or with a friend. To get over a fear of speaking in front of a crowd, try to practice in front of a small group first.

3. Should you picture the crowd in underwear?

The answer is, probably not. Even though this is common advice to get you to relax, it can be distracting. The best thing to do is to make eye contact, but if that starts to make you nervous, pretend the crowd is not there and just look straight ahead.

4. Pump yourself up:

Whatever gets you going before a test or a game, the same applies here. Listen to your favorite music on the way, or go for a run in the morning.

5. Use the power of knowledge:

When you know both your speech and your topic inside and out, completely by heart, you will have the confidence to focus on delivery and staying relaxed in front of others.

Things To Remember As You’re Giving The Speech

1. eye contact:.

Know your speech well so that you can maintain eye contact with the audience. This is important to engage them and make yourself more personable.

2. Move your view:

Make sure to move your eye contact around the room. Slightly shift your body or head at times towards a new direction if the crowd is large.

3. Talk, don’t read:

Try to talk to your audience as if you are inviting them into your thoughts. Do not read your speech word for word off the paper.

4. Your voice is a tool:

And people need to hear it! Make sure you are speaking loud enough so that you are heard.

5. Body language:

This is another important tool for public speakers. Try recording yourself so you are aware of your body language and fix any fidgets you find on the recording.

When you are good at it and practice often, the benefits of public speaking are many. Being an excellent public speaker is important for your career, social life, personal development , and for making a change in the world.

Each time you speak, you get better and better. So get out there and make your voice heard!

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.

Related Articles

• Career Advice

Ready, Set, Speak

By  Aisha Langford

You have / 5 articles left. Sign up for a free account or log in.

Public speaking is a critical, but often underdeveloped, skill among higher education professionals. Your ability to convey ideas with confidence and clarity is essential for articulating the importance of your research, getting buy-in for your projects and obtaining funding from sponsors.

Many people are afraid of public speaking. They think that effective public speakers are “naturals” who were born with strong oratory skills. Luckily, it is practice and not genetics that will make you a better public speaker. With practice and a few tips, you can improve your skills in a relatively short amount of time. This article will discuss five tips to becoming a better public speaker.

WAIT Method

WAIT stands for Why Am I Talking ? Before you jump right into making Powerpoint slides or writing a speech, take some time to think about why you’re speaking and what you want the audience to remember. That is, begin with the end in mind (habit number two from Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ). For example, pick three things you want people to take away from your presentation and then work backward. A clear understanding of your end goal will keep your thoughts cohesive as you prepare. More details can be found on Loren Ekroth’s webpage .

10/20/30 Rule

Introduced by the entrepreneur, author and speaker Guy Kawasaki, the general idea behind the 10/20/30 rule is that your Powerpoint presentations for most talks should:

• Have only 10 slides
• Last no more than 20 minutes
• Use 30 point font or greater so the audience can actually read your slides.

Keep in mind that these guidelines were created with the business community in mind and may not always apply to academic situations (e.g., dissertation defenses). However, it’s worth noting that our attention spans are short. There’s nothing worse than listening to a talk that goes on and on, or seeing slides that you can’t read.

Content Over Medium

The content of your presentation is far more important than fancy slides without substance. Powerpoint is a wonderful tool; however, it isn’t a requirement for effective presentations. Let’s repeat. Powerpoint isn’t a requirement for effective presentations.

Sometimes speaking without Powerpoint slides is even more effective and engaging. This may be especially true if you’re sharing aspects about your life (e.g., how you landed in higher education) or giving a motivational speech.

Unfortunately, Powerpoint is often used as a script instead of the visual aid tool it was designed to be. Using the analogy of a music concert, you are the lead singer and Powerpoint is your backup singers -- there to support you, but not the main focus. You are the show.

If you choose to use Powerpoint slides, avoid common Powerpoint mistakes like reading every slide and presenting crowded tables. Your audience will thank you.

Control the Controllables

The marketing and management consultant Somers White once said, “90 percent of how well the talk will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” Reduce your public speaking anxiety by following these steps:

• Organize your thoughts. This blueprint for a presentation by Eleni Kelakos is a good guide.
• Decide which format is best (Powerpoint, no slides and/or paper handouts).
• Practice by yourself and refine.
• Practice in front of others and refine.
• Time yourself. Staying within allotted time limits is crucial.
• Decide what you’re going to wear. Be comfortable, but look professional.

If possible, practice in the room where you’ll be speaking. Test the equipment to make sure it works. If using your own laptop, remember to bring your charger and adapters. This is especially true for Mac users. Also ask about:

• Wireless clickers
• Laser pointers
• Internet connections
• Sound system
• Microphones

Speaking of microphones, please use one if you’ll be in a large room. As we present, our voices get tired. Tiredness makes it hard to project our voices to the back of the room. If people can’t hear you, then you’ve missed an important opportunity and wasted everyone’s time, including yours. Lastly, if you have interactive exercises or surveys that require writing, be sure to bring pens.

Body Language and Other Distractions

A few years ago, I attended a job talk. The candidate -- we'll call him John -- had great training and an interesting program of research. Unfortunately, all I remember about John’s talk is that he spoke too fast, fidgeted a lot and rambled during the Q and A. He didn’t seem prepared, and he didn’t get the job. The selected candidate was probably a better fit overall for the department. However, I still wonder if John’s poor public speaking skills were a factor in the final decision.

Keep these things in mind when you’re giving presentations:

• Make good eye contact and scan the room. Force yourself to look to the left, center and right portions of the room.
• Eliminate filler words like um and ah . Take a pause instead.
• Reduce excessive hand movements, including taking your hands in and out of pockets.
• Try not to sway or rock in place.

Finally, it’s okay to move around the stage and interact with the audience. If you do so, use a wireless microphone so the audience can hear you.

For more information on public speaking, check out Toastmasters International , a nonprofit organization focused on public speaking and leadership development. If you own a smartphone, this article, Fearless Public Speaking: 6 Apps to Help You Prepare for Presentations (pages 46 and 47), may also be helpful.

Bad-Faith Counteroffers

Black and other minoritized faculty don’t receive equitable ones if they receive them at all, which harms both them a

Share This Article

More from career advice.

In Praise of Lunch

Amid the stress and clutter of our daily lives, and the divisions straining our politics and culture, we need sustain

A 3-Step Process for Gaining a Tenure-Track Job

Susanna Semerdzhyan, a first-generation college graduate, shares strategies that helped her overcome the obstacles.

• Become a Member
• Sign up for Newsletters
• Learning & Assessment
• Diversity & Equity
• Career Development
• Labor & Unionization
• Shared Governance
• Academic Freedom
• Books & Publishing
• Financial Aid
• Residential Life
• Free Speech
• Physical & Mental Health
• Race & Ethnicity
• Sex & Gender
• Socioeconomics
• Traditional-Age
• Adult & Post-Traditional
• Teaching & Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Digital Publishing
• Data Analytics
• Administrative Tech
• Alternative Credentials
• Financial Health
• Cost-Cutting
• Revenue Strategies
• Academic Programs
• Physical Campuses
• Mergers & Collaboration
• Fundraising
• Research Universities
• Regional Public Universities
• Community Colleges
• Private Nonprofit Colleges
• Minority-Serving Institutions
• Religious Colleges
• Women's Colleges
• Specialized Colleges
• For-Profit Colleges
• Executive Leadership
• Trustees & Regents
• State Oversight
• Accreditation
• Politics & Elections
• Supreme Court
• Student Aid Policy
• Science & Research Policy
• State Policy
• Colleges & Localities
• Employee Satisfaction
• Remote & Flexible Work
• Staff Issues
• Study Abroad
• International Students in U.S.
• U.S. Colleges in the World
• Intellectual Affairs
• Seeking a Faculty Job
• Advancing in the Faculty
• Seeking an Administrative Job
• Advancing as an Administrator
• Beyond Transfer
• Call to Action
• Confessions of a Community College Dean
• Higher Ed Gamma
• Higher Ed Policy
• Just Explain It to Me!
• Just Visiting
• Law, Policy—and IT?
• Leadership & StratEDgy
• Leadership in Higher Education
• Learning Innovation
• Online: Trending Now
• Resident Scholar
• University of Venus
• Student Voice
• Academic Life
• Health & Wellness
• The College Experience
• Life After College
• Academic Minute
• Weekly Wisdom
• Reports & Data
• Quick Takes
• Advertising & Marketing
• Consulting Services
• Data & Insights
• Hiring & Jobs
• Event Partnerships

4 /5 Articles remaining this month.

Sign up for a free account or log in.

• Create Free Account

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Public Speaking and Presentations

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Public Speaking and Presentations: Tips for Success

This resource includes tips and suggestions for improving your public speaking skills.

Even if you’ve never spoken in front of a large group before, chances are you will encounter public speaking sometime during your life. Whether you’re giving a presentation for your classmates or addressing local politicians at a city council meeting, public speaking allows you to convey your thoughts and feelings in clear ways. Having the right tools can prepare you for successful public speaking and equip you with high-quality communication skills.

Know Your Audience

Different audiences require different modes of public speaking. How you address a room full of preschoolers will vary from how you address a group of professors at an academic conference. Not only will your vocabulary change, but you might alter your pacing and tone as well.

Knowing your audience also helps you decide the content of your speech. For example, if you’re presenting research to a group of scientists, you might not need to define all your scientific language. However, if you present that same research to a group of individuals who are unfamiliar with your scientific field, you may need to define your terms or use simpler language.

Recognizing the extent to which your audience is familiar with your topic helps you center your presentation around the most important elements and avoid wasting time on information your audience either 1) already knows or 2) does not need to know for the purpose of your speech.

Knowing your audience also means tailoring your information to them. Try to keep things straight and to the point; leave out extraneous anecdotes and irrelevant statistics.

Establish Your Ethos and Feel Confident in Your Subject

It’s important to let your audience know what authority you have over your subject matter. If it’s clear you are familiar with your subject and have expertise, your audience is more likely to trust what you say.

Feeling confident in your subject matter will help establish your ethos. Rather than simply memorizing the content on your PowerPoint slides or your note cards, consider yourself a “mini expert” on your topic. Read up on information related to your topic and anticipate questions from the audience. You might want to prepare a few additional examples to use if people ask follow-up questions. Being able to elaborate on your talking points will help you stay calm during a Q & A section of your presentation.

Stick to a Few Main Points

Organizing your information in a logical way not only helps you keep track of what you’re saying, but it helps your audience follow along as well. Try to emphasize a few main points in your presentation and return to them before you conclude. Summarizing your information at the end of your presentation allows your audience to walk away with a clear sense of the most important facts.

For example, if you gave a presentation on the pros and cons of wind energy in Indiana, you would first want to define wind energy to make sure you and your audience are on the same page. You might also want to give a brief history of wind energy to give context before you go into the pros and cons. From there, you could list a few pros and a few cons. Finally, you could speculate on the future of wind energy and whether Indiana could provide adequate land and infrastructure to sustain wind turbines. To conclude, restate a few of the main points (most likely the pros and cons) and end with the most important takeaway you want the audience to remember about wind energy in Indiana.

Don't be Afraid to Show Your Personality

Delivering information without any sort of flourish or style can be boring. Allowing your personality to show through your speaking keeps you feeling relaxed and natural. Even if you’re speaking about something very scientific or serious, look for ways to let your personality come through your speech.

For example, when Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek announced in March of 2019 that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he still let his trademark dignity and professionalism set the tone for his address. He began his announcement by saying “it’s in keeping with my long-time policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fan base.” Later, he joked that he would need to overcome his illness in order to fulfill his contract, whose terms required him to host the show for three more years. Though the nature of Trebek's announcement could easily have justified a grim, serious tone, the host instead opted to display the charm that has made him a household name for almost thirty-five years. In doing so, he reminded his audience precisely why he is so well-loved.

Use Humor (When Appropriate)

Using humor at appropriate moments can keep your audience engaged and entertained. While not all occasions are appropriate for humor, look for moments where you can lighten the mood and add some humor.

For example, just two months after the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, Reagan was in the middle of giving a speech when a balloon loudly popped while he was speaking. Reagan paused his speech to say “missed me,” then immediately continued speaking. This off-the-cuff humor worked because it was appropriate, spontaneous, and did not really distract from his message.

Similarly, at the end of his final White House Correspondents Dinner, Barack Obama concluded his speech by saying “Obama out” and dropping the mic. Once again, the humor did not distract from his message, but it did provide a light-hearted shift in his tone.  

Don't Let Visual Aids Distract From Your Presentation

Visual aids, such as PowerPoints or handouts, often go alongside presentations. When designing visual aids, be sure they do not distract from the content of your speech. Having too many pictures or animations can cause audience members to pay more attention to the visuals rather than what you’re saying.

However, if you present research that relies on tables or figures, having many images may help your audience better visualize the research you discuss. Be aware of the ways different types of presentations demand different types of visual aids.

Be Aware of Your Body Language

When it comes to giving a presentation, nonverbal communication is equally as important as what you’re saying. Having the appropriate posture, gestures, and movement complement the spoken element of your presentation. Below are a few simple strategies to make you appear more confident and professional.

Having confident posture can make or break a presentation. Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your arms at your sides. Slouching or crossing your arms over your chest makes you appear smaller and more insecure. However, be sure you’re not too rigid. Just because you’re standing up tall does not mean you cannot move around.

Eye contact

Making eye contact with your audience not only makes them feel connected to you but it also lets you gauge their response to you. Try to look around the room and connect with different audience members so you’re not staring at the same people the whole time. If you notice your audience starting to nod off, it might be a good time to change your tone or up your energy. 

Avoid distracting or compulsive gestures

While hand gestures can help point out information in a slide or on a poster, large or quick gestures can be distracting. When using gestures, try to make them feel like a normal part of your presentation.

It’s also easy to slip into nervous gestures while presenting. Things like twirling your hair or wringing your hands can be distracting to your audience. If you know you do something like this, try to think hard about not doing it while you’re presenting.

Travel (if possible)

If you are presenting on a stage, walking back and forth can help you stay relaxed and look natural. However, be sure you’re walking slowly and confidently and you’re using an appropriate posture (described above). Try to avoid pacing, which can make you appear nervous or compulsive.

Rehearse (if Possible)

The difference between knowing your subject and rehearsing comes down to how you ultimately present your information. The more you rehearse, the more likely you are to eliminate filler words such as like and um . If possible, try practicing with a friend and have them use count the filler words you use. You can also record yourself and play back the video. The more you rehearse, the more confident you will feel when it comes time to actually speak in front of an audience.

Finally, Relax!

Although public speaking takes time and preparation, perhaps one of the most important points is to relax while you’re speaking. Delivering your information in a stiff way prevents you from appearing natural and letting your personality come through. The more relaxed you feel, the more confident your information will come across.

10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact

Search all Communication programs.

2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

Find related Communication programs.

Browse all Professional & Executive Development programs.

About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

Why Gender Equity in the Workplace is Good for Business

Research indicates a correlation between gender equity and organizational success, yet it also points to obstacles for women in leadership.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

1.2 The Process of Public Speaking

Learning objectives.

• Identify the three components of getting your message across to others.
• Distinguish between the interactional models of communication and the transactional model of communication.
• Explain the three principles discussed in the dialogical theory of public speaking.

Looking4poetry – megaphone head man – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

As noted earlier, all of us encounter thousands of messages in our everyday environments, so getting your idea heard above all the other ones is a constant battle. Some speakers will try gimmicks, but we strongly believe that getting your message heard depends on three fundamental components: message, skill, and passion. The first part of getting your message across is the message itself. When what you are saying is clear and coherent, people are more likely to pay attention to it. On the other hand, when a message is ambiguous, people will often stop paying attention. Our discussions in the first part of this book involve how to have clear and coherent content.

The second part of getting your message heard is having effective communication skills. You may have the best ideas in the world, but if you do not possess basic public speaking skills, you’re going to have a problem getting anyone to listen. In this book, we will address the skills you must possess to effectively communicate your ideas to others.

Lastly, if you want your message to be heard, you must communicate passion for your message. One mistake that novice public speakers make is picking topics in which they have no emotional investment. If an audience can tell that you don’t really care about your topic, they will just tune you out. Passion is the extra spark that draws people’s attention and makes them want to listen to your message.

In this section, we’re going to examine the process of public speaking by first introducing you to a basic model of public speaking and then discussing how public speaking functions as dialogue. These models will give you a basic understanding of the communication process and some challenges that you may face as a speaker.

Models of Public Speaking

A basic model of human communication is one of the first topics that most communication teachers start with in any class. For our focus on public speaking, we will introduce two widely discussed models in communication: interactional and transactional.

Interactional Model of Public Speaking

Linear model.

The interactional model of public speaking comes from the work of Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver (Shannon & Weaver, 1949). The original model mirrored how radio and telephone technologies functioned and consisted of three primary parts: source, channel, and receiver. The source was the part of a telephone a person spoke into, the channel was the telephone itself, and the receiver was the part of the phone where one could hear the other person. Shannon and Weaver also recognized that often there is static that interferes with listening to a telephone conversation, which they called noise.

Although there are a number of problems with applying this model to human communication, it does have some useful parallels to public speaking. In public speaking, the source is the person who is giving the speech, the channel is the speaker’s use of verbal and nonverbal communication , and the receivers are the audience members listening to the speech. As with a telephone call, a wide range of distractions ( noise ) can inhibit an audience member from accurately attending to a speaker’s speech. Avoiding or adapting to these types of noise is an important challenge for public speakers.

Interactional Model

The interactional model of communication developed by Wilbur Schramm builds upon the linear model (Schramm, 1954). Schramm added three major components to the Shannon and Weaver model. First, Schramm identified two basic processes of communication: encoding and decoding. Encoding is what a source does when “creating a message, adapting it to the receiver, and transmitting it across some source-selected channel” (Wrench, McCroskey & Richmond, 2008). When you are at home preparing your speech or standing in front of your classroom talking to your peers, you are participating in the encoding process.

The second major process is the decoding process, or “sensing (for example, hearing or seeing) a source’s message, interpreting the source’s message, evaluating the source’s message, and responding to the source’s message” (Wrench, McCroskey & Richmond, 2008). Decoding is relevant in the public speaking context when, as an audience member, you listen to the words of the speech, pay attention to nonverbal behaviors of the speaker, and attend to any presentation aids that the speaker uses. You must then interpret what the speaker is saying.

Although interpreting a speaker’s message may sound easy in theory, in practice many problems can arise. A speaker’s verbal message, nonverbal communication, and mediated presentation aids can all make a message either clearer or harder to understand. For example, unfamiliar vocabulary, speaking too fast or too softly, or small print on presentation aids may make it difficult for you to figure out what the speaker means. Conversely, by providing definitions of complex terms, using well-timed gestures, or displaying graphs of quantitative information, the speaker can help you interpret his or her meaning.

Once you have interpreted what the speaker is communicating, you then evaluate the message. Was it good? Do you agree or disagree with the speaker? Is a speaker’s argument logical? These are all questions that you may ask yourself when evaluating a speech.

The last part of decoding is “responding to a source’s message,” when the receiver encodes a message to send to the source. When a receiver sends a message back to a source, we call this process feedback . Schramm talks about three types of feedback: direct, moderately direct, and indirect (Schramm, 1954). The first type, direct feedback, occurs when the receiver directly talks to the source. For example, if a speech ends with a question-and-answer period, listeners will openly agree or disagree with the speaker. The second type of feedback, moderately direct, focuses on nonverbal messages sent while a source is speaking, such as audience members smiling and nodding their heads in agreement or looking at their watches or surreptitiously sending text messages during the speech. The final type of feedback, indirect, often involves a greater time gap between the actual message and the receiver’s feedback. For example, suppose you run for student body president and give speeches to a variety of groups all over campus, only to lose on student election day. Your audiences (the different groups you spoke to) have offered you indirect feedback on your message through their votes. One of the challenges you’ll face as a public speaker is how to respond effectively to audience feedback, particularly the direct and moderately direct forms of feedback you receive during your presentation.

Transactional Model of Public Speaking

One of the biggest concerns that some people have with the interactional model of communication is that it tends to place people into the category of either source or receiver with no overlap. Even with Schramm’s model, encoding and decoding are perceived as distinct for sources and receivers. Furthermore, the interactional model cannot handle situations where multiple sources are interacting at the same time (Mortenson, 1972). To address these weaknesses, Dean Barnlund proposed a transactional model of communication (Barnlund, 2008). The basic premise of the transactional model is that individuals are sending and receiving messages at the same time. Whereas the interactional model has individuals engaging in the role of either source or receiver and the meaning of a message is sent from the source to the receiver, the transactional model assumes that meaning is cocreated by both people interacting together.

The idea that meanings are cocreated between people is based on a concept called the “field of experience.” According to West and Turner, a field of experience involves “how a person’s culture, experiences, and heredity influence his or her ability to communicate with another” (West & Turner, 2010). Our education, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, personality, beliefs, actions, attitudes, languages, social status, past experiences, and customs are all aspects of our field of experience, which we bring to every interaction. For meaning to occur, we must have some shared experiences with our audience; this makes it challenging to speak effectively to audiences with very different experiences from our own. Our goal as public speakers is to build upon shared fields of experience so that we can help audience members interpret our message.

Dialogic Theory of Public Speaking

Most people think of public speaking as engaging in a monologue where the speaker stands and delivers information and the audience passively listens. Based on the work of numerous philosophers, however, Ronald Arnett and Pat Arneson proposed that all communication, even public speaking, could be viewed as a dialogue (Arnett & Arneson, 1999). The dialogic theory is based on three overarching principles:

• Dialogue is more natural than monologue.
• Meanings are in people not words.
• Contexts and social situations impact perceived meanings (Bakhtin, 2001a; Bakhtin, 2001b).

Let’s look at each of these in turn.

Dialogue vs. Monologue

The first tenet of the dialogic perspective is that communication should be a dialogue and not a monologue. Lev Yakubinsky argued that even public speaking situations often turn into dialogues when audience members actively engage speakers by asking questions. He even claimed that nonverbal behavior (e.g., nodding one’s head in agreement or scowling) functions as feedback for speakers and contributes to a dialogue (Yakubinsky, 1997). Overall, if you approach your public speaking experience as a dialogue, you’ll be more actively engaged as a speaker and more attentive to how your audience is responding, which will, in turn, lead to more actively engaged audience members.

Meanings Are in People, Not Words

Part of the dialogic process in public speaking is realizing that you and your audience may differ in how you see your speech. Hellmut Geissner and Edith Slembeck (1986) discussed Geissner’s idea of responsibility, or the notion that the meanings of words must be mutually agreed upon by people interacting with each other (Geissner & Slembek, 1986). If you say the word “dog” and think of a soft, furry pet and your audience member thinks of the animal that attacked him as a child, the two of you perceive the word from very different vantage points. As speakers, we must do our best to craft messages that take our audience into account and use audience feedback to determine whether the meaning we intend is the one that is received. To be successful at conveying our desired meaning, we must know quite a bit about our audience so we can make language choices that will be the most appropriate for the context. Although we cannot predict how all our audience members will interpret specific words, we do know that—for example—using teenage slang when speaking to the audience at a senior center would most likely hurt our ability to convey our meaning clearly.

Contexts and Social Situations

Russian scholar Mikhail Bahktin notes that human interactions take place according to cultural norms and rules (Bakhtin, 2001a; Bakhtin, 2001b). How we approach people, the words we choose, and how we deliver speeches are all dependent on different speaking contexts and social situations. On September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama addressed school children with a televised speech ( http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/PreparedSchoolRemarks ). If you look at the speech he delivered to kids around the country and then at his speeches targeted toward adults, you’ll see lots of differences. These dissimilar speeches are necessary because the audiences (speaking to kids vs. speaking to adults) have different experiences and levels of knowledge. Ultimately, good public speaking is a matter of taking into account the cultural background of your audience and attempting to engage your audience in a dialogue from their own vantage point.

Considering the context of a public speech involves thinking about four dimensions: physical, temporal, social-psychological, and cultural (DeVito, 2009).

Physical Dimension

The physical dimension of communication involves the real or touchable environment where communication occurs. For example, you may find yourself speaking in a classroom, a corporate board room, or a large amphitheater. Each of these real environments will influence your ability to interact with your audience. Larger physical spaces may require you to use a microphone and speaker system to make yourself heard or to use projected presentation aids to convey visual material.

How the room is physically decorated or designed can also impact your interaction with your audience. If the room is dimly lit or is decorated with interesting posters, audience members’ minds may start wandering. If the room is too hot, you’ll find people becoming sleepy. As speakers, we often have little or no control over our physical environment, but we always need to take it into account when planning and delivering our messages.

Temporal Dimension

According to Joseph DeVito, the temporal dimension “has to do not only with the time of day and moment in history but also with where a particular message fits into the sequence of communication events” (DeVito, 2009). The time of day can have a dramatic effect on how alert one’s audience is. Don’t believe us? Try giving a speech in front of a class around 12:30 p.m. when no one’s had lunch. It’s amazing how impatient audience members get once hunger sets in.

In addition to the time of day, we often face temporal dimensions related to how our speech will be viewed in light of societal events. Imagine how a speech on the importance of campus security would be interpreted on the day after a shooting occurred. Compare this with the interpretation of the same speech given at a time when the campus had not had any shootings for years, if ever.

Another element of the temporal dimension is how a message fits with what happens immediately before it. For example, if another speaker has just given an intense speech on death and dying and you stand up to speak about something more trivial, people may downplay your message because it doesn’t fit with the serious tone established by the earlier speech. You never want to be the funny speaker who has to follow an emotional speech where people cried. Most of the time in a speech class, you will have no advance notice as to what the speaker before you will be talking about. Therefore, it is wise to plan on being sensitive to previous topics and be prepared to ease your way subtly into your message if the situation so dictates.

Social-Psychological Dimension

The social-psychological dimension of context refers to “status relationships among participants, roles and games that people play, norms of the society or group, and the friendliness, formality, or gravity of the situation” (DeVito, 2009). You have to know the types of people in your audience and how they react to a wide range of messages.

Cultural Dimension

The final context dimension Joseph DeVito mentions is the cultural dimension (DeVito, 2009). When we interact with others from different cultures, misunderstandings can result from differing cultural beliefs, norms, and practices. As public speakers engaging in a dialogue with our audience members, we must attempt to understand the cultural makeup of our audience so that we can avoid these misunderstandings as much as possible.

Each of these elements of context is a challenge for you as a speaker. Throughout the rest of the book, we’ll discuss how you can meet the challenges presented by the audience and context and become a more effective public speaker in the process.

Key Takeaways

• Getting your message across to others effectively requires attention to message content, skill in communicating content, and your passion for the information presented.
• The interactional models of communication provide a useful foundation for understanding communication and outline basic concepts such as sender, receiver, noise, message, channel, encoding, decoding, and feedback. The transactional model builds on the interactional models by recognizing that people can enact the roles of sender and receiver simultaneously and that interactants cocreate meaning through shared fields of experience.
• The dialogic theory of public speaking understands public speaking as a dialogue between speaker and audience. This dialogue requires the speaker to understand that meaning depends on the speaker’s and hearer’s vantage points and that context affects how we must design and deliver our messages.
• Draw the major models of communication on a piece of paper and then explain how each component is important to public speaking.
• When thinking about your first speech in class, explain the context of your speech using DeVito’s four dimensions: physical, temporal, social-psychological, and cultural. How might you address challenges posed by each of these four dimensions?

Arnett, R. C., & Arneson, P. (1999). Dialogic civility in a cynical age: Community, hope, and interpersonal relationships . Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Bakhtin, M. (2001a). The problem of speech genres. (V. W. McGee, Trans., 1986). In P. Bizzell & B. Herzberg (Eds.), The rhetorical tradition (pp. 1227–1245). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s. (Original work published in 1953.).

Bakhtin, M. (2001b). Marxism and the philosophy of language. (L. Matejka & I. R. Titunik, Trans., 1973). In P. Bizzell & B. Herzberg (Eds.), The rhetorical tradition (pp. 1210–1226). Boston, MA: Medford/St. Martin’s. (Original work published in 1953).

Barnlund, D. C. (2008). A transactional model of communication. In C. D. Mortensen (Ed.), Communication theory (2nd ed., pp. 47–57). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

DeVito, J. A. (2009). The interpersonal communication book (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Geissner, H., & Slembek, E. (1986). Miteinander sprechen und handeln [Speak and act: Living and working together]. Frankfurt, Germany: Scriptor.

Mortenson, C. D. (1972). Communication: The study of human communication . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Schramm, W. (1954). How communication works. In W. Schramm (Ed.), The process and effects of communication (pp. 3–26). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Shannon, C. E., & Weaver, W. (1949). The mathematical theory of communication . Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.

West, R., & Turner, L. H. (2010). Introducing communication theory: Analysis and application (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, p. 13.

Wrench, J. S., McCroskey, J. C., & Richmond, V. P. (2008). Human communication in everyday life: Explanations and applications . Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, p. 17.

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

• DOI: 10.35529/jllte.v5i1.46-67
• Corpus ID: 260080692

WHAT AND HOW SHOULD THE PUBLIC SPEAKING BE? : A LITERATURE REVIEW

• I. W. Dirgayasa
• Published in Journal of Language… 20 July 2023
• Linguistics, Sociology

Related Papers

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.

Associated Schools

Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences

What you'll learn.

When and how to employ a variety of rhetorical devices in writing and speaking

How to differentiate between argument and rhetorical technique

How to write a persuasive opinion editorial and short speech

How to evaluate the strength of an argument

How to identify logical fallacies in arguments

Course description

We are living in a contentious time in history. Fundamental disagreements on critical political issues make it essential to learn how to make an argument and analyze the arguments of others. This ability will help you engage in civil discourse and make effective changes in society. Even outside the political sphere, conveying a convincing message can benefit you throughout your personal, public, and professional lives.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of rhetoric, the art of persuasive writing and speech. In it, you will learn to construct and defend compelling arguments, an essential skill in many settings. We will be using selected addresses from prominent twentieth-century Americans — including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Margaret Chase Smith, Ronald Reagan, and more — to explore and analyze rhetorical structure and style. Through this analysis, you will learn how speakers and writers persuade an audience to adopt their point of view.

Built around Harvard Professor James Engell’s on-campus course, “Elements of Rhetoric,” this course will help you analyze and apply rhetorical structure and style, appreciate the relevance of persuasive communication in your own life, and understand how to persuade and recognize when someone is trying to persuade you. You will be inspired to share your viewpoint and discover the most powerful ways to convince others to champion your cause. Join us to find your voice!

Course Outline

Introduction to Rhetoric

• Define the term "rhetoric."
• Articulate the importance of effective communication.
• Summarize the history of rhetorical study, from the ancient Greeks to the modern-day.
• Identify the parts of discourse.
• Define the three modes of appeal.
• Identify tropes and schemes, and explain their use in composition.
• Compose an opinion editorial on a topic of your choice.

Civil Rights - Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Analyze Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…” speech
• Define inductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of inductive reasoning in writing and speech
• Define deductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of deductive reasoning in writing and speech
• Recognize and evaluate the strength of an argument's refutation
• Apply the elements of rhetoric you have learned so far into the final draft of your op-ed

Gun Control - Sarah Brady and Charlton Heston

• Analyze Sarah Brady’s Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech.
• Analyze Charlton Heston’s speech on the Second Amendment.
• Define “inductive reasoning” and some of its associated topics
• Define “deductive reasoning” and some of its associated topics
• Recognize and evaluate the strength of an argument’s refutation
• Apply the elements of rhetoric you have learned so far in the final draft of your op-ed

Introduction to Oratory

• Describe the origins of the practice of oratory.
• Recognize ways in which orators tailor their writing for the spoken word.
• Describe techniques for effective public speaking, both prepared and extemporaneous.
• Brainstorm ideas for your own short speech.

The Red Scare - Joseph McCarthy and Margaret Chase Smith

• Analyze Joseph McCarthy’s “Enemies Within” speech.
• Analyze Margaret Chase Smith’s "A Declaration of Conscience" speech.
• Identify the modes of appeal and the logical reasoning of the featured speeches.
• Identify both common and special topics used in these speeches, like cause and effect, testimony, justice and injustice, and comparison, and begin to recognize their use in other speeches.
• Identify examples from these speeches of logical fallacies including the either/or fallacy, the fallacy of affirming the consequent, the argument ad hominem, the argument ad populum, begging the question, the complex question, and the use of imprecise language.
• Discuss the importance of winning and keeping an audience’s trust and the pros and cons of attempting to tear down their confidence in an opponent.
• Define for yourself the definition of "extremist rhetoric," debate its use as a political tool.
• Consider the moral responsibilities of those who would seek to persuade others through language.

Presidential Rhetoric - John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan

• Discuss how the audience and the desired tone for a speech can influence diction (word choice).
• Compare the effects of using passive vs. active voice, and first-person vs. other tenses in a speech.
• Discuss the effectiveness of the use of symbolism in writing and speech.
• Define hyperbole, antimetabole, and polysyndeton, and identify when these devices might be appropriate and useful in terms of persuasion.
• Describe techniques for connecting with your audience, including storytelling and drawing on shared experience.

Instructors

James Engell

You may also like.

Masterpieces of World Literature

Embark on a global journey to explore the past, present, and future of world literature.

Modern Masterpieces of World Literature

Examine how great modern writers capture the intricacies of our globalized world and how their works circulate within that world to find their own audiences.

Sikhism Through Its Scriptures

This course examines the Sikh scripture from a doctrinal and historical perspective by providing an overview of Sikh teachings as well as the historical context within which the scripture evolved and became canonized.

Join our list to learn more

101 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best public speaking topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 simple & easy public speaking essay titles, 📑 interesting topics to write about public speaking, ❓ research questions about public speaking.

• Public Speaking as an Effective Skill Proper application of public speaking knowledge will allow the new member of a group to move through the stage of getting to know the colleagues and feel comfortable talking with new people in unfamiliar situations.
• An Analysis of Barack Obama’s Style of Public Speaking During the course of his speech, Obama alludes to this slogan a number of times to drive home the point that he is the ‘agent of change’.
• Communication Techniques in Public Speaking Initially, a public speaker has to watch the words in the content of a speech, to deliver the right message. This implies that a public speaker has to limit the frequency of using the word […]
• Communications: Public Speaking Problems The main problem that people face when speaking to the public is the inability to understand the expectations of the audience.
• Public Speaking and Audience Analysis To begin with, the speaker may be directly invited by an organization, which may be a business conglomerate, a school, community, a political party, or a religious institution to make a public speech on a […]
• Public Speaking: Ethics and Critical Thinking The audience should be able to trust the speaker. The speaker will also use valid arguments and facts before presenting his or her findings to the audience.
• Personal Public Speaking Critique The purpose of this critique is to evaluate the speech I gave during the class, note the strong and weak points as I see them after the fact, and suggest improvements.
• Toastmasters and Public Speaking The act of public speaking can be defined as the process of speaking to a group of people in a deliberate and well structured manner with the purpose to inform, entertain or influence listeners.
• Public Speaking: Why Recycling Is Important The intention of such a program is to make “recycling of lead batteries easier and more profitable to recycle would lead to more extensive recycling programs.
• The Art of Public Speaking: Steve Jobs and His Messages While one must give credit to the groundbreaking ideas that the innovator introduced to the audience, the delivery of the information also played a significant part in the success of the performance.
• Public Speaking and Rhetorical Implications The speaker makes connections between the audience and the topic of his speech a few times. The speaker recognizes some relationships between himself and the audience at some points in his lecture.
• Public Speaking Courses Analysis While a job as a nursing assistant may not require formal public speaking, the skills learned in a public speaking course can still be applied and transferred to other areas of the professional and personal […]
• Public Speaking: The Key Requirements In conclusion, a good public speaker should prepare well for the speech and deliver it confidently while communicating effectively to the listeners.
• Speech Preparation Outline: Importance of Taking Public Speaking Classes General Purpose: To Inform/ Persuade the Audience Specific Purpose: By the end of the speech, the audience will agree that completing public speaking has psychological, professional, and social benefits.
• Public Speaking as the Art of Communication The more homogeneous is audience composition, the easier it is for the speaker to achieve the desired result with the speech.
• Public Speaking: Presentation Analysis Darryll Stinson’s strength in the analyzed presentation is in the introduction of the argument in the middle of the speech. Once the harms of rejection are characterized and explained in detail, so the audience is […]
• Importance of Public Speaking and Eloquence Skills This is due to the fact that a human being is constantly progressing and enhancing the scope of the worldview. For example, using public speaking abilities provides an opportunity to persuade authorities and the community […]
• Glossophobia: The Public Speaking Anxiety The level of fear in public speaking among the male and female participants was determined using a percentage and frequency approach.
• Important Aspects of Public Speaking In addition, both speakers know the techniques of paralinguistics and extralinguistics, that is, the range and tonality of the voice and the inclusion of pauses in speech. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to notice differences […]
• Public Speaking About Public Health The article talks about the comparison of the life of the elderly, socially active, and in isolation. Confidence, charm, and friendliness are three of the main contributors to a person’s appeal.
• Public Speaking for College and Career by D. Menton Menton is dedicated to the recent issue in evolutionary science, which is the mystery of Lucy, the ape, believed to be the ancestor of Homo sapiens.
• Steve Jobs’ Public Speaking Evaluation Jobs was dressed the same as the graduates, therefore contributing to his confidence and the gravity of his words. His speech was well-organized, and Jobs talked of every point stated in the outline in the […]
• Public Speaking Fears and Overcoming Techniques However, the fear of public speaking is an issue that threatens the effectiveness of this form of art. Every individual should be familiar with ways to avoid the fear of public speaking.
• Effective Public Speaking in Business Environment The aim of this paper is to reply to a discussion of glossophobia by deliberating on the importance of effective public speaking in the twenty-first-century business environment.
• Public Speaking in Ancient Greece and Roman Empire With this in mind, investigation of some main peculiarities of the development of art of public speaking public can help to understand its peculiarities better.
• Importance of Mathematics, English and Public Speaking Public speaking is a subject that is very important in business administration as it is in other careers. Therefore, studying mathematics equipped me with statistical skills as well as other mathematical skills that are very […]
• Better Public Speaking and Presentation It is normal and even beneficial for the speaker to feel a little nervous when planning to make a public speech, especially when the speech is expected to generate a massive change of thought to […]
• Delivering Effective Oral Presentations: How to Succeed in Public Speaking The author contents that a strong ending of a presentation will be a plus as it will leave an impact to the audience.
• Public Speaking by American Politicians Introducing a specific topic should attract readers and provide them with the reason for listening to the speech up to the end. In such a manner, the President manages to establish credibility and review the […]
• Public Speaking in a Democracy Public speaking actually matters for a democracy, because it is a good and sometimes the only chance to save democracy that is eroding now, to improve communicative skills, and to underline the problems that prevent […]
• Improving Public Speaking Skills Among African American Students Within a High School Institution
• African-American Youth Public Speaking and Community Relations
• Behavior Modification Plan for Public Speaking
• Rhetoric: Creating Community Through Public Speaking
• How Public Speaking Improves Your Social Life?
• Incorporating Public Speaking Into Regional and Urban Town Planning
• Public Speaking Anxiety and Its Effect on Students
• Effective Techniques for Overcoming Anxiety Associated With Public Speaking
• Intro to Public Speaking. Managing Nervousness
• How to Get Prepared for Public Speaking: Main Tips for Tough Speeches
• Social Phobia and Fear of Public Speaking Psychology
• The Personal Benefits That Come With Taking a Public Speaking Course
• How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking?
• Psychological Interventions for Fear of Public Speaking
• Susan and Steven Beebe’s Public Speaking Handbook Review
• Mass Persuasion: The Power of Public Speaking
• Effective Public Speaking Audience Contact
• Defining, Explaining, and Treating Public Speaking Anxiety
• Improving Public Speaking and Oral Communication Skills
• Critical Thinkings About Principles of Public Speaking
• How Public Speaking Classes Improve Writing and Presentation Skills?
• Analyzing the Common Fear of Public Speaking and Presentations Among Students
• Inverted U-Shaped Dose-Response Curve of the Anxiolytic Effect of Cannabidiol During Public Speaking in Real Life
• Key Factors for Success in Debating: Team Processes and Preparation, or the Public Speaking Skills
• Social Media and Its Enhancement of Public Speaking
• How Are Tones Important in Public Speaking?
• Reduced Cortisol Output During Public Speaking Stress in Ostracized Women
• Public Speaking: America’s Number One Fear
• Informative Speech About Cognitive Analytic Therapy for Public Speaking
• Communication Apprehension Theory: The Gap of Public Speaking
• John Wolff’s and Dr. Matt Sanderson’s Styles of Public Speaking
• What Are the Similarities and Differences between Public Speaking and Conversation?
• Chris Anderson’s Field Guide to Giving a Great Public Speaking
• The Relationship Between Public Speaking and Democracy
• Public Speaking Anxiety and How to Deal With It
• Public Speaking Basics for Starters Review
• Speeches Are Scary for Anyone Who Hates Public Speaking
• Why Should You Sharpen Your Public Speaking Skills?
• The Magic and Logic of Powerful Public Speaking
• Public Speaking: The Key to Personal Growth and Career Success
• Do Introverts Struggle With Public Speaking?
• Why Should We Overcome Fear of Public Speaking?
• What Is the Difference Between Online and In-Person Public Speaking?
• Is Anxiety in Public Speaking Normal?
• What Are Some of the Best Career Options for Someone With Good Public Speaking?
• Who Are the Theorists of Public Speaking?
• How Has Social Media Affected Public Speaking?
• What Part of the Brain Causes Fear of Public Speaking?
• Is Public Speaking Similar to Everyday Conversation?
• Who Is the Father of Public Speaking?
• Does Anybody Actually Enjoy Public Speaking?
• What Are the Theories About Public Speaking Anxiety?
• Is Public Speaking Influenced by Technology?
• What Is the Relationship Between Public Speaking and Democracy?
• How Has Public Speaking Changed Over Time?
• What Are the Techniques for Public Speaking?
• Is Public Speaking the Number One Fear of Americans?
• Why Is Confidence Important in Public Speaking?
• How Can You Practice and Improve Your Public Speaking at Home?
• What Are the Factors Affecting Public Speaking?
• Is Public Speaking Online Course Effective for Entrepreneurs?
• Why Is Public Speaking Important in the 21st Century?
• Are There Effective Ways to Develop Spontaneous Public Speaking Skills?
• Were Steve Jobs’ Public Speaking Skills Innate or Taught?
• Why Is Public Speaking Relevant in the Age of Digital Communication?
• Is Public Speaking a Skill or a Talent?
• Can Hypnotherapy Cure a Public Speaking Phobia?
• Should Public Speaking Be Taught in All Schools?
• Why Is Public Speaking Important for Students?
• Is There Any App to Improve or Practice Public Speaking?
• Emotional Intelligence Paper Topics
• Corporate Communication Questions
• Telecommunications Questions
• Intercultural Communication Questions
• Teamwork Research Ideas
• Conflict Resolution Essay Topics
• Television Ideas
• Invention Topics
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 1). 101 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/public-speaking-essay-topics/

"101 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 1 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/public-speaking-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '101 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 1 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "101 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/public-speaking-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "101 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/public-speaking-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "101 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/public-speaking-essay-topics/.

16 Practical Tips To Improve Your Public Speaking Skills

• Nathan Mixon
• June 9, 2024

Table of Contents

How to improve public speaking.

Hey there, fellow public speaker! Ready to level up your public speaking game? Trying to become a better speaker? Whether you’re aiming for that big promotion, nailing that TEDx talk, or just looking to impress at your next social gathering, mastering the art of public speaking is key. It’s not just about talking; the best speakers focus on connecting, inspiring, and leaving a lasting impression.

Public speaking isn’t just a skill; it’s a superpower that can transform how you communicate and connect with others. Whether you’re addressing a small group or a packed auditorium, the ability to articulate your ideas with confidence and charisma can open doors and create opportunities you never thought possible. So, if you’re ready to learn how to improve public speaking, buckle up and get ready for an exciting journey of growth and self-discovery!

In this guide, we’re diving deep into the question of how to improve public speaking and arm you with practical public speaking skills, tips, and techniques to boost your confidence and captivate any audience. From shaking off those pre-speech jitters to crafting compelling messages and delivering them with flair, we here at The Speaker Lab have got you covered. So, grab your favorite mug of coffee (or tea, if you’re like me – no judgment here), kick back, and let’s get into ways to improve your public speaking and advance your career as a better public speaker.

Overcoming Anxiety and Building Confidence

We get it, speaking in public can be scary. As many of you probably know, in public speaking anxiety is a common fear that can significantly impact performance. The thought of standing in front of a live audience, being the center of attention, and delivering a coherent message can trigger feelings of nervousness and self-doubt, even if you’re confident in the value of your message. However, there are effective techniques for managing anxiety and building confidence, allowing speakers to deliver engaging presentations with poise and clarity.

It’s important to acknowledge that public speaking anxiety is a natural response to the perceived threat of judgment or scrutiny from others. It’s normal to feel nervous before a big speech. This fear can manifest in physical symptoms and physiological reactions such as making your palms sweat (you thought Eminem was lying?), increasing your heartbeat, and giving you a shaky voice, all of which can undermine your performance as a good public speaker. By recognizing and accepting this feeling as a common experience, speakers can begin to address it with constructive strategies.

Find Out Exactly How Much You Could Make As a Paid Speaker

Use The Official Speaker Fee Calculator to tell you what you should charge for your first (or next) speaking gig — virtual or in-person! 

3 Techniques for Managing Anxiety and Building Confidence

1. deep breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques.

One of the most immediate ways to calm nerves before speaking is through deep breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques. By focusing on slow, deep breaths, speakers can activate the body’s relaxation response, reducing feelings of tension and stress. Incorporating mindfulness practices, such as grounding oneself in the present moment and observing thoughts without judgment, can further alleviate anxiety, steady your trembling hands, and enhance focus.

2. Visualization and Positive Affirmations

Visualization involves mentally rehearsing a successful speaking scenario, envisioning oneself delivering a confident and engaging presentation. By visualizing positive outcomes, speakers can reinforce their belief in their ability to perform well. Additionally, incorporating positive affirmations—such as “I am confident and capable”—can help to reframe negative self-talk and cultivate a more empowering mindset (even if you think it’s corny).

3. Gradual Exposure to Public Speaking

Like any skill, public speaking flourishes with practice. Beginning with practice sessions and small group settings provides a safe environment for speakers to hone their abilities and build confidence gradually. As speakers become more comfortable, they can progress to larger audiences or more challenging speaking engagements. Toastmasters clubs, community events, and volunteer opportunities offer valuable platforms for gaining experience and refining presentation skills. Practicing public speaking is so important when it comes to building more confidence.

Additionally, participating in workshops, seminars, or conferences provides exposure to diverse audiences and topics, further enhancing speaking proficiency. By embracing opportunities to speak in various settings, individuals can conquer their fear of public speaking and cultivate greater self-assurance over time. Not only does this help you address your anxiety as you hone your public speaking skills, but it also provides opportunities to receive constructive feedback from any other seasoned public speaker who may be in attendance.

By implementing these techniques for managing anxiety and working to gain confidence, speakers can overcome the common fear of public speaking and unlock their full potential as effective communicators. With practice and perseverance, they can cultivate the skills and mindset needed to deliver compelling presentations with confidence and impact.

Mastering Body Language and Nonverbal Communication

Body language plays a crucial role in public speaking, influencing how speakers are perceived by their audience and conveying confidence, credibility, and engagement. By mastering body language and nonverbal communication skills, speakers can enhance their presence on stage and deliver more impactful presentations.

Effective communication is about more than just words—it’s also about how those words are delivered. Research suggests that a significant portion of communication is nonverbal, with body language accounting for a substantial part of the message conveyed – the way you stand, sit, walk, and hold your arms and hands all have an impact on how you and your message is received.

When speakers lack confidence and look uncomfortable, they lose much of their sense of authority or expertise. But when speakers project confidence and authenticity through their body language, they establish rapport with their audience and capture their attention more effectively.

3 Public Speaking Tips for Improving Body Language

1. maintain good posture.

Good posture serves as the cornerstone of confident body language. When individuals stand tall, with shoulders back and heads held high, they project an image of strength and assurance. This posture not only exudes professionalism and authority but also facilitates better breath support and vocal projection, very important aspects of public speaking. Slouching or hunching over can undermine confidence and diminish credibility. By prioritizing good posture, speakers establish a strong foundation for effective communication, captivating their audience with a commanding presence.

2. Make Eye Contact

Eye contact is another powerful tool for connecting with the audience and establishing credibility. By maintaining eye contact with individual audience members, speakers create a sense of intimacy and engagement. It’s essential to scan the room and make eye contact with different sections of the audience, ensuring that everyone feels included and valued.

If the idea of looking straight into an individual audience member’s eyes seems daunting, a helpful trick for making eye contact without focusing on specific individuals is to look at the general area around their eyes or eyebrows. This gives the appearance of eye contact without the pressure of locking eyes with someone directly. You can also just scan the audience, moving your gaze across different sections of the room, which creates the impression of engagement with the entire audience without singling out individuals. Just remember to maintain a natural pace and avoid fixating on any particular spot for too long to ensure a balanced connection with your audience.

3. Use Gestures and Facial Expressions

Gestures and facial expressions can help to reinforce verbal messages and convey enthusiasm and conviction. Using hand gestures to emphasize key points and illustrate concepts adds dynamism to the presentation and keeps the audience engaged. Similarly, facial expressions convey emotions and sincerity, allowing speakers to express empathy, excitement, or concern as appropriate. Let the audience have a clear understanding of your emotions as you speak – this will help them empathize more with your message.

By incorporating these tips for improving body language into their presentations, speakers can enhance their ability to connect with their audience and deliver messages with clarity and impact. With practice and mindfulness, speakers can harness the power of body language to captivate their audience and leave a lasting impression.

Enhancing Vocal Delivery and Articulation

Vocal delivery is a cornerstone of effective public speaking, as it plays a crucial role in capturing audience attention and conveying authority. Speakers who master vocal delivery techniques can engage their audience more effectively and leave a lasting impression.

The way a message is delivered is just as important as the message itself. Vocal delivery encompasses elements such as tone, pitch, volume, and rhythm, all of which contribute to the overall impact of a presentation. A strong vocal delivery commands attention, instills confidence in the speaker, and enhances the audience’s understanding and retention of key points.

3 Techniques for Improving Vocal Delivery

1. practice vocal warm-up exercises.

Just as athletes engage in warm-up routines to prime their bodies for peak performance, speakers can similarly enhance their vocal prowess through targeted exercises. Vocal warm-ups serve as the foundation for clear and commanding speech delivery. Humming exercises, for instance, gently engage the vocal cords while promoting resonance and clarity in speech. Lip trills, where speakers produce a vibrating sound by blowing air through slightly pursed lips, aid in relaxing the vocal apparatus and improving breath control. Tongue twisters serve as playful yet effective tools for sharpening articulation and enunciation.

By using these vocal warm-up exercises, speakers can cultivate a strong and dynamic voice that captivates and inspires their listeners.

2. Pay Attention to Pace and Rhythm

Think of your speech pace like a roller coaster ride: you want to keep your audience on their toes, not lulling them into boredom. Varying your speed and rhythm adds excitement and keeps listeners engaged throughout your talk. Don’t be afraid to hit the brakes with well-placed pauses—they create suspense, give your audience time to digest important information, and make your key points pop. By really mastering the art of pacing, you’ll keep your audience hanging on your every word from start to finish.

3. Focus on Articulation and Pronunciation

In public speaking, the efficacy of communication is intricately tied to the speaker’s ability to articulate and pronounce words clearly. Each consonant and vowel carries significance, especially within the context of essential terms central to the speaker’s discourse. Through consistent practice of exercises like tongue twisters and deliberate focus on the intricate movements of the mouth, speakers can refine their articulation. This diligent attention to detail ensures that their ideas are not only effectively conveyed but also readily understood by their audience’s attention.

By incorporating these techniques into their vocal delivery, speakers can enhance their ability to captivate and persuade their audience. With practice and mindfulness, speakers can develop a vocal delivery style that commands attention, conveys authority, and leaves a lasting impact on their audience.

Structuring and Delivering Engaging Speeches

Effective speech structure is essential for delivering a compelling message that resonates with your audience. A well-structured speech not only captures attention but also enhances comprehension and retention of key ideas.

The structure of a speech serves as its foundation, guiding the flow of information and ensuring coherence and clarity. A well-structured speech enables the speaker to communicate their message effectively, maintain audience engagement, and leave a lasting impression. Without a clear structure, the audience may struggle to follow your train of thought – the last thing you want is an audience that is confused or lost.

3 Tips for Structuring Speeches

1. start with a strong opening.

Picture this: you’re gearing up for a speech, right? Well, the opening is like the big entrance – it’s your chance to grab everyone’s attention and set the vibe for what’s to come. So, how do you do it? With a killer hook. Throw out a mind-bending question, hit the audience with a jaw-dropping stat, or reel them in with a story that’ll have them on the edge of their seats. Trust me, a strong opening is like the spark that ignites the whole speech, keeping your audience hooked and hungry for more.

2. Organize Content Logically

When crafting your speech, think of it as building a roadmap for your audience. Start with a warm introduction to welcome them into your world of ideas. Then, lead them through the main points of your talk, each one seamlessly flowing into the next like stepping stones across a stream. Make sure your points are organized logically, so your audience can easily follow along without getting lost in the shuffle. Remember, clarity is key!

Finally, wrap up with a solid conclusion that ties everything together, leaving your listeners with a clear understanding of your message. If your audience is walking out of your talk knowing (and hopefully remembering) exactly what the main points were that you were trying to get across, then mission accomplished.

3. Incorporate Storytelling and Anecdotes

Think of stories and anecdotes as the secret sauce that adds flavor to your speech. Sprinkle them throughout your presentation to create moments that stick in your audience’s minds long after your talk is over. Whether it’s a personal anecdote, a compelling case study, or a relatable story, these narrative gems bring your ideas to life and forge a deeper connection with your audience. By weaving personal stories into your speech, you transform abstract concepts into tangible experiences with a direct connection that resonate with your listeners on a human level in their everyday life.

Another important way to make your audience feel comfortable is to use personal experience. Personal anecdotes and stories that can help nail down important points make for a better speech. The best speakers use examples from their lives or the life of another person to help make their point for relatable. You want your audience members to be pushed out of their comfort zone but also to be able to relate to what you’re saying as it might happen in one’s daily life.

By following these tips for structuring and delivering engaging speeches, speakers can effectively communicate their message, captivate their audience, and leave a lasting impact. A well-structured speech not only informs and educates but also inspires and motivates, leaving the audience with a sense of clarity and purpose.

Refining Message Content and Delivery

Crafting a message that truly connects with your audience demands meticulous attention to both content and delivery. By honing these aspects, speakers can captivate their audience and ensure their message is communicated with clarity and resonance.

2 Strategies for Refining Message Content

1. conduct audience analysis.

Before stepping onto the stage, take the time to lean into your audience’s interests, preferences, and needs. Do some in-depth audience analysis, examining their demographics, knowledge level, and pressing concerns. Tailoring your message and making a point to identify areas of concern or importance to resonate with their specific interests and challenges not only builds rapport but also enhances credibility, ensuring your message hits home with maximum impact. Give your speech a personal touch for your audience by doing the research beforehand.

2. Use Persuasive Language and Rhetorical Devices

Incorporating persuasive language and rhetorical devices when making speeches elevates the impact of your message by shaping audience perception and eliciting emotional responses. Integrate storytelling, vivid imagery, metaphors, and analogies to convey intricate concepts in a captivating and relatable manner. By appealing to both the audience’s emotions and logic, speakers can effectively sway their perspective and inspire them to take meaningful action.

2 Strategies for Refining Delivery

1. practice emphasizing key points.

Delivery is paramount in molding an audience’s perception and sustaining its engagement. Prioritize practicing your speech delivery beforehand (a lot), focusing on pacing, intonation, and emphasizing key points. Strategic pauses permit the audience to absorb information and contemplate essential ideas. By diversifying tone and volume, speakers can uphold audience interest while conveying enthusiasm and conviction.

Try practicing in front of a mirror with a timer and then maybe with a friend or a spouse or a parent – anyone willing to listen to your speech. That can help you become comfortable with the cadence and pace of your speaking.

2. Focus on Pacing and Intonation

It’s crucial to keep an eye on pacing and intonation to keep your audience engaged and ensure your message comes across effectively. Tailor the speed of your delivery to match the complexity of your content and the audience’s grasp of the topic. Intonation adds depth to your speech by conveying emotions, highlighting key points, and infusing your delivery with energy and dynamism. By mastering these elements, you can create a captivating and impactful presentation that resonates with your audience.

By implementing these strategies for refining message content and delivery, speakers can maximize the impact of their speeches and effectively engage their audience. By tailoring the message to the audience’s interests and needs and delivering it with confidence and conviction, speakers can inspire, inform, and motivate their audience to action.

Free Download: 6 Proven Steps to Book More Paid Speaking Gigs in 2024​

Download our 18-page guide and start booking more paid speaking gigs today!

Developing effective public speaking skills is a journey that requires dedication, practice, and continuous improvement. Throughout this guide, we’ve explored key strategies for enhancing your public speaking abilities, from overcoming anxiety to refining message content.

By acknowledging and addressing common fears and anxieties associated with public speaking, you can build confidence and resilience. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, visualization, and gradual exposure can help you manage nerves and perform at your best. Practicing in smaller groups and settings can help you release some nervous energy, receive constructive criticism and honest feedback, and get some more public speaking tips .

Mastering body language and nonverbal communication is essential for conveying confidence and engaging your audience. By maintaining good posture, making eye contact, and using gestures and facial expressions effectively, you can establish rapport and credibility with your audience.

Enhancing vocal delivery and articulation is another critical aspect of effective public speaking. By practicing vocal warm-up exercises, paying attention to pace and rhythm, and focusing on articulation and pronunciation, you can ensure clear communication and captivate your audience’s attention.

Structuring and delivering engaging speeches requires careful planning and organization. Starting with a strong opening, organizing content logically, and incorporating storytelling and anecdotes can make your speech memorable and impactful.

Finally, refining message content and delivery involves conducting audience analysis, using persuasive language and rhetorical devices, and practicing emphasizing key points. By tailoring your message to the audience’s interests and needs and delivering it with confidence and conviction, you can inspire, inform, and motivate your audience to action.

As you continue on your public speaking journey, remember to embrace opportunities for growth and practice regularly. With dedication and perseverance, you can cultivate valuable public speaking skills that will serve you well in both your personal and professional endeavors.

So, seize every opportunity to speak publicly, embrace the challenges, and strive for improvement. With each speech you deliver, you’ll become more confident, articulate, and influential. Embrace public speaking as a valuable skill for personal and professional success, and let your voice be heard.

• Last Updated: June 4, 2024

Explore Related Resources

Learn How You Could Get Your First (Or Next) Paid Speaking Gig In 90 Days or Less

We receive thousands of applications every day, but we only work with the top 5% of speakers .

Book a call with our team to get started — you’ll learn why the vast majority of our students get a paid speaking gig within 90 days of finishing our program .

If you’re ready to control your schedule, grow your income, and make an impact in the world – it’s time to take the first step. Book a FREE consulting call and let’s get you Booked and Paid to Speak ® .

About The Speaker Lab

We teach speakers how to consistently get booked and paid to speak.  Since 2015, we’ve helped thousands of speakers find clarity, confidence, and a clear path to make an impact.

Get Started

Let's connect.

[email protected]

Copyright ©2023 The Speaker Lab. All rights reserved.

Glossophobia: a Culinary Adventure in Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

This essay explores glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, through the lens of culinary arts. It draws parallels between the anxiety experienced by public speakers and the pressure faced by chefs like Emily, who must present their dishes and ideas. The essay discusses the psychological aspects of glossophobia, such as negative self-talk and catastrophic thinking, and suggests strategies to overcome it, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, gradual exposure, and relaxation techniques. It emphasizes the importance of support from peers and mentors and highlights the personal growth that comes from overcoming this fear. By addressing and managing glossophobia, individuals can improve their communication skills and confidence in both personal and professional settings.

How it works

Imagine the bustling kitchen of a gourmet restaurant, where the head chef orchestrates a symphony of flavors and techniques to create culinary masterpieces. Now, let’s venture into this world to explore glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, through the unique and savory lens of gastronomy.

Glossophobia, derived from the Greek words “glossa” (tongue) and “phobos” (fear), is a widespread anxiety that manifests as an intense dread of speaking in front of an audience. Just as a chef meticulously prepares dishes for discerning diners, individuals with glossophobia often find themselves in the pressure cooker of public scrutiny.

Consider Emily, a talented sous-chef who excels in the kitchen but struggles with the thought of addressing her team or presenting at culinary events.

The parallels between public speaking and culinary performance are striking. Both involve high stakes, critical audiences, and the potential for mistakes. For Emily, the fear of public speaking might stem from past experiences where a misstep in communication led to misunderstandings or criticism. This fear is not unlike the anxiety she feels before presenting a new dish to the head chef and restaurant patrons.

Psychologically, glossophobia can be understood through various theories. Cognitive-behavioral theory suggests that individuals like Emily engage in negative self-talk and catastrophic thinking. She might imagine forgetting key points during a presentation, being unable to articulate her thoughts, or facing harsh judgment from her audience. These irrational thoughts can create a feedback loop of anxiety that makes it difficult to approach public speaking with confidence.

In the culinary world, overcoming the fear of public speaking can be likened to mastering a complex recipe. One essential ingredient is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps individuals identify and challenge their negative thoughts. For Emily, CBT involves recognizing her tendency to predict failure and replacing these thoughts with affirmations of her skills and preparation. By reframing her mindset, she can reduce anxiety and enhance her communication abilities.

Another effective technique is gradual exposure, a method well-suited to both cooking and public speaking. Just as Emily might start by preparing simple dishes before tackling more elaborate recipes, individuals with glossophobia can begin with less intimidating speaking engagements. Emily could start by addressing small groups of her colleagues in informal settings, gradually building her confidence and refining her speaking skills.

Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and visualization, are invaluable tools for managing the physical symptoms of glossophobia. Before stepping into the spotlight, Emily might spend a few moments practicing deep breathing exercises to calm her nerves or visualize a successful presentation to foster a positive mindset. These practices can help mitigate the stress and physical manifestations of anxiety, making it easier to face her audience.

Support from peers and mentors is another crucial element in overcoming glossophobia. In the culinary world, this support often comes from fellow chefs and mentors who offer encouragement and constructive feedback. Similarly, individuals with glossophobia can benefit from joining public speaking groups or clubs, where they can practice their skills in a supportive environment and receive valuable feedback.

Understanding glossophobia through the lens of culinary arts also highlights the importance of empathy and support from others. Recognizing that the fear of public speaking is a common and treatable condition can reduce the stigma associated with it. Educators, employers, and peers can play a significant role by creating a compassionate environment where individuals feel safe to express themselves and take on public speaking challenges.

Furthermore, the journey to overcoming glossophobia is not just about conquering fear; it’s about personal growth and self-discovery. Each successful presentation is a testament to Emily’s resilience and determination. The process of facing and overcoming fear fosters a deeper sense of self-awareness and confidence that extends beyond the kitchen.

In a broader context, the skills and confidence gained from tackling glossophobia are invaluable. Effective communication is a cornerstone of personal and professional success. Whether in a boardroom, classroom, or social setting, the ability to articulate thoughts clearly and confidently is a powerful asset. By addressing and overcoming the fear of public speaking, individuals unlock their potential to engage, inspire, and lead others.

The story of Emily, the sous-chef, serves as a metaphor for the broader experience of glossophobia. The fear of public speaking, much like the pressure of culinary performance, is a challenge that many face. However, with the right strategies and support, it can be managed and overcome. By drawing parallels between the culinary arts and public speaking, we gain a richer understanding of this anxiety and the steps needed to conquer it.

In conclusion, glossophobia, while a formidable challenge, is a conquerable fear. Through the lens of the culinary world, we see that the journey to overcoming this fear involves a blend of psychological insight, practical strategies, and supportive communities. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, gradual exposure, relaxation techniques, and peer support are all integral to this process. As individuals transform their fear into confidence, they achieve personal milestones and contribute to a more communicative and empathetic society. Understanding and addressing glossophobia ultimately enriches our collective ability to connect, share, and thrive in both personal and professional spheres.

Cite this page

Glossophobia: A Culinary Adventure in Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking. (2024, Jun 17). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/glossophobia-a-culinary-adventure-in-overcoming-the-fear-of-public-speaking/

"Glossophobia: A Culinary Adventure in Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking." PapersOwl.com , 17 Jun 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/glossophobia-a-culinary-adventure-in-overcoming-the-fear-of-public-speaking/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Glossophobia: A Culinary Adventure in Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/glossophobia-a-culinary-adventure-in-overcoming-the-fear-of-public-speaking/ [Accessed: 21 Jun. 2024]

"Glossophobia: A Culinary Adventure in Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking." PapersOwl.com, Jun 17, 2024. Accessed June 21, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/glossophobia-a-culinary-adventure-in-overcoming-the-fear-of-public-speaking/

"Glossophobia: A Culinary Adventure in Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking," PapersOwl.com , 17-Jun-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/glossophobia-a-culinary-adventure-in-overcoming-the-fear-of-public-speaking/. [Accessed: 21-Jun-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Glossophobia: A Culinary Adventure in Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/glossophobia-a-culinary-adventure-in-overcoming-the-fear-of-public-speaking/ [Accessed: 21-Jun-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Biden announces new policy shielding undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation

President Joe Biden is taking executive action to protect undocumented spouses of American citizens — a move that would shield about 500,000 immigrants from deportation.

The White House announced the election-year policy Tuesday, framing it as “new action to keep families together.” NBC News reported last week that action protecting the spouses was likely to be announced soon, after urging from immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers and as the president courts Latino voters in crucial battleground states.

The new policy would allow noncitizens who have been in the country for at least 10 years and are married to a U.S. citizen, and their children, to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country.

During a ceremony at the White House, Biden called the steps a "commonsense fix" to a system that is "cumbersome, risky and separates families."

He said the order would go into effect this summer and stressed that it would not benefit people who recently came into the country. Instead, it would help people who are "paying taxes and contributing to our country" and their family members.

“This is the biggest thing since DACA,” said a source familiar with the matter, an immigration advocate.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, announced by then-President Barack Obama in 2012, allowed immigrants who illegally came to the U.S. as children to stay in the country.

Foreshadowing the likely battles to come over the policy, the White House was keen to stress that it has been tough on unlawful border crossings and has worked to dismantle people-smuggling networks.

The president "believes that securing the border is essential," it said in a news release Tuesday outlining the new action.

"He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country," the statement said.

The statement added that the spouses eligible to apply for this have been in the U.S. for 23 years on average.

The program would also make it easier for some undocumented immigrants to get a green card and a path to U.S. citizenship.

Sources also say that the undocumented spouses would be allowed to obtain work permits on a case-by-case basis.

The action includes plans to allow DACA recipients who earned degrees in higher education and are seeking a job in that same field to more quickly receive work visas.

Republicans, including former President Donald Trump , blasted the executive action.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump said that if he's elected in November, Biden’s new immigration policy would be immediately “ripped up and thrown out.”

"It's been a nonstop catastrophe, but one of crooked Joe's most destructive moves yet is the lawless executive action he's taken today," Trump said. "Under this program, a deluge of illegals will be given immediate green cards and put on the fast track to rapid citizenship so they can vote."

The presumptive Republican nominee for president, who has made immigration and border issues a cornerstone of his campaign, said "millions" of immigrants would benefit from the program, a figure that contrasts with a White House estimate that it would impact roughly 500,000 people who are spouses and 50,000 non-citizen children who are under 21 with a non-citizen parent who married an American before they were 18 who may also qualify.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also ripped the administration's announcement, painting it as "granting amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens" and saying it would "incentivize more illegal immigration and endanger Americans."

The new program is expected to be challenged in court.

Noting the likelihood of lawsuits, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that passing legislation would be "the only action that will fully allow these deserving individuals to put down roots, start families, further their education, and continue contributing to our society without fear of deportation." But he also acknowledged that getting a bill through Congress would be unlikely given Republican opposition to previous immigration overhauls.

Gabe Gutierrez is a senior White House correspondent for NBC News.

Julie Tsirkin is a correspondent covering Capitol Hill.

Julia Ainsley is the homeland security correspondent for NBC News and covers the Department of Homeland Security for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Letter From Birmingham Jail — My Public Speaking Speech

My Public Speaking Speech

• Categories: Letter From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King

About this sample

Words: 532 |

Published: Jun 14, 2024

Words: 532 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Challenges faced in public speaking, strategies to overcome challenges, the implications of effective public speaking.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Social Issues

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 911 words

2 pages / 1054 words

3 pages / 1217 words

1 pages / 617 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Letter From Birmingham Jail

Maya Angelou, a renowned American author, poet, and civil rights activist, faced numerous obstacles throughout her life. From childhood trauma to racial discrimination, Angelou's journey was marked by hardships that shaped her [...]

Bayard Rustin was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, known for his tireless advocacy for pacifism and nonviolent resistance. Raised in a Quaker household, Rustin was deeply influenced by the values of his [...]

In his renowned "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. employs a powerful rhetorical strategy to advocate for the civil rights movement and address the criticisms of his opponents. Through the skillful use of [...]

Throughout history, there have been many instances where individuals who challenge the status quo are labeled as outsiders. Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent civil rights leader, faced this accusation during his fight against [...]

In his renowned "Letter from Birmingham Jail" penned in 1963, the author, Martin Luther King Jr., employs extended allusions to various philosophers, including Aquinas and Socrates, which might imply an affinity with them. [...]

Dr. Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham Jail came as a response to his critics, especially the clergymen who denounced all his activities citing that they tantamount to incitement and unrest in the society. However, King [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Israel-Hamas War

Ben Stiller: Why I Can’t Stay Silent About the Suffering in Israel and Gaza

W hat a time we are all living through. Like so many people, I have been watching the awful events happening in the Middle East over the last year and trying to determine how to react. I have been seeing the brazen antisemitic incidents in my own city and feeling a mix of anger, fear, and astonishment that we are at this place in our country. Saying nothing at this point feels like I am betraying my own conscience. But what do you say? How does one express the complicated and very real feelings in this scary world of social media, where it seems any sentiment opens you to online vitriol from one side or another? The issues we are dealing with are so nuanced and complicated that short statements cannot in any way express fully what I want to say from my heart. As a public advocate for refugees, I’ve been struggling to reconcile my silence with that work. Please bear with me as I explain. And to be clear, what I say here is my personal view, not that of any organization–it’s just how I feel.

I was given the opportunity in 2016 to work with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. The agency was created to help the millions who fled the Second World War and leads international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, ensuring that everyone has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge from violence, persecution, or war at home.

With UNHCR I have visited refugees and those impacted by war and violence in Lebanon, Guatemala, Jordan, Poland, and Ukraine. I visited Lebanon just before the eighth anniversary of the Syrian conflict and met refugee families struggling to survive, among the millions living on the razor’s edge. I went to Kyiv after the full-scale Russian invasion and talked to people whose lives have been upended by this senseless war. I’ve advocated for refugees at the UN and in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, imploring the U.S. government not to look away from this global humanitarian crisis. I say this not to toot my own horn, but to explain that for me, if I am to speak out about these issues in these places, I can’t ignore the crisis that is front and center in the world right now.

I am Jewish. I’m also half Irish. My father’s mother came to the United States as a refugee from Poland. His father’s grandfather came from Ukraine, where over 100,000 Jewish people lost their lives in the ethnic pogroms that preceded the great horror of the Holocaust by just two decades. My mother’s grandparents came from Ireland seeking a better life. They arrived in New York with a surplus of hope and not much else.

My dad served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II. He met my mom and they got married–he was Jewish, she was Catholic. At the time that was an issue. They dealt with judgment from both sides of their families and the outside world. They turned that tension into humor and based their stand-up comedy act on their ethnic differences, which brought them together – and brought them success.

My mom converted to Judaism when they married. Ours was not a religious household, but we learned the traditions of inclusion and tolerance. After my Bar Mitzvah, I didn’t really go back to synagogue too often. But I always felt connected to my heritage, both Irish and Jewish, and valued the bonds I saw formed by both sides of my family. Eventually they came together through my parents’ love for each other. It was a palpable and beautiful thing I experienced as a child. As a kid growing up surrounded by that love, in New York City in the ‘70s, I never really experienced antisemitism. Where we find ourselves now is a place I never thought I would be.

Like so many Jews I grieve for those who suffered in the barbaric Hamas attack on October 7 and for those who have suffered as a result of those atrocities . My heart aches for the families who lost loved ones to this heinous act of terrorism and for those anxiously waiting these long months for the return of the hostages still in captivity. It’s a nightmare. I also grieve for the innocent people in Gaza who have lost their lives in this conflict and those suffering through that awful reality now.

I detest war, but what Hamas did was unconscionable and reprehensible. The hostages have to be freed. Terrorism must be named and fought by all people of conscience on the planet. There is no excuse for it under any circumstances.  

I stand with the Israeli people and their right to live in peace and safety. At the same time, I don’t agree with all of the Israeli government’s choices on how they are conducting the war. I want the violence to end, and the innocent Palestinian people affected by the humanitarian crisis that has resulted to receive the lifesaving aid they need. And I know that many in Israel share this sentiment.

I believe, as many people in Israel and around the world do, in the need for a two-state solution, one that ensures that the Israeli people can live in peace and safety alongside a homeland for the Palestinian people that provides them the same benefits.

I also see a troubling conflation in criticism of the actions of the Israeli government with denunciations of all Israelis and Jewish people. And as a result, we are seeing an undeniable rise in global antisemitism. I am seeing it myself, on the streets of the city I grew up in. It isn’t right and must be denounced.

Antisemitism must be condemned whenever it happens and wherever it exists. As should Islamophobia and bigotry of all kinds. There is a frightening amnesia for history in the air. We must remind ourselves that we can only manifest a more hopeful, just, and peaceful future by learning from the past.

Obviously I am no politician or diplomat. I have no solutions for these world conflicts and claim to offer none. I think I, like so many people, am struggling with how to process this all. But as an advocate for displaced people, I do believe this war must end. As I write this, there are about 120 million people all over the world who have been displaced by conflicts. In the Middle East, in Ukraine, Sudan, and many other countries. They all deserve to live in safety and peace. The human suffering must end. We must demand this of our leaders. Peace is the only path.

More Must-Reads from TIME

• Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
• Lai Ching-te Is Standing His Ground
• Do Less. It’s Good for You
• There's Something Different About Will Smith
• What Animal Studies Are Revealing About Their Minds—and Ours
• What a Hospice Nurse Wants You to Know About Death
• 15 LGBTQ+ Books to Read for Pride
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Contact us at [email protected]