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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.

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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.

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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.

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• Career Advice

Ready, Set, Speak

By  Aisha Langford

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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.

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115 Public Speaking Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Public speaking is a crucial skill that can greatly benefit individuals in various aspects of their lives. Whether it is delivering a presentation at work, giving a speech at a special event, or participating in a debate, being able to effectively communicate with an audience is essential. However, coming up with a topic for your speech can often be a daunting task. To help you out, here are 115 public speaking essay topic ideas and examples to inspire you:

• The importance of effective communication in the workplace
• How to overcome the fear of public speaking
• The power of storytelling in public speaking
• The impact of body language on communication
• How to deliver a compelling presentation
• The art of persuasion in public speaking
• The role of humor in communication
• The benefits of practicing public speaking
• The influence of technology on public speaking
• The art of impromptu speaking
• How to engage and connect with your audience
• The ethics of public speaking
• The role of public speaking in leadership
• The art of delivering a TED talk
• The importance of audience analysis in public speaking
• The impact of language and culture on communication
• The power of silence in public speaking
• The role of visual aids in presentations
• The influence of emotions on communication
• The art of public speaking in a virtual world
• The benefits of joining a public speaking club
• The impact of social media on public speaking
• The role of feedback in improving your speaking skills
• The art of delivering a eulogy
• The importance of authenticity in public speaking
• The influence of gender on communication
• The impact of public speaking on personal development
• The role of improvisation in public speaking
• The benefits of using storytelling techniques in speeches
• The art of delivering a commencement address
• The importance of practicing vocal variety in public speaking
• The influence of nonverbal cues on communication
• The impact of public speaking on career advancement
• The role of listening in effective communication
• The benefits of using humor in speeches
• The art of delivering a persuasive speech
• The importance of clarity in communication
• The influence of power dynamics on public speaking
• The impact of fear on public speaking
• The role of empathy in effective communication
• The benefits of using rhetorical devices in speeches
• The art of delivering a motivational speech
• The importance of adapting your message to different audiences
• The influence of technology on public speaking anxiety
• The impact of cultural differences on communication
• The role of storytelling in building rapport with your audience
• The benefits of using visual aids in presentations
• The art of delivering a powerful closing statement
• The importance of practicing active listening in communication
• The influence of body language on public speaking effectiveness
• The impact of public speaking on social change

In conclusion, public speaking is a skill that can be developed and improved with practice and dedication. Use the above 115 public speaking essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your next speech and engage your audience effectively. Remember to tailor your message to your audience, practice active listening, use visual aids, and incorporate storytelling techniques to make your speech memorable and impactful. With the right preparation and mindset, you can become a confident and persuasive speaker in no time.

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Public Speaking

• Finding a Topic
• How to Plan and Give a Great Speech
• Speech Anxiety
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Planning Your Speech

Being confident in your speech making and your public speaking means that you should fully prepare for your speech! Here are some tips to write a great speech!

1. Determine the purpose of your speech.  Whether it is a persuasive essay, argumentative essay, or just an informative one you need to know why you are giving the speech. Generally you may be told what kind of speech to write for your assignment, but if you have a choice on what type of speech you need to give it's important to know what you want to tell your audience. 

2. Identify your audience.  This may depend on your assignment but you need to know your audience to know what type of the information you are giving to them. Are you giving a speech to people who don't have any knowledge on the subject? Experts in the field? Or are you just speaking in front of your professor and fellow classmates? Understanding your audience helps you determine the scope of the detail in your speech and how you can keep the audience captivated. 

3. Create your claim (or thesis).  Just like writing a paper, your speech needs a thesis. Your claim is the main idea for your speech, and you will spend your speech providing evidence that supports your claim. 

4. Collect your evidence.  You need to support your claim with evidence. Evidence may include: surveys, statistics, anecdotal evidence, or even your own experience. 

5. Start determining how you will organize your speech.  Just like an essay, a speech has a similar structure. Your introduction, body, supporting evidence, and conclusion. It's helpful to write down your speech in a similar way you would write an essay. 

Giving Your Speech

Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is very common. Below are some speech-giving tips that can help reduce your anxiety!

1. Talk to someone if you are feeling stressed.  Talk to a counselor, your professor, or just a friend. It's always helpful to talk about your worries and get support from people around. 

2. Know what you're talking about.  You will be more comfortable reciting your speech when you have some knowledge on the subject. While you are researching and preparing your speech, get some preliminary background information so you feel more confident with the subject. This also helps if you get any surprise questions from your audience!

3. Practice.  Practice, practice, practice. In the mirror, in front of some friends, in front of your classmates. Be comfortable with the words, the structure of your speech, and knowing the order in which you will present your main ideas. 

4. Organize your materials.  Disorganization the day of your speech can worsen your anxiety! Prepare the night before by setting out all of your demonstrative items (poster, powerpoint, pictures), make sure any notecards are in order, and set aside your clothes if you are dressing up for your speech. It's also important to make sure the technology in the room you are presenting in has everything you need (check with your professor)!

5. Study other speeches.  You don't need to study the great orators of the world to learn how to improve your speeches. TED Talks, interviews from people you look up to, and even watching YouTube videos can help improve your public speaking skills. 

6. Don't rely on Powerpoints/posters.  Items like Powerpoints and posters that you use for your speech are meant to support you and not be something that you read off of the entire time. If you can do without visual aids or if they are not required for your speech, you may decide not to use any at all. Try to have as little text as possible on them--you won't be able to read off of them and your audience will not be distracted reading the slides. 

7. Focus on your message.  Don't get caught up in little details, your stories, or any jokes you may have in your speech. Focus on your claim so your message is understood by your audience. 

8. Don't apologize.  Everyone makes a mistake. Technical difficulties can happen to every one. Don't let minor issues such as forgetting a part of your speech or getting a little mixed up derail your presentation. Your audience may not even notice the small mistake. If you feel like you need to make an apology, make a small one and continue on. You've got this!

9. Look around the room.  You should always give your audience your full attention. It might be a small classroom of a few students or a massive auditorium but your audience is very important. Focus on different parts of the room that you can spend a few seconds on during the speech. If you can't decide where to look, focus on a specific person. 

10. Be yourself.  You can reduce your anxiety by just being yourself. Involved your personality in how you present information; use your pitch and create a style that's meaningful and allows the audience to relate to you. And don't forget to smile!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

by Sarah Gershman

Summary .   

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:

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Public Speaking - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Public speaking refers to the process of communicating information to a live audience. Essays could discuss the importance of public speaking skills, strategies for effective public speaking, the role of public speaking in education or professional development, or analyze notable speeches and their impact. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Public Speaking you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

My First Experience with Public Speaking

I feel over all my speech went well. For starters, I feel I did thorough and investigative research. I checked my sources to be sure all of them where trust worthy. While researching, it was frustrating to find so many sources that where not trust worthy, especially if they had information that would boost my speech. When it came to how I used the sources, I feel I used them in the most appropriate way. This was a more challenging […]

Overcoming my Fear of Public Speaking

“Jagger, you’re up.” My eighth-grade Social Studies teacher glanced at me with her bespeckled eyes and congenial smile. My heart raced. My cheeks turned bright red and my body shook as if it were about to cave in. In an attempt to hide my anxiety, I looked away from my peers as I walked toward the podium. A panel of three teachers sat in front of me with concerned looks on their faces, as if my anxiety had manifested itself […]

‘Lady Bird’- Love, Acceptance, and Politics

Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut ‘Lady Bird’ delivers a woman’s coming of age in a particular cultural moment. At once, it explores the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship, class disparity, feminist views, political views, and it also evokes the feeling of Sacramento in 2002- “a year the titular character quips is only exciting because it’s a palindrome.” The movie begins with Lady Bird telling her mother that she hates Sacramento and wants to go to a place where there is culture, […]

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Managing the Fear of Public Speaking

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle contains three different approaches to public speaking, depending on what kind of speech you decide to give. These were created because Aristotle began to study rhetoric. Rhetoric is known to be public speaking during that time. Aristotle began pursuing this because he believed that it was important for various types of speeches to be delivered in a specific way. Thus, the creation of the three proofs that are known as: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos. […]

Importance of Public Speaking in History

The current methods and knowledge on public speaking are drawn from the Western and Ancient Greece methods of public speaking. Public speaking and communication form the foundation of the society since it allows the people to interact with others thereby forming connections, influencing the decisions taken and motivating change in the society. One of the most famed orators was Martin Luther King Jr. who through his public speaking skills and methods of engaging the society managed to revolutionize the American […]

Army Effective Listening: Empowering Leadership

Mastering Effective Listening: A Vital Communication Skill Over a few weeks of the Basic Leader Course (BLC), I learned many useful skills that can help me become a better leader. The purpose of this essay is to inform future soldiers of the process of becoming a great leader. As a beginner in the course, learning about some of the requirements to pass seemed difficult, but I overcame them and became a more confident leader by the end of the course. […]

Benefits of Public Speaking

During my two weeks of class I learned that I have Jungian Typology which was 'Campaigner' which is enthusiastic, creative, and sociable free spirits who can always find a reason to smile. However, it was hard to pick this particular typology because I had a lot qualities that fit some of the other typology. As result, picking this typology was the best fitting because when I am socializing with other I'm very enthusiastic within what we’re discussing. Also I'm a […]

Personal Learning Goals for Public Speaking

I was born and raised in Cap-Haitian, Haiti, the country that is known as the poorest in the western hemisphere. It is a country where morals and values are learned in the street rather than the classroom. A great education is possible but unaffordable for some, yet, I dared to dream, even though a better future was not promised. Unexpectedly, I migrated to America, the land of endless opportunities and I knew then, it was time to go beyond my […]

Public Speaking Outside Speaker

Over the past couple of years, issues regarding the use of free speech and expressing it has become move apparent around the country in colleges and universities. Most college students are considered snowflakes, which means that they have been and still are spoiled and coddled by their parents. These students tend to be easily offended by words and small insults, incapable of tolerating opinions that deviate away from some politically correct belief and unwilling to engage in strong passionate debates. […]

Public Speaking Anxiety

Presentation anxiety can be at an all-time high for university students. Due to the fact that most of the research about presentation anxiety takes place in specific university classes or jobs, participants are aware of and familiar to the topic of their presentation. The limitation to this research is that participants are familiar with their topic and there is little research to show how a less familiar topic effects anxiety. Due to the fact that most of this research takes […]

The Lesson of Public Speaking Abilities

In this analysis of the introductory speech video, I studied the verbal and nonverbal movements used while making the video. The conclusions of the analysis show that the use of videotaping to implement feedback results in better content of student speeches, a more significant improvement of public speaking abilities, more reliable performance on actual tests, and a more confident attitude towards public speaking. The speech that was practiced reflected confidence, a loud voice, passion, and personality. Voice description requires generating […]

My Battle with Public Speaking

'If you don't prepare, you're only preparing to fail.' This quote speaks of truthfulness. Foremost, it is really crucial to be aware and have some prior knowledge (maybe even a personal experience) on the topic. If you don't care then it can cast back upon your speech. In past speeches, I didn't prepare the way I could have, so I’m sure those performances would’ve shown it. With all the speeches I have prepared for after that, my craftsmanship got better […]

Why Public Speaking is Important

Singapore is a strong country led by some of the greatest leaders which one is known as Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Kuan Yew fought for not having democracy, always thought fundamentally competitive, and accomplished a lot. Lee is was born in Singapore on September 16,1923 , then became Singapore first Prime Minister, also he was known as the longest-serving PM in history and during his long rule, Singapore became the most prosperous country in Southeast Asia.(4) Lee is mainly in […]

My Public Speaking Experience

The purpose of this autobiographical statement is to outline my interest in the field of social work and why this is without a doubt my chosen career field. I was raised on a farm in rural Colorado. My mother was a Human Services Caseworker for the first half of her career and a Juvenile Parole Officer for the remainder of her career. She retired after 35 years of service. My father was a computer programmer. I also have a twin […]

Public Speaking Appearances and Personal Lives

Since media has been the largest source of entertainment is anything private? The public’s right to know versus the right to privacy, a topic that has an ongoing debate by the media itself, the subject of conversation has intensified since technology has become more and more advanced. Requested by ordinary citizens, celebrities, as well as incognito informers, privacy is asked to be respected by the members of media reporting. Frequently, journalists use methods that show indifference for others suffering to […]

Understanding the Power of Rhetorical Appeals in Persuasion

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Glossophobia: Understanding and Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

Imagine that your heart is racing like it wants to burst, your palms are hot, and your stomach is turning into a sack as you prepare to speak in front of a large group of people. Welcome to the world of glossophobia, or in plain terms, the fear of public speaking. It's a beast that many of us have wrestled with, but let me tell you, it's far from invincible. Glossophobia isn’t just your garden-variety nerves. It's the kind of […]

Public Speaking from the Heart: the Magic of a Commemorative Speech

When it comes to speeches, there's something special about the ones that commemorate. They're not just a string of words; they're a celebration, a heartfelt tribute that can tug at your heartstrings or lift your spirits. This isn't about rattling off facts or swaying opinions; it’s about honoring moments, people, or achievements that have left an indelible mark. Let's unpack what it takes to craft a commemorative speech that resonates and remains memorable. Picture yourself at a significant event – […]

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Public Speaking - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

You walk onto the stage, your trembling hand holding a microphone. As you take a breath and begin to speak, you accidentally drop the microphone and it makes a horrible noise. With a red face, you leave the room, ashamed. This, and many other terrifying scenarios like it, is what plays through the heads of many people almost every time they have to speak publicly.

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Public speaking is not a terrible thing to do. It can build social skills, help us build connections, and influence change, but for some strange reason, whenever I speak publicly, it feels like the sky is falling. This may be because of the embarrassment I fear, my social anxiety, and the stress of competition I feel.

The problem with me is that I fear embarrassment. I am more scared of being judged and embarrassed then speaking in public. Whenever I mess up, be it during competition or when I’m presenting a project to the class, I fear that the mistake I made is what I will be remembered for, which means that I do my best to avoid public speaking. For me, is just as difficult to speak in front of a group of three as it is an entire auditorium.

I do have social anxiety, which makes me feel like everybody is watching and judging my every move. It makes it hard to speak publicly for anything on account of the fact that when I do try to speak publicly, it is for competition and I am being judged. However, if I get negatively evaluated, it does make my anxiety drift away for a short period of time, because I realize that it is getting in the way of our team winning whatever competition we are in. I am also more nervous in front of a group of my classmates or teachers than I am a debate coach from Powhatan. I know that the chances of me ever seeing that coach again would be slim, and that having them remember me would have an even slimmer chance, although this does not mean my anxiety will completely abandon me.

Even when I have a lot of time to prepare for speaking, I will still be anxious. In fact, I would be just as nervous, if not more so, if I have a week to prepare instead of an hour. Having only a short amount of time to prepare puts you on the spot, and it makes you want to do your best so that whatever you are doing will be impressive. For example, when I am debating, we first have to recite our speeches. I generally talk too fast, and am either too loud or too quiet, and I will stumble over a few words. However, when both teams finish reading their speeches, there will be a rebuttal, which we have about two minutes to prepare. I tend to do better on the rebuttals because I don’t have the time to stress over getting every little thing right.

For these reasons, I truly dislike public speaking, although it does give more experiences to things I will most likely have to do in the future, and it helps me get over my anxiety, even if it is just a bit. Public speaking will almost always be an enemy of mine, but I hope someday, we can be friends.

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How to get your first speaking engagement.

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A woman stands at podium while giving a speech.

Many professionals are afraid of speaking in front of an audience. According to the National Social Anxiety Center, Americans fear public speaking more than death. The American Psychiatric Association refers to the fear of speaking in front of an audience as public speaking anxiety (PSA), also known as glossophobia. Some experts have said that 75% of people in the United States have PSA. Although the majority of Americans fear public speaking, I’ve had a passion for it since a young age.

In kindergarten I was asked to present a surprise box and explain what was in it and why it was important to me. By middle school I was confidently giving presentations. In high school I participated in academic decathlon and received an award for the speech category. Fast forward to college and I was asked to perform spoken word for the board of trustees at my alma mater. I was selected out of 19,000 students and was extremely anxious about doing it.

After two months of preparing, I didn’t just have the words memorized. I practiced making eye contact with different members of the audience. I started to pause rather than panic when I stuttered or misspoke. I still use the tools I learned over a decade ago when I give presentations on neurodivergence in the workplace .

In the last two months I’ve been asked to speak about neurodivergence three times— and it isn’t solely because I write about it. It’s also because I am very active on LinkedIn and post up to three times a day. I know from experience that networking on LinkedIn is a great way to get public speaking opportunities. However, it’s not the only way. Here are some tips on how to get your first speaking engagement.

Find A Specific Niche

It’s crucial to identify a niche that will change your career path for the better. From writing articles about a topic frequently to being an expert in a certain field, there are several ways to find your niche. For me, finding my niche came from writing about neurodivergence in the workplace. What started as a few articles on ADHD turned into a meaningful and lucrative side hustle. Since July I’ve been asked to give three online presentations about how to be a better ally to neurodivergent employees.

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Yes, there are plenty of people who identify as DEI consultants , but there are very few people who refer to themselves as a neuroinclusion consultant. That’s what I call myself because I’ve found my niche—and you can, too. If you have a master’s degree, have written a well-received book, have conducted extensive research, or maintain a strong online presence, it may be easier for you to start doing public speaking.

Build An Online Presence

This is one of the best ways to acquire speaking opportunities. The more followers you have on social media the wider reach you have. Using popular hashtags can lead to more engagement. For example, I almost always use the hashtag #linkedin. I know my post will reach a much larger audience if I include that hashtag because it has nearly 1.5 million followers.

You are more likely to gain a following if you are strategic about building an online presence . Some professionals hire social media managers. Others figure out how to gain followers through trying out what does and doesn’t work. In my experience LinkedIn is the most effective way to build both a professional brand and client base.

Post About Your Services

Are you having trouble finding speaking opportunities? It may be time to change your approach. Don’t just let family, friends, and professional contacts know about your services. You want as many people as possible to see what you have to offer. The more hashtags you use the more views your posts will get. When you post make sure to include what makes you qualified to speak about a specific subject. I tend to list my qualifications in my LinkedIn posts about finding public speaking opportunities.

I also recommend including any links of videos with you speaking in front of an audience. Keep in mind that when you post on LinkedIn it only shows a preview of your entire post. The first three lines of your post are the most important because that is what will make someone decide if they want to keep reading or not. Get creative when describing your services. Post about them throughout the week based on timely topics or themed months. Always post first thing in the morning rather than waiting until after work when people are winding down.

Try not to post the same few paragraphs every time you share about wanting to become a public speaker. Switch things up by making your posts related to current events, including powerful quotes, etc. This may sound overwhelming, but if you follow these suggestions you’ll be a public speaking pro in no time.

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We must tackle the model-minority myth with self-advocacy and personal storytelling

3-minute read.

When we were both 14-year-old high school students in Scarsdale, my friend Emma (a pseudonym) confided in me that she had thought about suicide. Normally, an admission like this would have been shocking. But I understood where Emma was coming from.

My conversations with Emma inspired my advocacy work. I share her story with her blessing.

Emma and I grew up in Chinese-American families with deeply held cultural beliefs emphasizing the value of hard work and perseverance while minimizing discussion of mental health. Emma felt her parents saw her as a high-achieving high school standout and feared they would not take her mental health challenges seriously. In our families, "saving face" often took priority over well-being.

Our emotion-suppressing culture was born from intergenerational and immigration-related traumas and shaped, in part, by the “model minority myth.” This is the societal perception, rooted in racism, that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are a “problem-free” group – setting the expectations of perfection and preventing help seeking.

Research released by  The Jed Foundation (JED) , a leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide, found that AAPI teenagers are more likely than others to believe their problems are not serious enough to discuss with someone else. Another  study  found that only 36% of AAPI people with a mental health condition received treatment in the previous year — 15 percentage points lower than the national average.

These factors contribute to suicide being the  leading  cause of death among AAPI teens and young adults. It is essential we bridge the chasm between cultural assumptions and the urgent need for mental health support. We must equip people to know the signs of distress and how to act. Identifying those at risk quickly is critical in linking people to necessary support, and these efforts are most effective when employed as part of a comprehensive suicide prevention program.

We must also work to change perceptions and expectations of AAPI youth. While this burden cannot rest just on young people’s shoulders, self-advocacy and storytelling play crucial roles in confronting these challenges.

Self-advocacy can take many forms, including confiding in a trusted friend or adult, starting a mental health club at school, or visiting a counselor. And for those comfortable doing so, it may include speaking about our experiences.

Sharing our stories is vital in dismantling the model minority myth, which reduces a diverse population to a simplistic stereotype and imposes unrealistic expectations on AAPI youth.  We cannot, should not, be forced into a singular narrative.

Emma was not yet ready to seek professional help, but her admission sparked something in me. I resolved to do something to help my friend, along with my AAPI peers struggling with cultural pressures. 

That’s when I founded SchoolSight: A Comprehensive Mental Health Vision, which is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues and reducing the cultural stigma within my Westchester County community. Through fundraisers, speakers, and wellness spaces for students to share their experiences, we work to shatter the silence Emma and so many others face. Instead of waiting for adults to prepare psychoeducation for us students, we students developed presentations for parents in the community, outlining mental health challenges AAPI youth face.

Two years ago, I gave a talk at a national mental health convention to discuss Emma’s journey. Since then, I’ve shared our story at numerous events, allowing me to advocate for the mental health needs of AAPI youth.

Today, I am pleased to share that Emma is thriving. With access to  culturally competent mental health care , she found the support she needed. She also began her own journey of  self-advocacy  to help communities invest in their most valuable, yet traditionally overlooked stakeholders: those with firsthand experience.

While self-advocacy and storytelling are vital, they alone won’t bring meaningful change. Nor is it our responsibility as youth to create the conditions in which our mental health is taken seriously and treated effectively. Everyone who cares about our well-being, including schools and the mental-health establishment, must work to ensure AAPI youth — and all young people — have access to culturally competent mental health care, safe spaces online and offline to connect with and support each other, better training in coping mechanisms and managing stress, and more. Publicizing our stories is an important step in moving in that direction.

By speaking out, we forge pathways to a more inclusive and empathetic understanding of mental health. It is equally important to seek help when needed. Whether it is reaching out to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional, taking that first step can make a difference. By advocating for ourselves and seeking support, we pave the way for future generations to inherit a society that recognizes and respects the full spectrum of mental health needs across racial and cultural lines.

Rick Yang, a native of Scarsdale, is a first-year student at Harvard University.

Public Speaking and Audience Analysis Essay

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Purpose of the Speech

According to Baccarani and Bonfanti, the purpose of public speaking often proceeds and determines how the orator will prepare and even make the presentation (375). Analysis of who is saying what (speaker himself or herself), to who (the audience), through what media (the channel), and with what effect (impact or intended result) guides how speakers prepare to meet the purpose. Various purposes precede the making of public speech.

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 given topic (Scott 50). In such instances, the organizers and the inviting parties determine the purpose of public speaking. For example, colleges that require a skilled speaker to make a public speech to students to motivate them to work hard in their studies have often invited me.

Such a speech is usually structured to begin with a powerful anecdote that pulls the attention of the audience into the topic and its impact on their lives. The body is also structured with facts, jokes, and relevant examples that the audience can easily identify with followed by a powerful conclusion that calls the audience into action (LeFebvre et al. 261). For instance, students can be encouraged to study extra hours, to purchase academic materials, to attend lectures, or to avoid distracters such as uncalled for entertainment, sexual perversion, laziness, and general indiscipline.

However, other purposes of public speeches exist. For example, a speaker may be contracted by speakers’ bureau to make business and commercial event speeches. In such cases, the speaker is paid a commission of between 25% -30% (Baccarani and Bonfanti 378). The purpose of public speaking is dictated by the organization that awards the contract. For example, an insurance institution may require a speaker to make a speech to influence the target audience to take insurance cover that ranges from life to property. Therefore, the public speaker prepares for such a speech through researching on the area and devising persuasive techniques that move the audience into action.

The other instance is where a public speaker personally purposes to make a public speech in a particular forum (Mowbray and Perry 207). I have also participated in this public speaking out of my interest to influence the society. This speech may be targeted at influencing a particular group to think and/or act in a particular manner.

The Use of audience analysis, including how to perform such analysis in various venues, and how the information affects the speakers’ preparation and methods

According to Brundage and Hancock, audience analysis involves a deliberate effort by the speaker to seek understanding of his or her audience before speech delivery (139). For effective public speaking, the speaker must have prior knowledge of the audiences who are the end users of his or her speech. In my public speaking endeavors, audience analysis has helped me to gain important insights about my addressees before making speeches.

Through audience analysis, a speaker can choose and develop a topic that is relevant and important to a specific spectator. It has also helped me to come up with a delivery approach that is tailored to the specific needs of my audience, for instance, choosing an appropriate tone, language, content, and style of delivery. Carrison asserts that poor or lack of audience analysis by a public speaker before appearing and making a speech most likely may result in double frustration from both the speaker and the audience (6). Although no one in the audience remains the same after one speech, various areas are important for the public speaker to consider when carrying out audience analysis.

The three most important areas can be classified as demographic, disposition, and knowledge of the audiences who are expected at a certain venue and time (Baccarani and Bonfanti 381). These three broad classifications of audience analysis capture most of the expected audience characteristics. Audience analysis can be carried out in the following ways:

Audience demographic analysis

Whenever I prepare for public speaking, I begin by seeking to understand the demographic characteristics of the audience I expect at a certain venue and time. In terms of demographic analysis, the first question that the speakers need to ask themselves is whether the expected audience will be homogeneous or heterogeneous. The composition of differences and similarities of the audience become an important factor in leveling the topic, the content, and delivery (Brundage and Hancock 140). Homogeneous audiences, for instance, university students studying law, have many common characteristics.

They may have similar levels of education, interests, focus on legal details, age, and aspirations. On the other hand, a heterogeneous audience such as a political rally may have varying characteristics. For instance, some people may be Muslims, Christians, or Hindus. Some may be men, women, or children. Some may be Caucasians, Africans, or Indians. In terms of education, some may be educated while others are illiterate or mentally challenged. In each case, topic selection, content preparation, and delivery style vary. The speaker must address the needs of each person in the group if he or she aims at motivating, educating, counseling, or entertaining the group (LeFebvre et al. 264).

Whenever I prepare a public speech for a homogeneous or heterogeneous audience, my underlying factor is to find out what the addressees may be having in common, as opposed to focusing on their differences. For instance, if I am to address a parents meeting to high school students, I sum up my demographic analysis by checking on the common interest of every parent in the school. For example, such parents may be of different ages, race, color, religion, political affiliations, sex, gender, and economic status.

However, all of them have certain common interest. For instance, they all want to bring up disciplined children, they want their children to perform well academically, they want their children to be morally upright, and that they desire to see their children’s school being the best in all ratings. Such common characteristics of the audience guide my deliverables to a heterogeneous audience.

The second factor in the analysis of demographic characteristics of the audience is their age variation. Understanding of audience age variation and the average age is important in public speaking. Age influences interest and preferences of the audience (Engelhard and Kearns 2). Appreciation of audience ages usually assists me in preparation and framing of the topic, choice of language, verbal and non-verbal cues, jokes, and content, all of which vary with a disparity in age.

For instance, while addressing church elders on importance of personal discipline, the speaker uses a language that they can identify with, for instance, proper English, the use of proverbs, the use of old jokes, word choice that appreciates their contribution to the nation so far, and language that gives them hope and security to press on. On the other hand, when addressing the same topic of personal discipline to a group of adolescent audience, the speaker uses language that appeals to them, for example, slang, clichés, and popular language.

The speaker can select current jokes that are popular on social media, relevant examples that the audience may have watched over the internet, videos, or television, for instance, celebrities. He or she can use wisdom words that encourage the listeners to explore the world but with caution. He or she can address the importance of self-determination. These strategies are meant to meet the particular needs of the audience at that age, failure to which the speech is labeled boring, irrelevant, and lacking in details.

The other demographic factor to consider is the socio-economic status of the audience. The social and economic status of the audiences affects their attitude to the speaker, the topic of discussion, and their interests. For instance, I have made public speeches in high-level high schools and low-economic level high schools. In the high-level high schools, the majority of the learners come from well-to-do families. Topics of interest to such audiences may widely vary from those who come from middle-income families and those in slums. For instance, learners in high-class schools feel that they belong to a superior social class due to the economic status of their parents.

Therefore, they may be interested in professions that give people a high status such as engineering, law, aviation, medicine, and politics. To them, their parents can finance them to take any career with minimum entry grades. While giving examples to such audience, I usually quote what they can identify with, for instance, the latest cars in town, first-class flights, the latest fashion clothes, expensive universities, and posh lifestyle. On the other hand, learners from low socio-economic background may not identify themselves with expensive and lavish lifestyles and hence the relevance of understanding the socio-economic status of the audiences.

The other demographic characteristic to consider is religious affiliations. Religion is like opium because it influences the way people think and act. Appreciation of the audience’s religious composition is important since the speaker can develop a relevant topic, content, and examples that seem to uphold all people. According to Prud’homme and Hensley, balance is important in a mixed religion audience (20). For instance, one can abstain from quoting any religious books because of the audience diversity.

The other demographic factor includes ethnicity, race, and culture of the audience. Liao upholds the fact that race, culture, and ethnicity of the audiences influence their perceptions, interest, and beliefs, which may obstruct their interpretation of a speech (47). Mowbray and Perry assert that a variation in race, culture, and ethnicity informs the speaker to balance and/or avoid stereotypes and popular beliefs that may hurt a particular group (208). In the same vein, the speaker’s role and relationship with the audience should also be considered. Understanding of the knowledge level of the audience is crucial for the speaker to plan the best speech-delivery strategies.

Audience Disposition Analysis

When carrying out audience analysis, I try to figure out the expectations of the audience from my speech. Different audiences have different expectations. The audience may expect that a speech will inform them, educate them, entertain, counsel, restore their confidence, or offer a solution to a problem in their lives. Understanding the expectations at the preparation stage eases speech delivery while grabbing the attention of the audience (Mowbray and Perry 208).

Secondly, I seek to understand the attitude of the audience towards me and the topic I will deliver. The audience may or may not have prior information. In such cases, the speaker has to organize his or her topic and content to suit, influence, or alter the attitude of the audience. Understanding the attitude of the audiences helps the speaker in preparing how to win them over or change them, for instance, when delivering a political speech in a region that is opposed to the speaker’s political affiliation. Thirdly, the concerns of the readers and their problems are important in audience analysis. All public speeches should have a planned objective.

The objective must be inclined in meeting the needs, interests, and solving audiences’ problems. People pay attention when a speech addresses their problem and/or offer hope for better lives (Prud’homme and Hensley 22). For instance, when a speaker makes revolutionary speeches that aim at moving people from an oppressive government regime, problems becomes the hot points. Fourth, understanding the motivation point of the audience is crucial. To move the audience, speakers use what they desire and/or what energizes them to move them into action, for example, promises of better lifestyles, finances, health, or freedom.

Audience Knowledge Analysis

Before making a public speech, I also seek to understand the knowledge level of my audience. For instance, I question my audience knowledge concerning the topic. If the audience is knowledgeable about it, I seek to bring up a content, which they may not know or clearly understand to make it remain relevant. The application of new and the already existing information by the audience is important (Prud’homme and Hensley 22).

The appreciation of knowledge levels also enables me to gauge my language and sophistication levels during speech delivery. For instance, when speaking to nurses about the importance of antenatal care, I can use medical jargon since they are exposed to it. On the other hand, while speaking to expectant mothers in a slum about the same topic, I use low-level language, including mother tongue, in explanations to make them understand. Finally, in my analysis, I seek to predict the questions the audience may have concerning the topic. Prediction of the questions aids content preparation and emphasis during delivery. It also helps me in readiness to answer perceived questions properly.

Methods of Collecting and Organizing Materials Effectively

It is important for public speakers to have adequate resources for both preparation and delivery of speeches (Carrison 6). Such materials may include information, public address system, props, teaching aids, laptops, projectors, lighting systems, and technicians. Public speaking materials can be collected from various places and ways. While collecting such materials, the speaker makes the appointment with lenders or directly purchases them.

If the materials are available in the venue, the speaker cross-examines them long before speech delivery to avoid last-minute frustration. An alternative such as lighting system or public address system is set on standby just in case of failure of the main resources. The speakers may also visit various websites and libraries to research on the presentation topic to arm themselves with enough content such that they can be confident when delivering the speech.

The materials should also be organized in a manner that all the audiences will be reached efficiently. For instance, the props should be clearly visible from far. The projectors should be well elevated. Screens should be well positioned. Besides, microphones and podiums should be positioned in a way that the speaker does not strain when speaking.

Effective Speech Structure, the use of an Attention-Getting Opener, a Well-Organized Easy-To-Follow Speech Body, and a well thought-out Conclusion

The structure of speech determines the flow of thoughts in the minds of the audience. The speech should have captivating opening markers, which capture the attention of the audience. For example, I use captivating jokes together with hilarious personal and topic introductions to call to attention the audiences’ mind. In other instances, I begin the speech with an interesting but relevant story that appeals to the audience. The relevance of the speech also comes early to prepare the audiences and to assure them that the speech will fulfill their needs, solve their problems, and/or raise their spirits, thereby opening up the audience expectations (Liao 47).

The body of the speech should be well organized. It should come immediately after the attention-getting opening (Durlik, Brown, and Tsakiris 530). At this point, the expectations of the audiences are high. Any word that sways from what they want to hear may drive them to be inattentive. In my speeches, I realized that the audience would make decisions on whether or not to pay attention to the whole speech using the first few words that the speaker makes. Points should be organized in a flowing manner, beginning with the introduction, definitions, and clarification of the direction the speech will take. This plan marks a strong beginning.

The body of the speech should be supported with relevant examples that the audience can easily identify with (Carrison 6). The use of stories and jokes should also be included in the body to break the monotony by making the audience laugh. Words that appeal to both mind and spirit while touching the five senses of the audience should increase with the progress of the speech to the main body. The speaker should move the feelings of the audience towards a certain action earlier planned.

Engelhard and Kearns recommend that the conclusion of a powerful speech should be as relevant as the opening line (3). The speaker should move with the audience through to the conclusion. At the conclusion, the height of the audience’s feelings should be evident. The conclusion is the highest peak in a speech. The speaker should easily move the audience to take a calculated action at will.

When I carry out public speeches, it is at this point that I ascertain the conviction of the audience, for example, by evaluating their nonverbal cues, verbal responses, or even a show of hands. At the conclusion, I give the audience an opportunity to ask questions while I address them. At the end of the speech, I make the audience publicly or individually make declarations on the actions they will undertake.

Importance of Clear Articulation, Good Projection, Variety, and Animation while presenting the Speech

One of the most crucial factors in public speaking is audibility of the speaker. Clarity of voice, words, and ideas affect the decoding process in the mind of the audience. If the audiences cannot make out what the speaker is saying or decipher the words that the speaker is projecting, they withdraw and lose interest. Therefore, it is important to guarantee proper articulation of words, pronunciation, stress, and vocalization during the speech.

Exposure and practice improve the articulation ability of the speaker. Carrison reveals how poise and confidence also affect the projection ability of the audience (6). Variation of tone during public speaking captures the attention of the audience. In my public speaking endeavor, I realized that it is important to know when to raise my voice to the peak, when to sound stern, irritated, appreciative, commanding, and when to speak in very low but audible tone. Tonal variation moves the audience. It informs them about the importance of the words being projected nonverbally. The animation is another technique that the speaker should employ when making speeches (Engelhard and Kearns 4).

While making speeches, I realized that the manifestation of energy, liveliness, and vibrancy determines the success of the speech a great deal. Scott affirms that lack of energy in a speech depicts the lack of confidence and passion in a speaker (52). Animation enables the speaker to command attention and/or move the audience to a particular action. Strategies such as the use of body movement, acting, and simulation also amuse the audiences, thus breaking the monotony and capturing their attention.

Importance of Nonverbal Variables such as Eye Contact and Body Language

In my public speaking encounters, I also realized that nonverbal cues play a more important role that verbal communication. Nonverbal variables involve all other communication cues, rather than words. Various nonverbal cues affect the success of speech delivery. To begin with, eye contact (oculesics) is crucial during public speaking. According to Scott, eye contact shows that the speaker is confident and sure of the topic being delivered (52).

However, it is important for the speaker to appreciate that eye contact messages vary from one culture to another. For instance, in America, direct eye contact is interpreted as confidence while it is interpreted to mean arrogance in some Asian countries. However, the speaker should keep on fixing his or her eyes on the audience. It is also through eye contact that the speaker can read the audiences’ response. Body language that involves body movement, facial expression, and the use of artifacts also plays a major role in public speaking. Dressing, the use of color, and the choice of makeup also send nonverbal messages to the audience.

Cleanliness and proper dressing affect poise and confidence of the speaker. In fact, influential speakers dress in a particular attire and manner to identify with the audience. Variation of facial expression in speech delivery and the movement of various parts of the body, for instance, nodding, swinging of shoulders, and moving from one point to another while stressing a point appeal to the audience.

The space that the speaker maintains between her and the audience is another nonverbal cue that affects the impact of a speech. Tonal variation is also a nonverbal cue that communicates more than words. It indicates the level of confidence and understanding of the topic. As a public speaker, I ensure that my nonverbal cues are well organized and that they communicate the intended messages that are consistent with the verbal communication.

The Use of various kinds of Visuals such as Graphs, Charts, and Demonstrations

The use of communication aids is another important asset that public speakers have. Visual aids such as graphs and charts enhance message delivery by the speaker. Graphs that are clear and large enough enable the speaker to illustrate and undoubtedly break down complex information concerning movement of variables that would be difficult for the audience to interpret. Durlik, Brown, and Tsakiris affirm that charts also assist the speaker in demonstrating pictures and examples of various aspects captured in the speech (532). People understand and relate better with visual information compared to audio.

According to Scott, visual aids compliment verbal messages. However, graphs and charts should be clear and large enough (52). Enough lighting should also be provided to illuminate the diagrams, which should in turn be positioned high enough for the audience to see. The speaker should also guide the audience through the visual aids.

PowerPoint and overhead projectors are also aids that I use when making public speeches. Baccarani and Bonfanti, affirm that PowerPoint aids the projection of images and data in large and visible fonts (383). The speaker makes slides on the computer. The slides are then projected to be accessed by the larger audience. The use of videotapes for presentations also enhances the ability of the speaker to deliver messages on detailed concepts.

Video tapes are both visual and audio-visual. Hence, they can appeal to the audiences. Video images and sounds recorded before the date of the speech can be slotted in between the speech to clarify on particular issues, especially when making business presentations. These aids are easy to use. The speakers can operate them in due time as they deliver their speeches.

Analysis and Evaluation of the Students’ Speaking Experiences

As a student, I have been involved in various public speaking events. From these events, I have had different experiences. For instance, I have been involved in making public speeches in schools addressing parents. One of such events that involved about 500 parents of a high school within a cosmopolitan setting was very successful. In this case, the topic was determined by the school administration.

The topic was ‘role of parents in ensuring high academic performance of high school students’. After the topic was determined, I carried out audience analysis and tailored the content to meet the needs of the audience. The effectiveness of this speech was attributed to the fact that most of the parents sent positive feedback during speech delivery. For instance, they would nod, shake their heads, make applauses, and even make sounds of disgust as I explained and made examples of how poor parenting results in irresponsible children. I could read the feelings and sentiments of the audience in the course of the speech.

The parents also asked many questions at the end of the speech. I was able to answer them effectively. Since the parents made a solemn declaration that they would ensure responsible parenting through the provision of the discipline of their children, the parents immediately purchased revision books, cleared school balances, and began to have meaningful conversations with their sons and daughters. The principal also made a positive report about school fees payment and happy families.

The second instance was a public speech I made in a corporate setting. Although the organizing group gave me the discretion of choosing the topic to speak about during the annual conference, the event was less successful. Although I came up with a relevant topic that I researched thoroughly, the delivery of the speech was less successful. For instance, the event started late. I attributed this case to poor preparation and lack of technicians to assist in the preparation and operation of presentation aids. Moreover, sound amplification system failed. There was no standby system. As a result, the delivery of the speech to over 3000 officers became problematic.

Voice projection became almost impossible. However, these problems could be solved through prior preparation and planning. For instance, I would plan for the event earlier and test the apparatus before the event. Proper planning and acquisition of enough human resources should be carried out long before the public speaking event. As a speaker, I could first witness the technician operate the machines to be sure of his or her skills. A standby set of sound system and source of energy should be hired and made available incase of any failure. This planning makes the event successful.

The art of public speaking can be regarded as the act of an individual making a speech presentation to a target audience. From my experience, public speaking involves one person addressing a small or large group of people. The speech may take a face-to-face approach or video conferencing. Public speaking is usually deliberate and structured in a particular manner to meet the speaker’s objectives, which may include motivating, influencing, informing, entertaining, or counseling the audience.

Works Cited

Baccarani, Claudio, and Angelo Bonfanti. “Effective public speaking: a conceptual framework in the corporate-communication field.” Corporate Communications: An International Journal 20.3 (2015): 375-390. Print.

Brundage, Shelley, and Adrienne Hancock. “Real Enough: Using Virtual Public Speaking Environments to Evoke Feelings and Behaviors Targeted in Stuttering Assessment and Treatment.” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 24.2 (2015): 139-149. Print.

Carrison, Dan. “Effective public speaking is all about control.” Industrial Management 57.2 (2015): 6-6. Print.

Durlik, Caroline, Gary Brown, and Manos Tsakiris. “Enhanced interoceptive awareness during anticipation of public speaking is associated with fear of negative evaluation.” Cognition & Emotion 28.3 (2014): 530-540. Print.

Engelhard, Iris, and Michelle Kearns. “Psychophysiological responsivity to script-driven imagery: an exploratory study of the effects of eye movements on public speaking flash forwards.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 1.1 (2015): 1-9. Print.

LeFebvre, Luke, Leah LeFebvre, Kate Blackburn, and Ryan Boyd. “Student Estimates of Public Speaking Competency: The Meaning Extraction Helper and Video Self-evaluation.” Communication Education 6.43 (2015): 261-279. Print.

Liao, Hsiang-Ann. “Examining the Role of Collaborative Learning in a Public Speaking Course.” College Teaching 62.2 (2014): 47-54. Print.

Mowbray, Robert, and Laura Perry. “Improving lecture quality through training in public speaking.” Innovations in Education & Teaching International 52.2 (2015): 207-217. Print.

Prud’homme, Patrice-Andre, and Brandon Hensley. “It Takes More than Public Speaking: A Leadership Analysis of The King’s Speech.” Journal of Organizational Learning & Leadership 11.1 (2013): 19-28. Print.

Scott, Nick. “8 Ways To Be A Better Public Speaker In 2015.” Director 68.4 (2015): 50-52. Print.

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Bibliography

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A General Debiasing Framework with Counterfactual Reasoning for Multimodal Public Speaking Anxiety Detection

36 Pages Posted: 9 Sep 2024

Tingting Zhang

Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

Chunping Zheng

Jiachen tan, zihua xiong.

Multimodal public speaking anxiety detection (MPSAD), which aims to identify the anxiety states of learners, has attracted widespread attention. Unfortunately, the current MPSAD task inevitably suffers from the impact of latent different types of multimodal hybrid biases, such as context bias, label bias and keyword bias. Models may rely on these biases as shortcuts, preventing them from fully utilizing all three modalities to learn multimodal knowledge. Existing methods primarily focus on addressing specific types of biases, but anticipating bias types when designing these methods is challenging, as we cannot foresee all possible biases. To tackle this issue, we use causal graphs to clarify the causal relationships among variables, and propose a General Multimodal Counterfactual Reasoning debiasing framework (GMCR), which eliminates multimodal hybrid biases from a unified causal perspective. Specifically, this plug-and-play debiasing framework removes multimodal hybrid biases by disentangling causal and biased features and capturing adverse effects via a counterfactual branch. It then subtracts spurious correlations during inference for unbiased predictions. Due to the challenge of collecting speech video data, there are currently limited high-quality datasets available for the MPSAD task. To overcome this scarcity, we create a new large-scale fine-grained Multimodal English Public Speaking Anxiety (ME-PSA) dataset. Extensive experiments on our ME-PSA and two benchmarks demonstrate the superior effectiveness of our proposed framework. Furthermore, our approach improves the accuracy and F1 score of the MPSAD task by over 2.00% and 4.00%, respectively, compared to the vanilla SOTA baselines. Our dataset and code will be available at https://github.com/Ztt1997/GMCR\_Framework.

Keywords: public speaking anxiety detection, multimodal debiasing, spurious correlation, counterfactual reasoning, dataset

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications ( email )

Beijing China

Bin Wu (Contact Author)

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1995 Articles

THE DANGERS OF WILLFUL IGNORANCE

Pollack, Robert

In the collection of essays titled Beyond the Academy: A Scholar's Obligations (ACLS Occasional Paper No. 31), the authors—George R. Garrison, Arnita A. Jones, Robert Pollack, and Edward W. Said—explore the roles and responsibilities of scholars toward society. Each essay contributes a distinct perspective, yet together they form a cohesive argument about the ethical and civic duties of intellectuals. In the article "The Dangers of Willful Ignorance," Robert Pollack addresses the significant ethical responsibilities of scholars, particularly those in the scientific community, towards the broader public. He emphasizes the importance of "speaking truth to power" and warns against the consequences of avoiding the political implications of scientific work. Pollack reflects on historical instances, such as the misuse of genetics during the Nazi regime, to illustrate the dangers of neglecting the ethical dimensions of scientific advancements. He argues that modern scientific discoveries, especially in genetics, present both opportunities and risks, highlighting the need for careful consideration of how these technologies impact privacy and individual rights. Pollack calls for a stronger integration of scientific understanding into broader societal discussions, urging scholars to engage with the public and ensure that scientific knowledge is used ethically and responsibly. He also stresses the importance of teaching science in a way that makes it accessible and relevant to all, not just those within the scientific community. Pollack's overarching message is that scientists must not only pursue knowledge but also consider the ethical implications of their work and strive to prevent its misuse in society. Edward Said, in "On Defiance and Taking Positions," echoes Pollack's concern about the dangers of disengagement, but he expands the argument to emphasize the importance of intellectuals resisting orthodoxy and maintaining a critical, independent stance. Said stresses that scholars must engage in public discourse, not just within their disciplines, but in broader societal debates, particularly when human suffering is at stake. George Garrison and Arnita Jones also contribute to this dialogue by framing the scholar's role within the context of historical and social responsibility. Garrison discusses the moral obligations of educators to foster social development and progress, while Jones reflects on the challenges historians face in making their work relevant and accessible to the public. Together, these authors interact by building on each other's arguments about the responsibilities of scholars. Pollack’s focus on the ethical use of science is complemented by Said’s broader call for intellectual engagement beyond the academy. Garrison and Jones provide the historical and social contexts that ground these responsibilities, highlighting the need for scholars to be active participants in addressing the moral and civic challenges of their time. This interplay of ideas reinforces the central theme of the collection: that scholars have a profound obligation to engage with and contribute to the well-being of society.

• Medical sciences

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