Effective Listening and Speaking: Understanding Main Points and Connecting with Audiences , Study notes of Communication and Presentation Skills

Download Effective Listening and Speaking: Understanding Main Points and Connecting with Audiences and more Study notes Communication and Presentation Skills in PDF only on Docsity! Public Speaking Final Study Guide Chapter One -Public Speaking and Conversation Similarities: 1. Organizing your thoughts logically 2. Tailoring your message to your audience 3. Telling a story for maximum impact 4. Adapting to listener feedback -Public Speaking and Conversation Differences: 1. Public speaking is more highly structured. 2. Public speaking requires more formal language. 3. Public speaking requires a different method of delivery. -Strategies for developing public speaking confidence: 1. Acquire speaking experience 2. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare 3. Think Positively 4. Use the Power of Visualization 5. Know that most nervousness is not visible 6. Don’t expect perfection -Relationship between Critical Thinking and Public Speaking: If the structure of your speech is disjointed and confused, the odds are that your thinking is also disjointed and confused. Organizing your speech is not just a matter of arranging the ideas you already have; it is an important part of shaping the ideas themselves. -Reasons why cultural diversity is important to public speaking: Gestures, facial expressions, and other nonverbal signals differ among cultures. Public speakers have to be aware of their listeners’ cultural values and customs. -The different elements of the speech communication process and how they interact with one another: 1. Speaker 2. Message 3. Channel 4. Listener 5. Feedback 6. Interference 7. Situation Chapter Two Ethics and Public Speaking -make sure goals are ethically sound -be fully prepared for each speech -analyze audience -organize ideas -be honest -avoid name calling/abusive language -put ethical principles into practice Plagiarism -global plagiarism - stealing an entire speech -patchwork plagiarism - stealing ideas or language -incremental plagiarism - failing to give credit for parts taken from other people -quotes -paraphrases Ethical Listening -be courteous and attentive -avoid prejudging speaker -maintain free and open expression of ideas Chapter Three Not listening doesn't mean we don't hear. Hearing is a physiological process, involving the vibration of sound waves on our eardrums and the firing of electrochemical impulses from the inner ear to the central auditory system of the brain. Listening involves paying close attention to, and making sense of, what we hear. We usually only grasp 50% of what we hear. After two days, you can only remember half of that. Listening is important Successful people are excellent listeners. Listening is ranked number one in skills most crucial to business managers. Listening is the way speakers get their ideas (TV, radio, conversation, and lectures). Not listening well leads to misunderstandings, which you pass to others. Listening to others teaches you things that do and don't work. Listening and Critical Thinking Four kinds of listening: 1. Appreciative Listening - listening for pleasure or enjoyment (music, comedy, entertainment). 2. Empathic Listening - listening to provide emotional support for speaker (Psychiatrist, distressed friend, etc). 3. Comprehensive Listening - listening to understand the message (class, directions) 4. Critical Listening - listening to evaluate a message for purpose of accepting or rejecting it (sales pitch, campaign speech, closing argument in jury trial). Places, Things, Event, Processes, Concepts, Natural Phenomena, Problems, and Plans & Policies. Then list in each the first 5 or 6 items that come to mind. Take those you find most interesting and compose sublists for each. Try to Free-Associate. Write down a word or an idea and see what it triggers in your mind. Whatever it is, write that down next and keep going until you have 6 or 7 ideas on your list. Third technique = go to library and browse through the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, the New York Times Index, or another reference work until you come across a good speech topic. Some flip through the dictionary, limiting themselves to one letter. Start Early when selecting a topic. Start thinking about it as soon as the assignment is announced. Pay attention to interesting subjects in class, conversation, radio, television, newspapers, and magazine. Jot down ideas and have an inventory of possible ideas. Determine the General Purpose General Purpose of the topic usually falls into two overlapping categories: inform or persuade. When it's inform, you act as a teacher who conveys information. Do so clearly, accurately, and interestingly. Your aim = enhance knowledge and understand of listeners - give them info they didn't have before. When it's to persuade, you're act as an advocate or partisan. You go beyond giving information to espousing a cause. You want to change or structure the attitudes or actions of your audience. Difference between informing and persuading = difference between "explaining" and "exhorting". When persuading, you can’t help but give info, but primary objective = get them to believe something or do something as a result of your speech. Are you going to explain, report, or demonstrate something? Then you're informing. Sell, advocate, or defend something? Persuade. No matter what, be certain of what you hope to achieve by speaking. Determining the Specific Purpose Specific Purpose should focus on one aspect of a topic. Should be able to be stated in a single, infinitive phrase (to inform my audience about…; to persuade my audience to…) that precisely indicates what you hope to accomplish. A serious collector of baseball cards giving a speech on baseball cards: Topic: Baseball cards General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the major factors that determine the value of a baseball card. Could have chosen many aspects. History of baseball cards, different kinds of cards, thrill of discovering a rare card, etc. The specific purpose relates the topic directly to the audience. Doesn't state what speaker wants to say but what the speaker wants the audience to know as a result. This helps keep audience at center of your attention as you prepare speech. Always keep in the mind the people for whom the speech is intended. Do they have prior knowledge of baseball cards? None at all? Tips for Formulating The Specific Purpose Statement 1. Write the purpose statement as a Full Infinitive Phrase, not as a Fragment. Not thought out fully enough to indicate specific purpose. Ineffective: Canoe Racing Effective: To inform my audience about the three major kinds of canoe races. 2. Express your purpose as a statement, Not as a question. Doesn't give indication of direction the speech will take or what the speaker hopes to accomplish. Ineffective: What is chronic fatigue syndrome? Effective: To inform my audience of the symptoms, probably causes, and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome 3. Avoid figurative language in your purpose statement. They don't state concisely what speaker hopes to achieve. Metaphors, analogies, and the like are too ambiguous for specific purpose statements. Ineffective: To persuade my audience that the university's plan to reduce the number of campus parking spaces assigned to students is a real bummer. Effective: To persuade my audience to petition against the university's plan to reduce the number of campus parking spaces assigned to students. 4. Limit your purpose statement to one distinct idea. Stay away from compound sentences. Don't use "and" or "or" Ineffective: To persuade my audience that the federal government should ban all cigarette advertising and that smoking should be prohibited in all campus buildings. Effective: To persuade my audience that the federal government should ban all cigarette advertising. 5. Make sure your specific purpose is not too vague or general. Don't be too broad and ill- defined. Ineffective: To inform my audience about the Civil War More Effective: To inform my audience about the role of the black soldiers in Civil War. Ineffective: To inform my audience that something should be done about the federal budget deficit More Effective: To persuade my audience that a national sales tax should be instituted to help reduce the federal budget deficit. Questions to Ask about your Specific Purpose 1. Does My Purpose Meet the Assignment? Understand your assignment and conform your Specific Purpose to it. 2. Can I Accomplish My Purpose in the Time Allotted? You have a short amount of time. Speeches that wouldn't work well ex: To inform my audience about the history of social reform in America, to Persuade my audience to convert to Buddhism, etc. Make sure you can achieve the purpose in the short time. 3. Is the Purpose Relevant to my Audience? Price of retirement homes don't have much relevance to college students. Speak on matters of interest to your listeners, or it'll fall flat no matter how well constructed. Don't have to only choose topics that pertain directly to college students. Many have wide-ranging backgrounds, interests, ideas, and values. Follow common sense and make sure you are interested in the topic. When discussing a subject that's not obviously relevant, take time to tie the subject in with their goals, values, interests, and well-being. 4. Is the Purpose too Trivial For My Audience? Steer clear of topics that are too superficial (How to build a fire without matches). There's no absolute rule for determining what's trivial to an audience or not. Ex: To inform my audience how to make a submarine sandwich, to inform my audience how to tie a bow tie, to persuade my audience that Pepsi is superior to Coke, etc. 5. Is The Purpose Too Technical For My Audience? Dry and Technical speeches = sleep. Beware of overly technical topics and treating ordinary subjects technically. You may be familiar with the stuff, but others aren't. Treat these carefully with minimum jargon. Ex: To inform my audience about the Sicilian defense in chess, to inform my audience about the complexities of Aristotelian metaphysics, etc. Phrasing The Central Idea The central idea is a concise statement of what you expect to say. Also called Thesis Statement, Subject Sentence, or the Major Thought. Usually a simple, declarative sentence that refines and sharpens the specific purpose statement. "Can you tell me the gist of your subject in one sentence?" "Sure. America's prison system suffers from three major problems - overcrowding of inmates, lack of effective rehabilitation programs, and high expense to taxpayers" Your answer is the Central Idea of your speech. more precise than your topic (America's Prison System) or your specific purpose statement ("To inform my audience of the three major problems facing America's Prison System). Central Idea "sums" up your speech in a single sentence. Also think of it as your residual message. What audience should remember after forgetting everything else. Most of the time, it'll encapsulate the main points to be developed in the body of the speech. Focus sharpens as one proceeds from Topic to Central Idea. Central idea reveals more about content of speech than Specific Purpose. Central idea has same rules as Specific Purpose: should be expressed in full sentence, shouldn't be in the form of a question, should avoid figurative language, and shouldn't be vague or overly general. Trouble crafting Central Idea means you don't have a tight grip of your main ideas. Develop Central Idea after the body of your speech. a. Take plenty of notes b. Record notes in a consistent format c. Make a separate entry for each note d. Distinguish among direct quotations, paraphrases, and your own ideas 4. Think about your materials as your research Chapter Seven Types of Examples: 1. Brief examples: also called specific instances, may be referred to in passing to illustrate a point (factual) 2. Extended examples: often called narratives, illustrations, or anecdotes. Tells a story vividly and dramatically (factual) 3. Hypothetical examples: one that describes an imaginary situation. Ex: a brief story Using examples to enhance a speech: 1. Use examples to clarify your ideas 2. Use examples to reinforce your ideas 3. Use examples to personalize your ideas 4. Make examples vivid and richly textured a. Create a visual 5. Practice delivery to enhance your extended examples Tips for using statistics: 1. Use stats to qualify your ideas 2. Use stats sparingly 3. Identify sources of your stats (to maintain credibility) 4. Explain your stats a. What do they mean? 5. Round off complicated stats a. To avoid complicated numbers in the speech 6. Use visual aids to clarify statistical trends a. Makes them easier to comprehend. Tips for Using a Testimony: 1. Quote or paraphrase accurately 2. Use testimony from qualified sources 3. Use testimony from unbiased sources 4. Identify the people you quote or paraphrase Chapter Eight Organization of the Body of Your Speech strategic organization—putting a speech together in a particular way to achieve a particular result with a particular audience Organizing your speech should be like a movie. You want your audience to follow from beginning to end. If you don’t have organization, your audience can’t keep up. Gain command of the three basic parts of your speech: The introduction, body, and conclusion. The most important part is the body. Choosing your main points: Should come from specific purpose statement or central idea of your speech Be careful not to have too many main points Strategic order of Main Points Most effective order depends on: Audience Topic Purpose Chronological Order Narrate sequence of events or explain a process Spatial Order Follow directional pattern (ie Left to Right) Usually used in informative speeches Casual Order Cause-effect relationship (2 main points) Can be used in persuasive or informative speeches Problem-Solution Order Used in persuasive speeches Topical Order Divide into subtopics Ex. Describing a person & subtopic would be their achievements This order is used the most in any type of speech Connectives A word or phrase that connects the ideas of a speech & indicates the relationship between them Types of Connectives Transition= speaker completes one thought & moves on to another Internal Preview= let the audience know what will take place next; more detailed than transitions Internal Summaries= remind listeners of what they just heard Sign Posts= indicate exactly where you are in the speech Chapter Nine Different elements of an introduction and the function of each element: 1. Get attention and interest a. Relate topic to audience b. State importance of topic c. Startle the audience d. Arouse the curiosity of the audience e. Question the audience f. Begin with a quotation g. Tell a story 2. Reveal the topic 3. Establish credibility and goodwill 4. Preview the body of the speech Different elements of a conclusion and the function of each element: 1. Signal the end of the speech 2. Reinforce the central idea a. Summarize your speech b. End with a quotation c. Make a dramatic statement d. Refer to the introduction Signal end of the speech: “In conclusion,” “My purpose has been,” “Let me end by saying.” Conclusion is the climax of the speech. Use tone of your voice to signal end of speech. Use a dissolve ending. Chapter Ten The Preparation Outline -state specific purpose of speech -identify central idea -label intro, body, and conclusion -use consistent pattern of symbolization and indentation -state main points and sub-points in full sentences -label transitions internal summaries and internal preview -attach a bibliography -give your speech a title, if one is desired The Speaking Outline -follow the visual framework used in preparation outline -make sure the outline is legible -keep the outline as brief as possible -give yourself cues for delivering the speech Chapter Eleven You can be accurate and clear without being interesting. If you want to move people, use moving language, not dull, dreary words. Bring your speeches to life by using vivid, animated language. Here are two ways; Imagery: Create word pictures that allow people to "see" the haunted house" or "feel" the bite of snow against your face. Concrete words = key to effective imagery. They call up mental impressions of sights, sounds, touch, smell, and taste. Two other devices for developing imagery are Simile and Metaphor. Simile = explicit comparison between things that are essentially different yet have something in common. Always contains the words "like" or "as". (ex: "Air pollution is eating away at the monuments in Washington, D.C., like a giant Alka-Seltzer tablet). Some similes have become stale ("Fresh as a daisy", "Hungry as a bear", "Busy as a Bee", etc.). Avoid these clichés. Metaphor = implicit comparison between things that are essentially different yet have something in common. Doesn't contain words "like" or "as". (ex: I talk about gasoline prices and interest rates because they have always been the twin engines that drive my business"). Sometimes metaphors get out of control resulting in a mixed metaphor (two or more incongruous comparisons are run together often with comic results). Ex: "This thing could sprout wings and become an irresistible political juggernaut that will thunder through the halls of congress like a locomotive". Rhythm: Rhythm = created by choice and arrangement of words. Combination of sounds, cadences, etc. Don't emphasize sound and rhythm at the expense of meaning, however. Four stylistic devices to enhance rhythm: 1. Parallelism - the similar arrangement of a pair or series of related words, phrases, or sentences. (Ex: "The denial of human rights anywhere is a threat to human rights everywhere. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.") 2. Repetition - repeating the same word or set of words at the beginning or end of successive clauses or sentences. (ex: "We left America safe, we left America secure, we left America free - still a beacon of hope to mankind, still a light unto the nations"). Repetition results in parallelism and unifies a sequence of ideas, emphasizes an idea by stating it more than once, as well as helps create a strong emotional effect. 3. Alliteration - most common method = repeating the initial consonant sound of close or adjoining words. (ex: "The task is heavy, the toil is long, and the trials will be sever"). Alliteration highlights the sounds of words, catches attention, and makes ideas easier to remember. Don't use excessively, though. 4. Antithesis - the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, usually in parallel structure. (ex: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country"). Use Language Appropriately Language appropriate for some occasions may not be for others. Theres a time for dialect, slang, and literary form. Appropriateness also depends on the audience. Some words used with physicians can't be used with nonmusical audiences. Also avoid offensive language. Racist, sexist, obscene. Also don't refer to a group as "he" or "she" (ex:"when a surgeon walks into the operating room, he risks being sued for malpractice."). Always err on the side of caution when unsure of what is and isn't offensive. There's a difference between one's everyday personal style and one's developed style as a public speaker. Chapter Twelve -the four different methods of speech delivery: 1. Reading from a manuscript 2. Reciting from memory 3. Speaking Impromptu 4.Speaking extemporaneously -the eight different aspects of vocal quality and how they are different from one another 1. pause- momentary break in the vocal delivery of a speech - vocalized pause- pause that occurs when a speaker fills the silence between words with things like "uh", "er", "Um". 2. rate-speed at which a person speaks 3. Vocal Variety- changes in a speaker’s rate, pitch, or volume that give voice variety and expressiveness 4. pronunciation- the accepted standard of sound and rhythm for words in a given language. 5. articulation- the physical production of particular speech sounds 6. dialect- a variety of language distinguished by variations of accent, grammar, or vocabulary. 7. pitch- highness of lowness of the speakers voice 8. inflections- changes in the pitch or tone of a speakers voice -how the speaker’s body is a form of delivery posture facial expressions, gestures, eye-contact all effect the way listeners respond to a speaker -the definition of kinesics study of body motions as a systematic mode of communication -the four different types of nonverbal body delivery and how they are different from one another 1. gestures- motions of a speakers hands or arms during a speech 2. eye contact- direct visual contact with the eyes of another person 3. movement 4. personal appearance Chapter Thirteen Types of visual aids: Objects: clarify ideas and give dramatic impact; informs the audience. Models: if item is too large, small, or unavailable. Photos: in the absence of an object or model; use large-scale photos. Drawings: inexpensive and illustrates point; diagrams, sketches, etc. Graphs: to show statistical trends and patterns; line graph, pie graph, and bar graph. Charts: summarize large blocks of information; use to show steps of a process, but don’t include too much information. Transparencies: use to present drawings, graphs, and charts; inexpensive, easy to create, and produce a strong visual image. Video: the detail, immediacy, and vividness of a video are hard to match; make sure it’s not too long and it’s cued to where you want to start it. Multimedia: allow you to integrate a variety of visual aids; Microsoft Powerpoint. The Speaker: your body can be used as a visual aid by doing a demonstration; can help reduce nervousness. Preparing Visual Aids: 1. Prepare in advance 2. Keep visual aids simple 3. Make sure they’re large enough 4. Use easy to read fonts 5. Use a limited number of fonts 6. Use color effectively (don’t use red and green together or blue and green): can help increase comprehension by 78% Presenting Visual Aids: 1. Avoid using the chalkboard 2. Display visual aids where listeners can see them 3. Avoid passing visual aids among the audience 4. Display visual aids only while discussing them 5. Talk to your audience, not to your visual aid 6. Explain visual aids clearly and concisely 7. Practice with your visual aids Chapter 14 Types of Informative Speeches: 1. Speeches about objects 2. Speeches about processes 3. Speeches about events 4. Speeches about concepts Guidelines for Informative Speaking: -Don’t overestimate what the audience knows -Relate the subject directly to the audience