Public speaking

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as "who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?"

The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, to simply telling a story. Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them.

1 History
2 Training
3 Leadership
4 General
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

Public speaking is almost as ancient as speech itself. The first known textbook on the subject was written over 2500 years ago, and the principles elaborated within it were drawn from the practices and experience of orators in ancient Greece. These basic principles have undergone modification as societies and cultures have changed, yet remained surprisingly uniform.

[edit] Training

Effective public speaking can be developed by joining a club such Rostrum, Toastmasters International, Association of Speakers Clubs (ASC) or International Training in Communication (ITC) in which members are assigned exercises to improve their speaking skills. Members learn by observation and practice, and hone their skills by listening to constructive suggestions followed by new public speaking exercises. These include:

Oratory
The use of gestures
Control of the voice
Choice of vocabulary
Speaking notes
Using humour
Developing a relationship with the audience

International Federation of Professional Speakers affilates (often called National Speakers Association) offer a similar service for those whose occupation is a professional speaker.

Public speaking has turned into a paid profession. Commercial training services such as Speaking Circles International are also available.

[edit] Leadership

Effective leadership almost always requires the skill of good public speaking, and this can often make up for a lack of other skills. The ends to which this skill can be used vary greatly - Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to use oratory to have a significant impact on society, in his own choice of way.

[edit] General

The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia (or, informally, "stage fright"). It is believed to be the single most common phobia — affecting as much as 75% of the population. Fear of oration is ranked even above that of death. As Jerry Seinfeld observes, the average person would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.