Gunn says…

public speaking is the craft of speaking to a group of people (Gunn 2017, loc. 44)

craft emphasizes doing something; it is concrete and hands-on, and it is situational. (Gunn 2017, loc. 50)

[in] a civic model, … [it’s] understood as a component of a much larger democratic dialogue among communities, or “publics.” (Gunn 2017, loc. 47)

But what about…

• something that will be recorded and edited?
• something in ASL?
• something sung?

Distinguishing public speaking

• tradition: rhetoric (back to Aristotle’s ethos, pathos, logos)
• virtue: doing (techne and “craft”) not just knowing (episteme)
• intention: persuade, inform, entertain
• modality: orality
• poetics: alliteration (repeating sounds), antithesis (juxtaposing ideas), anaphora (repeating phrase at beginning of successive phrases), …
• audience: a group, a “public”
• stakes: high; public speaking entails import and risk

“The five canons”

1. invention: creating compelling content.
2. arrangement: using comprehensible structure.
3. style: using language that is vivid and memorable.
4. memory: learning how to recall content.
5. delivery: using body language, tone, and pacing to convey content. (Nordquist20205cc)

ex. An important speech??

• Identify an important speech in history.
• Why was it important?
• What effect did it have?

Phil Davidson’s Stump Speech

What did you think?

• he speaks audibly and dynamically
• gestures meaningfully, shows enthusiasm
• makes frequent eye contact
• uses inspirational quotes
• interacts with audience

Two Types of Speech Anxiety

• Trait: anxiety regardless of the situation (e.g., talking to a classmate as well as your boss or a professor); learned or inborn.
• Situational: anxiety caused by specific factors or situations (e.g., speaking to a new class, interviewing for a job, talking to your supervisor)

Effects of speech anxiety

• Physical response
  • Heart rate accelerates
  • Sweaty palms
  • Dry mouth
  • Feeling of adrenaline
• Cognitive & emotional responses
  • Negative thoughts
  • Inaccurate perceptions

Not everyone experiences speech anxiety in the same way.

PRCA-24

Google “prca-24” and answer the 24 questions.

How did you score?

Tactical breathing

Box breathing exercise

Vocal foundations

Vinh Giang (magician and speaking coach) highlights:

1. Rate – vary
2. Volume – amplify
3. Pitch – use melody
4. Tonality – use body language and face
5. Pause – pause!

ex. Speak slowly

Come up with a phrase that allows you the greatest amount of tonality and pause.

Oratory is one of the oldest disciplines in the western tradition – both challenging and important.

Becoming a good public speaker is a skill, a craft, which we develop throughout our lives.

Wrap up

Come up with a nontraditional public communication (e.g., a podcast, gaming stream, poetry slam, or Tiktok dance) and note 3 points as to why you do (or do not) think it is public speaking.

This will be your 2 minute impromptu speech in our next class.

Impromptu 2 minutes

Make a case why your nontraditional public communication example (e.g., a podcast, gaming stream, poetry slam, or Tiktok dance) is, or is not, public speaking.

Everyone else: take note of and, at the end, share (without identities) what you thought was strong and what could be strengthened.

2m | 🎲