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)

Tucker says…

an organized, face-to-face, prepared, intentional (purposeful) attempt to inform, entertain, or persuade a group of people (usually five or more) through words, physical delivery, and (at times) visual or audio aids. In almost all cases, the speaker is the focus of attention for a specific amount of time. (Tucker et al. 2019, p. 3)

Features & rhetorical roots

• tradition: rhetoric (back to Aristotle’s ethos, pathos, logos)
• virtue: doing (techne and “craft”) not just knowing (episteme)
• intention: inform, entertain, persuade
• 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

But what about…

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

“The five canons” of Cicero

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. (Nordquist 2020)

ex. An important speech??

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

. . .

When has a speech affected you personally?

Reagan on Challenger

Watch and take note of what Reagan does well.

Effective feedback

• Demonstrate your interest in both the speech and in the speaker’s ability to improve.
• Speak for yourself. Avoid phrases like “you should have …” and stimulate improvement with helpful words, such as “I believe …”; “My reaction was …”; or “I suggest …” (i.e., what I saw, what I heard, what I felt).
• Evaluate the speech, not the person so as to support and encourage, while offering at least one actionable suggestion for improvement.
• Promote self-esteem by sharing positive reinforcement when improvements occur; make sure your praise is honest and sincere. (Toastmasters 2025)

Critique this speaker

show interest and belief in improvement; speak for yourself, about the speech, not the person; praise strengths; give actionable improvements

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)

Why does anxiety feel like to you?

. . .

• 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?

Body scan

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 a great amount of tonality and pause. (Like “These pretzels are making me thirsty,” but your own.)
• Speak it.

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.