Lesson 7

Public Speaking

Prepared by: Carla A. Tañac

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Compare the different modes of

delivering a speech. Deliver
effectively a message to an
audience.
You have probably delivered a speech
before an audience once, twice, or thrice
in high school in the forms of reporting,
research presentations, or creative
presentations or you might have read
Biblical passages in church. How did the
experience make you feel? If the
experience made you wish to speak
more in public or made you confident of
yourself, then you belong to the few who
do not fear public speaking or who have
If the experience made you feel the
opposite, you are not alone. Jerry
Seinfeld was quoted saying:

"According to most studies, people's

number one fear is public speaking.
Number two is death. Death is number
two. Does that sound right? This means
to the average person, if you go to a
funeral, you're better off in the casket
than delivering the eulogy."
Fear of public speaking is,
therefore, common to most
people, but despite this fact,
many have turned public
speaking into their ticket to
success. Brian Tracy phrased
this idea in his statement:
"Your ability to communicate
with others will account for
fully 85% of your success in
your business and in your life."
What apparently matters is your
reaction to fear of public speaking.
How should you handle fear?
Mark Twain suggests:

"Courage is resistance to fear,

mastery of fear - not absence of
fear". Your awareness of your fear of
public speaking is a good starting
point. With your awareness, you
acknowledge that you need to take
actions to overcome that fear.
You might also need a strong reason
to overcome that fear. While it is
true that not all professions require
public speaking skills, you must
consider the fact that public
speaking is an essential skill in your
academic life. Also, in many
professions such as those in
business, education, mass media
etc., public speaking skills are a
requirement.
In some other professions, public
speaking skills are an advantage.
Most importantly, public speaking
has long been the tool for activism
that paved way for social and
political changes. By this time, you
must have decided that public
speaking is highly relevant to your
academic, professional and personal
life.
Lesson Outline
Public speaking is a process of speaking in a
structured, deliberate manner to inform,
influence or entertain an audience. Speech is
the term used to refer to the body spoken
expressions of information and ideas.

A speech may be delivered in any of the

following modes: read from a manuscript,
memorized and delivered extemporaneous or
impromptu. The choice of mode of speech
delivery is determined by factors such as
length of preparation, complexity of message
Reading from a Manuscript is appropriate
when the speech is long and when details are
complicated and essential such as that they
need to be given completely. Reading is also
appropriate when one is asked to deliver a
prepared speech on behalf of another speaker.
Reading may pose the least challenge in public
speaking but the speaker may be tricked into
thinking that no preparation is needed.

When a message is delivered through reading,

the force, naturalness, and eye contact may be
diminished because the eyes have to travel
from page to the audience and vice versa
Memorized speech requires a speaker to
commit everything to memory. This method is
excellent for short messages although it is also
used for long pieces in oratorical, declamation
and other literary contests. Just like a read
speech, a memorized speech also poses
challenge in naturalness.

The worst experience one could have in

delivering a memorized speech is to forget the
lines and fail to shift smoothly to another mode
of delivery
Extemporaneous speaking may have a
short or a long preparation. The speaker
may use an outline to guide him through
his speech to achieve
better organization and to avoid leaving
out details. But unlike reading,
extemporaneous speaking necessitates
the speaker to formulate his sentences
while he is speaking. Extemporaneous is
a method that most lecturers and
teachers use. A good extemporaneous
speaker must be spontaneous
Impromptu means speaking at
the spur of the moment. Since
there is very minimal or no time for
preparation given for impromptu,
the content and organization may
suffer. Impromptu may not deliver
the best thought in the best way
but it brings out the most natural
thing to say at the moment.
There are four main kinds of
speech delivery: impromptu,
extemporaneous, manuscript,
and memorized. Impromptu
speaking involves delivering a
message on the spur of the
moment, as when someone is
asked to “say a few words.”
Extemporaneous speaking
consists of delivering a speech
in a conversational fashion
using notes. This is the style
Additionally, manuscript
speaking consists of reading
a fully scripted speech. It is
useful when a message
needs to be delivered in
precise words. Memorized
speaking consists of reciting
a scripted speech from
memory. Memorization
allows the speaker to be
 Three Reasons Why Public Speaking is Important

1. To Win Over the

Crowd
Mastering public speaking results in an increase in confidence
and with that, a cool and collected presence in front of an
audience. Of course it is imperative to be knowledgeable about
the subject you are presenting, but beyond that, when making
a persuasive speech of any kind, including a sales pitch to a
client, you need to be prepared to answer the opposition, and
to speak with poise.

To make a strong case, the ability to speak publicly is not only

important, but essential to make forward strides. For example,
in order to express why a certain product or idea would be an
interesting topic to an editor of a publication, one must use
strong enough, convincing language to elicit intrigue and
 2. To Motivate People
A great public speaker attains the power to motivate
his or her audience to do something, stop doing
something, change a behavior, or reach objectives.
But to carry an idea forward, you must be able to
excite and enliven your peers, employees, coworkers,
customers.

A mastery of public speaking allows you to relate to

the audience and gain their trust. As a skilled public
speaker, you become likable and believable, and you
will be able to inspire and even entertain the crowd.
 3. To Inform
The ability to inform is one of the most
important aspects of public speaking.
From presenting research papers and
PowerPoint presentations in school to
presenting ideas and pitches to your
boss or client, informative public
speaking is a vital component of a
successful career across all work fields.
Once you have their attention, a good
informative speech sharing your
knowledge of a subject with an
audience, enhances their
understanding and makes them
remember your words long after
According to a study by sociologist,
Andrew Zekeri, “Oral communication
skills were the number one skill that
college graduates found useful in the
business world.” Communication
skills enhance your ability to interact
with professionals and fellow
colleagues in a qualified and
composed manner. Public speaking
improves these skills and thus,
makes you a more worthy candidate
to move up and succeed in your
chosen field.
 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

1. Understand Your Audience and Purpose

Research your audience’s background,

expectations, and interests. Tailor your
language, examples, and level of detail to them.

Define Your Purpose clearly. Are you trying to

inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain? Knowing
this will guide your tone, content, and approach.
 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

2. Structure Your Talk with a Clear Message

Create a memorable opening that grabs

attention—a surprising fact, story, or question.

Outline your main points and organize them in a

logical flow, with transitions to connect ideas.

End with a strong conclusion that reinforces your

message, summarizes key points, or calls the
 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

3. Practice Thoroughly

Practice out loud and, if possible, in the environment

where you’ll speak.

Use notes sparingly or practice until you can rely on

cues rather than reading verbatim.

Record yourself to review aspects like clarity, tone,

body language, and pacing.
 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

4. Enhance Your Delivery Skills

Voice and Tone: Vary your pitch, pace, and volume
to keep your audience engaged. Emphasize key
points with pauses or shifts in tone.

Body Language: Maintain eye contact, use hand

gestures naturally, and keep a confident stance.

Pacing and Pauses: Speak at a moderate pace to

ensure clarity. Use pauses to let important points
resonate.
 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

5. Engage with Your Audience

Ask Questions: Encourage participation by asking

rhetorical questions or inviting feedback when
appropriate.

Use Relatable Examples and Stories: Share

personal anecdotes or relevant stories to connect
emotionally with your audience.

Adapt On-the-Fly: Observe audience reactions and

 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

6. Develop Confidence Through Preparation

Positive Visualization: Picture yourself succeeding,

focusing on the outcome rather than on potential
mistakes.

Body Relaxation Techniques: Practice deep

breathing, power poses, or other relaxation exercises to
calm nerves.

Start Strong: Open with a line or story you’re

 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

7. Learn to Handle Nerves Positively

Accept that some nervousness is normal. Channel it into

enthusiasm and energy for your speech.

Take a few deep breaths before starting, and have a

positive mindset about your preparation and message..
 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

8. Seek Constructive Feedback and Keep

Improving

After each speaking event, ask trusted individuals

for specific feedback.

Review recorded speeches to notice areas of

improvement. Look for patterns over time and
make focused improvements.
 How to Become and Good and Effective Public Speaker

9. Cultivate a Growth Mindset

See each speaking opportunity as a chance to

improve, and be open to trying new techniques.

Even experienced speakers learn something new

with each speech. Focus on progress, not
perfection..
 ASSESSMENT / ENRICHMENT

I. A. Using the table below, compare and contrast extemporaneous

speaking to/from impromptu speaking by writing their differences in
their respective their similarities in the middle column.

Impromptu Similarities Extemporane

ous

B. Which mode of speech delivery has the least application? Why do you say so?
C. Which mode of speech delivery has the most application? Why do you say so?