Public Speaking

Quote Culturally Acceptable Authorities (^105)
she took her eyes off the road for a few seconds and pulled out her cell phone to text a
message. Looking up, she saw with horror that the bus she was following had stopped,
and a child was getting off. With brakes screeching, her minivan rammed into the
back of the bus, shearing the van’s roof halfway off and trapping her in the driver’s
seat. D.J.’s first day was also her last.^29
Listeners can identify with one or more of the details showing everyday experiences
of school and driving. So the tragic result of texting-while-driving has a real person
attached. Because extended examples provide multiple points that engage listeners, they
are generally more compelling. In fact, narratives or well-developed stories can function
as the entire speech.

Combine Brief Examples

Short illustrations are also effective. However, a single, brief example is easily missed, so

it’s better to string two or three together. Layering them one upon another gives your

listeners a number of images they can use to visualize and personalize your subject. The

following mentions of people who gain from encounters with equine therapy could be

used effectively to introduce the topic of horses and healing:

Normally quiet as an Asperger’s child, Levi shows real excitement as he works with

his brother to brush and clean “his” therapy horse. Jessie, who was repeatedly raped

in the military, is building trust and relational skills through her interactions with

other veterans in a “horses for veterans” program. Caleb was born with mental

challenges. His horse is teaching him to stay safe by being aware of his surroundings

at all times.^30

Think Critically about Examples

To evaluate the usefulness of examples, ask yourself the following questions:

•   Is this example representative or typical? That is, does the example represent a typical

person? Or does it seem like an extreme case? Does D.J. seem typical of teens who

text and drive? Do the examples of therapy horses represent typical clients? This test

relates to the probability of occurrence.

•   Do you have a sufficient number of examples? Are enough cases presented to support the

major idea adequately? Your listeners should be able to see that a significant num-

ber of people are affected. Is one 11-year-old boy typical of obsessive-compulsive

children?

•   Is the example true? Did it actually happen? How often? For a hypothetical charac-

ter, does the experience ring true with what you know about the world and how it

operates?

Quote Culturally Acceptable Authorities

Whatever your subject, think of your audience as asking, “Who says so?” Then support

your ideas by citing sources your audience will respect and believe, given your topic and

purpose. Each culture and co-culture recognizes authorities, which vary across groups.

Authoritative sources differ in degree (some have little credibility, others have a lot),

and their sphere of influence varies (an authority in one subject may be uninformed in

another).^31

Copyright 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.