Public Speaking

Summary (^53)
• Evaluation: “Using a variety of sources was good, because it showed you sought out
opinions from many perspectives. Your use of examples balanced the statistics well.
I think your speech would be stronger if you added a map to your visuals” (content);
“Your ability to remember your ideas was impressive, but try to eliminate the phrase
‘you know.’ I found it distracting” (delivery).
Specific comments such as these are beneficial because they give the speaker an idea
of the overall impression the speech made on you and why. In general, write out as many
positive things as you can and then evaluate the performance by identifying a few things
to improve.

Summary

Listening is the communication activity that we do most and study least. Listening

is more than just hearing sounds; it involves active processing and retention of what

you hear. Listening is important in your personal and work life. However, different

languages, vocabularies, and cultural allusions can hinder comprehension. In addition,

personal and psychological factors—such as fatigue, stresses and worries, stereotypes

and prejudices, and wandering attention—can be listening barriers.

Fortunately, you can devise strategies to improve your listening. Know your listen-

ing purpose, and plan ways to develop advanced listening skills that increase your ability

to comprehend information or critically evaluate persuasive messages.

In addition, practice dialogical listening by contributing appropriate nonverbal,

verbal, and written feedback. Nonverbal actions communicate that you are interested

in the speech; they also help you pay attention. Useful nonverbal elements include

a posture that communicates involvement, a distance that helps focus your atten-

tion, and movements that support rather than disrupt the speech. When you have

an opportunity to interact verbally with a speaker, ask questions or provide com-

ments that elaborate on the topic. However, be aware that after-speech questions and

comments are inappropriate in some cultures. Finally, write out comments using the

D-R-E method to describe what you heard, respond personally, and evaluate the over-

all presentation.

Study and Review

Public Speaking: Concepts and Skills for a Diverse Society offers a broad range of

resources that will help you better understand the material in this chapter, complete

assignments, and succeed on tests. Your MindTap resources feature the following:

•   Speech videos with viewing questions, speech outlines, and transcripts

•   Activities to help you check your understanding and to apply what you’ve learned to

your own life

•   Stop and Check and Critical Thinking exercises

•   Outline Builder

•   Web Links related to chapter content

•   Study and review tools such as self-quizzes and an interactive glossary

You can access your online resources for Public Speaking: Concepts and Skills for

a Diverse Society at cengagebrain.com using the access code that came with your book

or that you purchased online.

Reflect on what you’ve

learned.

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