Public Speaking

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

Summary (^55)



  1. Practice the nonverbal skills of active listening in one of your courses. That is, use
    posture, space, eye contact, and movement to help focus your attention on the lecture.
    Afterward, evaluate how much your nonverbal behaviors helped you pay attention and
    recall the class material.

  2. Verbally interact with one of the speakers in the next round of classroom speeches.
    During the speech, jot down several comments or questions to ask during the
    question-and-answer period. Use the D-R-E (Describe-Respond-Evaluate) method
    to give written feedback after a classmate’s speech.


CRITICAL ThInKInG ExERCISES



  1. Listening skills are important in thousands of jobs, ranging from academic advisers or
    financial aid officers on campus to hairstylists and real estate agents. Tell of a time
    when someone really listened to you while performing his or her job, and then tell of a
    time when someone failed to listen well. What was the outcome in each case?

  2. Copy the Chinese symbol that stands for listening (see Figure 4.1), looking closely at
    each element. In what way do you use your ears, eyes, and heart when you listen to
    your classmates? Your professors? People at work? A speaker whose ideas support
    your own opinions? A speaker with whom you fundamentally disagree?

  3. To face receiver apprehension head on, listen to a speaker who makes you anxious
    because he or she takes a position that differs dramatically from your views. You may
    find the person on radio, television, or the Internet (for example, a person whose
    lifestyle differs from yours, one whose views on a social issue, such as capital
    punishment, diverge from yours, or a person with different religious beliefs). Describe,
    respond to, and evaluate the content and delivery, and then assess how your appre-
    hension affected your listening.

  4. Watch a video of your choice from the Ted Talk site. As you listen, take notes on the
    speech content and jot down some personal responses and observations on the
    effectiveness of the speech. Then write a critique that (1) describes, (2) responds to,
    and (3) evaluates the speech. Discuss this critique with a group of classmates.


APPLICATIon ExERCISES



  1. Be quiet for thirty seconds and listen to what’s going on around you. What sounds
    can you hear (such as traffic in the background) that you’re not really listening to?
    Choose one of the sounds and really listen to it, keeping in mind the five elements
    of listening.

  2. Using the diagrams in Figure 4.2 as models, draw a diagram that depicts your listening
    pattern during the most recent lecture you heard. Next, draw a diagram that depicts
    your listening pattern during the last conversation you had with your best friend. Draw
    a third diagram that shows your listening pattern during your last major conversation
    with a family member. Compare the three. What conclusions can you draw about your
    listening in various contexts?

  3. The Utah State University Academic Resource Center provides many student aids.
    Under “Idea Sheets” link to “Note Taking and Listening.” There you’ll find three espe-
    cially helpful worksheets: (1) “Note taking: Cornell method,” (2) “Listening skills for
    lectures,” and (3) “Effective note taking strategies.” Use the suggestions in these
    handouts to create your Listening Skills Development Plan under your online resources
    for Chapter 4.


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