Speaking with Confidence Assignment

Speaking with Confidence

P erhaps you think you have heard this speaker—or even taken a class fromhim: His eyes were buried in his script. His words in monotone emergedhaltingly from behind his mustache, losing volume as they were sifted through hair. Audiences rushed to see and hear him, and after they had satisfied

their eyes, they closed their ears. Ultimately, they turned to small talk among

themselves while the great man droned on.1

The speaker described here in such an unflattering way is none other than

Albert Einstein. Sadly, although the great physicist could attract an audience with

his reputation, he could not sustain their attention and interest because he

lacked public-speaking skills.

After studying this chapter you should be able to do the following:

1. Explain why it is important to study public speaking.

2. Sketch and explain a model that illustrates the components and the process of communication.

3. Discuss in brief the history of public speaking.

4. Describe why speakers sometimes feel nervous about speaking in public.

5. Use several techniques to become a more confident speaker.

6. Explain why it is important to be audience-centered during each step of the speechmaking process.

7. Identify and describe the key steps of designing and presenting a speech.O B

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4 CHAPTER 1 Speaking with Confidence

As you begin reading this book, chances are that you are also beginning a

course in public speaking. You’re in good company; nearly a half million college

students each year take a public speaking class.2 If you haven’t had much previ-

ous experience speaking in public, you’re also in good company. In a recent

study, 66 percent of students beginning a public-speaking course reported hav-

ing had little or no public-speaking experience.3

The good news is that this book and this course will provide you with the

knowledge and experience needed to become what Einstein was not: a compe-

tent public speaker. Right now, however, gaining that experience may seem less

like an opportunity and more like a daunting task. Why undertake it?

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