The Art of Public Speaking Midterm

stage fright

anxiety over the prospect of giving a speech in front of an audience

adrenaline

a hormone released into the bloodstream in response to physical or mental stress

positive nervousness

controlled nervousness that helps energize a speaker for her or his presentation

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many skills in conversation also apply in public speaking. As you learn to speak more effectively, you may also learn to communicate more effectively in other situations

visualization

mental imaging in which a speaker vividly pictures himself or herself giving a successful presentation

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like many well-known figures, Conan O'Brien often experiences stage fright before a speech. Most speakers report that their nervousness drops significantly after the first 30 to 60 seconds of presentation.

critical thinking

focused, organized thinking about such things as the logical relationships among ideas, the soundness of evidence and the differences between fact and opinion.

speaker

the person who is presenting an oral message to a listener

message

whatever a speaker communicates to someone else

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the powers of critical thinking you develop in researching and organizing your speeches can be applied in many forms of communication, including meetings and group projects

channel

the means by which a message is communicated

listener

the person who receives the speaker's message

frame of reference

the sum of a person's knowledge, experience, goals, values and attitudes. no 2 people can have exactly the same frame of reference

feedback

the messages, usually nonverbal, sent from a listener to a speaker

interference

anything that impedes the communication of a message. this can be external or internal to listeners

situation

the time and place in which speech communication occurs

ethics

the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human affairs

ethical decisions

sound ethical decisions involve weighting a potential course of action against a set of ethical standards of guidelines

plagiarism

presenting another person's language or ideas as one's own

global plagiarism

stealing speech entirely from a single source and passing it off as one's own

patchwork plagiarism

stealing ideas or language from two or three sources and passing them off as one's own

incremental plagiarism

failing to give credit for particular parts of a speech that are borrowed from other people

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speakers who being work on their speeches early and consult a wide range of sources are less likely to fall into the trap of plagiarism than are speakers who procrastinate and rely on a limited number of sources

paraphrase

to restate or summarize an author's ideas in one's own words

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it is vital for a democratic society to maintain the free and open expression of ideas.

hearing

the virbation of sound waves on the eardrums and the firing of electrochemical impulses in the brain

listening

paying close attention to, and making sense of, what we hear

appreciative listening

listening for pleasure or enjoyment

empathic listening

listening to provide emotional support for speaker

comprehensive listening

listening to understand the message of the speaker

critical listening

listening to evaluate a message for purposes of accepting or rejecting it

spare "brain time

the difference between the rate at which most people talk (120-150 words a minute) and the rate at which the brain can process language (400-600 words a minute)

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people spend more time listening than in any other communication activity. one benefit of your speech class is that it can improve your listening skills in a variety of situations

active listening

giving undivided attention to a speaker in a genuine effort to understand the speaker's point of view

key-word outline

an outline that briefly notes a speaker's main points and supporting evidence in rough outline form

ice breaker speech

a speech early in the term designed to get students speaking in front of the class as soon as possible

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your first speech provides a foundation for speeches you will give later. as you develop your skills, you will find yourself able to speak confidently and with strong eye contact in class and out

introduction

opening section of your speech

body

the main section of your speech

chronological order

a method of speech organization in which the main points follow a time pattern

topical order

a method of speech organization in which the main points divide the topic into logical and consistent subtopics

main points

the major points developed in the body of the speech

transition

a word or phrase that indicates when a speaker has finished one thought and is moving on to another

conclusion

the final section of a speech

extemporaneous speech

a carefully prepared and rehearsed speech that is presented from a brief set of notes

gestures

motions of a speaker's hands or arms during a speech

eye contact

direct visual contact with the eyes of an other person

topic

the subject of a speech

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when yoou look for a speech topic, keep in mind special expertise you may have or sports, hobbies, travel, and other personal experiences that would make for an interesting presentation

brainstorming

a method of generating ideas for speech topics by free association of words and ideas

specific purpose

a single infinitive phrase that statees precisely what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech

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a good introduction will get your speech off to a strong start. to be most effective, it should relate the topic to the audience and be delivered from a minimum of notes

rhetorical question

a question that the audience answers mentally rather than out loud

credibility

the audience's perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic

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telling a story is a great way to gain attention in a speech introduction

preview statement

a statement in the introduction of a speech that identifies the main points to be discussed in the body

crescendo ending

a conclusion in which the speech builds to a zenith of power and intensity

dissolve ending

a conclusion that generates emotional appeal by fading step by step to a dramatic final statement

preparation outline

a detailed outline developed during the process of speech preparation that includes the title, specific purpose, central idea, introduction, main points, subpoints, connectives, conclusion, and bibliography

visual framework

the pattern of symbolization and indentation i na speech outline that shows the relationships among the speaker's ideas

bibliography

a list of all sources used in preparing a speech