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