Features and types of public speaking

You will learn:

What techniques will help make public speaking successful.
Why impostor syndrome interferes with performance and how to detect its symptoms.
How to increase self-confidence and reduce fears of public speaking.

Public speaking is an integral part of the professional life of almost all leaders and people involved in active social activities.

Public speaking can take different forms:

presentations at industry meetings or business forums;
speaking at press conferences, client days and presentations;
protecting projects before investors;
presentation of the division's performance results for the reporting period, etc.

The purpose of a speech is to motivate people to do something (for example, make a purchase), stimulate interest, clarify and clarify information (for example, when speaking to the media), and more. Almost all speakers experience fear, and sometimes it literally paralyzes beginners. And this is not surprising, because publicity involves the expression of one’s thoughts and ideas, which may not be accepted or misunderstood by listeners, and this will inevitably affect the speaker’s reputation.

That is why, when preparing for a speech, it is important to follow basic rules that can reduce the level of fear and be persuasive.

Types of public speech. Rules of public speaking

Definition 1
Public speaking is a type of public event in which a speaker communicates certain information to an audience.

It is customary to distinguish the following types of public speech:

social public speech, which helps to express family or social relationships, for example, congratulations on holidays, toasts, etc.;
church eloquence - sermons, communication with clergy. These types of speech lack logic, argumentation, professional terminology, listeners do not look for facts in it;
judicial speeches have a clear style of presentation and argumentation. This type of speech is distinguished by the degree of responsibility, since the content of speech influences human destinies;
academic public art is filled with professional terminology or scientific expressions, this includes scientific reports, reviews and lectures;
political genres of public speech are the delivery of speeches on economic, political, social topics. This type of oratory is relevant when holding rallies, propaganda and patriotic events.

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In addition to the types of eloquence, it is customary to distinguish between its methods, which help to compose clear and understandable texts that are as close as possible to the purpose of the speech. Methods of eloquence were developed several centuries ago and consist of separate rules of public speaking:

eloquence involves the use of texts that are brief and understandable to the audience;
The main function of a speaker is to convey useful and reliable information to the audience. Methods and techniques of influence should not violate the rights of listeners;
you should not extend the speech over time, since the attention of a large number of people is easily scattered;
before a performance, you need to learn to recognize the emotional mood of the audience;
The psychology of public speaking is designed in such a way that the structure of the prepared text and the use of phrases calling for action directly influence the outcome of the event. Important information should be placed at the beginning and end of the speech;
speech must comply with ethical laws.

The above rules are an optional condition for the speaker to speak. The structure of a public speech is influenced by the type and composition of the audience, its activities and the speaker himself. Techniques and rules of speech are determined when preparing a speech. Only continuous diction training and daily exercises help achieve success and public recognition.

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Course work Features and types of public speaking 490 ₽ Abstract Features and types of public speaking 270 ₽ Test paper Features and types of public speaking 250 ₽

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Preparation rules and basic techniques

Experienced speakers follow certain rules when preparing their speech:

They are responsible for defining the topic: it must be specific, not imply a large amount of information, be based on experience from the storyteller’s life or on the requirements of the customer, or correspond to the thematic plan and curriculum (for teachers and professors).
They think over and formulate a title that accurately expresses the essence of the speech. The title uses clear words and avoids complex terms and long sentences.
Determine the goals of the speech for the speaker and for the listeners, which are directly or indirectly communicated to the audience. Most often, speeches are made for the purpose of:

inform;
form an opinion;
change point of view;
influence people's consciousness and motivate them to action.

Selects, studies and analyzes information from:

official sources,
scientific and popular science literature,
reference literature,
statistical data,
journalism,
Internet resources.

Important! Information is taken from several sources and carefully processed.

Analyze the composition of the intended audience and the general situation in the room. The text of the speech is compiled taking into account the age, social status and interests of the audience (children perceive information differently than adults).
Working on the content of the speech:

make a plan
select material
choose a speaking style,
arrange parts of the speech compositionally and logically,
are working on writing the full text,
write down the abstracts and summary of the message (some speakers use loose or card notes).

Preparing for the performance

Features of public speech

A number of psychological features of public speaking are known. They involve communication between the speaker and the audience and follow from the dialogue between them. The relationship between the two sides of communication is of an objective-subjective nature, which acts as a joint activity or cooperation.

The speaker’s public speech is characterized by the following features:

back reaction of the audience - when delivering a speech, the speaker can notice the reaction of listeners to his words, observe a change in the mood of the audience of listeners. Individual words, questions and facial expressions of listeners make it possible to understand their moods and desires. Thanks to active feedback, you have the opportunity to adjust the course of your performance. She begins to transform from monologue to dialogue, establishing and establishing a connection with the audience;
oral speech – the features of oral public speech involve establishing a lively dialogue between participants. The oral form of communication has as its goal a specific interlocutor and is completely dependent on him. A significant point in a speech is the organization of speech, suitable for easier perception and understanding by listeners. Oral public speaking demonstrates a high degree of effectiveness, as it helps to assimilate up to 90% of the information, in contrast to written communication;
connection between literature and oral speech - before a speech, the speaker must prepare and think about his speech, using scientific, fiction or journalistic literature. Already in front of the public, the speaker transforms the prepared text of the speech into an interesting and vivid story that will be understandable to anyone. Only during a live performance can a speaker construct sentences taking into account the reactions of others, thereby switching from a book text to a conversational style;
means of communication – in public speaking it is customary to use a variety of influence techniques and means of communication between participants. These include verbal and non-verbal means: facial expressions, gestures, intonation. An important role is assigned to the culture of public speech and adherence to ethics.

Possible mistakes

Oratory skills do not come immediately; many novice speakers make typical mistakes:

They demonstrate a lack of confidence (the speaker has little knowledge of the issue being covered or is afraid of people).
They begin to make excuses and lose the trust of the listener.
Do not illustrate the speech with examples from experience or literature.
They use excessive gestures and chaotic facial expressions (to control body language, they analyze the video recording of the performance and get rid of unnecessary movements).
They do not select words and compose sentences accurately (for example, frequent use of negative particles will lead to misunderstanding of the text).
They pay little attention to preparation.
They read the message monotonously without humorous asides and do not maintain eye contact.
Do not use pauses to maintain attention - stopping for 10 seconds will awaken the curiosity of all distracted people.
They show excessive seriousness, self-confidence and over-erudition.
They use a large number of filler words.
They fuss or, on the contrary, become tight.

Important! High-quality preparation and repeated rehearsals allow you to avoid many mistakes.

Speaker mistakes

Types of public speaking

The main types of oral public speaking can be divided according to the form of presentation of the material. Depending on this, I determine the length of the speech, the emotional coloring and the degree of development of the problem under consideration. In total, there are 5 types of public speaking depending on the form:

Report . A speech in the form of a report involves a clearly structured speech, prepared in advance and having a specific topic. The speech must contain a goal and formulated objectives that are fully revealed with the provision of information. The average time for voicing a report takes from 10 minutes to 3 hours;
The message is similar to a report, but significantly shorter in time - does not exceed 10 minutes. The purpose of the message is to convey a certain problem to the listeners, providing a brief presentation of it from different points of view;
Speech is a short presentation of information on a predetermined topic, not exceeding the time limit of 5 minutes. The performance can be either prepared in advance or improvised;
Lecture - usually presenting information in a lecture format involves a monologue by a person who is well versed in the topic. A specialist covers a specific issue from all sides depending on the format of the lecture. It is optimal that the lecture time does not exceed 90 minutes;
Conversation is a polylogue between the speaker and the audience. The speech may contain several lengthy monologues, but after them be sure to take minutes to study the opinion of the audience. In this format of communication, the number of participants should not exceed 30 people, and the time of conversation is not regulated by rules.

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Coursework, abstracts or other works

Drawing up and using a plan

People who speak often understand the importance of a well-written plan, which usually includes:

a thoughtful way to hook the audience;
an introductory part outlining a certain problem that is understandable and close to the listeners;
a short list of the main ideas of the speech;
the main part, containing no more than 3-4 key points, so as not to overload the audience with information;
a final part that draws clear and meaningful conclusions from the entire speech.

A plan is necessary at the stage of preparing a speech so that the materials are arranged in the correct logical chain. During a speech, it is also needed so that the speaker can convey everything planned to the audience.

Successful speakers understand the nature of eye contact with the audience and do not allow themselves to sight-read the entire speech. It is at this moment that a plan (preferably a thesis) comes in handy, which will not allow the speaker to wander away from the intended topic.

Introduction

Ancient rhetoric is of great importance in preparing public speeches (rhetorical canon). The Greeks also noted that Dimosthenes’ speeches were saturated with the oil of the night lamp, by the light of which he composed them.

Learning public speaking is a very long and dynamic process that requires constant work on oneself and a lot of speaking practice (conversations, negotiations, communication with mass audiences, participation in debates, etc.). Based on this, an important place in a speaker’s activity is occupied by daily preparation for a speech, that is, a continuous process of working to improve one’s oratorical skills, systematic rhetorical self-education.

Currently, the issue of public speech is very relevant. In recent years, a profession where the main aspect is a person’s ability to communicate has become very popular. Which explains the relevance of our chosen topic.

What else should you consider when preparing to speak in public?

Before you utter your first words, a certain opinion has already been formed about you. The fact that people are greeted by appearance has not yet been canceled. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to get yourself in order, relax, and dress appropriately. Clothing should match your status and occasion.

Many women intuitively know what can be worn and what should be left for another time. But still, do not hesitate to seek advice from a stylist-image maker, especially if your career is at stake.

Speaking in front of a large audience is an excellent chance to express yourself, and you should not miss it. If you prepare well for giving a speech, this event will not become a nightmare memory for you, but quite the opposite. It is possible that over time you will even enjoy speaking in public. Eloquence to you and responsive listeners!