Many people ask what public speaking is and the answer to this question is not always easy. A number of Communication scholars have given specific definitions of public speaking but their definition is not always conclusive. Perhaps one of the most readily accepted definition of public speaking is the one that follows the approach given by Rudolph F. Verderber, Kathleen S. Verderber and Deanna D. Sellnow, three distinguished Communication scholars.
The Rudolph F. Verderber, Kathleen S. Verderber and Deanna D. Sellnow's approach in their book The Challenge of Effective speaking [Lyn Uhl, 2008] basically defines public speaking as the kind of communication transaction where a public speaker gives a sustained formal presentation to an audience. The presentation is delivered to an audience at a specific context, usually through oral and visual cues.This approach of defining public speaking is thorough in its attempt to capture the life and feeling of public speaking.
In the same breath, people can get a deeper understand of the definition of public speaking by looking at the nature of public speaking and discussing the different aspects of the nature of public speaking. This can give people a clear and more complete picture of what public speaking is.
The Nature of Public Speaking
Following the Verderber approach, the nature of public speaking is such that public speaking takes place in a specific context. This means that public speaking takes place at a certain function or occasion where people are in attendance. Therefore, the speech must be appropriate for the particular occasion or context that it is meant for. Evidently, people who excel in public speaking are those that give the best speech for a particular context to an audience.
The nature of public speaking also means that one participant speaks to many people and is normally the main source of information. In other words, the speaker is one person but the receivers are many. The interaction in public speaking is therefore mainly dominated by one person – the speaker. This is very different from other kinds of speaking. For this reason the public speaker needs to prepare properly prior to presenting a public speech, if the speech is to be appropriate and effective.
Moreover, public speaking is less spontaneous than is the case in other forms of speaking. Public speaking requires more formal language than most other forms of speaking. It follows the standard conventions that are considered by people to be good behavior. Maters of mannerism, posture, general appearance and impressions are for instance, highly emphasized in public speaking.
Public Speaking Demystified
Probably, the most significant way public speaking has been demystified has been the observation that public speaking puts a very high demand on the delivery of a speech. The delivery of a good speech calls for vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, voice projection among other things to be spot on. In public speaking voice projection, for example, should be high and clear enough to be heard without straining. High voice projection does not however mean that the public speaker should shout rather it means that the public speaker should have the correct pitch for the particular audience.
Public speaking is a highly deliberate form of communication. It is highly structured and guided by strict time limitations. Interestingly, today public speaking is observed to be moving towards a more natural way of speaking. However, making every effort to understand the basic nature of public speaking and with this information preparing well before presenting a speech remains crucial to establishing good public speakers.
David Kiarie - David Kiarie has been an independent writer and communications practitioner since 2007. He writes both for print and online ...
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