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This is what most people look like when they learn they have to give a speech. You won't look like this by the end of this course. (Source)
Let's set the stage for you.
Imagine yourself in the following scenario: you're kicking yourself for stepping up to be your university's Council President, a role that requires you to address the parents of the entire university at orientation. As president, you know what you're doing…but you're terrified about how you're going to convey it to an audience.
In the week leading up to your speech, the stress dreams start.
You dream you're on stage in a crowded auditorium. Everyone is silent, waiting for you to begin, but your mind goes blank. You stand there, mute, until the audience begins laughing and jeering. At the end of every dream, you wake up in a cold sweat.
Here's the thing: you've feared speaking in public ever since an incident in high school when you flubbed your lines in a production of Our Town. Your fear of public speaking was born of a single incident, but its repercussions have lasted far beyond the walls of your school auditorium.
Luckily, you have ye olde Public Speaking course to help you get over this communication anxiety.
In this unit, you're going to learn about communication apprehension and how to use cognitive restructuring to lessen anxiety around public speaking.
This unit will focus on effective strategies for practicing a speech to build confidence before the day of the speech. Since speaking in public is intimidating for so many people—you're hardly alone in your case of the jitters—the unit will address common fears and techniques to overcome them. The unit will also cover facets of a dynamic speaking voice and nonverbal delivery techniques.
In fact, the only thing it's not going to cover is getting rid of those anxiety dreams. You're going to have to rely on whatever magic combo of hot milk/chamomile tea/lavender scented pillow spray/white noise machines helps give you the most restful z's.
Summary
Summary
One in five people deal with some form of Communication Apprehension (CA), but there are strategies for dealing with it.
Rehearsing your speech with non-judgmental friends or family, with an animal, or even through virtual reality will increase your chances of delivering a successful speech.
To enhance the authenticity of your delivery, you might consider improv classes at a local comedy training center, or join your local chapter or Toastmasters.
Speaking from a place of honesty, authenticity, integrity, and love will increase the chances of your message being heard.
Elements of physical delivery, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures can enhance or detract from your message.
It's important to tune in with the auditory aspects of your vocal delivery, such as volume, timbre, inflection, pitch, prosody, pace, and pause. Using vocal exercises will improve your vocal delivery.
Improving vocal variety strengthens your message.
Objectives
Objectives
identify the forms of communication anxiety and strategies for overcoming it.
identify vocal exercises that can help improve aspects of vocal delivery such as resonance, volume, and pitch.
identify resources and opportunities for practicing your public speaking.
explore speeches that deliver messages through honesty, authenticity, integrity, and love.
recognize non-verbal techniques that can help strengthen your message.
Study Questions
Study Questions
Why does fear of public speaking rank higher than death in most people's minds?
How does cognitive restructuring help us reframe our fears of public speaking?
What opportunities do you have in your everyday life to practice your public speaking skills?
How can you use vocal exercises to improve the sound of your voice?
How does non-verbal communication affect how an audience responds to a message?
How can the meaning of a message shift depending on your tone, inflection, or emphasis?
How can you project confidence while speaking?
How does vocal variety enhance the message of your speech?
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