Subject : Why should we enhance our Public Speaking skills ?

I. INTRODUCTION ON PUBLIC SPEAKING

Public speaking (also called oratory or oration) is the process or act of performing a good speech to a live audience. This type of speech is deliberately structured with three general purposes: to inform, to persuade and to entertain.

1.  Why it is important to study public speaking ?

In our regular life we interact with many people either of facilitators or making some presentations in public. We must meet journalists in public or teach lessons as teachers an in mots of these situations we need to learn how to speak in public. Professionally, as leaders, managers, directors we will lead people or meet public authorities. In this regard, we need to study public speaking courses that will allow us to better know how to communicate with people publicly.

The public speaking training and learning allows us to discover new applications for skills we have, or we miss to ameliorate our manner of communicating. It means that it allows us to know how to make a public presentation that can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, or to simply telling a story. Professional public speakers often engage in on-going training and education to refine their craft. This may include seeking guidance to improve their speaking skills—such as learning better storytelling techniques, for example, or learning and learners need to be more proactive.

This gives us the methodology of how to organize our ideas and how to deliver words in speeches. In most of time, we need to know how to keep audience attention while transferring information. The public speaking courses helps us to avoid annoyance of speaking to various groups of people due to fear of inefficiency. The courses enhances our capacity and courage and thus allow us to not escape from some tasks that require our contact with the population in global. It is known that the fear of public speaking may even lead people to choose a career that doesn't call for public speaking, rather than one they want. This is often the case with people who have feared public speaking from a very young age. In another way, others don't go that far, but will go to great lengths to avoid making presentations, or even just having to speak at a meeting. They may deliberately arrive late, hoping to miss the customary introductions. The importance of public speaking was also emphasized by surveys from the United states that have indicated that the public speaking has allowed many people to find jobs [1], and the Warren Buffet, the rich man suggests that strong communication skills can help you earn more throughout the career [2]. As potential administrators and leaders we should be interested in studying the Public speaking courses since it will help us during the whole life from studies until the job searching.

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[1] ) Dee-Ann Durbin, “Study: Plenty of Jobs for Graduates in 2000,” Austin American-Statesman 5 (December 1999): A28.

[2] ) Valueinvestorsportal. “Warren Buffet on Communication Skills.” YouTube. December 6, 2010. Web. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=tpgcEYpLzP0. Accessed May 14, 2013.

2. A brief the history of public speaking.

The public speaking was practiced in the ancient civilizations namely in Egypt, Greece in the antiquity. For example, the first known Greek work on oratory, written over 2000 years ago, elaborated principles drawn from the practices and experience of orators in the ancient Greek city-states. In classical Greece and Rome, the main component was rhetoric (that is, composition and delivery of speeches), and was an important skill in public and private life. Some of well-known orators were Aristotle and Quintilian, Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. These people influenced the early art of speaking in public such as in court, in politics, or in social life. The increased success of speaking in public attracted many people who wished to get skills from self-styled "sophists" who were known to charge fees. The sophists assisted their students to strong arguments through instruction. This was the beginning of earlier schools consecrated to public speaking from Greeks to Romans.

In the twentieth century, many leaders were also inspired by public speaking such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Winston Churchill, and Sukarno. Their speeches were analyzed by both their supporters and detractors and the impact was reasonable. In this regard, we can conclude that since decades, public speaking governed the society life and will be once useful in this period of 2018.

3. Key public speaking skills?

If you want to be a better speaker, use the following strategies: 

• Plan appropriately.
• Practice.
• Watch recordings of your speeches.
• Think positively.
• Engage with your audience.
• Pay attention to body language.
• Cope with your nerves.

3. What should I use as key Strategies

• Begin with the end in mind. Before you start working on your script or presentation, get clear on its purpose. ...
• Simplify your messages. ...
• Avoid the perils of Powerpoint. ...
• Connect with your audience. ...
• Tell personal stories. ...
• Prepare and practice. ...
• Watch yourself. ...
• Avoid sameness.

II. QUESTIONS FOR SELF ASSESSMENT 

1. Ethics Assessment : Declamation is defined as “the delivery of an already famous address.” Is it ethical to deliver a speech that was written and/or already delivered by someone else? Explain your answer.
2. Critical Assessment : Reflect on the most recent public-speaking situation in which you were an audience member / 
3. Self-Assessment : How would you measure your general level of public-speaking apprehension ?
4. Ethics Assessment : Should a speaker reveal to the audience that he or she is nervous?
5. Critical Assessment : Mike Roberts, president of his organization, is nervous about his first report to the government. What advice would you give him?
6. Self-Assessment : Explain how you think your culture influences your expectations of a public speaker ?
7. Ethics Assessment : One of your friends took public speaking last year and still has a file of speech outlines. Since you will give the speech yourself, is it ethical to use one of your friend’s outlines as the basis for your speech? Explain your answer.
8. Critical Assessment : Sarah is preparing to address the city council to tell its members about the Food for Friendship program she has organized in her neighborhood. What steps should she follow to prepare and deliver an effective speech?
9. Self-Assessment : You have found the perfect pie chart for your talk in a newspaper. It shows U.S. Census figures for population trends. If you tell the audience the name of the newspaper, do you also need to cite the source of the data for population trends?
10. Ethics Assessment : Speechwriters have written many of the best speeches made by presidents. Is such use of speechwriters ethical? Is it ethical for presidents to get the credit for the speeches.

III. ORIENTATION ON KEY SOURCES 

To develop your skills in public speaking, read more at :

https://www.isbtweb.org/fileadmin/user_upload/successful-public-speaking.pdf

https://www.coursera.org/learn/fundamentals-of-public-speaking/

https://www.slideshare.net/budakmathUiTM/the-speech-communication-process

https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/PublicSpeaking.htm

27 Useful tips to overcome your fear of public speaking : Read at

https://www.briantracy.com/blog/public-speaking/27-useful-tips-to-overcome-your-fear-of-public-speaking/