Oral Communication: An Overview

• Definition of oral communication

• Principles of effective oral communication

• The need for effective oral communication

Oral Communication:
An Overview

​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Success Criteria

By the end of this topic, you will be able to:

• Explain the different forms of oral communication

• Explain the oral communication process

• Explain the roles of speaker and listener in oral communication

• Explain the need for effective oral communication
  

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Forms of Oral Communication

• Dyadic communication happens between two people, as in a conversation.

• Small group communication involves a small number of people who can see and speak directly with one another.

• Mass communication occurs between a speaker and a large audience of unknown people who usually are not present with the speaker, or who are part of such an immense crowd that there can be little or no interaction between speaker and listener.

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Forms of Oral Communication

• In public speaking, a speaker delivers a message with a specific purpose to an audience of people who are present during the delivery of the speech.

  • Public speaking always includes a speaker who has a reason for speaking, an audience that gives the speaker its attention, and a message that is meant to accomplish a specific purpose. Public speakers address audiences largely without interruption and take responsibility for the words and ideas being expressed.

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Classical Roots of P.S.

• Rhetoric or oratory = the practice of giving speeches

  • flourished in the Greek city-state of Athens in the fifth century B.C.E. and referred to making effective speeches, particularly those of a persuasive nature.

  • Public speaking was the vehicle that allowed direct democracy to succeed:

    • the issues of public policy

    • belief that citizenship demands active participation

      in public affairs

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Canons of Rhetoric (Process)

• Invention refers to discovering the types of evidence and arguments you will use to make your case.

• Arrangement is organizing the speech in ways best suited to the topic and audience.

• Style is the way the speaker uses language to express the speech ideas.

• Memory is the practice of the speech until it can be delivered artfully.

• Delivery is the vocal and nonverbal behavior you use when speaking.

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Multiple Choice

"A" refers to....

• Content

• Feedback

• Message

• Noise

• Shared Meaning

Multiple Choice

"B" refers to....

• Content

• Feedback

• Message

• Noise

• Shared Meaning

Multiple Choice

"C" refers to....

• Content

• Feedback

• Message

• Noise

• Shared Meaning

Multiple Choice

"D" refers to....

• Content

• Feedback

• Message

• Noise

• Shared Meaning

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is correct?

• E: Decoding

  F: Decoding

• E: Encoding

  F: Encoding

• E: Decoding

  F: Encoding

• E: Encoding

  F: Decoding

Multiple Choice

Is there a difference between hearing and listening?

• Yes

• No

Roles of Speaker & Listener

• Successful communication is a two-way street.

• Hearing is the physiological, largely passive process of perceiving sound.

• Listening is the conscious act of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and nonverbal messages.

• Connecting with a speaker takes focus.

• No two members of the audience will process the information in exactly the same way.

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Roles of Speaker & Listener

• Selective perception: people’s perceptions are subject to their own biases and expectations, leading them to pay attention selectively to certain messages while ignoring others.

• We pay attention to what we hold to be important.

• We pay attention to information that touches our experiences and backgrounds.

• We sort and filter new information on the basis of what we already know (e.g., we learn by analogy).

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Roles of Speaker & Listener

• As a speaker, demonstrate why your topic is relevant to the audience’s interest and needs. Use analogies to help the audience learn new ideas.

• As a listener, examine your own expectations and motivations to hear things in a certain way. Ask yourself whether you are really hearing what the speaker is saying.

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Roles of Speaker & Listener

• Active listening = listening that is focused and purposeful; not possible under conditions that distract us.

• As listener, identify and overcome common obstacles:

  • refrain from multitasking

  • overcome cultural barriers, e.g. accent, appearance, demeanor

  • minimise distraction (anything that competes for the attention we are trying to give to something else)

    • external (originate outside of us)

    • internal (occur with our own thoughts and feelings)

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Roles of Speaker & Listener

• As listener, identify and overcome common obstacles:

  • guard against scriptwriting and defensive listening

  • beware of lazy and overconfident listening

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Roles of Speaker & Listener

• Evaluate evidence and reasoning:

  • Evaluate the speaker’s evidence. Is it accurate? Are the sources credible?

  • Analyze the speaker’s assumptions and biases. What lies behind the speaker’s assertions? Does the evidence support or contradict these assertions?

  • Assess the speaker’s reasoning. Does it betray faulty logic? Does it rely on fallacies in reasoning?

  • Consider multiple perspectives. Is there another way to view the argument? How do other perspectives compare with the speaker’s

  • Summarize and assess the relevant facts and evidence. How

    will you think or act on the basis of the evidence?

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Roles of Speaker & Listener

• Strive for the open and respectful exchange of ideas:

  • Dialogic communication is the open sharing of ideas in an atmosphere of respect.

  • True dialogue encourages both listener and speaker to reach conclusions together.

  • For listeners, this means maintaining an open mind and listening with empathy.

  • For the speaker, this means approaching a speech not as an argument that must be “won,” but as an opportunity to achieve understanding with audience members.

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei

Open Ended

Explain the roles of speaker in public speaking.

Open Ended

Explain the roles of listener in public speaking.

Need for Effective Oral Communication

• Gain a vital life skill

• Enhance your career as a student (and later as a teacher)

• Find new opportunities for civic engagement

​​PSPK3013 | Kho Chung Wei