Public Speaking Terms

Visual Aids are?

• communicating ideas and emotions nonverbally by contorting one’s face. Sounds strange, but you can communicate that something smells bad by crinkling up your nose. Using gesture and facial expression emphasizes those points that you’re making in your speech.

• speaking words as they are meant to be spoken. This is the tomato (tuh-may-toe), tomato (tuhmah-toe) issue. Pronouncing words incorrectly reflects poorly on the speaker. Using colloquial pronunciation creates a specific affect. Preparation prevents errors in pronunciation.

• the expression in one’s voice generated by altering pitch (highness and lowness). Think about an angry voice versus a happy voice. Changing tone keeps the audience engaged and suggests the speaker’s attitude toward the topic.

• any visible props or components of one’s presentation. Posters, charts, graphs, demonstrations, Power Point presentations, media clips, and overhead projections are all effective visual aids.

Impromptu/Extemporaneous:

• Word choice. Choose vocabulary that is appropriate and understandable for the audience.

• Speaking or presenting with little or no preparation.

• Moving with ease; polished. A fluent speaker rarely stumbles through a presentation. Fluency comes from preparation and practice.

• Act of making gestures or moving one’s body parts, usually arms, hands, legs, as a means of expression. Gesturing should be planned and practiced. It’s hard to gesture when holding papers or cards. Usually a speaker memorizes first.

Diction:

• Clearly saying the sounds and syllables in words. It is important to speak clearly and not slur or mumble words or parts of words. Being nervous or moving at a quick pace often makes us fail to enunciate the latter parts of words or phrases.

• The degree of quickness with which one delivers a speech. We often speak to quickly when we’re nervously speaking to a group. Be aware of pacing and take moments to pause and allow the audience to absorb points.

• Speaking or presenting with little or no preparation

• Word choice. Choose vocabulary that is appropriate and understandable for the audience.

Tone:

• The expression in one’s voice generated by altering pitch (highness and lowness). Think about an angry voice versus a happy voice. Changing tone keeps the audience engaged and suggests the speaker’s attitude toward the topic.

• making a visual connection with individuals in audience. Speakers cannot read from papers or cards continually. The audience doesn’t feel that the speaker spoke to them. Looking at individuals garners attention and makes the presentation personal.

• changing physical position. Sometimes, like when speaking from a podium, movement is limited. Other times, like when speaking from a stage, the audience will expect the speaker to move within the space. Be careful. Too much movement is distracting.

• moving with ease; polished. A fluent speaker rarely stumbles through a presentation. Fluency comes from preparation and practice.

Audience:

• speaking words as they are meant to be spoken. This is the tomato (tuh-may-toe), tomato (tuhmah-toe) issue. Pronouncing words incorrectly reflects poorly on the speaker. Using colloquial pronunciation creates a specific affect. Preparation prevents errors in pronunciation.

• The people who are listening and/or viewing a presentation or speaker. Pay attention to the audience. Know the audience and adjust the speech or presentation accordingly.

• the degree of quickness with which one delivers a speech. We often speak to quickly when we’re nervously speaking to a group. Be aware of pacing and take moments to pause and allow the audience to absorb points.

• the degree of loudness of sound. A speaker must be heard clearly. Additionally, adjusting one’s volume is an excellent way to emphasize and deemphasize words.

Pronunciation:

• moving with ease; polished. A fluent speaker rarely stumbles through a presentation. Fluency comes from preparation and practice.

• the degree of loudness of sound. A speaker must be heard clearly. Additionally, adjusting one’s volume is an excellent way to emphasize and deemphasize words.

• word choice. Choose vocabulary that is appropriate and understandable for the audience.

• speaking words as they are meant to be spoken. This is the tomato (tuh-may-toe), tomato (tuhmah-toe) issue. Pronouncing words incorrectly reflects poorly on the speaker. Using colloquial pronunciation creates a specific affect. Preparation prevents errors in pronunciation.

Enunciation:

• the degree of quickness with which one delivers a speech. We often speak to quickly when we’re nervously speaking to a group. Be aware of pacing and take moments to pause and allow the audience to absorb points.

• the people who are listening and/or viewing a presentation or speaker. Pay attention to the audience. Know the audience and adjust the speech or presentation accordingly.

• clearly saying the sounds and syllables in words. It is important to speak clearly and not slur or mumble words or parts of words. Being nervous or moving at a quick pace often makes us fail to enunciate the latter parts of words or phrases.

• making a visual connection with individuals in audience. Speakers cannot read from papers or cards continually. The audience doesn’t feel that the speaker spoke to them. Looking at individuals garners attention and makes the presentation personal.

Facial Expression:

• Speaking words as they are meant to be spoken. This is the tomato (tuh-may-toe), tomato (tuhmah-toe) issue. Pronouncing words incorrectly reflects poorly on the speaker. Using colloquial pronunciation creates a specific affect. Preparation prevents errors in pronunciation.

• The people who are listening and/or viewing a presentation or speaker. Pay attention to the audience. Know the audience and adjust the speech or presentation accordingly.

• word choice. Choose vocabulary that is appropriate and understandable for the audience.

• communicating ideas and emotions nonverbally by contorting one’s face. Sounds strange, but you can communicate that something smells bad by crinkling up your nose. Using gesture and facial expression emphasizes those points that you’re making in your speech.

Gesticulation

• Act of making gestures or moving one’s body parts, usually arms, hands, legs, as a means of expression. Gesturing should be planned and practiced. It’s hard to gesture when holding papers or cards. Usually a speaker memorizes first.

• Changing physical position. Sometimes, like when speaking from a podium, movement is limited. Other times, like when speaking from a stage, the audience will expect the speaker to move within the space. Be careful. Too much movement is distracting.

• Any visible props or components of one’s presentation. Posters, charts, graphs, demonstrations, Power Point presentations, media clips, and overhead projections are all effective visual aids.

• The expression in one’s voice generated by altering pitch (highness and lowness). Think about an angry voice versus a happy voice. Changing tone keeps the audience engaged and suggests the speaker’s attitude toward the topic.

Movement:

• The degree of loudness of sound. A speaker must be heard clearly. Additionally, adjusting one’s volume is an excellent way to emphasize and deemphasize words.

• Speaking words as they are meant to be spoken. This is the tomato (tuh-may-toe), tomato (tuhmah-toe) issue. Pronouncing words incorrectly reflects poorly on the speaker. Using colloquial pronunciation creates a specific affect. Preparation prevents errors in pronunciation.

• Changing physical position. Sometimes, like when speaking from a podium, movement is limited. Other times, like when speaking from a stage, the audience will expect the speaker to move within the space. Be careful. Too much movement is distracting.

• The expression in one’s voice generated by altering pitch (highness and lowness). Think about an angry voice versus a happy voice. Changing tone keeps the audience engaged and suggests the speaker’s attitude toward the topic.