Public Speaking Basics
What are the three major parts of a speech?
Introduction, body, & conclusion
Using another person’s words or ideas without giving proper credit is called what?
Plagiarism
What is the process of learning about your listeners before preparing and delivering a speech?
Audience analysis
What are the major ideas developed in the body of a speech called?
Main points
What part of an introduction tells the audience what the major ideas of the speech will be?
Preview of main points
In the communication process, what is the information or idea being communicated from the speaker to the audience?
The message
What term describes the audience’s perception that a speaker is believable and trustworthy?
Credibility
Age, education level, occupation, and cultural background are examples of what type of audience information?
Demographics
Words or phrases such as “first,” “next,” and “finally” that help audiences follow the organization of a speech are called what?
Transitions/signposts
A surprising statistic, short story, question, or quotation at the beginning of a speech can serve what purpose?
Attention getter/grabber
During a presentation, students look confused, so the speaker stops and explains the concept differently. What part of the communication process helped the speaker recognize the problem?
Feedback
A student paraphrases information from an academic article instead of directly quoting it. Does the student still need to cite the source?
Yes
A speaker realizes that the audience may not understand some of the technical terms used in the speech. What should the speaker do?
Define the terms/use simple language
A speech explains what happened during the 1990s, then the 2000s, then the 2010s. Which organizational pattern is being used?
Chronological order
At the beginning of her speech, Maya explains that she has researched the topic extensively and has personal experience with it. What is she attempting to establish?
Credibility
Professor Laliotis emphasizes one of these tips in her lectures for public speaking engagement (one of three possible answers)
Eye contact, pausing for filler words, hand gestures
A speaker finds a dramatic statistic on an anonymous social media account and includes it without checking where it came from. What important research responsibility did the speaker ignore?
Verifying the credibility of the source
Why is it important for a speaker to consider how much the audience already knows about a topic?
It helps the speaker decide how much background information the audience needs
A speaker organizes a speech by first explaining why college students experience sleep deprivation and then discussing the consequences of sleep deprivation. Which organizational pattern best describes this structure?
Cause-effect
A speaker finishes by summarizing the main points but then abruptly says, “Okay…that’s it.” What important function of a conclusion is weak or missing?
Providing a sense of closure
A speaker notices the audience is confused, but continues delivering the speech exactly as planned. What important communication skill is the speaker failing to demonstrate?
Adapting to audience feedback
A speaker intentionally leaves out research that contradicts their claim so the audience will be more likely to agree. What major principle of public speaking does this violate?
Ethics
Why might the same speech be effective for one audience but ineffective for another?
Different audiences have different backgrounds, knowledge, interests, and expectations, so speakers must adapt their message accordingly.
A student writes: “To inform my audience about three ways social media algorithms influence the content users see.” What part of speech preparation does this statement represent?
Purpose
At the end of his speech, Marcus summarizes his main points, introduces a brand-new statistic, and ends with a memorable quotation. What is the major problem with his conclusion?
Adding new information at the conclusion