What is Public Speaking and the Importance of Public Speaking?

What is the definition of Public Speaking?

Public speaking is an art that is used to convey a message, information, story or message to inspire and encourage people. Generally, public speaking has three general purposes - to inform, to persuade and to entertain. Presently public speaking is used in many business and business events. These programs are organized by employers, where some professionals are hired to motivate their employees using public speaking. Public speaking is believed to have first developed in ancient Rome and Greece. Many prominent thinkers from Rome and Greece influenced the rise of public speech and helped in the development of public speaking. Earlier public speaking was the only way of talking face-to-face with a live audience, but now in modern times, public speaking has also evolved with the help of technologies like multimedia presentation, videoconferencing etc.

Glossophobia is a term used for public speaking anxiety or fear of speaking in public. Glossophobia is one of the most common phobias among people in the world.

Here are some iconic speeches that are strong examples of public speech-

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863

Sojourner Truth Identifying Racial Issues in "Am I Not a Woman?"

Swami Vivekananda's address to the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, 1893

"I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr at the Washington Monument in 1963

Why Public Speaking is important?

Suppose there is a family function or an office meeting is going on and you are asked to address the public what will be your reaction? Most of us will immediately back out of this type of situation. It’s common there is nothing to be ashamed of because most of us always have a fear of speaking in public which is known as Glossophobia. Fear of Public Speaking can be undone by following few things which we will cover later in this blog. If you continuously avoid the chances of Public Speaking then you are missing out on an opportunity. When we speak the words then with those words we can inform, educate, persuade or entertain others. If we speak words in the right manner then those words, we speak are more powerful compared to the written words. Nowadays Public Speaking plays a vital role in the education sector, in the government sector and in businesses. Speaking in Public can help us to gain confidence which will be reflected in our work. Before speaking on anything a good speaker research on it so ultimately research skill will get better etc.

Elements of Public Speech:

To become good at public speaking, every speaker must follow the following dimensions of public speaking-

Speaker - Whenever a speaker speaks, they represent themselves. Visual aids are there to help improve your speech but if the speaker isn't confident enough then even visual aids can't help them. A presentation should reflect the speaker's passion.

Message -When we speak anything, we convey our message or information through our words or our body language. Therefore, whenever we speak, we must organize our speech properly before giving a speech.

The Audience - Always know your audience before presentation or speech this will help the speaker as we cannot explain the same thing to the youth, children and elders in the same way. So, when you are in Rome, behave like a Roman.

Channel - A speaker uses different channels when speaking to the public so that the speaker can convey their message. Nonverbal channels include body language and gestures, visual channels include graphs, photographs, videos etc. and audio channels include vocals.

Feedback - A good public speaker always keeps an eye on his audience. The speaker must observe the reaction and expression given by the public so that a good speaker can clear the doubts of the audience and answer the question asked by the audience.

Types of Public Speaking:

Basically, according to the FSCJ, there are four types of public speech which are manuscript, memorized, improvised and improvised.

Manuscript - These types of speeches are well crafted and well written. Often this type of speaking is used when precise words matter and more time and energy is put into doing everything correctly.

Memorized Speech - As the name suggests, the speaker memorizes his entire speech before speaking. These types of speeches sound like an essay and are delivered very quickly. In these speeches, the speaker focuses on the words rather than the thoughts. There is minimal or no engagement with the audience.

Impromptu Speech - When a speaker is asked to speak a few words without any preparation it is called immediate speech. In these types of speeches, the speaker should speak his mind with some precautions.

Topical Speech - A speech where a speaker has enough time to prepare for the speech and practice, but the speaker cannot read it from the manuscript or memorize it.

There are also some other types of public speaking which are as follows -

• Demonstrative Speech
• Amusing Speech
• Informative Speech
• Persuasive Speech
• Inspirational Speech
• Special Occasion Speech

How to become better at Public Speaking:

If you want to become good at public speaking then you should focus on learning by listening to others and prepare by commanding on the topic. Here are some methods that you can use to get better at public speaking-

Practice - The speaker should always practice before giving a speech.

Voice Control - One of the most important parts of any speech is how the speaker presents his speech. For this, the speaker must learn to breathe fully. Singers also use this technique.

Body Movement - Body language is important in public speaking. A speaker should always use his facial expressions, gestures and movements. Strong body language always helps the speaker to convey his message to the audience.

Audience-Speaker Relationship - A good public speaker is one who understands his or her audience. Always acknowledge your audience when you are giving a speech. Try to make eye contact with the audience. Always stay