Chapter 1: Introduction to Public Speaking

While public speaking is not a favorite activity for many, it is one of the most important skills we can develop. It helps us to articulate our thoughts clearly to inform and persuade others about important issues in our lives. This first chapter will begin by examining elements that influence our public speaking success: the transactional model of communication, speech anxiety, and audience analysis to give us a solid foundation with which to understand how to be successful. First, the transactional model of communication provides insight into the contextual elements of the speaking situation we must consider in order to be a successful speaker. Second, we must examine our speech anxiety in order to be able to employ strategies that will help us overcome it. Finally, we strive to be an audience centered speaker, meaning that we do not make any decision during the speech making process that does not include consideration of the audience.