Given that this is course is taught exclusively on line, you need to read and understand material that is presented. Please read Chapters 1 and 2 as indicated on the syllabus and then submit the five most important items found in each chapter. Large ess

chapter_2_-_speaking_confidently.ppt

Home >Reading homework help >Given that this is course is taught exclusively on line, you need to read and understand material that is presented. Please read Chapters 1 and 2 as indicated on the syllabus and then submit the five most important items found in each chapter. Large ess

Speaking Confidently

Sections 2.1 & 2.2
Battling Nerves and the Unexpected and What Is Communication Apprehension?

Communication Apprehension

“The fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons” (James C. McCroskey).

Psychological Response to Evaluation

The psychological response quickly becomes physical.
The body’s circulatory and adrenal systems shift into overdrive, preparing us to function at maximum physical efficiency – the “Flight or fight” response.

Physical Sensations

Our hearts may pound, our hands may feel clammy, we may feel “butterflies” in our stomachs, or experience other symptoms.
We may become so anxious that we fear we will forget our own name and be unable to present the main points of our own speech.

Physical Sensations cont.

Any conscious emotional state such as anxiety consists of two components:
One component is the primary reaction of the central nervous system.
The other component is the intellectual interpretation of the physiological response.
The physiological state does not differ from excitement.
Effective speakers learn to channel the energy in their physiological response toward providing an animated stage presence.

“Folk” Knowledge about Communication Anxiety Produces Myths

Myth One

One myth is that people who suffer from speaking anxiety are neurotic.
Speaking anxiety is normal.
Strong, experienced speakers can get nervous.

Myth Two

Another myth is that telling a joke is a good way to begin a speech.
Sometimes humor “bombs.”
It is easy to offend by accident when using humor.

Myth Three

A third myth is that imagining the audience naked is an effective strategy.
Imagining an audience misdirects us away from our real audience.
What we imagine can be threatening or distracting.

Myth Four

Another myth is that any mistake ruins the speech.
A speech does not have to be perfect; everybody makes mistakes.
We can recover from stumbling or misspeaking and get back on track.

Myth Five

A very misleading myth is that memorizing a speech helps you avoid anxiety.
Memorization is likely to make anxiety worse.
Memorization is likely to produce a “canned,” robot-like speech.

Myth Six

A further myth is that audiences are out to get you.
Most audiences are interested in your material.
Most audiences want you to succeed.

Myth Seven

The idea that the audience can tell how nervous you are is false.
Audiences do not perceive the level of nervousness that speakers report feeling.
Don’t apologize for your nervousness.

Myth Eight

A little nervousness always leads to a bad speech.
Some nerves actually keep you on your toes.
Professional performers channel the extra energy into their performance.

Section 2.3
All Anxiety Is Not the Same: Sources of Communication Apprehension

Trait Anxiety

Trait anxiety typifies people who are anxious at many times and in many situations.
Trait anxiety is the tendency to be more uncomfortable than average in a wide variety of settings.
People with trait anxiety tend to avoid public speaking.
People with trait anxiety are therefore unlikely to develop skill and experience in public speaking.
However, people with trait anxiety can become competent speakers even if they never learn to enjoy it.

Context Anxiety

Context anxiety refers to anxiety prompted by specific communication situations.
The formality of a situation sometimes produces increased nervousness.
Uncertainty, or unpredictability, can produce nervousness.
The novelty or intensity of a communication environment can also produce anxiety.
Practice and experience can help reduce context anxiety.

Audience Anxiety

Audience anxiety often occurs because of unfamiliar audience characteristics.
The degree of perceived similarity between you and your audience can influence your level of speech anxiety.
The size of the audience can also be a factor in the level of anxiety.
Some speakers feel greater pressure to perform well in front of friends and family than in front of strangers.

Situational Anxiety

Situational anxiety is apprehension created by the specific and unique combination of audience, time and setting.
There are many examples of factors that contribute to situational anxiety:
Having to deliver bad news
Having to present a controversial topic
Having to address a tired audience on a Friday afternoon
Being scheduled near the end of a long program.

Section 2.4
Reducing Communication Apprehension

Nervousness is normal and can be harnessed toward an effective, animated speech.

Levels of Anxiety

Anticipation, the minute prior to the speech, usually is the most anxiety-producing stage.
Confrontation, or the first minutes of the speech, typically relieves some of the anxiety.
Adaptation, or the last minute of the speech, often produces even less anxiety.
Release, the minute after the speech is over, is the point at which most of the anxiety is dispelled.

Helpful Strategies for Managing Nervousness During a Speech

Cognitive Restructuring

Changing how you label your experiences: are they obligations or opportunities?
Positive self-talk can displace negative self-talk when you say, “I have good notecards to help me,” instead of, “I know I’m going to forget everything.”

Effective Preparation

Analyze your audience so they will seem less like strangers.
Start a speech with a hook technique, such as a question, a video, photo, or a scenario, to prompt audience response or engage their attention.
Choose a topic that is interesting to you, so you can make it interesting for your audience.

Clearly Organize Your Ideas

Create an outline emphasizing the main points, the most important points, which you should be able to remember readily.
A simple outline should remind you of the order and progression of the ideas.
Use Power Point and other technology if available.
You may also reinforce the organization of your speech by using visual aids that match the pattern of points.

Clearly Organize Your Ideas cont.

Adapt your language to the oral mode.
Spoken language and written language are different.
The use of spoken, or oral, language is more conversational.
It is usually more concrete and vivid than written language.
The complex language used in writing can leave the audience lost and confused.
You may use personal pronouns “I,” “us,” and “we.”

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice out loud.
Practice while standing.
Continue all the way through your entire speech without stopping.
This is what you will have to do when you are in front of the audience.
If you can, practice in the actual room where you will speak.
Time yourself so you won’t present too fast (or too slow).
Look up from your notes and give audience contact.
Practice will help you feel prepared for your speech.

Reducing Anxiety While Speaking

Breathing

Deep, slow breathing can help counteract the physiological effects of anxiety.

Physical Movement

Physical movement, deliberately done, helps dispel excess anxious energy.
If you can, move away from the lectern to be closer to the audience for a moment, but do not pace nervously.
Relax the muscles of your neck and shoulders, and allow your arms to hang loosely before approaching the lectern.

Identify Traits

Do you speak to quickly or slowly?
Do you overuse your hands?
Do you tend to lean on the podium?
Do you rely to heavily on and read from notes?

Talk to your instructor and peers about tricks of the trade that may help you eliminate problems.

Audience, Not Self

Focus on the audience, not on yourself.
Looking at individuals is more familiar than looking at a mass of people.
Looking at others helps you think less about what you are feeling.

Maintain Your Sense of Humor

Try to laugh at yourself if something goes wrong.

Stress Management Techniques

Imagine or create images of relaxation and success.
Mentally picture yourself in front of the room, presenting each part of the speech and using presentation aids.
This technique does not replace practicing your speech out loud.
Identify strengths and weaknesses and prepare an improvement plan.

Step One

Stop avoiding the source of anxiety.
First, an individual is trained in specific isometric muscle relaxation techniques.
Next, the individual learns to respond with conscious relaxation even when confronted with the situation that once caused anxiety.
An extremely anxious person can begin by watching other give speeches until they can watch without discomfort.
That extremely anxious person can then begin talking about preparing and giving his or her own speech.

Step Two

Increased exposure to public speaking reduces overall anxiety.
Seek opportunities to speak in public rather than avoiding them.
William Jennings Bryan said, “The ability to speak effectively is an acquirement rather than a gift.”

Section 2.5
Coping with the Unexpected

Unexpected Reality

Unexpected things can happen even for the most experienced speakers, and coping strategies can be very helpful.

Common Problems & Solutions

Speech content can be interrupted by a missing note card.

If you have practiced your speech a lot, you might be able to recall and paraphrase the missing piece.
You can pause and consider whether or not the missing information can be omitted without hurting the audience’s ability to understand the speech.
Pausing is less distracting to the audience than struggling through a serious of “ums” and “uhs.”
Number / Color Code Note Cards to help alleviate misplaced cards.

Technical difficulties present a special challenge.

Technology sometimes breaks down.
Few of us are trained to do the trouble-shooting and repair.
This means we need a back-up plan developed in advance.
As you develop your presentation aids, decide what you will do in the event that you won’t be able to show it.

External distractions often occur.

Occasionally an audience member wanders in late or takes a phone call.
It is often useful to pause and wait until the awkwardness is over and the audience is attentive again.
Maintain your composure: getting angry for any reason only adds another distraction to an already awkward situation.
Make sure you are aware and respectful of classroom rules.