 What Is Public Speaking?Speech is what happens when the brain tells the tongue to get moving. Some people think that speech is the greatest gift which we humans have as it enables us to communicate with each other. The finest ideas, the deepest feelings, the wildest jokes, depend on our simple ability to talk to each other. Not just today, but yesterday, and back to the very dawn of civilisation.It is through speech that people have been able to share information about their basic needs. Through speech hopes have been raised, eyes have been lifted to new horizons, and civilisations educated. The skill of speaking well to other people is priceless. ... In PublicIn nearly every age, the ability to speak persuasively to an audience has been one of the hallmarks of the leader. Careers—even empires—have been launched on a speech. Yet speaking in public is not the same as conversation, nor is it the same as acting—although some of the skills are the same.And ... the good news is ... the skills of public speaking can be learned. Public speaking clubs aim to develop their members into competent speakers. There are many forms of public speaking, each with its own clutch of special skills and attributes. They include prepared speech, impromptu speaking, oratory, and debating. Below are some simple notes about each of these types of speaking. You can get more detailed information from top speakers and from books at the library. Prepared SpeechThis kind of speech is usually a serious attempt to research a subject, arrange the material into a logical progression or "flow" and then deliver it to an audience. Some people believe there are three key ingredients to a good prepared speech—the words and material you put into your speech, the way you say it, and the rapport you have with your audience. Even though you may spend several hours researching your material and writing your speech, you must remember that you are not writing a newspaper article. Your speech is something that people are going to watch and listen to. Therefore, one of the best pieces of advice ever given to speakers is to not to read your speech from notes, but to speak directly to your audience, using good eye contact with them.Impromptu SpeakingImpromptu doesn't mean "no preparation", but it does mean that you have very little time to prepare: usually, you are given only a minute's notice of the topic you are to speak on. In many competitions, you are required to speak for between six and eight minutes. Although many find this type of speaking daunting, there are many skilled and dare-devil speakers who impress audiences with their skill, delivery and creativity.OratoryThis is the spine-tingling, serious form of speaking where you talk straight from your heart about someone or some thing that is deeply significant for you. The classic modern example of oratory is the speech by Martin Luther King that includes the line, "I have a dream..." You can feel the hairs standing up on your spine when you listen to a true oration. Needless to say, notes are not used. This is persuasion by direct appeal to emotions and not to reason or logic.Debating
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