Communication for

Various Purposes
 Who among you here is not
confident in speaking in front
of a large group of people?
Why is it so?
Consider the following so you can render an effective
speech and be a good public speaker:

 Audience - Know the profile of your listeners. It is important that you

know who will listen to you - their age, gender, educational background,
religion, economic status, and interests. Also, know how much the
audience knows about the topic. That way, you can avoid discussing
points that would run contrary to their beliefs and practices and thus
prevent miscommunication and misunderstanding. Further, you can
introduce new things for them to learn and not simply repeat things that
they may have already learned from previous speakers. Know how to
read the posture and gestures of your audience members as these will
signal to you what kind of an audience they are. Be ready to face
different kinds of audiences as there may be some who are questioners,
hecklers, disrupters, hostile, or unresponsive/bored audiences. Know
how to deal with any unpleasant incident or conflict with your audience
and always stay in control of the situation.
 Logistics - It is something basic or essential for every speaker to know who is organizing the
event. Know who will be introducing you and who will be speaking before and after you. That
way, you will be able to tie up the earlier presentation with your own resulting in a more
coherent presentation. You may even give the audience an idea as to what the next talk is
going to be.

1. Venue - The venue is equally important. Locate the lights and if you have movable
visual aids, know where to position them. As a speaker, you should also know how to
position yourself and how you should move in front to get the attention of the listeners.
Remember to work on your posture and avoid bad habits when speaking. Do not block
the view of your visual aids as you present them. Employ a balanced posture by not
standing on one leg only. Do not lean on any object that will give support to your weight.
These postures give the impression that you lack confidence and authority.

2. Facilities - Ask beforehand about the pieces of equipment available for you. These
facilities should match the presentation aids that you will use. If there is no available
projector, find a way to have one especially if your visual aids are highly complex. If
there are any electrical problems or technical glitches you encounter, know how to
trouble-shoot them.
 Content of report/speech/lecture - Since you have been
invited as a speaker, the organizers might have sought you
because of your reputation as an effective speaker. If the
purpose of the event is to inform just like in a convention,
conference, or a training-seminar, it is expected that you are
able to contribute new information. If the purpose is to entertain,
your speech should be lighthearted, amusing, and lively. If the
purpose is to persuade, your presentation should sound
convincing enough. Note, however, that any communicative
event may have more than one purpose but there is always a
more dominant one.
So how do you prepare for the big event? The following are some tips for you:

1. Read a lot. Research on the topic assigned to you. With the fast-changing
times, it is certain that there are new developments that have occurred in the
field. As a speaker, you should be kept abreast of these new developments
by reading a lot.

2. Prepare your oral presentation with an introduction, body, and a

conclusion. There are different techniques to open and close your
presentation: (a) using a startling or shocking statement; (b) beginning with a
question; (c) using a quotation; (d) narrating an anecdote or a story; (e)
singing a line from a song; and (f) presenting statistics. The strategy you will
employ should match the topic that you will present. For example, you
cannot sing a happy song if the topic has something to do with a tragic
event. Remember that your introduction and concluding parts will leave a
lasting impression on your audience.
3. Rehearse by practicing aloud and getting the feedback of those who
will act as your audience during the rehearsal stage. You may invite your
family or friends to listen to you while rehearsing. Their comments and suggestions
can be useful for you to improve your presentation before the 'big day.’
For the introduction, use gambits such as:
a. I would like to talk about...
b. I believe that the topic is…
c. Let me relate a...
For the conclusion, use gambits or expression such as:
a. Summing up the points I discussed earlier…
b. To summarize...
c. In conclusion…
d. To conclude…
e. Finally…
f. To end my talk or speech…
Then restate the highlights you mentioned. You may also challenge the listeners to
act on the ideas you presented if the purpose of the oral presentation is to convince
or persuade.
4. Use technology. In this day and age, most speakers use technology.
Technology forms part of their audio and visual aids. Through these tools,
listeners can easily follow the discussion because they not only hear but
also see the highlights of the presentation. A disadvantage, however, is
that some speakers rely on their visuals that when technical problems
arise, they are caught off-guard and their presentation goes awry.
Delivering the Report/Speech/Talk

 Paralinguistic cues –Subsumed under this category are facial

expression, posture, gesture, and movement. For eye rates: For facial
expression, their eyes and eye-to-eye contact are very important. There
is the saying which states: "The eyes are the window to the soul."
This means that by establishing eye contact or through gazing, one can
detect the emotional state of a person. For example, it is difficult real
emotions and fake your feelings when people look hide your straight
into your eyes. When you are happy, your eyes become bigger without
you being conscious about i it. When you are sad, worried or anxious,
your eyes become smaller as you raise your eyebrows and make them
furrow.
 Posture, on the other hand, refers to the speaker’s stance. How
speakers carry themselves during the presentation will show whether or
not they possess credibility. It is important that as speakers deliver their
messages, they project an air of confidence so they can get the attention
of the listeners and win them over to their side.
1. Prosodic features - When making a presentation, there are features
that you need to observe. When you speak, aim at delivering your
message clearly through intelligible and comprehensible pronunciation.
You need to articulate the sounds clearly by paying attention to how you
move your lips, tongue, and teeth. An aspect of articulation is
assimilation. It means blending the final sound of a preceding word with
the initial sound of the following word. Consider the examples:

a. to each his own- to eachizown

b. the pros and cons- the prosend cons

c. the splendor in the grass- thus plendor in the grass

d. for a while- fora while

Presenting in Groups
 Assign a specific task to each group member.
 Divide the work accordingly. Each should know the part assigned to him/her as well as
the time allotted to each.
 Decide on a strategy as to how you will begin and end your group presentation.
 Prepare your audio-visual aids to hold the attention and increase the interest of the
listeners.
 Practice on your own. Then come up with a schedule acceptable to the team in which
you can rehearse as a group.
 Get feedback from your teammates as to how you still improve your presentation in
particular as presentation of the group in general.
 As individual and group presenters, think of possible questions that may arise after
the presentation. If you cannot think of an answer, seek the help of your groupmates.
 As individual and group presenters, respond to questions effectively during the
question time. If it happens that nobody from the group knows the answer, be honest
to admit that you will find time to research on the matter.
 Overcoming Anxiety or Stage Fright

 Eugene White and Claire Henderlinder (1956) stated that:

“We do not actually fear the process of speaking but the
negative response from the listeners.” This is indeed true.
What people actually fear is not the process of speaking but the
negative response, comment, or feedback from the listeners.