Public Speaking: Basics, Lessons and Techniques to Become a Good Public Speaker

Who is a speaker

An orator is a person who has oratory abilities, which consist of the ability to speak beautifully and convincingly, to master the tools of acting, and to have psychological knowledge.

The talent of eloquence can be innate. It is even believed that each of us has it, only to varying degrees. This means that anyone can develop this gift, taking into account individual characteristics and working on themselves.

With the development of oratorical skills comes the skill of public speaking, which has its own properties:

special content of speech - linguistic and non-verbal, in the form of facial expressions and gestures, methods of influencing the listener;
focus - receiving feedback from the audience;
effectiveness - as a result of the psychological state of the speaker and his authority among the public.

But you can structure your speech competently if you use the rules of oratory:

The presentation should be structured for better assimilation and accessible to understanding.
Speech that is correct, expressive and without filler words is capable of capturing the attention of the public for a long time.
The information provided must be useful and truthful.
The emotional content of the speech and the dry language of numbers will create balance and will not allow the listener’s interest to evaporate.
His attention should not be abused; conciseness and informational capacity of speech are welcome.
The beginning of a speech and its final part have a greater effect on the audience than the content - this should be taken into account in the compositional structure of the speech.
You need to speak to the audience in a language they understand, taking into account their intellectual level, age category, and social affiliation.

And then she will have the qualities necessary for oratory:

The image of a talented speaker is charismatic and closely associated with such characteristics and traits as self-confidence, inspiration, erudition, the ability to improvise, vividness of thought, strong voice, and expressive gestures.

We’ll talk later about how to learn public speaking on your own.

Preparing for the performance

The rules of public speaking state that any speech must be well planned.

Although the speaker must also be prepared for spontaneous speech. To prepare a speech, the following scheme is usually used.

First of all, you need to give up speaking on paper. You can leave on paper only an outline and short notes about important points that need to be mentioned. Thus, it is better to learn the main part of the speech. This is why public speaking skills include an excellent memory that needs to be trained regularly.
Teaching public speaking also involves following the structure of a speech. This gives the speech logic and integrity. It is necessary to clearly limit the introduction, main part and conclusion. It is advisable to pay special attention to the introduction, since at this moment the public’s attitude towards the speaker begins to form.
It is recommended to think through the organizational issues of the performance in advance, that is, if possible, familiarize yourself with the performance area, discuss with the organizers technical issues regarding the operation of microphones, prepare water, etc.
Public speaking skills not only include various speaking abilities, but also the ability to look good. A speaker should always look neat, as appearance is the first thing the public notices.

Oratory teaches you to attract people and lead them, which is practically necessary for many professions. However, one is not born an excellent speaker, so teaching rhetoric has been relevant since ancient times to this day.

Types of eloquence

Depending on the composition of the audience and the topic, eloquence is divided into types:

Oratory speech can have different goals of influencing the listener and it happens:

informational, introduces new facts, information, knowledge;
entertaining, has a fun character;
persuasive, in which the speaker seeks the listener's agreement with his point of view;
uplifting, emotionally inspiring;
calling to action, agitating to take action.

Video

In this section of the training on public speaking skills, you can watch videos of famous speeches by outstanding speakers: Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, Vladimir Lenin and others. Also here you can find videos from various competitions, presentations and speeches of people to investors. In addition, the section contains video lessons from leading experts in the field of public speaking.

Watch all videos →

The structure of oratory speech

In order for a public speech to achieve its goal and leave no one indifferent, it is built according to the plan and content in a certain order, which is called composition.

The introduction should attract attention, interest, establish contact with the audience, and give an idea of the topic of the upcoming message with a brief description of the issue.

The main part of a public speaking speech is the presentation of the material itself, argumentation, and the use of facts and logical evidence.

The conclusion is intended to summarize and generalize what has been said, emphasize the main idea, draw conclusions, and inspire listeners.

It is advisable to approach creatively when working on a composition. While maintaining a clear sequence and consistency of its elements, it is important not to lose your individual style.

Features of oratory

Oratory speech is characterized by the following features:

Oral presentation. The process of communication with the audience occurs directly when voicing thoughts. Texts for public speaking are learned by ear and structured in such a way as to be easy to understand.

Availability of feedback. A good speaker feels the audience. He distinguishes mood, catches reactions to what is said, guesses emerging questions and flexibly builds further dialogue.

Use of various means of communication. The use of gestures, pantomime, intonation and other non-verbal methods is inherent in oratory, which distinguishes it from ordinary oral speech.

The relationship between the text prepared for speech and its oral interpretation. Choosing the right tone of communication helps to present information in an intelligible form and find contact with the audience.

Communicate with people

Training at home gives excellent results, but it is impossible to hone your speaking skills without communicating with other people. The easiest thing in this regard is for students - they have access to excellent practice of speaking in front of an audience of fellow students. What to do if you do not have such an opportunity? Look for any opportunities to network and hone your skills. Start with a small audience. Do you feel awkward and embarrassed to speak in public? For your first experiments, choose comfortable listeners - for some it is easier and calmer among close friends, for others, on the contrary, with strangers.

You need to overcome yourself and just start. Each time everything will happen much easier and more pleasant. Did you notice that you failed? Do not despair. Conduct error analysis. Perhaps you chose the wrong words or the interlocutor is simply not interested in the topic you proposed. The ability to listen to others is no less useful than the ability to speak beautifully. Ask questions. The person himself will tell you what topic is interesting to him. Your job is to keep the conversation going. Remember? You have already practiced at home and can communicate about everything.

Oratorical techniques

Oratory techniques are used to improve the perception of information. They work either by orienting the listener to figurative perception, or by stimulating his mental activity.

For example:

visual comparisons and short illustrative examples are especially appropriate when conveying numerical material;
repeating what has already been said in other words creates a new image;
the allegory clearly illustrates the speaker’s ideas and thoughts;
antithesis by contrast enhances their perception;
hyperbole exaggerates those points that need to be paid attention to;
rhetorical questions do not require an answer, but stir up interest;
an insertion when a casual remark made draws attention to what was said;
unexpected words and actions heighten the listener's curiosity.

How to develop speaking skills

To master the secrets of oratory, you can enroll in courses and trainings on rhetoric, take lessons for beginners, choose online training, or study a self-instruction manual on eloquence. All these options are offered to our attention by the vast Internet.

If you like independent training in the development of public speaking, let's work on the technique of delivering a speech, prepare for a speech, learn how to interact with the audience and take on board some practical tips.

Speech technique

The sound of speech you want to listen to depends on the following components:

Breath. The pace should be measured, with the inhalation being shorter than the exhalation. Do not inhale “all the way” so that you have the opportunity to take a breath. It's the same with exhalation. Special exercises help improve speech. For example, developing the skill of breathing from the bottom of your lungs will make your voice stronger and your speech fluent.
Volume. By controlling his voice, a speaker influences the audience's perception of what he says. If your voice is naturally quiet, you can make it louder. To do this, read expressively out loud, count to ten as you exhale, gradually increasing the volume of your voice.
Diction. Tongue twisters will help you speak clearly, clearly pronouncing sounds, if you are not lazy and do not forget to load your articulatory apparatus with them.
Pace. We must try to express our thoughts at an average pace, without sputtering words or stretching them out. Since the temperament and internal state of a person at the time of the performance plays an important role here, it is important to calm down and tune in to a fruitful dialogue with the audience.
Intonation. With its help, your speech will be remembered by the listener because it will be alive. Practice reading works of art aloud with expression, just like in school.

Preparing for the performance

At this stage, the text of the speech is prepared. We already know what a properly composed public speech should be. In order not to read from what is written, you should first of all memorize the text, and draw up a plan and main points for the meeting with the audience.

To be ready for improvisation, you must have developed logical and imaginative thinking, have a rich vocabulary and a broad outlook. Read different literature, keep abreast of social events.

To maintain the proper mood among the audience, stock up on a number of interesting facts, light jokes, and entertaining short stories.

To avoid being caught off guard by the technical side of your presentation, be aware of organizational issues: hall, audio equipment, video materials.

Get rid of the words of parasites

Words are parasites - the most insidious enemy of oratory. They appear in your speech unnoticed, at moments when you are excited, in a hurry to express your thoughts, or find it difficult to find the right words. But gradually and imperceptibly for you, they begin to sound more and more often and, as a result, literally in every sentence. They hurt the ear of the interlocutor, but are not noticeable to you. Getting rid of the words of parasites is difficult, but possible.

To begin with, make it a habit to record your speech from time to time in a relaxed and casual environment - any conversation with a close friend or relative will do. In the recording you will hear which words you need to get rid of. Think ahead about what you want to say, form whole sentences. It is clear that this should be done in private at home. But when communicating with people, you should watch your speech. Once you discover the words parasites, you will pay attention to them and try to avoid using them.

Don't worry that thinking about sentences will make your speech too slow. We'll talk about this in the next section.

Oratory for children

Today, rhetoric, as a scientific discipline about the art of oratory, is also in demand for the harmonious development of children. It develops the child’s personal qualities, teaches them the ability to communicate, express their thoughts competently and confidently, conduct a dialogue using intonation and facial expressions, and acquire the first skills of public speaking.

The objectives of teaching rhetoric are:

You can also work with your children at home:

work on your speech technique, pronouncing tongue twisters;
learn polite communication;
read and talk a lot on different topics to increase your vocabulary;
organize theatrical performances to develop acting skills;
learn and read poetry with expression;
practice performing in front of family and friends.

These classes will help your child become more confident and not be shy at public events, teach them how to establish contacts with people, and reveal their creative potential.

Where to begin?

How often have you noticed that you are unable to express your thoughts due to an insufficient vocabulary? The reason is not necessarily hidden in lack of education and a poor vocabulary, although these factors are critically important in the ability to convince interlocutors and win them over to your side. But most often the matter is the lack of basic conversational skills. A large amount of knowledge and reasonable thoughts are not enough if you do not know how to quickly select the right words and improvise depending on your opponent’s objections.

Fortunately, everything can be corrected with simple but regular exercise. Left alone, pay attention to any object in the interior - a table, a houseplant, a teapot, a pencil. Record your time and try to talk about this subject for at least 3 minutes. Describe it, tell us about its characteristics, try to prove to your imaginary interlocutor how important and useful this thing is, how it can be used. All this needs to be spoken out; it is very useful to practice in front of a mirror - this way you can monitor your facial expressions and gestures.

At first it will be funny and difficult, but gradually you will learn. When you start to notice that 3 minutes is not enough, increase the time - do 10, 15, 20 minutes. From things you can move on to more serious topics. Talk about your impressions of a book you read, a thought or idea you heard. Gradually, you will learn and be able to confidently express an opinion on any subject, without repeating yourself, without being embarrassed, and without bringing up new arguments.