So what are the characteristics of an effective public speaker?

So what are the characteristics of an effective public speaker?

When beginning public speaking, students are asked the above question. It is often met with responses such as a strong voice, charisma, gestures, addressing the audience in a friendly tone, use of humor, and eye contact. These responses are very similar to one another; they are addressing a speaker’s ability to perform for an audience. But this performance is complex, often including other important attributes, such as reasoning with solid information, explaining complex ideas clearly, and providing the audience a clear direction of where the presentation is heading.

Situations similar to this one are not uncommon. Many people think of public speaking as the ability to control nerves in front of a group but neglect considering the importance of having ideas well organized before presenting them or practicing a lot to reduce those nerves. Some people think that because they have apprehension about speaking in front a group, they are completely inept in a public speaking situation. They are often surprised to find out that they are only looking at one piece of the puzzle.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle and his contemporaries began writing about what has become the field of communication today. In writing about what was called the canons of rhetoric, they were laying the foundation for public speaking as we know it today.

Four canons, or categories of criticism, were established:

· invention,

· arrangement,

· style, and

· delivery.

Invention looks at the creation of ideas. When evaluating a speaker from this point of view, the critic may note whether or not the speaker was found to be an authority on the subject matter. This was known as ethos. The critic also may question the use of evidence presented by the speaker (known as logos) and whether the evidence seems to prove what the speaker leads the audience to think it proves. A speaker’s credibility would be examined under this canon, and though opinion based, it plays an important role in a speaker’s success.

Questions asked under the invention canon might include the following:

· How well informed is this speaker?

· Does the speaker support claims with reliable evidence that is current and from a credible source?

Arrangement allows a critic to analyze the components of a presentation to determine whether or not they accomplish what the speaker intends. For example, a strong introduction usually allows the speaker to capture the audience’s attention, to address a central message concisely, and to provide the audience with a clear sense of what path the presentation will be taking. A critic looking at arrangement would be examining the arrangement of ideas and how they contribute to the overall message the speaker intends.

Questions for this canon might include the following:

· Were things presented in a way that was easy to understand and follow?

· Do the introduction, body, and conclusion each accomplish what they should?

Style can be summarized by communication choices. A strong speaker will choose words that are appropriate for an audience’s education and experience level. Strong speakers will use words that are not interpreted as condescending or at a level too high for the audience to readily understand. The words a speaker chooses to use are vitally important in determining the ability of an audience to understand the speaker’s message.

Style questions sound similar to this:

· Did the speaker use language that the audience could understand?

· How effective was the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied the speech?

Delivery includes all of the performance skills listed previously. Delivering ideas and speaking fluently without using any vocalized pauses would fall under the delivery canon. Part of this canon would be looking not at what is communicated (the message) but how it is communicated. Use of emphasis, inflection, gestures, effective pausing, and facial expressions are part of this.

Questions of delivery would include the following:

· Did the speaker have strong eye contact?

· How at ease or interactive was the speaker with the audience?

· Do the speech and speaker appear adequately prepared and rehearsed?

As you begin to develop your speech analysis skills, consider framing them using the canons, because they enable you to analyze speeches and rhetoric on multiple levels. It is likely that you, as a speaker, excel in one or more of these areas and find one or more of them a bit challenging. The same often holds true for others, so factor that into how you formulate your criticism of others’ presentations. Also consider that the most well rounded of public speakers will have a certain amount of mastery in all four of these areas. Having this dual perspective of observing others and monitoring your own skills will help foster your growth in this course and beyond.