Com 201 midterm

vocalized pauses

"ah," "um," "you know," and other verbal fillers that speakers use when they're trying to think of what they want to say

General observations about contrilling speech anxiety

1. A SPEECH IS NOT A PERFORMANCE. Many people get nervous because they think that they are "performing." You are simply talking to other people, something that you have done your entire life. 2. AN ENERGY RUSH IS NATURAL. Nervousness is a natural human reaction to the speaking situation. It is the body's way of getting you pumped up to go out and do something important. Take comfort in the fact that it is natural reaction that you share with almost everyone. 75% of people are nervous about giving speeches. 3. ENERGY IS YOUR FRIEND - USE IT. Lack of nervousness could actually be worse. It might mean that you had no concern for the audience and your performance. Generally your nervousness is a sign of your desire to do well. As long as you channel it in the proper direction and don't allow it to overpower your performance, nervousness actually IMPROVES your efforts - it can lend force, vitality, and enthusiasm to your speaking. Harness your nervous energy; turn it into an asset rather than a liability. As Emerson said, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. 4. WORDS HAVE POWER. Your normal reaction is nervousness only if you label it as such. Put a positive spin on what is happening; it is "extra energy" that your body is providing to help you. 5. YOU NEVER APPEAR AS ANXIOUS AS YOU FEEL. Studies show that the audience never thinks that the speaker is as nervous as the speaker thinks that he or she is. 6. AUDIENCES DON'T MIND ANXIETY. Studies also show that audiences react positively to a moderate level of tension in a speaker because it shows that he or she CARES about what they are doing. 7. DON'T AIM FOR PERFECTION. One problem that many people have is that they aim for perfection and then fall apart when they can't achieve it. PERFECTION IS IMPOSSIBLE. Your goal should be to do a decent, effective job. Forgive yourself when things go wrong - the audience will forgive you if you keep your poise and keep trying. 8. YOU ONLY CONQUER ANXIETY BY CONFRONTING IT. The best way to conquer your fear of speaking is to speak. You must count to three and jump in, because if you don't do it soon, you may never do it. There is no easy way - as the poet Robert Frost wrote "The only way around is through." 9. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO SPEAK OUT. We owe it to ourselves and the people around us to speak up when we have something to say. Self-expression is satisfying and an important part of our self-esteem, and our insight might provide a needed spark to group problem-solving.

Characteristics of an effective speaker

1. Are confident enough to communicate in an effective manner without obvious stress. 2. Speak knowledgeably. - know what they are saying. 3. Are flexible - adapt to situations & other people; pay attention to the reactions of others. 4. Are sincere - care about the message & the people with whom they communicate. 5. Organize ideas effectively. 6. Use language effectively (right word at the right time) and interestingly. Explanations are crystal clear. 7. Use their voice in an interesting, lively manner and maintain the proper tone of voice. 8. Use appropriate body language, especially facial expression. 9. Show respect for others - don't put others down, don't waste time, explain carefully for everyone, etc. 10. Learn from each of their speaking experiences and also learn by carefully observing other speakers. 11. Are ethical.

Speech anxiety strategies for immediately before you speak

1. Divert your attention away from negative thoughts in one of two ways: ​a) Focus on the task at hand. Don't give negative thoughts an opening to sneak in. Mentally rehearse what you are about to do, visualizing positive results. ​b) Thinking pleasant thoughts - remember happy moments; or the speeches or program that occurs before your speech; maybe even pretend you aren't giving a speech on that occasion (until it is close to time to present - then get mentally ready, thinking positive thoughts.). 2. Use relaxation techniques - yawning, meditating or visualizing, muscle relaxing, etc. 3. Make yourself breathe normally. Sometimes under stress we forget to exhale properly. 4. Adopt a positive attitude toward the audience. Think of them as friends or potential friends. 5. Put a positive slant on your body's reaction. Expect the increased respiration and heartbeat - reat it as a normal reaction that will actually help you be more energetic and powerful. 6. Approach your audience with confidence. Act confident, even though your knees may be shaking. Actors know that if you act a part, you soon feel what you are role-playing.

Ethical Speakers

1. Do your own work- Do your own work. 2.Cite your sources- Give credit where credit is due. 3.Be Prepared-Take steps to be comfortable with the content of your speech. 4.Believe in your message- A strong belief in your message will help you to connect your audience with your message. 5.Remember to respect the thoughts of others- Be willing to listen to the opinion of other people. 6.Be truthful- Be truthful 7.Have an honorable goal- Make sure that you are presenting the speech for the right reasons. 8.Remember your audience-Be aware of the views of your adience, not just yours. 9.Initial credibility-Refers to the level of credibility a speaker had before the speech begins 10.Derived credibility-Refers to the speakers credibility during the speech. 11.Terminal credibility-Refers to the speakers crediblity at the end of the speech.

Factors of effective body lanuage use

1. Facial expression should change frequently and be appropriate to message. 2. Gesture naturally, smoothly, and frequently. 3. Standing posture should be straight and relaxed; don't shift weight or fidget. 4. Move purposely and smoothly. 5. Have maximum eye contact (at least 75% of the time) 6. Keep hands away from face (ignore itches; don't rub chin, etc.) and keep hair out of face.

Long Term strategies for handling speech anxiety

1. Gradually make yourself speak out more and more in situations where you used to remain silent but wanted to speak. Reward yourself each time you do so. 2. Be your own best friend. Build your self-esteem & don't be hypercritical of yourself - have an "I can do it attitude." 3. Visualize success as you prepare. Project the entire situation and see yourself succeeding each time. Find suggestions for this at http://www.ehow.com/how_2289881_visualization-reduce-anxiety-increase-relaxation.html. 4. Thoroughly prepare. Advance preparation & simulated practice will make you feel more comfortable when speaking. The more you prepare in advance & practice, the more comfortable you will feel when you say the speech.

Factors of effective voice use

1. Have a pleasant variety in your rate-tempo-pace - have an effective pace and change speed to help convey your ​message - speed up, slow down, use pauses; don't have predictable patterns. 2. Have a pleasant variety in pitch - do not speak in a monotone (unchanging pitch; no expressiveness). 3. Stress or emphasize key sounds, words, and sentences using changes in volume, pitch, and rate. 4. Together, 1, 2, and 3, create the critically important delivery element known as vocal variety. 5. Have enough volume to be easily heard and to show your self-confidence. Don't let volume tail off at times. 6. Use proper pronunciation and clear articulation (speaking clearly, correctly, and crisply; no mumbling) 7. Speak with fluency -(have a smooth, pleasing rhythm of speech without awkward pauses). 8. Avoid VOCALIZED PAUSES (making sounds during pauses, like uh's, um's, OK, etc.) 9. Tone of voice must reinforce your verbal expression; be warm, friendly, & sincere. 10. Sound spontaneous - Never sound mechanical or tired or like you are reading (even if you are); be fresh, natural, and creative. Practice out loud saying it differently each time you say it. Consultant Peter Drucker says, "Spontaneity is an infinite number of rehearsed possibilities."

Listening chapter

1. Hearing- is often referred to as a physiological dimension of listening. This is when the sound waves actually hit your ear drum. 2.Attending- is the filtering step. One must filter out the other messages and noises in order to pay attention to the message at hand. 3.Understanding is the interpretation step. In this step we assign meaning to what we just heard. 4.Responding is the feedback step. This is where you would provide feedback to the source to let them know if you understand what you heard. 5. Remembering is simply the ability to recall what you heard.

Attention-Getter Examples:

1. Illustrations- stories that help the audience visualize the subject 2. Quotations-using the thoughts of others to establish a context 3.Startling fact or statement-catching the audience off-guard so that they will want to learn why you made the statement 4.Reference to a recent event- using items from the media or current events 5.Personal reference- telling the audience why you've become personally involved in the subject matter 6. Reference to the occsion-tying the message of the speech to the reason the audience is gathered together 7.Reference to the other speeches-finding a connection between the previous speeches and your speech. 8. Rhetorical question- asking the audience a question specifically designed to get them to think about a subject. 9. Humor- joke or humorous observation revelent to the topic. 10.Imaginary scenario or fable- creative story to make a point 11. State importance or subject- creatively explain to the audience how important subject is to them or to society using your ability to compose interesting thoughts.

General speech outline

1. Introduction- designed to help speaker perpare the audience for the message; 5 parts of intro- An attention-getter, audience link,speaker credibility link, theis statement, preview statement. 2. Body- a speech should be divided in into 2-5 main points, the major divisions of your speech. 3. Conclusion- should include a transition, restate your thesis and summarize your main points. 3a. informative speeches- 1. Invite the audience to use the information. [Maybe make it a challenge - this could also be your clincher] 2. You might tell them how to get more information on subject. 3b. Persuasive speeches- 1. If proposing a program or course of action, visualize the results of what you propose 2. Tell the audience what you want them to do. Invite SPECIFIC and IMMEDIATE action. Clincher- a strong, memorable closing statement.

Effictive speech language use

1. Keep wording short and simple. 2. Use concrete, specific words. 3. Avoid clichés and slang. 4. Restate ideas (using different wording).​ 5. Remove unnecessary words - simplify. 6. Have variety - don't overuse certain words and phrases. 7. Use figures of speech (exaggerations, untrue comparisons or creative word use for style and/or emphasis) a. Simile - an untrue comparison in a phrase using "like" or "as" - "He acts like a snake" b. Metaphor - an untrue comparison used for style & emphasis - "The chains of injustice" c. Personification - giving human traits to something nonhuman - "My dog laughed at me" d. Allusion- a reference to a person, place, or event in history, mythology, art, sport, music, etc. (She had the ​patience of Job; he met his Waterloo; she had Herculean strength) e. Hyperbole - a large exaggeration ("my backpack weighed a ton") 8. Be careful about connotations (hurtful words) 9. Avoid euphemisms and use strong language ethically. 10. Avoid extreme language when speaking (every, everyone, all, no one, etc.). When a student in this class a few semesters ago said "every women who ever had an abortion later regretted that decision," she lost credibility - that claim is not supported by the facts or even common sense (a sociopath who had an abortion ​later regretted it?). Use moderate language, including qualifiers (few, some, many, most, etc.). 11. Try to achieve a personal style.

Differences between oral and written language use

1. More focused on the audience than is the written style. 2.Less formal than written style. 3. More repetitious than written style. 4. Oral language is often interactive and inclusive that written language. 5.Oral communicators may use more tansitions and signposts such as(first, second)

General observations about pubilc speaking

1. Public speaking does not require you learn difficult new communication skills-instead, it requires you to adapt skills that you mastered years ago to a different communication situation. 2. Remember to be yourself-Be your best self,challenge yourself to expand your skills and reach your potential as a communicator when giving a speech. 3. Public speaking is based on common sense 4. Circumvent Murphy's Law - we want to prevent things from going wrong in a speech and to be ready if they do. 5. In oral speech, speakers must always over-explain what they are saying in subtle, creative, and interesting way to make certain that everyone understands what is said. 6. We want to prepare carefully, but to sound fresh & spontaneous, with a natural & interesting flow of ideas. 7. We should always remember that what is important is not what you say, but what your audience hears. 8. PERCEPTION IS REALITY IN COMMUNICATION- If the audience thinks that we are incompetent or unfriendly acting superior, then our message will suffer, even if we think that we are competent and friendly.

General delivery goals

1. Show poise (composure and confidence) - look self-confident and controlled whether you feel it or not 2. Have an appropriate attitude - enthusiastic about what you are doing, concerned about the problem, interested ​in your audience, etc. 3. Build a rapport (harmonious feelings) with your audience through appealing vocal and physical delivery as well as ​appropriate language and supporting material. 4. Establish credibility (convincing, believable, and trustworthy) by your appearance, delivery, and content. 5. Be aware of proxemics - the effect of space on communication. Don't stand too far away (it seems strange and ​impersonal) but don't get too close either (makes some people uncomfortable). 6. Think about your appearance - does your appearance and grooming say the right thing about you. KEEP HAIR ​OUT OF YOUR FACE. Think about clothing choices (cleavage and skirt length in a speech in which you bend ​over to pick up, or demonstrate something, e.g.).

Specific types of nonverbal communication and sentences that follow them.

1. Voice Use (paralanguage - sarcasm, fear, anger, etc.)​6. Appearance (neat, sloppy) ​2. Facial expression (smiling, frowning)​ 7. Distance (close to audience) ​3. Eye behavior (eye contact, expression) ​8. Objects (visual aids, handouts) ​4. Gestures (OK sign, shrugging shoulders, etc.)​ 9. Time (prompt, brief) ​5. Posture/movement (forceful, awkward)​ 10. Touch (handshakes)

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

rhetorical question

A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected.

Communication meaning and measure of communication success

COMMUNICATION IS THE SHARING OF MEANINGS Communication is a success only if messages are understood that way that they are meant to be understood.

Communication model explanation and be able to fill in the comuncaiton model.

Communication model explanation: ENVIRONMENT (communication situation; context) - time, place, & receiver attitudes. CHANNEL - the method by which communicators connect (sound, sight, etc.) SOURCE (sender) - someone who intentionally or unintentionally sends a message. RECEIVER - the person for whom a message is intended or any other observer of the message. ENCODING - the conscious or unconscious selection of symbols (words, tone of voice, facial expression, etc. to convey (carry) a message. MESSAGE - thought or feeling intentionally or unintentionally communicated. DECODING - the attempt to understand the message. FEEDBACK - conscious or unconscious reaction of the receiver to the message. NOISE (interference) - Anything that prevents accurate communication. It could be a problem with the speaker, the receiver, or the communication situation. Communication Model Fill in : STUDY ON ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER.

Benefits of training (employment, empowerment)

Employment-communication education develops the whole person, improves the work of education, advances the interests of society, bridges cultural differences, and advances careers and the work of business. Empowerment-when i skill is learned one context such as self confidence this skill also applies to all other aspects speaking in life.

Empowermeant

Giving yourself more tools to help acheive your personal, familial, social and Professional goals.

Imprtance of oral communication skills

Having good communication skills differtiate you from most peers and position you for success in whatever endeavor or career path that you pursue.

positive, negative feedback

Positive- shows the message has been received in the way the speaker wanted( smile, nod, etc) Negative-shoes that message has failed(frown, shaking head)

Responding(listening)

Provide feed back to the source to let them know if you understand what you heard

Restatement of Thesis

Putting the thesis statement in different words in the concluding paragraph of an essay

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Communication

The Sharing of meaninings

decoding

The attempt to understand the message

Encoding

The conscious or unconscious selection or symbols(words, tone of voice, facial expression, etc) to convey a message.

channel

The method by which commuicators connect

Feedback explanations

The receiver's reaction to the message. Feedback is how senders determine communication accuracy; it's the only way to check understanding. It is anything that says meanings have been shared or that meanings are being missed. Therefore, senders must be open to feedback to see how well they are communicating, and to know if further action or explanation is needed.

tone of voice

The way words are spoken to convey emotion

Verbal messages explanations

The words chosen for a message affect its success greatly; choose words that the receivers will understand and will not resent. You speak one way with adults and another way with children. Experts in a field must be careful when speaking to non-experts.

Verbal and nonverbal messages

Verbal messages are contained in words non verbal messages are communicated through facial expressions and tone of voice, gestures(anything but words)

Messages- verbal and nonverbalm messages

Verbal messages-are contiained in words. Non verbal messages-are communicated through facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures,etc.

Rapport

a close and harmonious relationship

Euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

monotone

a speech in which every word has one tone of voice

internal preview

a statement in the body of the speech that lets the audience know what the speaker is going to discuss next

internal summary

a statement in the body of the speech that summarizes the speaker's preceding point or points

thesis statement

a statement or sentence that states the purpose of a paper or essay

Pitch

a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency

signpost

a very brief statement that indicates where a speaker is in the speech or that focuses attention on key ideas

cliche

an overused expression

vocal variety

changes in a speaker's rate, pitch, and volume that give the voice variety and expressiveness

Antithesis (contrast)

comparing opposites for emphasis or clarification

Types of Listening

comperhensive-takes place when the listener is concenterating on learning from the speaker critical-focuses on taking the message and actively thinking about how to apply that information. Empathic-Primary objective is to provide emotinal support for the speaker. Entertainment- is listening for fun.

feedback

conscious or unconscious reaction of the receiver to the message.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Interference/ noise

external noise-occurs in the phsical environment of the communication. Physiological noise- occurs within the body and refers to physical distractions Psychological noise- occurs within the mind and can be quite difficult to control.

Attending(listening)

giving undivided attention by means of verbal and non-verbal behavior.

Poise

great coolness and composure under strain

Speaking rate/tempo/pace

have an effective pace and change speed to help convey your message-speed up, slow down, use pauses; don't have predictable patterns.

Understatement

intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is

attention getter

part of the introduction of an essay that hooks the reader

preview

read labels of your main points in the speech

Alliusion

reference to a statement, a person, a place, or an event from literature, history, religion, mythology, pollitics, sports, science, or pop culture.

Denotation

refers to the literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Repetition

reiteration of the same word or set of words at the beginning or end of successive clauses or sentences

motivation statement

relate the topic to the audience

Fluency

smoothness of speech

source/sender

someone who intentionally or unintentionally sends a message

Jargon

special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.

credibility statement

statement made to the audience that explains why the speaker is interested in, has personal experience or connection with, or shows expertise about the topic

clincher

strong, memorable closing statement

Communication success

successful only if messages are understood the way that they were meant to be understood.

Articulation

the clear and precise pronunciation of words

Connotation

the feelings associated with a word

Receiver

the person for whom the message is intended or any other observer of the message.

Credibility

the quality of being trusted and believed in

stress

the reaction of the body and mind to everyday challenges and demands

kinesics

the study of the body language as a system of communication.

message

though or feeling intentionally or unintentionally communicated.

environment communication situation/ context

time, place, and receiver attitudes

Proxemics

use of space

trasition

words and phrases which indicate the author is moving to another topic

loaded language

words with strongly positive or negative connotations

General principles of effective speech language use

​I. Appropriate language. Not every word or every way of saying something is equally appropriate for every communication situation. The language should be appropriate to the listeners (strangers vs friends, etc.), the occasion (formal, serious, social, etc.), and your subject matter (complicated, simple, etc.). EVERYTHING DONE AND SAID IN A SPEECH MUST BE APPROPRIATE TO THE AUDIENCE AND THE OCCASION.