Fatmi Abderrahim

Prof. H. Kably

Public Speaking (MA in Communication, Culture and Translation)

December 15th, 2018

In his book, ‘‘A Handbook of Public Speaking’’, Richard Letteri presents the topic of

public speaking by merging the techniques of classical rhetoric with those of contemporary public

speaking and rhetorical theory with the aim of arming students with the ability to think critically

and speak eloquently.

To that end, the first chapter of the book, labelled ‘Research’, focuses on such issues as

critical thinking and listening, audience analysis, topic selection, electronic and traditional

research, source credibility as well as principles of interviewing.

Thinking and listening critically entail evaluating the information, reasoning, appeals, how

the text is organized and how the language is used in a given speech. Additionally, being a critical

listener and thinker helps you comprehend and evaluate the meaning of the speaker’s message.

First and for most, focus on the message; that is focus on what is said and how it is said without

letting exterior noise distract your attention. Second, adopt a positive attitude and set aside any

presuppositions about the subject even if you might disagree with the speaker on certain points.

Third, assess the evidence by focusing on the thesis statement and the main parts of the speech.

Fourth, pay attention to the language use, the manner of delivery and the purpose of the speech

whether it is informative, persuasive and or ceremonial, etc. Finally, reflect on how the speech

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affects your previous knowledge about the topic and whether it adds or change your feelings

towards it.

Analyzing the audience means learning about their interests, educational backgrounds,

attitudes of the audience and how these components affect how they react to your speech. Amongst

the pros of audience analysis is that it helps you anticipate the reaction they might have for your

speech and also it will make your speech more appealing to them. However, an audience with

different cultural backgrounds, for instance, is hard to analyze and if you fail to fairly analyze

them, you might offend a particular group or favor one side over the other. When delivering a

speech, one has to bear in mind two types of audience; an ideal, universal and a general public

type of audience. As for the ideal audience, everting is in order; they are willing to listen to you

and let you convince them. They are cooperative, democratic and they strive for balance and

finding a common ground for diverse cultures. Conversely, the general public audience shares the

values of the social setting they live in. By possessing such information about the audience,

speakers could determine how their audience differs from the general public and thus discuss the

things they are most interested in. Moreover, to analyze an audience one has to focus on the

demographic information such as age, gender, race, income, education and so on. Polls and surveys

can help provide such critical information to better understand the nature of an audience. One can

also develop a psychological profile of their audience by interviewing potential audience members

which can help in knowing the values, beliefs and the attitudes they might have and the reason for

holding such convictions. values are those religious, political, economic and social principles that

people hold dear. Beliefs are judgments, ideas and opinions that people have on a subject. As for

attitudes, they are feelings, preferences and or tastes that show whether we like or dislike certain

things. They are based on deep convictions, intuition or incidental events. Furthermore, speakers

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should be aware of the different cultural, racial, ethnic groups and how the speech may affect them.

Instead of focusing on each cultural group and its cultural characteristics, speakers should try

deliver their speeches in a way that encompasses all the various cultural groups listening. This

way, you can avoid favoring one side over another and most importantly avoiding ethnocentrism.

Last but least, consider where the audience gets their information from and what sources they

depend on for evidence because that will help in figuring out the way they perceive the world

around them.

The process of topic selection is based on how relevant and important the topic is for you

and for the audience as well. Brainstorming is the best way to gather ideas on topics that interest

you and that you would like to learn more about. Try to work on narrowing broad topics to be

more specific and to fit the time frame of your speech. Sometimes, the purpose of the speech gives

an idea on which topics to consider when trying to choose a given topic. Whether informative,

demonstrative or persuasive your topic has to best fit your speech purpose. After choosing a topic,

bear in mind the criteria of time, setting, mode of delivery and audience attitudes just in case you

needed to modify your topic to fit the speaking situation.

Researching the topic starts from general background material to more specific resources.

To succeed in this process, make a list of key terms to help gather information on your topic. You

can utilize the journalistic technique of asking about the who, what, where, when, why, and how.

For general information, you could consult encyclopedias, almanacs, books, etc. You could also

consider statistical abstracts which may provide additional information on your topic and you may

ask the librarian for help as well. Use the library’s catalogues to search its holdings by typing the

name of authors, titles of books and sometimes the publishing houses as well. Another way is to

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use the library’s databases to look for articles published in newspapers, periodicals, academic

journals or even government documents. Also, the internet gives you access to wide and unlimited

sources which are mostly up-to-date information concerning your topic. Interviews offer a chance

to collect unpublished and personal information. You could interview government officials,

scholars, experts, administrators and or witnesses who can provide testimonies not found

elsewhere. Be prepared for the interview so that you show your knowledge on the subject at hand.

Contact the interviewee beforehand so you can explain your purpose and what the topic of

discussion is. Avoid questions that limit the interviewee’s response; rather ask open-ended

questions that give interviewee a chance to express themselves and not just confirm your beliefs

by responding to yes / no questions. Organize your questions in a sequence starting by the

important questions which in turn allows the interviewee to discuss the topic in logical manner.

Take notes and record quotations that you might need later. Pay heed to the interviewee’s non-

verbal cues so that you avoid any misunderstanding or confusion. In the same respect, don’t be

confrontational and ask critical questions right from the start. At the end, check the interviewee’s

statements for accuracy by maintaining a critical perspective on his or her comments.

There are plenty of sources to consider when researching for a topic either by using the

internet or printed materials. These sources include newspapers, periodicals, encyclopedias,

bibliographies, almanacs, books of quotations, dictionaries, government documents and indexes

and databases. The last bit in the process of research is evaluating your sources. Are they credible?

Are they authorities in their fields? Are they affiliated with any credible university or college?

Such questions and others help check the credibility and integrity of your chosen sources. When

evaluating, take a closer look and see if you can expose any biases, presuppositions or faulty

evidence in a given source. Political agendas, personal or political biases are all instances of deceit

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and flawed material. Double check information especially those found in websites for there are

many groups with ideological inclinations that try to alter and change facts to serve their interests.

The chapter offers an array of guidelines, techniques and strategies concerned with research

as the first step to speaking effectively and eloquently. Of course, the author doesn’t claim that

these guidelines are to be followed to the letter but are here to help whoever wants to conduct

research in public speaking. The stress is always on the process of public speaking by showing the

reader ways to develop their critical thinking and their listening abilities as well. Once achieved

these abilities will help the speakers in selecting what is best for his or her interest and not just

absorb everything their come across. Techniques of analyzing the audience and selecting the topic

are also detailed and show depth for the author includes every possible detail that students might

encounter when preparing for a speech. Last but not least, the principles of interviewing provide

the reader with techniques to conduct professional and well-organized interviews. Design wise,

the chapter is written in a clear format that enables students to read it with great ease.