Preparing to Speak Publicly Practice

The study guide for these practice exercises can be found at: Preparing to Speak Publicly Help.

Preparing to Speak Publicly Practice

Speaking Publicly

Directions: Fill out this questionnaire before speaking publicly:

• How many people will be in the audience?



• What do these people have in common?



• What is their age range?



• What is the occasion at which I'll be speaking?



• How much time will I have?



• Who is my contact person? How can I reach that person with questions?



Choosing A Topic

Directions: Fill out this questionnaire before choosing a topic:

• Why was I chosen to speak at this gathering?



• What knowledge do I have that will be of interest to the audience?



• How much will the audience know about this topic?



• How will the audience respond to my views on this topic?



• What type of speech will I deliver? (persuasive, informative, humorous, etc.)



Speech Setting

Directions: Fill out this questionnaire while visiting the site of your upcoming speech:

• What will be the seating arrangements? Will I have any control over this?



• What is the lighting like? Will I have any control over this?



• What visual aids will I be using? What will I need to use them? (screen, plugs, projector, etc.)



• What hostile environmental factors will I be facing? (after dinner, extraneous noise, etc.) What control will I have over these factors?



• Where will I stand when I speak? Where will I be seated beforehand? How will I walk up to the podium?