The document discusses the history and evolution of public speaking from early human communication through present day. It outlines key figures like Aristotle and Cicero who established foundations of public speaking. Today, public speaking remains an important life skill for communicating in various contexts like education, work, and social settings. The art of public speaking continues to evolve with changing communication technologies and contexts.

1. 1
The Evolving Art
of Public Speaking

2. Public Speaking
Here’s what Naomi, a blogger, posted…
“Everyone’s scared of public speaking, and they
still wind up finding out that this is one of the
most valuable classes you can take in college. No
matter what you do in life, you’re going to need to
communicate with others verbally, and this class is
one of the best ways to help you get over your
fears and learn”

3. Public Speaking Is
an Evolving Art
 The evolution of human communication
 Influences on public speaking today

4. Public Speaking
 A situation in which an individual speaks
to a group of people, assuming
responsibility for speaking for a defined
length of time

5. Earliest Origins
Africa/Ethiopia
Over 50,000 years ago
Hominid ancestors
were uttering sounds
Lucy is one of the most
complete skeletons found to date
from the early hominids that
flourished between 4 and 2 million
years ago. The skeleton consists
of bones from a single individual,
presumably female, who stood
well under 4 feet tall.

6. Foundations of Public Speaking
 Aristotle’s Rhetoric
 Cicero and the Five Arts
 Storytelling

7. Cicero and the Five Arts
 Invention-focuses
on what you want
to say
 Arrangement-
organize your
ideas
 Style-examines
the language that
you use
 Memory-
importance of
practicing the
speech
 Delivery-how it is
presented to the
audience

8. Storytelling
 People love to hear stories because it helps
listeners understand the world
 Narrative thinking relies on narratives, or
stories to connect self with the world
 Audience members welcome narratives in
speeches

9. Share A Story

10. Public Speaking Is a Life Skill
 Developing transferable skills
• Becoming more confident and managing
speech anxiety
• Becoming a better listener
• Adapting to different audiences and building
your credibility
• Finding and using reliable information
• Organizing ideas and information effectively
• Presenting ideas and information effectively

11. Transferable Life Skills

12. Public Speaking Is a Life Skill Cont.
 Speaking effectively in common public
communication contexts
• In classes
• In the workplace
• In communities
• At social events
• Online

13. Public Speaking and Human
Communication Today
 Contexts for human communication
• Interpersonal communication
• Small-group communication
• Organizational communication
• Mass communication
• Public communication

14. Public Speaking and Human
Communication Today Cont.
 Models of human communication
• Mass media
• Information technology
• Personal communications technology
• Face-to-face

15. The Elements of Public Speaking
 Speaker
 Message
 Channel
 Audience
 Noise
 Feedback
 Context
 Environment

16. Key Issues for Today’s Public Speaker
 Ethics
 Critical thinking
 Cultural awareness
 Using presentation software

17. Relevant Websites
 American Rhetoric
 Public speaking tips