1. The document discusses various topics related to communication and public speaking, including different forms of communication, characteristics of public speaking, context and goals of speeches, benefits of public speaking skills, and challenges of public speaking compared to other forms of communication. 2. It provides information on active listening, including defining listening, relationships between listeners and speakers, obstacles to active listening, and strategies to become a more active listener such as setting goals and focusing on the speaker's main ideas. 3. The document poses discussion questions about concepts like listening, critical thinking, evaluating speeches, and strategies for active listening. It suggests considering the speaker, message, audience, and purpose when

1. ENG366 ADVANCED
PRESENTATION SKILLS
WEEK 1 SESSION 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE
COURSE
Dr. Russell Rodrigo

2. ●Communication is a dynamic process that
takes place around us all the time. In fact we
spend 70% of our time receiving and sending
messages.
●The origin of the word “communication” is
“communicare” or “communis” which means
“to impart”,“to participate”,“to share” or “to
make common.”The sense of sharing is
inherent in the very origin and meaning of
“communication.”

3. Communication is often described as according to the number of
people involved. Communication scholars typically identify four
forms of communication.
1. Dyadic Communication occurs between two people.
2. Small group communication involves a small number of
people who can see and speak to one another.
3. Mass Communication is a form of speech in which the
receivers of the message are not present or are part of such an
immense crowd that there can be no interaction between
speaker and listener.
4. Public speaking occurs when a speaker delivers a message
with a specific purpose to an audience of people who are
present at the deliver of the speech.

4. Public speaking shares many characteristics with other forms of communication,
including the following:
1. Sensitivity to listeners
2. Organization of the message
3. Believability
4. Relevance
5. Interesting
6. Speaker’s knowledge, unbiased, clarity

5. 1. Context - includes anything that influences the
speaker, the audience, the speech, the occasion, or
the situation.
○ For example, speech assignment, previous
performance, physical setting, the order in which
speeches are given, the quality of other speakers’
presentations, and recent events on campus or in the
outside world.
2. Goals - A clearly defined goal is a prerequisite for an
effective speech.
3. Outcome - A speech is not truly complete until its
effects have been assessed.

6. 1. Speakers become more knowledgeable people as they learn
about the craft of constructing speech or presentations and
become exposed to a wide variety of topics to speak about.
2. It allows people to hone critical thinking and listening skills
a. Speakers learn to evaluate claims and logic.
b. Listeners learn to evaluate speaker’s credibility and
trustworthiness, as well as the logic and truthfulness of
messages.
3. Public speaking skills will enhance careers.The same skills
necessary for delivering a public speech are useful in writing
and composition.
4. Public speaking allows individuals to realize personal and
professional goals. In particular, oral communication is the top
skill that employers look for when deciding to hire graduates.
5. By encouraging civil dialogue, public speeches allow
speakers and listeners to explore and share values.

7. 1.Opportunities for feedback are more limited than in dyadic
or small group communication, but greater than those
provided by mass communication
2.Because of feedback limitations in public situations,
preparation must be more careful and extensive.
3.Public speaking is often more formal than other forms of
communication.

8. 1. The source is the person who creates and delivers a message through a process called
encoding.
2. The receiver is the recipient of the sources’ message.The receiver interpret the message
through a process called decoding.
3. The message is the content of the communication process. It is thoughts and ideas put
into meaningful expression.
4. The channel is the medium through which the speaker sends a message.
5. Noise is physical, psychological, emotional, or environmental interference that serves as
a barrier to effective communication.
6. Shared meaning is the mutual understanding of a message between speaker and
audience.The creation of shared meaning is the primary purpose of communicating.

9. Discussion Questions
1. What is listening and why is it important?
2. What is the relationship between listeners and speakers?
3. What are the major obstacles to active listening?
4. What steps can you take to become a more active listener?
5. What is critical thinking, and how does it relate to active
listening?
6. What do you need to consider as an evaluator of speeches,
and what are the some key points to consider when
evaluating speeches?
7. What are the strategies for active listening?

10. Discussion Questions
1.What is listening and why is it important?
● Rather than being a reflexive response, listening is a complex, learned behavior. Listening is the process of
recognizing, understanding, and accurately interpreting the messages communicated by others.
2.What is the relationship between listeners and speakers?
● Listeners and speakers participate together in co-creating meaning.This is seen in the circular response, or
the way that both speakers and listeners adjust their reactions based on each other’s cues.
3.What are the major obstacles to active listening?
● Obstacles to active listening include cultural barriers; environmental, emotional, and physiological
distractions; daydreaming; scriptwriting and defensive listening; and laziness and overconfidence.
4.What steps can you take to become a more active listener?
● Monitor your listening to avoid the poor listening habits noted above. As you listen, do so consciously and try
to apply these steps: set listening goals; focus listening efforts; concentrate; watch for the speaker’ s
nonverbal cues; listen for the speaker’ s thesis, or main point; and evaluate the speaker’s evidence.

11. 6.What is critical thinking, and how does it relate to active listening?
● Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate claims on the basis of well-supported reasons. It involves
both a set of skills and the willingness to use these skills in the service of objective judgment.
● Critical thinkers evaluate evidence; analyze assumptions and biases; resist false dilemmas,
overgeneralizations, and either-or thinking; identify contradictions; consider multiple perspectives;
and summarize and judge. Critical thinking goes hand in hand with active listening.
7.What do you need to consider as an evaluator of speeches, and what are the some key points to
consider when evaluating speeches?
● Try to be honest and fair in your evaluation. Adjust to the speaker’s style.When you offer criticism,
try to be compassionate and constructive. Say something positive. Focus on the speech, not on the
speaker. Keep your criticisms specific.

12. A.To become an active listener, people should set listening
goals, listen for the speaker’s main ideas, and watch for the
speaker’s nonverbal cues.
B. Set listening goals by identifying needs, indicating
performance standards, thinking of an action statement, and
assessing goal achievement.
C.Listening for main ideas involves listening for the
organizational pattern, introduction, transitions, and
conclusion.Taking notes and watching for a direct eye gaze
from the speaker are also important steps that should be taken
by active listeners.
D.Watching for nonverbal cues as an active listener involves
“listening” with your eyes. Speakers give important messages
and add clarity to the words they use through nonverbal
communication

13. 1. Circular response —a process of constant feedback in which speakers continually adjust their
remarks based on their listeners’ reactions, and vice versa.
2. Listening—the process of recognizing, understanding, and accurately interpreting the messages
communicated by others.
3. Selective perception —the process by which people pay attention to certain messages and ignore
others.
4. Message-perception gap —misunderstandings that arise between a speaker and a listener because
each person’s knowledge base and life experience are unique and no two people interpret a message
in exactly the same way.
5. Active listening —focused, purposeful listening that involves a multi-step process of gathering and
evaluating information.
6. Defensive listening —“closed” listening in which the listener blocks out certain messages that may
challenge his or her attitudes or opinions.
7. Critical thinking —the ability to evaluate claims on the basis of well-supported reasons; involves a set
of skills and the willingness to use those skills in the service of objective judgment.

15. Answer the following questions after listening to the story:
1. What time did the man come out of the bar?
2. Which man had been drinking?
3. Who started the fight? Who shoved whom first?
4. What were the two men arguing about?
5. Who had the heart attack?
6. How long was it before the policeman broke up the fight? (Was the uniformed
person a man?
7. Who administered first aid?
8. Where did the incident occur?
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16. Answer the following questions after listening to the story:
1. What time did the man come out of the bar?
2. Which man had been drinking?
3. Who started the fight? Who shoved whom first?
4. What were the two men arguing about?
5. Who had the heart attack?
6. How long was it before the policeman broke up the fight? (Was the uniformed person a man?
7. Who administered first aid?
8. Where did the incident occur?
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5:00 p.m.
The man who came out of the bar.
The second man who inquired.
Not given
A spectator
15 minutes later, not specified
A person in uniform
At the corner of Washington and Jefferson Streets

17. SEMANTIC BARRIERS TO LISTENING

18. Below is a list of words to which some people may have strong
reactions. In the space provided, indicate your own reaction to
or first impression of each of those words or phrases. Record
your first response; work through your list quickly. Use the
following scale: 5 (highly favorable), 4 (favorable), 3, (neutral),
2 unfavorable, or 1 (highly unfavorable).
_______ animal rights
_______College tuition
_______ Capitalism
_______ Gun Control
_______ Pornography
_______Violence on TV
_______ Illegal Alien
_______ Racism
_______ Religion
_______ LGBT
Discussion:
1. To what extent do you think your reaction to each of those
phrases would affect your ability to concentrate fully and listen
actively to a speaker’s message?
2. In other words, based on your varied emotional responses to
these phrases, how would each phrase tend to distract or assist
you in listening actively to a speech on that topic?
3. What other words or phrases could a speaker use to replace or
neutralize those phrases?
4. List alternatives to each phrase.

19. IDENTIFYING
PUBLIC
SPEAKERS
●Watch a video, then analyze why the speaker has engaged in
public speaking.
●This source can be someone in the news, politics, or business
(public figure), or a celebrity giving a speech, or even a clip
from a sitcom or movie.
●Answer the following questions:
1. Who is the speaker and what is the topic he/she is
speaking about?
2. Is the speaker effective or ineffective? List the specific
qualities that make the speaker good or bad.
3. What are the benefits of the speaker’s speech?
4. What, if any, speech mannerisms do you find particularly
annoying about the speaker?
5. What speech mannerisms do you engage in that others
may find annoying?

20. WATCH THE VIDEO AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. Why is Storytelling so powerful?
2. And how do we use it to our
advantage?
3. What is the greatest emotional
investment?
4. What is functional story telling?
5. What are the angel cocktails
mentioned by the speaker? Explain
each of them.
6. What are the devil’s cocktails?
7. In whatever character you build, what
should you create?
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21. ASSIGNMENT 1: SELF
INTRODUCTION
●Self introduction speech (video)
●Length: 1 minute
●Post your video on Blackboard.
●Comment to at least 3 other posts to get a
full mark.
●Due:Thursday, 11:59 p.m.