A Student Workbook for Public Speaking

Speak From the Heart

A Student Workbook for Public Speaking: Speak from the Heart asks students to think critically about the speech-making process while building their mastery of the fundamental practical skills of public speaking through a series of exercises and activities. Nineteen brief chapters cover the essentials of public speaking including selecting a topic, researching your topic, organizing your topic, overcoming speech anxiety, and delivering informative, persuasive, and special occasion speeches. Each chapter includes a concise introduction to the most important skills and concepts related to each chapter topic, and offers opportunities for critical reflection on how to use each aspect of public speaking appropriately and effectively. Each chapter is paired with an activity, checklist, or worksheet that students may use to develop their speeches, assess their performance, and chart their progress in becoming competent public speakers.

One consequence of recognizing that public speaking is dialogic—even if its
dialogic character is not immediately obvious—is the attention this draws to our
mutual responsibility for one another as speakers and listeners. This includes
some ...