Public Speaking Delivery and Performance Syllabus

What is the single most effective replacement for a filler word?

A silent pause. Pausing instead of saying 'um' sounds confident and thoughtful, gives the speaker time to think, and gives the audience time to absorb the message.

Describe a practical three-step process for eliminating filler words.

1) Build awareness — record yourself or have a listener count your fillers to learn your patterns; 2) Substitute — train yourself to pause silently where fillers would occur, especially at transitions; 3) Practice slowly — a slower, deliberate rate with planned pauses reduces the mental scramble that produces fillers.

At what points in a sentence or speech do filler words most commonly appear?

At transitions — the start of a sentence or thought, between main points, and whenever the speaker is deciding what to say next. Knowing this lets speakers plan pauses at those exact moments.

What proportion of a spoken message's impact is often attributed to nonverbal channels, according to Mehrabian's classic (and often misapplied) findings?

Mehrabian's studies on communicating feelings/attitudes found roughly 55% body language, 38% tone of voice, and only 7% words. Caveat: this applies to messages about feelings and attitudes when channels conflict, not to all communication.

Describe a confident, neutral 'home base' posture and stance for a speaker.

Stand tall with feet about shoulder-width apart, weight balanced evenly on both feet, shoulders back and relaxed, head level, and hands relaxed at your sides or at waist level ready to gesture — no swaying, leaning on the lectern, or shifting weight.

What makes a gesture effective in public speaking? List three qualities.

Effective gestures are 1) purposeful — they reinforce or illustrate the message rather than being random, 2) natural and varied — not repetitive or mechanical, and 3) visible and appropriately sized — larger for big rooms, above the waist, and open-palmed.

Name four distracting body-language habits speakers should eliminate.

Common offenders: swaying or rocking, pacing without purpose, fidgeting (playing with hair, pen, notes, or jewelry), hands locked in pockets or crossed arms, gripping the lectern, and jingling keys or coins.

What do crossed arms, hands in pockets, or hiding behind a lectern typically communicate to an audience?

Closed or defensive body language — it signals nervousness, disinterest, or distance and reduces the speaker's perceived openness, confidence, and credibility.

Why is eye contact considered one of the most important delivery skills?

It creates a personal connection with listeners, signals honesty and confidence, holds audience attention, and lets the speaker read audience feedback (confusion, boredom, agreement) in real time.

Describe the recommended technique for making eye contact with a large audience.

Divide the room into zones (e.g., left, center, right; front and back) and rotate your gaze among them, holding eye contact with one individual per zone for a complete thought (roughly 3–5 seconds) before moving on, so every section feels addressed.

Roughly what share of speaking time should be spent making eye contact with the audience in most Western contexts?

A common guideline is to maintain eye contact for the large majority of your speech — often cited as at least 80–90% of the time — glancing at notes only briefly.

What eye-contact mistakes weaken a speaker's connection with the audience?

Reading continuously from notes or slides, staring at the floor, ceiling, or back wall, scanning too fast (darting eyes), locking onto only one person or one friendly section, and turning your back to read the screen.

How should facial expression function during a speech?

Facial expressions should match and reinforce the content — smiling with warm or positive material, showing seriousness with grave points — because a mismatched or frozen 'deadpan' face confuses the audience and drains the message of emotion.

Why is a genuine smile especially valuable at the start of a speech?

It signals warmth, confidence, and friendliness, builds immediate rapport, makes the speaker appear likable and relaxed, and often triggers a positive mirrored response in the audience.

What does 'energy' mean in delivery, and what is the common guideline about projecting it on stage?

Energy is the enthusiasm and vitality a speaker projects through voice, face, and body. Guideline: project slightly more energy than feels natural in conversation — stage and distance absorb energy, so what feels exaggerated to the speaker usually reads as normal to the audience.

What is meant by 'managing the stage' or purposeful movement?

Using the physical space deliberately: moving to a new spot to signal a new point, stepping toward the audience for emphasis or intimacy, planting your feet while delivering key lines, and avoiding aimless pacing or hiding behind the lectern.

How can a speaker use movement to reinforce speech structure?

Anchor each main point to a different stage position (e.g., move left-to-right from the audience's view for a timeline or sequence), and move during transitions while standing still during key statements, so physical location maps onto the speech's organization.

What should a speaker check about the room and equipment before presenting?

Arrive early to test the microphone, slides/clicker, and lighting; check sightlines and where to stand so you never block the screen; know the room layout, audience distance, and where notes, water, and timing cues will be.

When using slides or visual aids, how should the speaker position and orient their body?

Keep your body and eyes toward the audience, stand beside (not in front of) the screen, gesture or briefly glance at the visual, and never talk to the slide with your back to the audience — 'touch, turn, talk.'

Why is rehearsing a speech out loud superior to reading it silently?

Speaking aloud reveals awkward phrasing, actual timing, breath points, and pronunciation problems; it builds the motor and vocal memory of delivery; silent reading tests only content, not performance.

What is distributed (spaced) practice, and why does it beat cramming for speech rehearsal?

Distributed practice spreads several shorter rehearsal sessions over multiple days rather than one long session right before the speech. Spacing strengthens long-term retention and fluency, reduces anxiety, and allows revision between sessions — cramming produces shaky recall under pressure.

List four high-value speech rehearsal techniques.

1) Rehearse standing up and out loud, simulating real conditions (with notes, slides, and a timer); 2) Record yourself on video and review it critically; 3) Practice in front of a live test audience (friends/colleagues) and get feedback; 4) Time every run-through and rehearse the opening and closing until they are nearly automatic.

Why should you rehearse with a timer, and what should you do if the speech runs long?

Timing every run-through ensures you respect the allotted time — running over disrespects the audience and program. If it runs long, cut content (usually supporting detail) rather than speaking faster, which hurts clarity.

Why is it a mistake to memorize an entire speech word-for-word during practice (for most occasions)?

Word-for-word memorization sounds mechanical, blocks adaptation to the audience, and creates a single point of failure — forgetting one phrase can derail everything. Instead, memorize the structure/key ideas (and perhaps the exact opening and closing) and speak extemporaneously.

What characterizes useful, constructive feedback on a speech?

It is specific (points to exact moments/behaviors, not 'it was fine'), balanced (identifies strengths as well as improvements), actionable (suggests what to do differently), and focused on the performance/behavior rather than the person.

Describe an effective process for receiving and applying feedback on your speaking.

Listen openly without defending or interrupting; ask clarifying questions; look for patterns across multiple sources (recurring comments matter most); prioritize one or two specific changes; apply them in the next practice or speech; then seek feedback again to verify improvement.

What is the 'sandwich' (or feedback sandwich) method of giving feedback?

Structuring feedback as praise → constructive criticism → praise: begin with a genuine strength, deliver the specific improvement suggestion in the middle, and close with encouragement, which keeps the recipient receptive.

Why is self-review of a video recording one of the most powerful feedback tools?

Video shows the speaker exactly what the audience sees and hears — filler words, distracting gestures, monotone passages, pacing problems — without relying on others' memory or tact, enabling objective, targeted self-correction.

What is the recommended way to handle a mistake (lost place, stumble, wrong word) during a speech?

Stay calm and keep going: pause, breathe, glance at notes to reorient, correct briefly if the error matters, and continue without excessive apologizing — most errors go unnoticed by the audience, and dwelling on them draws attention to the slip.

Why should a speaker avoid apologizing repeatedly or announcing errors ('Sorry, I'm nervous,' 'I forgot my point')?

The audience usually hasn't noticed the problem; announcing it highlights the flaw, undermines the speaker's credibility, and shifts attention from the message to the mistake. Confidence and composure in recovery preserve the audience's trust.