Communication Basics, Anxiety, and Ethics Worksheet

INSTRUCTIONS

ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS USING THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE WEEK ONE READINGS. RESPOND TO EACH QUESTION IN 100 TO 200 WORDS USING THE SPACE PROVIDED.

QUESTIONS

BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE SEVEN ELEMENTS OF THE SPEECH COMMUNICATION PROCESS. HOW DO THESE ELEMENTS INTERACT TO DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF A SPEECH? The seven elements of the speech communication process are speaker, message, channel, listener, frame of reference, feedback, interference, and situation. The speaker is the person who is presenting the message to the listener(s). The message is what the speaker is communicating to the listener. The channel is the means of how the speaker is communicating the message to the listener. The frame of reference is the totality of the knowledge on the subject being presented, whether it is goals, experience, knowledge, attitudes, etc. No two speakers will ever have the same frame of reference. Feedback is message getting sent back to the speaker from the listener. This feedback is usually nonverbal. Interference is anything that comes between the speaker and the listener and interrupts the communication of the message. The situation is the surroundings in and at which the speech occurs.

Why is it normal and even desirable to be nervous at the start of a speech? It is perfectly normal and even desirable to be nervous. Nervousness is a healthy sign that the speaker is mentally prepared for their effort. The nervousness is caused by adrenaline, which is a hormone that is produced in your body. As a speaker, you can aim to transform this negative nervousness into positive nervousness. This can help energize the speaker. In history there were many public figures that were nervous and suffered stage fright. Some of the historic figures that had stage fright included Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchhill, and Margaret Sanger. Statistics show that most people before they do something in public tend to be nervous and anxious.

From your experience, how have you been able to identify when a speaker is nervous? What are the signs of speech anxiety? In my experience I have been able to tell when a speaker is nervous by their physical appearance, their speech and their physical actions. Their physical appearance may be pale, or even flushed. They can blush right before your eyes. Their speech may not be as fluent if they are showing signs of nervousness. The speaker could also stutter if they are nervous or anxious not being able to connect the thoughts in their brains to the working of their mouth. Their voice could quiver and shake. The speaker also may speak very softly. Physically they could become very ridged and not look natural speaking in public. A speaker who has terrible stage fright could also physically shake. Even if it is only if it is their hands that are shaking to the speaker it may feel like your entire body is shaking.

What methods can you use to control speech anxiety?

To assist in controlling speech anxiety, the speaker needs to recognize why he is nervous and turn that nervousness into a positive nervousness. Use this excitement to gain focus and energy. By learning to give speeches and practicing giving speeches the fears will gradually get better and perhaps excitement will set in. The more you give speeches the less threatened you will be by the thought of giving them. Being prepared is extremely important to giving a speech as well as controlling speech anxiety. The more prepared and knowledgeable you are on the subject the less fearful the speech should be.

What is ethics? What are the ethical guidelines for public speaking? Why is a strong sense of ethical responsibility vital for public speakers? Ethics are how a person feels about something being right and wrong. It is a branch of philosophy. Everyone is born with a basic feeling of right and wrong. As the power of speech is often abused it is important that the speaker should be guided by ethical integrity. Your goals should be ethically sound, you should be fully prepared for your speech, be honest in what you say to the listener, avoid name calling and abusive language. By following those guidelines you will be able to put ethical principles into practice. Ethical responsibility is is vital for public speakers because persuasive speakers could use their gift of public speaking for harm rather than good. An example of a persuasive public speaker that did not have good ethics would be Adolf Hitler.