Glossary

academic sources
Sources that are written by experts, often professors or researchers with advanced degrees and professional expertise, and are produced for other experts in their field.
accuracy
This refers to the degree that the information is free from error and can be verified by other reliable sources.
action-oriented
These listeners focus on tasks, and they want to know what the speaker wants them to do with the information. They prefer organized, direct messages.
active listening
This is the process of purposeful, intentional, and motivated listening whereby the listener strives to understand a speaker's message, distinct from the involuntary act of hearing.
adequacy
This principle requires providing sufficient support for claims through necessary definitions and high-quality evidence.
after-dinner speeches
Entertaining speeches that are lighthearted speeches given after a formal meal, often aligned with the theme of the event.
apology
This is where the speaker takes responsibility for a transgression, expresses genuine remorse, and offers restitution to repair credibility.
attention-getting devices
These techniques are designed to pique audience interest, build rapport, and set the stage for the speech's topic.
audience analysis
Research regarding the group of people a speaker will make their presentation to.
audience anxiety
This form of communication apprehension is associated with anxiety brought on by the group of people being addressed by the speaker.
authority
This refers to the credentials and reputation of the author or organization responsible for the information.
ceremonial speeches
Entertaining speeches that include speeches given as part of a ceremony, such as introductions, toasts, roasts, and eulogies.
claims of definition
This claim argues for the denotation or classification of what something is.
claims of fact
This claim argues the truth or falsity of an assertion being made about a past, present, or future state of affairs.
claims of policy
This claim argues for the nature of the problem and the specific solution to address it.
claims of value
This claim argues for a judgment about something, typically whether it is good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral, or beautiful or ugly.
clarity
This element of language refers to using words that ensure the audience understands ideas without confusion.
clincher
This is the very last sentence of the speech, and its purpose is to provide a powerful, memorable finale.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
This theory posits that cognitive dissonance is an aversive motivational state that occurs when an individual simultaneously holds two or more contradictory attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors. This inconsistency creates a sense of psychological discomfort or tension that people are naturally driven to resolve.
cognitive restructuring
This is when a speaker replaces negative thoughts with positive ones.
commencement address
This is a type of keynote speech given at a graduation ceremony.
communication apprehension
This is the fear or anxiety associated with real or anticipated communication with another person or group, such as in public speaking.
comparative advantages
This pattern is used when the audience already agrees that a problem exists.
concept-oriented speeches
Informative speeches that explain abstract ideas, theories, or philosophies.
consistency
This principle focuses on maintaining a focused, stable approach throughout the speech, primarily by ensuring the entire outline remains aligned with a single, clear thesis statement.
connotative meaning
This type of meaning refers to the emotional or culturally specific use of a word.
content-oriented
These listeners focus on the meaning and credibility of the message itself. They enjoy complex information and analyzing the speaker's logic.
context anxiety
This is a form of communication apprehension is defined by the type of setting where a person is speaking that makes them anxious.
critical listening
The process of using careful, systematic thinking and reasoning to see whether a message makes sense in light of factual evidence.
currency
This is the timeliness of the information, ensuring it is up to date for the specific subject matter.
definitions
These explain the meaning of a word or concept to ensure audience understanding.
demographics
These are characteristics about a group that are easily observed, such as age, gender, or occupation.
denotative meaning
This type of meaning refers to a word's literal, objective definition, often called its dictionary definition.
design principles
These principles are used to evaluate the effectiveness of visual aids and include unity, emphasis, scale and proportion, balance, and rhythm.
dialogical theory of public speaking
A communication theory that posits that public speaking should be viewed as a dialogue between the speaker and the listeners, even though the listeners often have limited feedback.
during-speech techniques
These include relaxation techniques that the speaker can use during their presentation to reduce anxiety.
economy
This means using only the words necessary to accurately convey an idea.
Elaboration Likelihood Model
This model explains how people process persuasive messages through two distinct pathways: the central route and the peripheral route.
ethics pyramid
This is a structured approach to evaluating the ethical content of messages using three levels: intent, means, and ends.
eulogy
This speech is given in honor of someone who has passed away.
event-oriented speeches
Informative speeches that are about occurrences, whether historical, current, or future.
examples
These are specific instances or cases used to illustrate a general claim or make it more concrete.
extemporaneous delivery
This mode of delivery involves the careful planning and rehearsal of a speech, but the delivery is done using only brief notes or an outline.
eye contact
This is the speaker's ability to maintain visual contact with the audience.
facial expression
This involves using the face to communicate emotions and animation.
full-sentence outline
This outline provides a complete blueprint of your speech.
general purpose
This is the broad goal of the speech.
gestures
These are natural, spontaneous physical movements of the arms and hands used to enhance the message.
immediate action
This policy claim is where the speaker convinces the audience to perform a concrete, observable behavior right away or shortly after the speech concludes.
impromptu delivery
This mode of delivery involves presenting a short message without any specific preparation.
inclusive language
This type of language is the deliberate use of words and phrases that avoid exclusion, stereotyping, or demeaning of people based on their gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, or other identity markers.
inspirational speeches
Entertaining speeches that are designed to motivate or uplift the audience emotionally, such as a commencement address.
internal previews
These are short statements within the body of a speech that give the audience an advance warning or preview of the specific points a speaker is about to cover.
internal summaries
These brief restatements, used within the body of a speech, remind the audience of the information or points just covered in a section.
issues-oriented speeches
Informative speeches that are about a point of controversy or a matter in dispute, where the goal is to explain the issue objectively rather than take a side.
listening
This is an active, physical, and mental process that includes the following distinct stages: receiving, understanding, remembering, evaluating, and responding.
manuscript delivery
This mode of delivery involves reading a fully written-out script word-for-word.
memorized delivery
This mode of delivery involves committing the entire manuscript to memory and reciting it without notes.
Monroe's Motivated Sequence
This is a five-step organizational pattern (Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization, and Action) specifically designed to move an audience toward a concrete action. It mimics the natural human psychological process of problem-solving.
narratives
These are stories or anecdotes that create an emotional connection or illustrate a point.
nonacademic sources
Sources that are written by journalists or staff writers for a general audience.
nonverbal delivery characteristics
These characteristics enhance the verbal message and help establish the speaker's credibility and sincerity.
objectivity
This is the presence of bias or the extent that the source presents a balanced, fair-minded view on the topic.
objects-oriented speeches
Informative speeches that are about tangible things, such as animals, places, or products.
obscenity
This refers to avoiding indecent, profane, or offensive language.
obscure language/jargon
This element of language includes terms not commonly understood by a general audience, as well as specialized language specific to a profession or hobby.
parallelism
This principle ensures that using similar grammatical structures for main points makes them predictable and easy for the audience to remember.
paraphrasing
This practice involves taking a specific, small passage or a single idea from a source and restating it entirely in your own words, usually maintaining a similar length to the original.
passive agreement
In this policy claim, the aim is simply to change or reinforce the audience's thinking on a proposition.
people-oriented
These listeners primarily focus on the speaker's feelings and emotional state. They listen to build or maintain a relationship.
people-oriented speeches
Informative speeches that focus on specific individuals or groups, often highlighting their contributions or life stories.
physical noise
This includes external sounds or environmental factors that distract the listener.
physical setting
This encompasses the environmental factors where the speech occurs, including the size of the room, the arrangement of the seating, the acoustics and potential for background noise, the room's temperature, lighting, technology, and the distance between the speaker and the audience.
physiological noise
This includes distractions caused by the listener's own body or physical state.
plagiarism
This is any time the speaker uses ideas or a set of words that belong to another author without giving credit to the original author.
posture
A strong, balanced, and upright stance communicates authority and confidence.
power
This refers to a speaker's ability to influence the audience's perception of their competence and confidence.
primary research
This involves directly gathering new data through methods like surveys, interviews, and direct observation to create original information
presentation aids
These are the resources beyond the speech itself that a speaker uses to enhance the message conveyed to the audience, including charts, graphs, representations, objects or models, and audio/video recordings.
process-oriented speeches
Informative speeches that explain a series of actions that lead to a specific result.
propaganda
This is a controversial type of persuasion that uses biased or misleading information to promote a particular cause or point of view.
psychographics
The psychological variables that help you understand how an audience thinks.
psychological noise
This includes internal mental or emotional distractions, such as personal worries or prejudices, that prevent a listener from focusing on the message.
pure persuasion
This occurs when a speaker urges an audience to change their minds or behaviors about a topic where there is no clear right or wrong choice.
relevance
This is the extent that the information is directly related to the speech topic and supports the thesis.
roast
This is a humorous, good-natured speech that pokes fun at the guest of honor.
secondary research
This involves discovering, reporting on, and analyzing information that has already been gathered and published by others, such as academic articles, books, newspapers, and magazines.
semantic noise
This is the confusion that occurs when a listener doesn't understand the speaker's words, like jargon or slang.
signposts
These are short, simple verbal markers, such as "first", "next", or "finally", that help orient the audience by signaling exactly where the speaker is in the structure of the speech.
singularity
This principle ensures that each point or sub-point within an outline contains only one distinct idea.
situation analysis
When the speaker considers the effects of the occasion and environment where the presentation is made.
situational anxiety
This form of communication apprehension occurs when a speaker is confronted by a unique combination of factors and is generated by a combination of audience, time, and context.
Social Judgment Theory
This theory dictates that audiences compare persuasive messages against their existing attitudes, categorizing them into latitudes of acceptance, noncommitment, or rejection.
speaking outline
This outline uses keywords and phrases and serves as a delivery aid.
speaking to entertain
Speech that uses humor or emotion to convey a message. [entertaining speech]
speaking to inform
Speech that focuses on expanding knowledge and understanding of the audience. [informative speaking, informative speech]
speaking to persuade
Speech that focuses on changing beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors of the listeners. [persuasive speaking, persuasive speech]
specific purpose statement
This is a concise, single-sentence phrase that states precisely what the speaker hopes to accomplish in their speech.
speech of acceptance
This speech is delivered by the recipient of an award or honor.
speech of dedication
This speech is given when a new structure is opened to the public.
speech of farewell
This speech is given by someone who is leaving a position, a group, or a location.
speech of introduction
This brief speech provides the audience with a guest speaker's background and prepares them for the upcoming presentation.
speech of presentation
This speech is given to accompany a prize, award, or honor.
speech to ensure goodwill
This speech is an attempt by an organization or person to get an audience to view them more favorably.
speech for public relation
This speech is delivered specifically to enhance and build up the public image of the speaker or the organization they represent.
speech of justification
This speech is given to defend or explain why certain actions were taken, or will be taken, to show that the behavior was appropriate.
statistics
These are numerical data used to summarize large amounts of information or to show trends.
summarizing
This practice involves condensing a large amount of material into a much shorter, high-level overview that captures only the main points.
systematic desensitization
This involves incremental exposure to speaking tasks while practicing relaxation techniques.
testimony
This refers to personal or expert accounts used to provide a specific perspective on a topic.
thesis statement
This is a single, declarative sentence that encapsulates the central message of your speech. [thesis]
time-oriented
These listeners focus on efficiency and time limits. They value brevity and get frustrated by long-winded stories.
toast
This is a very brief speech designed to congratulate, express appreciation, or remember someone. It usually ends with the audience raising their glasses in unison.
trait anxiety
This is a form of communication apprehension defined as the personality trait of experiencing anxiety regarding any communication transaction.
transition
This is a phrase or sentence that indicates a speaker is moving from one main point to another by summarizing the previous point and previewing the next.
uniformity
This principle requires the consistent use of grammatical structure and formatting throughout an outline.
variety
This element of language is the intentional use of different types of words, sentence lengths, and rhetorical devices to keep the audience's attention.
visualization
This is when a speaker imagines that they are successful in delivering a speech and is characterized by positive self-talk.
vivid language
This is the use of specific, sensory-driven words to create mental images or word pictures that help the audience visualize the speaker's ideas.
vocalics
This is the speaker's use of their voice, including qualities such as pauses, vocal variety (volume, rate, and pitch), and correct pronunciation.
working outline
This outline serves as a rough map used to organize your ideas in the planning stage.
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