Strayer Public Speaking Unit 4 Challenge 1

Unit 4 Challenge 1

QUESTION 1

Julia is a social worker who leads a counseling program at a local health center and is comfortable speaking to small groups on an informal basis. Her supervisor asks her to speak in front of prospective donors at an upcoming fundraising event. Julia agrees but becomes nervous after realizing she will be delivering a prepared speech in front of a large audience.

Select the two statements describing speaking techniques used by Julia that will NOT be effective in front of a large audience.

•Julia stands up straight when talking to ensure her breathing doesn't negatively affect the sound of her voice.

•Julia varies her speaking rate to emphasize important parts of her speech.

•Julia hurries to finish her speech and begins speaking at a faster pace.

•Julia conducts a sound test with a microphone to determine how the speakers perform.

•Julia speaks at a low volume to encourage audience members to lean in close to listen.

•Julia uses a stationary microphone when speaking in front of a podium.

QUESTION 2

Julia begins writing a first draft of her speech. She knows she needs to generate goodwill for the health center before stressing the importance of donations. Julia decides to highlight the importance of the health center to the community by pointing out the lack of options her patients would have if the center closed. She recites her first draft out loud to test aspects of her delivery.

Determine whether each of the following examples of Julia speaking can be considered an effective or ineffective example of using pitch or pauses.

Effective              Ineffective

Julia adjusts her pitch during the important points to draw the audience’s attention to them      

Julia is silent for 45 seconds to draw the audience’s attention to her main point

Julia puts an inflection at the end of her questions to the audience         

QUESTION 3

Julia is still worried about speaking in front of a large group of mostly unfamiliar people. She realizes she should tailor aspects of her speech to appeal to the donors who will be attending. Many will be traveling in from outside of town. Julia decides she needs to avoid alienating these donors. She reconsiders her speech and delivery with this new goal in mind.

Julia worries that her (A) ____________ may confuse some of the attendees, many of whom are not local, because she uses grammar and vocabulary with which they may be unfamiliar.

Aspeaking rate accent tone dialect pitch paralanguage

QUESTION 4

Julia is nervous about how she will look in front of a crowd. She calls her friend Lucy, who gives presentations for her sales job and whose professional appearance she admires.

"You need to think about a lot of things, including your clothes, posture, and body language" says Lucy. You want the donors to know you take this seriously."

"Maybe I should practice in front of you?" Julia replies. "I won't expect donations for a job well done of course!"

Which of the following statements does NOT represent a good suggestion Lucy would give to Julia to improve non-verbal communication during a speech?

•Julia should cross both her arms and legs while delivering a presentation.

•Julia should avoid dressing too casually when speaking at a formal occasion.

•Julia should avoid looking at her notes and maintain eye contact with her audience.

•Julia should smile before beginning and after concluding her speech.

•Julia should keeps her hands above a podium to give them room to move.

•Julia should stand still when listening to a question from an audience member.

QUESTION 5

After thinking more about the context in which she will deliver her speech, Julia realizes many of the habits she developed during her counseling sessions will translate poorly to a more formal occasion. Due to the informal nature of the sessions, she hasn’t paid attention to her body language. She frequently uses visual aids such as handouts and video, but is unsure if she uses them in a way that keeps her audience engaged.

Select the two statements describing nonverbal audience interaction that will NOT help Julia keep her audience engaged.

•Julia sets up her presentation the night before and makes sure she can read the writing on her posters from the back of the room.

•Julia decides to quickly draw any diagrams herself, rather than hire an artist or search for a high-quality digital version.

•Julia displays all of her visual aids at the beginning of her speech so that the audience can review them while she talks.

•Julia makes sure to use a PowerPoint that has more visuals than words to keep the audience’s attention.

•Julia finds it important to always look her audience members in the eye when speaking.

•Julia asks some specific questions to her audience when they are smaller in number and in a small space.

QUESTION 6

Julia considers the space where she will be speaking. The fundraising event will be held in a large hall at a nearby convention center. She believes the potential donors attending will be in a more giving mood if they feel a closer connection to the health center and its staff. She decides to make the space seem smaller and more personal to achieve this goal. She also considers moving into the audience during the speech.

Match the description of communication with the type of territory in which it takes place.

primary

secondary

interaction

A.A physician invites a patient into the examining room.

B.Two parents talk to each other outside an elementary school as they wait to pick up their kids.

C.Students sit in their preferred seats in the classroom while they wait for the professor to arrive.

D.A family sits down for a meal at a restaurant off of the highway.

QUESTION 7

Julia is overwhelmed by the considerations she has to make for the speech. She knows the future of the health center may depend on the success of the event. She speaks to Lucy again and admits that her stress level is high.

"I'm not sure how to calm myself down," she confesses.

"More rehearsal is probably your best bet," Lucy responds. "I'm willing to watch and give you feedback."

"That could be a big help," Julia admits.

Lucy suggests that Julia rely on a (A) ______________ by rehearsing at the location of the speech so she will know what to expect and her comfort level can be increased.

Avocal amplification simulated experience feedback strategy timing exercise visual aid conversational style

QUESTION 8

Julia rehearses her speech in front of Lucy a few days before the event. The two women are allowed access to the conference center hall for rehearsal. During the rehearsal Julia moves around as if she were addressing a crowd and uses the visual aids she has put together for the presentation. Lucy seems impressed when she finishes.

"Well done," Lucy says. "I had no idea the health center was that important."

"Let's hope the attendees come to the same conclusion," Julia replies.

Determine whether each of the following statements represents an important or unimportant consideration during Julia's rehearsal.

Important           Unimportant

Julia times how long she has to talk during each slide of a slideshow presentation.           

Julia researches what type of food and drinks will be available at the event.       

Julia makes sure there is time left in her presentation to account for interruptions.         

QUESTION 9

After Julia finishes her rehearsal, she realizes she has forgotten to account for the Q&A session. Her supervisor told her the attendees will be encouraged to ask questions after the speech. They may want more information on where their donation will go or advice on the fastest way to donate. Julia decides she will also need to prepare for the Q&A session before she is truly ready to give her presentation.

Which of the following statements represents an effective way for Julia to prepare for or conduct a Q&A session after her speech?

•If a question is off-topic, answer it anyway to show the audience she appreciates them.

•Make time to answer every question that her audience has.

•Practice how she will answer some questions with a friend or colleague before.

•Do not take any questions until the end of the speech.

•Allow members of the audience a chance to speak on her topic too.

•Avoid agreeing completely or disagreeing completely with a question.

QUESTION 10

The night of the fundraising event has arrived. Julia's presentation goes smoothly and the audience members find her engaging and informative.

During the Q&A session several crowd members ask Julia about the health center's budget and the usefulness of their donations. Julia expertly handles the Q&A session and the attendees come away more eager to contribute. Several of Julia's coworkers admit they were impressed with her preparation.

"I knew how important the donations would be so I had to take this seriously," Julia says.

Order the methods Julia uses to manage her Q&A session according to where they would fall chronologically.

a. Julia asks an audience member for context when confronted with an unexpected subject.

b. Julia attempts to explain concepts the audience would have questions about within the text of the speech.

c. Julia reminds the audience members of the Q&A session so they can still have time to prepare questions.