The Writing & Communications Center: Student Online Resources--Public Speaking

Explains the physiological responses that many of us experience when faced with having to give a speech. Understanding what is happening physiologically in our bodies gives us the power of understanding and the foundation to use strategies to help neutralize stress responses.

Excellent advice on calming your nerves and overcoming anxiety before presenting.

Try this simple, somewhat silly strategy for relaxing before your speech.

A very short clip that explains the stress response and the function of the amygdala in our brains. We can learn to manage and minimize stress responses by learning and practicing deep breathing, positive mental rehearsal, and visualization and positive thinking (or cognitive restructuring).

Although a bit silly at times, this video offers some great strategies to learn how to manage speech anxiety.

Demonstrates figurative language (rhetorical devices) you can use to make your speeches more linguistically engaging.

Discusses and defines different kinds of rhetorical devices and how you can use them to make your speech more effective.

Inspiration/ideas on how to use sensory language to make your speeches more engaging to your audience.

(by Dr. L. Kip Wheeler) Explains how using similar sentence structures can help with speech rhythms and audience engagement.

Includes tips for reducing anxiety and creating a basic speech. Also illustrates effective vocal variety and expressiveness, as well as how engaging good visual aids can be.

How to consider ethics related to your subject matter and audience in public speaking.

A basic, succinct lesson on being an active listener and how audiences listen.

Explains how storytelling can be used to effectively engage your audience; it can be especially useful in introductions and conclusions.

From Six Minutes Speaking and Presentation Skills: Questions to ask yourself when choosing a topic that is best for you and your audience.

This video can help you write an engaging and effective thesis for your speech. It also provides examples of particularly good thesis statements, which are especially useful to use as models.

Guide to finding information and organizing and incorporating it into your outline to help support your ideas.

An avatar demonstrates how to verbally cite a source.

Tips for how to most effectively use visual/audio/etc. aids in your presentation.

This video provides 5 key areas to think about when considering your audience for your speech: analysis, understanding, demographics, interest, environment, needs, customization, and expectations.

Discusses how to consider your audience's demographics, motivations, and psychological profiles in order to best reach them with your speech.

(With Gary Iman) An overview of general organizational patterns used in speeches. Also discusses the importance of transitions to create a more cohesive speech.

General introduction to creating effective introductions and conclusions in a speech.

Short video clips showing a variety of different attention grabbers people have used in their speeches. Good for inspiration!

A few ideas of how to end your speech with a memorable statement. Use these for inspiration!

Explains how storytelling can be used to effectively engage your audience; it can be especially useful in introductions and conclusions.

Demonstrates what to do and what *not* to do when delivering your speech.

Strategies for avoiding verbal stumbling and "thinking noises."

Strategies for making effective eye contact when speaking on camera.

Describes the discipline and study of argument and persuasion.

(by Shmoop) Defines the three main rhetorical appeals. *Please note that the video incorrectly identifies ethos, pathos, and logos as "rhetorical devices" but they are actually *rhetorical appeals* (two different things).

(by Daniel Pink)

Explains Maslow's Hierarchy to better understand your audience and how to persuade them.

"The Fallacy Project: Examples of fallacies from advertising, politics, and popular culture."