What is public speaking?
Public speaking is more than talking to an audience from a podium. When you speak to others, its public speaking. That includes: conference calls, panel discussions, board meetings, speeches, interviews and even small talk

Definition of Public Speaking: Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. It is a form of communication that adds to the knowledge and wisdom of listeners, or that influences their attitudes or behavior.

Gloss phobia: The fear of public speaking is called gloss phobia (or, informally, “stage fright”).
Impromptu Speaking: Prompted by the occasion rather than being planned in advance: as impromptu party.
Spoken, performed, done or composed with little or no preparation, extemporaneous: a few impromptu remarks.
Symposium: A conference at which experts or academics discuss a particular subject
A meeting or conference for the public discussion of some topic especially one in which the participants form an audience and make presentations.
A collection of essays on a particular subject.
Panel discussion: A discussion carried on by a selected group of speakers before an audience.
Discussion of a subject of public interest by a group of persons forming a panel usually before an audience.
Group Discussion: A discussion among participants who have an agree (serious) topic.
Group discussion is generally of 15-20 minutes duration.
There are usually 3-4 panel members to evaluate
Usually sometime (2-5 minutes) is given to collect one’s thoughts, but there could be instances when this does not happen, so it is best not to bank on this.
Ex tempore is legal term that means ‘at the time’ spoken, carried out, or composed with little or no preparation or forethought.
Ex tempore speaking is the term used for a non formally prepared speech.
Lecture: A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teaches people about a particular subject, for example by a university or collage teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, background, theories and equations.

1. An explanation of a given subject delivered before an audience or a class, as for the purpose of instruction.
2. An earnest admonition of reproof; a reprimand.

Debate: The formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it
A discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal; “the argument over foreign aid goes on and on”
A discussion or argument, especially a formal one in front of an audience debate or debating is a formal method of interactive and position representational argument.

• Informative
  Informative speaking generally centers on talking about people, events, processes, places, or things.
  Provide information
  The speaker is a teacher .,and his or her purpose is to educate the audience regarding atopic
  The topic may be an
  Object
  Events
  A concept
  A process

• Persuasive
  Persuasive speaking is the type of speaking that most people engage in the most. This type of speech can involve everything from arguing about politics to talking about what to eat for dinner.
  The persuasive speech is
  To sell an audience on an idea To promote a specific product To convince someone to take action you want them to think, act and believe in what you want them to

• Special Occasion
  A Special Occasion (or ceremonial, commemorative, or epideictic) speech should pay tribute or praise a person, an institution, an event, idea, or place. The speech must meet the allotted time speakers should be neither too brief nor too long wined, intended remarks must be accurate .

Ethics in Public Speaking
Speakers will have little or no impact on audiences if audience members don’t respect them and what they have to say.
What makes us trust a speaker or believe that he or she is a reliable source? Whom can we trust to have our best interests at heart? Let’s look at some practical ways a speaker can maintain and enhance credibility.
Act in ways consistent with the message of the presentation. This can be as simple as showing concern in tone of voice and facial expression when talking about an issue that is facing the company. Acting disinterested or unconcerned when presenting bad news can offend your listeners. Showing enthusiasm in delivery by quicker movements, more variety, and a faster rate of speech when reading an exciting climax of a positive presentation can produce the same enthusiasm in your audience.

A student began a persuasive speech by spreading garbage out on a table. She said, “What do all of these pieces of trash have in common? They can all be recycled.” She gave a good speech on the need for recycling and how to set up community recycling programs. She finished to a nice round of applause; then she gathered up all of the recyclables from the table–and threw them away in the wastebasket in the corner. She obviously didn’t understand the need for speakers to act in ways consistent with their messages in order to maintain credibility.

Good preparation is an ethical requirement as well as a practical one. Your audience has given you time and an opportunity, and audience members deserve to hear your best effort. That only comes through careful preparation. If the audience can tell you didn’t prepare for them specifically, they will feel betrayed and won’t respond positively to your message. Thus the executive should start preparing several days or weeks before an important presentation is delivered. It is hard to cram for a speech, and the audience can tell when preparation has not been adequate.

Show respect for your audience. Don’t insult your audience in any way. Racial slurs and profanity are obviously unethical, but in addition, don’t show disrespect for people’s gender, backgrounds, positions, appearances, or nationalities. Don’t put people down because of their lack of knowledge of a topic; sometimes their lack of information is the very reason you have been asked to speak. Don’t embarrass any member of your audience. Don’t play a joke on anyone without seeking permission first. Even if you do receive permission, playing a joke on an audience member can backfire because the rest of your group might become fearful they will bear the brunt of your next joke, causing them to lose trust in you. Poke fun at yourself instead.

Base your conclusions in your presentation on clear evidence. Support your assertions with relevant facts, statistics, and testimony. Keep track of your sources and be ready to produce them if an audience member has a question. Don’t make assertions you can’t support or justify. Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca write in their book, The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation that whatever support you use should be able to satisfy the “universal audience” – that group of all reasonable, rational people. In your outline each major point should show a variety of evidence. If that is not the case, then eliminate the point or, if it fits, place the evidence with another point you are making.

Choose topics that are consistent with your personal beliefs. Pick topics important to you that you live out on a daily basis. You might be able to craft effective speeches advocating views you do not agree with, but you will be much more effective and ethical if you advocate opinions you actually hold. If you advocate a position which is not something you feel completely comfortable with, this will be communicated to your audience by your delivery style. In choosing material for your presentation, one major criterion is how strongly you feel about the point or support. This is an excellent way to cut out materials when you have more content than time allotted.

Respect the time of your audience. Know what time you are expected to finish – and finish at that time. It is an insult to your audience members and an abuse of your opportunity to speak to keep them ten, fifteen, or thirty minutes more than what is expected of you.
All of these ethical principles can be condensed to one, a “golden rule” of speaking ethics: Treat each audience member as you would like to be treated if you were in your audience.

Tips on Public Speaking
Here are some important public speaking tips to help you develop your skills and become far more effective as a public speaker.

• Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention. Videotape your presentation and analyze it. Emphasize your strong points during your presentation.
• Present the desired image to your audience. Be solemn if your topic is serious. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Remember, you don’t look as nervous as you feel.
• Establish rapport with your audience. If a microphone is available, adjust and adapt your voice accordingly.
• Maintain sincere eye contact with your audience. If what you have prepared is obviously not getting across to your audience, change your strategy mid-stream if you are well prepared to do so.
• Allow yourself and your audience a little time to reflect and think.
• Check out the location ahead of time to ensure seating arrangements for audience, whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, location of projection screen, sound system, etc. are suitable for your presentation.
• Tell audience ahead of time that you will be giving out an outline of your presentation so that they will not waste time taking unnecessary notes during your presentation.
• Humour-Tell jokes if you’re good at telling joke. If you aren’t good, it is best to leave the jokes behind. There’s nothing worse than a punch line that has no punch.
• Tell stories-Stories make you a real person not just a deliverer of information. Use personal experiences to bring your material to life. No matter how dry your material is, you can always find a way to humanise it. Keep audience interested throughout your entire presentation. Remember that an interesting speech makes time fly, but a boring speech is always too long to endure even if the presentation time is the same.
• Using Public Speaking Environment – Try not to get stuck in one place. Use all the space that’s available to you. If your space is confined (say a meeting room or even presenting at a table) use stronger body language to convey your message.
• Mistakes – Mistakes are all right. Recovering from mistakes makes you appear more human. Good recovery puts your audience at ease – they identify with you more.