Page 347 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

your nonverbal behavior? If you responded as most people do to these two
questions, you’ll notice a discrepancy. We are more confi dent in our own
interpretative abilities than those of our audience. Nonverbal communica-
tion research indicates that all of us are more confi dent in our ability to
decode nonverbal behavior than we should be. This research also shows
that this is especially true in terms of decoding nonverbal behaviors we
associate with truthful rather than deceptive public speakers. Most of us,
in fact, are lousy at deception detection. Discuss with other people in class
the implications of this research for the transaction between speakers and
audiences.
4. Have someone loosely tie your hands behind your back or try and keep
your hands clasped behind your back. Now, standing in front of the class,
try to give audience members directions from where you are standing
to your exact residence. What lessons about the relationship between non-
verbal communication and delivery can be learned from this frustrating
exercise? Be specifi c. Write down at least three and share them with your
class.

5. Differences in nonverbal norms, as well as differences in communication
styles and patterns, are common across cultures. Choose two or three
North American norms for nonverbal behavior—for example, eye contact,
gesturing, and time. Interview a student or faculty member from a culture
other than North American about how these communication behaviors dif-
fer in his or her culture. Write a short paper summarizing your fi ndings.

6. Explain why sign language is a verbal behavior, whereas vocal variation in
pitch, rate, tempo, and the like are nonverbal behaviors, even though sign
language is not vocalized and vocal variation is.

7. Explain why nonverbal behavior is continuous, uses multiple channels si-
multaneously, and is spontaneous and how these characteristics distinguish
it from the language of your speech.
8. Review the four guidelines for proactive delivery. Before your next speech,
develop a plan to use at least three of these guidelines to improve your
delivery skills in that speech.

9. Ask a classmate to apply Exercise 1 to your next speech. Talk with the
classmate afterward about the relationship between his or her observations
and the overall effectiveness of your delivery.
10. How would you describe your public speaking style? Is it a dramatic or
understated style? Is it formal or informal? Ask some of your classmates
to choose fi ve adjectives they would use to describe your style of speaking.
Compare their adjectives with fi ve of your own. If you take advantage of
this exercise, there is a good chance it will at least suggest a visual image
of the style you communicate to others as you speak. You can then use this
image to refi ne your style of speaking.

Notes

1. Edward T. Hall, The Silent Language (Greenwich, Conn.: Fawcett Publica-
tions, 1959), 15.

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