What is Public Speaking?

What comes to my mind when I hear the phrase “public speaking?” Public speaking is a way to inform an audience of your thoughts, ideas and experiences. A speech that readily comes to mind when I think of public speaking is a motivational speech I heard by Randy Pausch, who was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Randy Pausch intended the speech only for his University in 2007; however, once it hit YouTube his voice became an Internet sensation. The reason Randy Pausch’s speech became so popular was the structure of his presentation. He followed all of the criteria of effective communication, using the elements of ethos, pathos and logos. His motivation and enthusiasm touched me. Randy Pausch was not a celebrity, but his speech drew attention as if he were one. This is because he kept in mind both his responsibility to his listeners and to himself as a speaker by conveying the facts and staying true to himself. Randy Pausch’s speech sets a great example as to how one should go about presenting a public speech. Check out the speech below courtesy of YouTube.

The Last Lecture