Public Speaking Teaching Discussion and Summary

On June 28th, the four instructors for the school’s public speaking courses convened once again to carry out the second session on the pedagogical methods.

Kent Su gave a lecture on the power of storytelling in effective speeches. Stories weave through our daily communications seamlessly. For instance, we talk to our family on the phone, gossip with our neighbours or even discuss world affairs in the hallway. Stories transcend generations and are crucial components in public speaking because they add a sense of emotional vitality and universality that could directly resonate with the audience members.

There are many ways to tell a story. However, due to the time constraints, Kent Su was able to show only two such methods. First, the story mountain trope follows the traditional narrative framework (hook, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion). It is an excellent strategy to establish the descriptions of the setting and character with a gradual change in tone and mood to create a sense of suspense. This is particularly useful to help the audience members visualize the scenes by painting a vivid mental picture. In addition, the second method involves Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” which asks the speakers to explain their transformative experiences to the audience members. Every speaker is a hero in his or her own life and presenting their stories in such a way would allow the listeners to immerse in the journey together. The two methods are great storytelling devices for novice speakers.

Finally, Kent Su used the example of Steve Jobs’ famous commencement speech delivered at Stanford University to demonstrate how storytelling could be incorporated into public speaking. Steve Jobs uses his background and upbringing to play upon his rhetorical approach. During his speech to the new graduates, he tells three life stories of love, loss, discovery, death, and adversity to encourage them as they continue in their lives. His stories encourage them to pursue their dreams, and do what makes them happy, even if what makes them happy does not always go according to plan.

Kent Su’s lecture was warmly received by Drs Liu, Gu and Sun. Dr Liu brought up the significance of transferring literary ideas of narratives into public speaking and encouraging students to freely adapt their non-verbal cues to convey the stories more prominently. Dr Gu provided examples from Toastmasters champions that employed similar storytelling methods. Dr Liu emphasised the conversational nature of stories that could happen with sufficient preparation instead of rote memorisation. The discussion between the four instructors was lively and animated.