Improve and enhance your public-speaking skills with time-tested techniques and strategies used by Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and other great orators in The Art of Public Speaking: Lessons from the Greatest Speeches in History. Delivered by frequent lecturer and distinguished historian Professor John R. Hale, these 12 engaging and accessible lectures offer you helpful insights into preparing for public speaking, crafting a great speech, and handling your audience. His course is your guide to the secrets of this essential skill, an insider's look at what makes history's enduring speeches unforgettable, and an invaluable reference tool you can use any time you have to speak your mind.
The Art of Public Speaking
Learn how to prepare, craft, and deliver a great speech with this unique course that explores the principles of public speaking by examining the greatest speeches from history.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Gharmjo from
The Layman's Zarefsky
SUMMARY: In the Great Course "Argumentation", Zarefsky brilliantly summed up public speaking in two quotes: "Argumentation (is)…the basis for attempts to influence others (Lecture 4, L4)." and "Argumentation takes place with an audience in mind and the audience is the ultimate judge of success or failure" (L2). Professor Hale heartily agrees with Zarefsky's principles as demonstrated in L7 where he lets Susan B. Anthony teach us step-by-step how to build a logical case. However, Hale's approach is practical and storytelling whereas Zarefsky's is somewhat ponderously theoretical. While there are advantages to each approach, the Art of Public Speaking is the friendly, brilliantly illustrated version.
This 2010 course begins positively with Churchill's quote: "Oratory…can turn a commoner into a king." Here are what you'll study and points I use as story reminders (though they are quite useless without having heard their accompanying course stories): 1) How you can improve your speaking prowess by appropriate exercise. Speak from personal knowledge of your experiences with the subject - Demosthenes. 2) Vary your pitch with most of it in mid-range. Cross-train through singing (a method I have personally found very helpful). Accentuate your authority as speaker by standing up straight without movement except to reinforce a phrase. - Patrick Henry. 3) Talk about yourself, including your vulnerabilities. Audiences feel closer to such speakers - Queen Elizabeth I. 4) Humor is "like a minefield" but very unifying for audiences - Will Rogers. 5) Use stories - Marie Curie 6) The power of three - Paul's 1 Corinthians 13:11-13. 7) Logic should build from a problem's introduction to your relationship with it, to axioms, definitions, demonstrations of points, and a solid, firm conclusion that an audience cannot deny - Susan B. Anthony. 8) Paint pictures with words, metaphors, and commonality of experience - Tecumseh. 9) If the audience power position is mixed, target each with its needed tone - Gandhi. 10) "Do not use negatives to create a positive." Positivism helps people side with you. Starting and ending with the words of higher authority increases your credibility. - Martin Luther King. 11) To change a crowd's opinion and simultaneously remain positive is tricky: study Mark Antony's method of getting the audience off balance before you attempt it. 12) Lincoln's 3-minute, 270 word Gettysburg address took two weeks to hone. It incorporated surprise, simple language with short words, called for action near its strong ending. It avoided war situations while emphasizing "dedication" six times, echoed the Bible (as his authority), addressed the audience as ""we" and asked them to "do" rather than reflect.
CONCLUSION: This course works well in audio but keep its Guide as a reference. Hale's course is useful in daily life, not just public speaking. It is also a "how to" guide for argumentation.
Date published: 2022-08-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Deb Main in from
Thought provoking examples
Have not completed the course, but have used what I have learned at this point.
Date published: 2022-07-22
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Tsing from
The Great Courses has some excellent lectures. But this isn't one of them. I did not learn anything new. I found it very hard to stay focused. It was not what I thought it would be.
Date published: 2021-06-21
Rated 5 out of
5
by
SSHOMEKID from
The first lecture, had to capture my attention to continue. I enjoyed the history of Demosthenes, and learned how to say his name. Winston Churchill was supposed to be one of our greatest speakers? And I wonder how many jesters from the book of public speaking did Abraham Lincoln actually use? I am learning...and enjoying it. Thanks.
Date published: 2021-06-10
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Progress at work from
Public Speaking
Really enjoyed this lesson. The instructor displayed not only information but displayed real emotional content. The lessons here will continue to have rippling effects for those who learn the lessons.
Date published: 2021-02-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
presheed from
great
Truly great course.I recommend to all. Great content, great presentation. All can benefit from this.
Date published: 2021-01-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Vtomlinson from
Absolutely, one of the best courses I've taken.
One of my goals this year in working towards being a great Orator and moving my Leadership business to the next level included this course.WOW!! I will probably listen to these 12 lectures on a regular basis as a foundation to remind me why speaking is so important in everything we do, as a motivational reminder why this goal is so important to me. The professor taught with such poise and knowledge on the subject leaving you to wonder why we have so much fear of public speaking. After this course you'll find yourself saying: "I can do this," " I got this,"
Date published: 2019-02-27
Rated 5 out of
5
by
HNM2017 from
Very clear presentation.
The professor’s selection of quotes from “guest composers” was entertaining and profound. His lectures were wonderful examples of the best public speaking. I especially liked the reference to Cicero’s analysis of the components one must consider before public speaking. Each lecture is a gem.
Date published: 2018-12-08
Overview
About
Dr. John R. Hale is the Director of Liberal Studies at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He earned his B.A. at Yale University and his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England. Professor Hale teaches introductory courses on archaeology, as well as more specialized courses on the Bronze Age, the ancient Greeks, the Roman world, Celtic cultures, the Vikings, and nautical and underwater archaeology. An accomplished instructor, Professor Hale is also an archaeologist with more than 30 years of fieldwork experience. He has excavated at a Romano-British town in Lincolnshire, England, and at the Roman Villa of Torre de Palma in Portugal. Among other places, he has carried out interdisciplinary studies of ancient oracle sites in Greece and Turkey, including the famous Delphic oracle, and participated in an undersea search in Greek waters for lost fleets from the time of the Persian Wars. Professor Hale has received many awards for distinguished teaching, including the Panhellenic Teacher of the Year Award and the Delphi Center Award. His writing has been published in the journals Antiquity, The Classical Bulletin, the Journal of Roman Archaeology, and Scientific American.
Trailer
01: Overcome Obstacles-Demosthenes of Athens
Here, Professor Hale outlines the goals of the course. Then, he introduces you to Demosthenes-the ancient Greek orator whose life and career illustrates how practice, hard work, memorization, the acceptance of early failures, and other skills are essential to overcoming obstacles from stage fright to speech impediments.
33 min
02: Practice Your Delivery-Patrick Henry
Key to effective speaking is using your voice and body to reinforce your meaning. Using examples from Patrick Henry, Oliver Cromwell, Winston Churchill, and others, learn how the power of a speech lies not so much in words as in vocal and physical elements like tone, pitch, facial expression, and posture.
30 min
03: Be Yourself-Elizabeth I to Her Army
In order to make the deepest possible connection with your audience, it's essential to talk about yourself. This lecture provides you with advice on opening up to people about yourself-your experiences, your emotions, even your weaknesses-with some lessons taken from speeches by Elizabeth I and Sojourner Truth.
30 min
04: Find Your Humorous Voice-Will Rogers
Learn how to use humorous techniques such as hyperbole, incongruity, and surprise-even when your speech is of the utmost seriousness. The secret of effective humor, as speeches by Will Rogers and others show, is to ensure that each laugh makes a point and focuses your audience's attention on the topic.
31 min
05: Make It a Story-Marie Curie on Discovery
Turn now to a series of lectures on composing effective speeches. Here, investigate the benefits of organizing information into a story to give your details weight and vividness. One powerful example of this concept at work: Marie Curie using storytelling to explain the complexities of radium-and to make them memorable.
31 min
06: Use the Power of Three-Paul to His People
What is the power of three? And why is it so important to writing a great speech? Find out as Professor Hale unpacks the 13th chapter from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians to demonstrate why a speech-and the examples and anecdotes it uses-should be planned in threes.
31 min
07: Build a Logical Case-Susan B. Anthony
Logic should always guide the sequence of your thoughts, whether you're giving a sermon, a corporate report, or a birthday toast. Discover how to avoid digressions, offensive statements, contrarian views, and other pitfalls that may disrupt the logic of your speech, with examples from Susan B. Anthony, John Stuart Mill, and Chief Joseph.
31 min
08: Paint Pictures in Words-Tecumseh on Unity
Narrow your focus to the individual words and phrases you use in your speech-each of which can make your topic unforgettable. With the help of Tecumseh, Homer, Aesop, and others, examine ways to create and use evocative images, avoid mixed metaphors and hyperbole, and more.
30 min
09: Focus on Your Audience-Gandhi on Trial
Now that you've learned how to overcome obstacles and prepare, it's time to learn the essential elements of actually giving a speech. Here, Professor Hale uses famous historical figures, including Gandhi and President Kennedy, as models for how to deliver your speech to-and connect with-specific audiences.
34 min
10: Share a Vision-Martin Luther King's Dream
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the most iconic speeches in modern history. More important: It's the perfect example of a speech with the power to inspire. In this lecture, discover ways to articulate and share your personal vision with an audience.
33 min
11: Change Minds and Hearts-Mark Antony
Sometimes, you may find yourself speaking before an audience who needs to be persuaded about your point of view. Discover invaluable tips for swaying emotions and opinions by appealing to sentiments, repeating facts, and using props-just like Mark Antony does in his unforgettable speech from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
29 min
12: Call for Positive Action-Lincoln at Gettysburg
Finish the course with a look at what Professor Hale considers the greatest speech ever written: Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Two powerful lessons you can take away from Lincoln's words: Include a clear call to action near the conclusion of your speech, and always craft a strong ending.
33 min
