Introduction to Public Speaking from Coursera

This course offers a proven framework for crafting and delivering impactful presentations.

In the professional world, academic settings, or public life, we're frequently asked to "share some thoughts." Many individuals struggle in these situations. This course aims to make you excel where others stumble.

We'll explore how to structure speeches coherently, write memorably, and present confidently. Upon completion, you will diminish your public speaking anxiety, leverage rehearsal methods to develop a robust, engaging speaking voice, and execute speeches with dynamic movements. The speech model we'll practice is versatile for briefings, elevator pitches, interviews, and even as a blueprint for hour-long presentations.

Whether you're a novice or an experienced speaker, this course will help you master speaking fundamentals or elevate your public speaking skills to new heights.

As a bonus, you'll gain access to an immersive VR experience that lets you perfect your presentation skills in a simulated auditorium or conference room, complete with a virtual audience. You will receive real-time feedback, empowering you to refine your abilities through practice in a realistic setting.

What's inside

Syllabus

Week 1: Understanding speech

Thank you for joining Introduction to Public Speaking! I am thrilled at the prospect of a global discussion about good speech. Let's get started! In this module, we’ll focus on the basics of the course and how rhetorical canons will help us structure our time. Then we’ll turn to the important ways that speaking and writing differ. By the end of this week, you should have some tools for evaluating your speech writing. If you want some feedback, you’ll be able to upload an introductory speech for peer review.

Week 2: Making ideas compelling and memorable

Now that we have the course foundation out of the way, we can work on our basic speech model: the key point speech. I love this format. It's the Swiss army knife of speeches. This basic model works in interviews, short presentations, elevator talks, and can even structure an hour long presentation. After overviewing the assignment, we’ll talk about how to plan out your speeches. By the end of the week, you should have some tools for quickly putting together short presentations. You can practice this by analyzing some speeches.

Week 3: Illustrating and delivering your ideas

This week, we’ll talk about support and arrangement. The lessons here will immediately help all of your other presentations. Why? Because we need to think about how audiences hear our ideas in real time. There are things we should be doing to help listeners instantly organize and process the information we’re presenting to them. By the end of the week, you should be able to discuss evidence clearly and highlight your speech's organization. If you want some feedback, you’ll be able to upload a practice elevator speech for peer review.

Week 4: Overcoming your fear of public speaking and developing great delivery

This week, we'll discuss speech apprehension and delivery. I know the fear of public speaking is a pressing topic for many. Why didn’t we start the course with this? Because I think many delivery concerns go away if the invention and arrangement are good. However, invention and arrangement are just part of the equation - now we can supercharge our delivery. By the end of this week, you’ll have some techniques for combating those butterflies and speaking confidently. If you want some feedback, you’ll be able to upload a practice key point speech for peer review.

Week 5: Course conclusion and your final speech

Thank you for time in this course. I hope the material has proven helpful in some way. We concluded our discussion of the speech last week. I would like to spend a bit of time reflecting on the course and talking a bit about the other courses in this specialization. We will end this week with your final key point speech.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches a model for the structure of speeches that is relevant across a variety of speaking scenarios

Provides an immersive experience like a simulated auditorium or conference room to practice speech delivery

Structured into clear and concise modules that teach the fundamentals of public speaking

Taught by Dr. Matt McGarrity, this course offers insights from an experienced instructor

Reviews summary

Engaging public speaking skills

learners say this Introduction to Public Speaking course is largely positive, with engaging assignments and well-structured content. Professor Matt McGarrity is praised for his excellent teaching and funny demeanor. The course covers the basics of public speaking, including how to structure a speech, use gestures and eye contact, and overcome nervousness. Students can interact with peers from around the globe through discussion forums and receive feedback on their speeches. While some learners found the peer review system to be lacking in quality, overall, the course is highly recommended for anyone looking to improve their public speaking skills.

This course is largely positive with many learners expressing satisfaction. They praise the quality of the content, the engaging assignments, and the excellent teaching style of Professor McGarrity.

"I really enjoyed this course and learned a lot of information on how to be a better speaker."

"Professor McGarrity provides many different tools to be more effective in front of an audience or group of peers."

"He explains the steps to take to best prepare for a speech on the front end and also provides guidance on how to improve your skill set when performing the actual speech."

" The course is very helpful for all of us that have no idea of how to speak in front of the public."

Learners appreciate the engaging assignments that provide them with the opportunity to practice their public speaking skills. These assignments include writing speeches, recording themselves delivering speeches, and giving feedback to their peers.

"Having to write, prepare and deliver speeches really pushed you to improve."

"The speech assignments were really helpful."

"By understanding that writing is different from delivering speeches, I learned that I do not need to memorize each word . This allayed my fear of forgetting what I was supposed to say."

"By recording myself in video format, I was able to conduct a self assessment on areas of improvement in terms of body movement, gestures, mannerism, voice, pitch, rate based on the lecture and what was modeled by Prof Matt on top of peer evaluations ."

Professor McGarrity is praised for his excellent teaching style. Learners describe him as knowledgeable, engaging, and funny. They appreciate his clear explanations and his use of humor to keep the material interesting.

"The professor is great, he really keep your attention until the end, also very good and entertaining speaker."

"I loved this course - this is one of the best that I have taken."

"The content and lectures were brilliant."

"The professor was funny yet knowledgeable."

Some learners express dissatisfaction with the peer review process. They report that the feedback they receive is often superficial and not helpful. This can be frustrating for learners who are looking for constructive criticism to help them improve their public speaking skills.

"While this is out of control for Coursera or Dr. McGarrity, is can be a bit frustrating to put in the work when others are not."

"The only slightly disappointment was that some of the peer reviews are abit weak."

"Most of my reviewers were shallow, giving superficial comments that did not add anything."

"That is very frustrating because I dedicate myself to do a complete review of all works I evaluated."

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Public Speaking will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Speechwriter

Speechwriters can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for writing speeches for public figures. Refining public speaking skills can help Speechwriters understand the needs of their audience and write speeches that are both informative and engaging. This course also covers how to research and organize a speech, which can be especially helpful for those who need to write speeches on a variety of topics.

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Politician

Politicians can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for communicating their policies and vision to the public. Refining public speaking skills can help Politicians connect with voters and persuade them to support their campaigns. This course also covers how to handle media interviews and other public speaking situations, which can be especially helpful for those who need to represent themselves in the public eye.

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Doctor

Doctors can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for communicating with patients and other healthcare professionals about medical conditions and treatments. Refining public speaking skills can help Doctors explain complex medical information in a clear and concise way and build rapport with patients. This course also covers how to handle difficult conversations and provide support to patients and their families.

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Lawyer

Lawyers can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for representing their clients in court and other legal proceedings. Refining public speaking skills can help Lawyers communicate their arguments more effectively and persuade judges and juries. This course also covers how to handle cross-examination and other adversarial situations, which can be especially helpful for those who need to defend their clients in court.

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Scientist

Scientists can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for communicating their research findings to other scientists, policymakers, and the public. Refining public speaking skills can help Scientists explain complex scientific concepts in a clear and engaging way and persuade others to support their research. This course also covers how to use visual aids and other tools to enhance presentations, which can be especially helpful for those who need to present complex data.

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Community Organizer

Community Organizers can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for mobilizing people to take action on issues that affect their community. Refining public speaking skills can help Community Organizers communicate their message more effectively and inspire others to get involved.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns, which often involve giving presentations to various audiences. Refining public speaking skills can help Marketing Managers communicate their ideas more effectively and persuade others to take action. This course also covers how to use visuals and other aids to enhance presentations, which can be especially helpful for those who need to present complex information in a clear and engaging way.

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Event Planner

Event Planners can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for planning and executing events. Refining public speaking skills can help Event Planners communicate their vision for an event more effectively and persuade others to attend. This course also covers how to manage vendors and other partners, which can be especially helpful for those who need to coordinate large-scale events.

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Trainer

Trainers can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for developing and delivering training programs. Refining public speaking skills can help Trainers communicate their material more effectively and engage their audience. This course also covers how to use interactive exercises and activities, which can be especially helpful for those who want to make their training programs more engaging and memorable.

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Sales Executive

Sales Executives will benefit from the proven framework this course provides for crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They must be able to communicate persuasively and build rapport with potential customers, so refining public speaking skills can help them close more deals. This course can help Sales Executives overcome their fear of public speaking and develop greater confidence in their delivery. The immersive VR experience can provide a valuable opportunity to practice presentation skills in a realistic setting, which can be especially helpful for those who may experience anxiety when speaking in front of others.

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Nonprofit Manager

Nonprofit Managers can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for leading and managing nonprofit organizations. Refining public speaking skills can help Nonprofit Managers communicate their mission and vision more effectively and persuade others to support their cause. This course also covers how to build relationships with donors and other stakeholders, which can be especially helpful for those who need to raise funds and build support for their organization.

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Public Relations Specialist

Public Relations Specialists can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for managing the public image of organizations and communicating with the media. Refining public speaking skills can help Public Relations Specialists communicate their messages more effectively and build stronger relationships with key stakeholders. This course also covers how to handle media interviews and other public speaking situations, which can be especially helpful for those who need to represent their organization in the public eye.

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Consultant

Consultants can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for providing expert advice and guidance to clients. Refining public speaking skills can help Consultants communicate their findings and recommendations more effectively and persuade clients to take action. This course also covers how to manage difficult clients and stakeholders, which can be especially helpful for those who need to work with a variety of different people.

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Business Development Manager

Business Development Managers can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for generating new business leads and developing partnerships with other organizations. Refining public speaking skills can help Business Development Managers communicate their value proposition more effectively and persuade others to do business with them. This course also covers how to negotiate and close deals, which can be especially helpful for those who need to secure new clients or partners.

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Teacher

Teachers can benefit from the course's focus on crafting and delivering impactful presentations. They are responsible for educating and inspiring students. Refining public speaking skills can help Teachers communicate their lessons more effectively and engage their students. This course also covers how to use technology in the classroom, which can be especially helpful for those who want to incorporate more interactive and engaging elements into their teaching.

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