Speaking: Public Speaking & Presentations C1
Developing a Strong Personal Speaking Style
What's Your Natural Speaking Style? 🎤
While every speaker is unique, most great speakers have a natural style they lean into. Understanding your own tendency, or archetype, is the first step to developing it. Which of these feels most like you?
Strengths: Logical, structured, data-driven, and credible. Excellent at explaining complex topics clearly.
Goal: To help the audience understand.
Strengths: Connects with the audience on an emotional level using narratives, anecdotes, and metaphors.
Goal: To make the audience feel and remember.
Strengths: Uses humor, wit, and high energy to keep the audience captivated and relaxed.
Goal: To keep the audience engaged.
Strengths: Clear, direct, and action-oriented. Excellent at inspiring a team or audience to do something.
Goal: To make the audience act.
The C1 Skill: Blending Styles for Impact 🎨
A good speaker knows their archetype. A great C1-level speaker knows how to borrow techniques from other archetypes to make their presentation more dynamic.
- If you are a natural Professor, borrow from the Storyteller by including a powerful anecdote to illustrate your data's human impact.
- If you are a natural Storyteller, borrow from the Professor by including one or two key statistics to support your narrative.
- If you are a natural Coach, borrow from the Entertainer by adding a bit of humor to build rapport with your team.
Scenario: Identifying Speaking Styles 🎭
Let's look at three speakers concluding talks on "improving city traffic."
Speaker 1 (The Professor): "Therefore, to summarize, the data unequivocally shows that investing in a light-rail system would reduce congestion by an estimated 28% within five years. It is the most logical and data-driven solution."
Speaker 2 (The Storyteller): "Imagine a city where your children can breathe clean air. Imagine a commute where you are not stressed, but relaxed. This isn't a dream. This is the future we can build, a future that starts with a shared vision for a better city."
Speaker 3 (The Coach): "So, the plan is clear. Next week, we begin phase one. I need Team A to handle logistics and Team B to start the public awareness campaign. Are we ready to do this? Let's make it happen."
Reflection & Practice ✍️
💡 The Authenticity Paradox
How can you practice all these techniques and still be "authentic"? This is a common concern.
Authenticity is not the absence of practice; it is the result of it.
A great musician practices for thousands of hours so they don't have to think about technique during a performance. Public speaking is the same. You practice these structures until they become second nature, allowing your true personality and passion to shine through.
❓ Practice Quiz: What's Your Natural Style?
This is a self-reflection quiz. There are no right or wrong answers.
1. When you need to convince a group, what is your most natural approach?
A) To present a logical argument with facts and data.
B) To tell a personal story that illustrates your point.
C) To make them laugh and get them excited.
D) To give them a clear plan of action.
2. Which speaker do you most admire?
A) A knowledgeable university professor or expert.
B) An inspiring motivational speaker.
C) A witty and funny talk show host.
D) A decisive and effective team captain or leader.
Key Vocabulary
- Authenticity The quality of being real, true, and genuine to one's own personality.
- Style (in speaking) A person's particular and unique way of speaking or presenting.
- Archetype A very typical example of a certain person or thing; a model.
- Charismatic Having a compelling charm that inspires devotion and interest in others.
Your Final Mission: The "Signature Style" Presentation ⭐
This final mission combines everything you have learned in the Public Speaking series.
- Choose a topic you are genuinely passionate about.
- Prepare a 3-5 minute presentation. Structure it clearly, use signposting, plan your body language, and prepare for questions.
- Your C1 Goal: As you practice, think consciously about your personal style.
- What is your natural archetype (Professor, Storyteller, etc.)? Lean into your strengths.
- Choose one technique from another style to incorporate. (e.g., If you're a Professor, add one compelling story.)
- Deliver your presentation to friends, colleagues, or record it. Your goal is a presentation that is well-structured, clear, and feels authentically **you**.