Study guides · Stuff Every Public Speaking Scout Should Know
Practice facts for the Public Speaking merit badge. Not an official Scouting America credential. Grab a snack: this guide is the friendly version, with the answers explained and a groan-worthy joke waiting at the end of most cards.
Knowing Public Speaking Scout saves you money, time and the occasional embarrassment.
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Short answer: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Aristotle named reasoning (Logos), credentials (Ethos), and emotion (Pathos).
Groan of the day: Logos is a word worth reasoning about.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: The audience's emotion
Pathos is the emotional element a speaker appeals to in the audience.
Groan of the day: Pathos touches the heart of the matter.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: The argument itself
Logos centers on making the argument clear and valid.
Groan of the day: Logos gives your case a logical leg to stand on.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Fear of public speaking
Glossophobia is the common fear of speaking in public, often called public speaking anxiety.
Groan of the day: Glossophobia sounds like a fear of shiny lip gloss, but it is really a fear of the podium.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: A talk given without prior preparation
Impromptu speaking means talking about a topic with no time to prepare in advance.
Groan of the day: Impromptu comes from Latin for in readiness, so being ready to speak on the spot is the point.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: To change the audience's beliefs
Persuasive speaking aims to change what the audience believes or does.
Groan of the day: Persuasion is about moving minds, not moving furniture.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: We and us
Inclusive language like we and us makes the speaker and audience feel like one group.
Groan of the day: Using we and us makes the audience feel included, not excluded.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Invention
Invention is coming up with what to say and finding effective ways to research it.
Groan of the day: Invention is not about building a machine, it is about building an argument.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Structuring ideas together
Arrangement means organizing the parts of a speech into a clear structure.
Groan of the day: Good arrangement keeps a speech from being all over the place.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Tone of voice and body language
Delivery covers how you present, including tone, pace, pauses, volume, and body language.
Groan of the day: Delivery is how you hand over your message, not how you hand over a package.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Present without reading notes
Memory means remembering enough to present fluently without reading from paper.
Groan of the day: A good memory means the speech is in your head, not just on your cards.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Choosing language to create a response
Style is about choosing language and constructing the presentation to create an emotional response.
Groan of the day: Style is about how you dress up your words, not how you dress yourself.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: The speaker's credibility
Ethos is about the character and credibility of the speaker, which helps the audience trust them.
Groan of the day: Ethos is about earning trust, not about earning points.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Speaker, topic, and audience
Aristotle divided rhetoric into the speaker, the topic or point of the speech, and the audience.
Groan of the day: Rhetoric has three parts, and none of them is a microphone.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Convincing people to take or avoid action
Deliberative or political speaking is used to convince people to take or not take action.
Groan of the day: Deliberative speaking is about deciding, not about deliberating forever.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Accusing or defending someone
Forensic speaking is usually used in law for accusing or defending someone.
Groan of the day: Forensic speaking is about the case, not about the crime scene kit.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Recognize someone positively or negatively
Ceremonial speaking recognizes someone, either positively or negatively.
Groan of the day: A ceremonial speech is for the occasion, not for the courtroom.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: To enhance audience understanding
Public speakers often use visuals such as slideshows, images, and short videos to help the audience understand.
Groan of the day: A visual aid should aid the speech, not upstage the speaker.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Refrain from making them
One training tip is to avoid gestures that distract the audience from your message.
Groan of the day: A distracting gesture steals the show from your words.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: To attract audience attention
An interesting intro grabs attention, and a strong ending leaves the audience thinking.
Groan of the day: A dull intro is like a door that sticks before the room.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Impromptu speaking practice
Table Topics is the impromptu speaking part of a typical Toastmasters meeting.
Groan of the day: Table Topics is not about setting the table, it is about setting up a speech on the spot.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: By giving speeches and getting feedback
Members practice speeches while others evaluate and provide feedback to help them improve.
Groan of the day: Feedback is the breakfast of better speakers, so Toastmasters serves it up.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Hear and see each other
Videoconferencing lets geographically separate parties hear and see each other, often by satellite or telephone systems.
Groan of the day: Videoconferencing brings faraway faces near, without the travel.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Communicator, message, medium, audience, and effect
Lasswell's model names the communicator, message, medium, audience, and effect.
Groan of the day: Lasswell's model asks who says what to whom, not who says what to the wall.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Who says what in which channel to whom with what effect?
Lasswell's model asks who says what in which channel to whom with what effect.
Groan of the day: Lasswell's question is a who-said-what puzzle, not a riddle.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Increased self-confidence
Studies show teaching public speaking strategies can increase self-confidence and improve access to information.
Groan of the day: Public speaking practice builds confidence, not just volume.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: To transfer knowledge to an audience
Educational public speaking, like TED Talks, transfers knowledge to an audience.
Groan of the day: An educational speech passes knowledge along, not just time.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Someone who understands persuasion
Aristotle defines a rhetorician as someone who can comprehend persuasion and how it is applied.
Groan of the day: A rhetorician knows how persuasion works, not just how words sound.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Put pebbles in his mouth
Demosthenes practiced with pebbles in his mouth to improve his pronunciation.
Groan of the day: Demosthenes used pebbles as a speaking tool, not as a snack.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: So he would not lose his breath
He practiced talking while running so he would not lose his breath during speeches.
Groan of the day: Running and talking at once trained his breath, not his legs.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: To practice his delivery
He practiced speaking in front of a mirror to improve his delivery.
Groan of the day: The mirror showed him his delivery, not just his reflection.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: That they could profoundly affect people
Confucius advocated speeches that could profoundly affect individuals, including those not present.
Groan of the day: Confucius wanted words to travel far, even beyond the room.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Ethics
Ancient Chinese rhetoric placed a high value on ethics and thoughtful content.
Groan of the day: Chinese rhetoric valued ethics, not just clever wording.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: How well the speaker considers the audience's daily lives
Examination evaluates how well the speaker considers the audience's daily lives.
Groan of the day: Examination here is about examining the audience's life, not taking a test.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: How relevant the topic is to society and people
Practice evaluates how relevant the topic or argument is to the state, society, and people.
Groan of the day: This practice is about relevance, not about rehearsal time.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Speak effectively using their methods
The Sophists taught paying students how to speak effectively using their methods.
Groan of the day: The Sophists were speech teachers, not philosophers of silence.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: The Academy
Plato founded The Academy, while Aristotle founded The Lyceum, to teach rhetorical skills.
Groan of the day: Plato's school was called the Academy, not the arcade.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: The Lyceum
Aristotle founded The Lyceum to teach rhetorical skills.
Groan of the day: The Lyceum was Aristotle's school, not a gym.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Rhetoric and public speaking
Cicero's five canons of rhetoric apply to both rhetoric and public speaking.
Groan of the day: Cicero's canons are rules of speech, not cannons for battle.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: TED Talks
TED Talks are conferences broadcast globally and are a modern form of public speaking.
Groan of the day: TED Talks spread ideas, not just slides.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Be heard by a large assembly
For large assemblies, speakers usually use a public address system or microphone and loudspeaker.
Groan of the day: A public address system addresses the public, not the speaker's mail.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Video clips and sound effects
Multimedia presentations can contain video clips, sound effects, animation, and bullet points.
Groan of the day: Multimedia means many media, not many meetings.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Adjust your speech as you go
One training tip is to adapt to the audience's reaction during the speech.
Groan of the day: Adapting to the audience means reading the room, not reading a book.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: The Latin word persuadere
Persuasion comes from the Latin word persuadere.
Groan of the day: Persuasion has Latin roots, not just strong opinions.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Using statistics and data
Modern speakers can use statistics, data, and internet sources to strengthen their arguments.
Groan of the day: Statistics give a speech some number power, not just word power.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: How communication shapes reality
The intervention style holds that communication is responsible for constant changes in society and meaning.
Groan of the day: Intervention style says words intervene in reality, not just describe it.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Increase the likelihood of persuading the audience
Rhetorical questions are listed among techniques used to increase the likelihood of persuading an audience.
Groan of the day: Asking a question you don't want answered is like knocking on a door you don't want opened.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: A storytelling technique used to gain audience support
Anecdotes appear in the list of techniques speakers use to gain audience support and persuade.
Groan of the day: An anecdote is a short tale that packs a persuasive punch.
Sources: Public speaking
Short answer: Measurable distances between people as they interact
Proxemics, introduced by Edward T. Hall, is the study of measurable distances between people as they interact.
Groan of the day: Proxemics is all about spacing, so give people their space.
Sources: Body language
Short answer: Eye movement and gaze
Oculesics is the study of eye movement, eye behavior, gaze, and eye-related nonverbal communication.
Groan of the day: Oculesics is a real eye-opener about gaze.
Sources: Body language
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Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Aristotle named reasoning (Logos), credentials (Ethos), and emotion (Pathos).
Present without reading notes. Memory means remembering enough to present fluently without reading from paper.
Impromptu speaking practice. Table Topics is the impromptu speaking part of a typical Toastmasters meeting.
To practice his delivery. He practiced speaking in front of a mirror to improve his delivery.
Be heard by a large assembly. For large assemblies, speakers usually use a public address system or microphone and loudspeaker.
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