Chapter Summary
This chapter covered historical development of the study of public speaking, the relevance of public speaking in many different types of professions, and the Shannon-Weaver Model of the communication process. By studying public speaking today, you are participating in a discipline that is over 2,500 years old. Scholars today attribute the study of public speaking and rhetoric to the ancient Greeks, because public speaking and rhetoric were important parts of the democratic society. Key figures in the earliest days of public speaking include Gorgias of Leontini, Aristotle, Quintilian, and Cicero. Aristotle’s treatises on the subject of rhetoric are still studied in communication courses in the present day.
Studying public speaking can improve the way you perceive yourself and others and the way others perceive you. In this course you will participate in a variety of class speaking assignments, improve awareness of your personal communication strengths and weaknesses, and develop a plan to improve your communication skills. As you practice these skills, you will complete various reflection assignments that will broaden your perspective on the study of communication and help you consider its relevance to your future.