Public speaking facts for kids

Winston Churchill broadcasting in Quebec, 1943

Public speaking is when someone talks to a group of people in an organized way. The main goals are usually to share information, convince people, or entertain the audience.

When you speak in public, it's helpful to think about five key questions. These are: who is speaking, what they are saying, to whom they are speaking, how they are saying it (the medium), and what effect they want to have.

Good public speakers can often make listeners feel a certain way. They don't just give facts. Public speaking is a strong tool for many purposes. It can be used to inspire people, influence their ideas, or simply to entertain them.

What is Public Speaking?

Public speaking means talking to a group of people. It's not just a casual chat. It's usually planned and has a clear purpose. You might speak to share new facts or ideas. You could also try to persuade people to agree with you. Sometimes, the goal is just to make people laugh or enjoy themselves.

Why Public Speaking Matters

Public speaking is a very useful skill. It helps people share their thoughts with many others at once. For example, a leader might use it to inspire their team. A teacher uses it to inform students. An entertainer uses it to make people happy. It's a way to connect and communicate on a larger scale.

A Look Back: History of Public Speaking

People have been speaking in public for thousands of years. The Ancient Greeks were experts at it. They called it rhetoric. This was the art of speaking or writing effectively. The Romans also valued public speaking. They called it oratory. This meant skilled public speaking.

Sometimes, public speaking was used in courts. This was known as forensic speaking. It helped people argue their cases. Another term you might hear is Propaganda. This is when someone speaks to strongly support or oppose an idea. It aims to influence how people think.

Images for kids

• 

  The orator Cicero speaks to the Roman Senate. Cicero Denounces Catiline (1889), fresco by Cesare Maccari

• 

  The Orator, c. 100 BCE, an Etrusco-Roman bronze sculpture depicting Aule Metele (Latin: Aulus Metellus), an Etruscan man wearing a Roman toga while engaged in rhetoric; the statue features an inscription in the Etruscan alphabet.

• 

  Ettus Ted Talk

See also

In Spanish: Oratoria para niños