My e-book review.. (Public Speaking)

A Critical Review of Stephanie J. Coopman and James Lull, 2011, decision making in United State: Public Speaking the Evolving Art, Published by Belmont, California, U.S.A.: Wadsworth Pub Co, 2010, ISBN 10: 0495798525 / ISBN 13: 9780495798521.

Public Speaking the Evolving Art is the book that integrated technology package to meet the expectations of today's students while both preserving and offering innovative variations on the well-respected traditions of public speaking instruction. This book also explained about how to speak well in public speaking. The author, Stephanie J. Coopman is a Doctor of Philosophy in University Of Kentucky in 1989. And then, she is also the Master of Arts, Speech Communication and Dramatic Arts Central Michigan University, in 1982. And also she is a Bachelor of Science, Communication Arts and Sciences Western Michigan University, in 1979. After that, about the second author is James Lull. He is a Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at San José State University.

            This research aimed to give the best ways for the student to speak well in public speaking class. And then, also explain about how to prepare to speak and give guidelines for effective communication to speak. Stephanie J. Coopman and James Lull (2011), taking an applied approach, Public Speaking: the Evolving Art, Second Edition, and its unique suite of companion resources address the ways in which digital technology, social transitions, and cultural shifts have affected students and the communication discipline. This text offers a unique combination of time-honored, classic public speaking instruction and specific guidelines for effective public communication in today’s evolving world (p. 16). However, not all the way to the students managed to put into practice, because most of the students were afraid to speak in public or in front of the classroom. Therefore, it still needed the best way and also requires a short time to practice it. The Princeton Language Institute and Lenny Laskowski (2001), some people are self-conscious about their appearance or voice. Others are afraid they will be laughed at or criticized. Such fears can compromise your effectiveness, preventing you from becoming a more confident public speaker (p. 12). The research proves public speaking is not as easy as imagined. As stated by Lenny Laskowski on her book "10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking", that there are several ways or methods to speak better in public or in front of the class.

            If self-confidence has been obtained, it will be easier to convey information or material to be conveyed by the students in the classroom. Arina Nikitina’s book “Successful Public Speaking” said that “Improving your ability to speak in front of many people talk about who you are and what you do with naturally, can build strong relationship with successful, like-minded people and making new friends” (chapter. 1). This means that, self-confidence is one of the important things in appearance while public speaking. It is also related to the arrangement will be made when speaking. In the book "A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking" by Dan O'Hair, Hannah Rubenstein and Rob Stewart said that there are several ways and patterns in public speaking that also related with the base context in learning speaking. This book discusses the steps and how to speak well in public speaking class. I think that this book is intended for students in college and high school. This is one of a good example to practiced because, in this book contains elements that are commonly done by previous students, such as the use of media tools. Therefore, it would be better if this method be applied. However, before that, it is worth doing slowly this method to students in high school because they have not been as sharp understanding comprehension that can be done by students in college.

            In summary, I as a reviewer, choose the best chapter of the Public Speaking the Evolving Art from unit III until unit IV that can more explain about way to success in public speaking. This book discusses not only how to speak well, but also gives the composition of the steps to start speaking. The ways such; determining the purpose and topic, adapting to audience, researching the topic, organizing the ideas, practicing the speech and presenting the speech, it’s the entire general step what the student have to do to speaking. However, for this unit just explain about “Presenting Yourself and Your Ideas and Speaking Situation”. So, as recent graduate student and new teacher, I found the author’s descriptions of the way or step to speaking is true, because when I learn in the speaking class, I get a  lesson that how to speaking a good way to use all the materials that have been taught as one of them is to train the confidence.

created by : Ghea Ameliona (Gee)