The art of public speaking and conversation

Public speaking and casual conversation are similar in that they are done to inform, persuade or entertain an audience. They are different in that public speaking is more structured, is spoken in a formal language and has a formal delivery.

Public Speaking and Conversation Contrasted

When we are engaged in a casual conversation with friends or colleagues, it isn’t formal and usually involves a back-and-forth communication. You say something; your friend responds. Pretty simple.

In a casual conversation, the language isn’t formal and is more forgiving. Although casual conversation may be exchanged to inform or persuade, mostly it is for entertainment.

In public speaking, it is more structured and generally takes on a more formal language. The audience does not engage with the speaker. It is structured and has time limits. And it takes careful planning and research. Its delivery even has a purpose, and it can be to:

• Inform
• Persuade
• Entertain

When a public speaker speaks to inform, he is sending information to the audience that they do not already know. This can be how to do something, like roast a chicken, or to relay information about an important event.

Sometimes, a public speaker will try to persuade an audience by attempting to change the way the audience thinks or behaves. A speaker may try to get the audience to think about religion or political issues in a different way in an attempt to convert naysayers. Another persuasive technique attempts to change the audience’s current behavior through a call to action, like convincing the crowd to donate to the speaker’s cause.

There are times when the speech is made simply to entertain, or to add humor or amuse the audience. This may be a speech given at a celebration dinner or even at an event. It may be done to memorialize an attendee or even as a roast to poke light-hearted fun at another person. The casual conversation may also have similar purposes but not in such a calculated way.