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Rehearsal involves praxis, which usually refers to putting theoretical knowledge into practice through a constant cycle of conceptualizing the meaning of what can be learned from experience.
Praxis is the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practiced, embodied, or realized. Praxis may also refer to engaging, applying, exercising, realizing, or practicing ideas.
You have been studying public speaking and learning about delivery, gathering information, organizing speeches, and selecting a method of delivery. Through rehearsal, you have the opportunity to separate what works from what does not work.
During this period, it is important to break down the rehearsal into different chunks or skills for analysis, work with the smaller areas, and then strive for synthesis. You may learn by practicing different ways of actually expressing ideas, through which you can determine the best one.
Alternatively, you can practice different styles of delivery, such as speaking faster or slower. To learn from practice, you can record your work to view it later, or you can have a trusted friend or coach provide feedback.
You may have heard the phrase "practice makes perfect," but before attempting to reach perfection, you must experiment to determine what it is you exactly want.
Just like actors in a play, you have an opportunity to rehearse on stage before the actual event. The learning that can occur in rehearsal is situated in a simulated experience.
While rehearsing, you simulate the real speaking experience so you know what to expect. You can rehearse with the equipment or visual aids you will use, make sure that you are in control of the time, and rehearse answering questions for a Q&A session. You will know what to expect and ultimately feel more secure with your ability to perform in the actual speaking situation.
Rehearsal is a time to experiment, play, and mold your speech. Once you are satisfied that you have crafted the speech into the message you want, then you can practice with all the parts in place to develop your own style and approach to delivery.
As a speaker, you start with nothing but your idea or thesis to create and deliver your own message, whereas a mime recreates the character and dialogue that someone else invented. You should not be a mime who takes on a mask.
If you mimic the behaviors of other speakers, you run the risk of not having a delivery that is natural for you. You are not attempting to mimic an actor who is giving a performance; you are developing your own conversation with your audience.
However, if you are going to mimic, observe and mimic natural conversation. You are yourself, not an actor on a stage like Thespis; you want to focus on bringing out your own natural conversational style.
You should consider the basics of timing—the amount of time it takes to deliver the speech, how to time your use of visual aids such as PowerPoint slides for presentations, and your delivery rate.
Generally, you will have a set amount of time to speak, including Q&A. When rehearsing, you want to include all of the parts of the speech, including quotes, examples, video clips, and visual aids. If you don't include all aspects of the speech, you may run out of time and have to cut short important content during delivery.
When working with PowerPoint, you can control when each slide is projected for the audience by using a remote that you hold in your hand as you move about the stage or room. In certain settings, you may want to give another person a copy of your speech or outline to follow and ask them to advance the slides for you. Timing is not only about knowing how long you are going to speak but also how fast to speak, when to pause, and how long to pause to achieve the desired effect. You can vary the rate of speaking and the use of waiting to achieve different vocal effects as you practice.
Context includes not only the physical environment but also the technological and situational context. Ultimately, the context includes the entire world and the cultural and linguistic background of the audience and speaker.
| Context | Description |
|---|---|
| Physical or environmental context | Ideally, you want to rehearse in the same space using the same equipment you will use for your presentation. If you rehearse in the same space, you will learn to appreciate the special features of the room and the layout. |
| Technological context | It is important to include equipment when you rehearse. What equipment is in place? Will you be speaking directly to an audience, or will you be using amplification? Will the audience be co-located with you face-to-face, or will you be using teleconferencing equipment? |
| Situational context | It is important to note any special background about the room, place, or occasion. Consider and acknowledge the place's special significance for you or your audience. For example, did someone else recently speak in the same location that will influence how the audience will respond to your speech? |
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