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Speak with Courage
50+ Insider Strategies for Presenting with ConfidenceFirst Edition| ©2014 Martin McDermott
Instructors and students understand that fear of public speaking is one of the biggest challenges in the introductory course. And that’s where Speak with Courage comes in. Author and master teacher Martin McDermott has helped over 3,000 students overcome their fears and rise above speech anxi...
Instructors and students understand that fear of public speaking is one of the biggest challenges in the introductory course. And that’s where Speak with Courage comes in. Author and master teacher Martin McDermott has helped over 3,000 students overcome their fears and rise above speech anxiety by applying the right techniques.
Speak with Courage offers 50+ diverse strategies—class-tested, rhetorical, practical, and fun—that help students at every stage of the speechmaking process, from getting started and choosing a topic to delivering the presentation and learning from the experience. Helpful and effective, this well-written and appealing text is the tool you need to get your students up and speaking—with confidence. Speak with Courage is also available as an inexpensive e-book, a great add on to any course with a public speaking component.
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Give your next speech—fearlessly
Give your next speech—fearlessly
Instructors and students understand that fear of public speaking is one of the biggest challenges in the introductory course. And that’s where Speak with Courage comes in. Author and master teacher Martin McDermott has helped over 3,000 students overcome their fears and rise above speech anxiety by applying the right techniques.
Speak with Courage offers 50+ diverse strategies—class-tested, rhetorical, practical, and fun—that help students at every stage of the speechmaking process, from getting started and choosing a topic to delivering the presentation and learning from the experience. Helpful and effective, this well-written and appealing text is the tool you need to get your students up and speaking—with confidence. Speak with Courage is also available as an inexpensive e-book, a great add on to any course with a public speaking component.Features
Addresses speech anxiety—the biggest obstacle for most students—head on. This anxiety is one of the hardest obstacles for instructors to help their students overcome. That’s where Speak with Courage comes in. It’s the only book focused on speech anxiety designed specifically for use in introductory speech and communication courses—and beyond.The perfect author using class tested techniques. A master teacher and stylish writer, Martin McDermott has taught public speaking for 15 years to more than 3,000 students. This vast experience has allowed him to class-test and hone the book’s techniques, advice, and examples for maximum effectiveness.50+ effective, easy-to-apply techniques—one technique per chapter—offer advice for every step of the speech process, simultaneously helping readers overcome speech anxiety and become more effective speakers overall. Coverage areas include topic choice, audience analysis, organization, outlining, delivery, visual aids, assessment, and many more.Easy to integrate Speak with Courage into a course or syllabi. Along with a helpful introduction that presents the author’s approach and philosophy, each section concludes with a bulleted summary of every technique included. In addition, a useful chart correlates chapters in the text with the major topics typically covered in the introductory class.Affordable price. With all this great coverage, and the benefits the book offers to students in their speech classes, on campus, on the job, and in the community, Speak with Courage would be cheap at twice the price!
E-Book options to fit your needs. Bedford e-Books to Go are PDF-style e-books that students can download to their laptop or tablet, at only half the price of the print book. A variety of other e-book formats are available for use on computers, tablets, and e-readers. Learn more at bedfordstmartins.com/aboutebooks.
New to This Edition
"One of the most readable and practical guides to stage fright out today. I found myself highlighting every well-written phrase! A must-have for novice speakers to speech professors alike!"—Kathleen Williams, Bergen Community College"I read Speak with Courage and found it so inspiring that I actually prepared and gave a speech at my local Chamber of Commerce. highly recommend this book to anyone about to approach the lectern. Speak with Courage will leave you wondering why you ever feared Public Address."—Jamie R., Student, Cuesta College

Speak with Courage
First Edition| ©2014
Martin McDermott
Digital Options

Speak with Courage
First Edition| 2014
Martin McDermott
Table of Contents
Speak with Courage Table of ContentsI. Opening VistasFear of Public Speaking is Commonplace Even the Famous Get Scared Great Fear Can Precede Great Growth Indulge Your Self-Interest Big Brother Isn’t Watching You All Survive, None Perish II. Basic StrategiesLet Fear Energize you Think of Public Speaking as a Conversation Prepare, Prepare, Prepare Ask for a Little Help Hold Dress Rehearsals Familiarize Yourself with the Speech Setting Have a Backup Plan Exercise Before Speaking Gain Performance Experience Get Some More Speech Training III. Cognitive StrategiesRethink How You Think about Speaking Focus on the Benefits of Presenting Fear Management, Not Extinction, is the Goal Take Baby Steps It’s All in Your Head Break the Boulder into Stepping Stones Fill in the Blanks with Sentence-Completion Exercises Demolish Fear with Implosion Therapy Try Gestalt Chairwork Shyness is Not a Crime Try the Talking Cure IV. Managing ContentFollow Your Bliss Your Voice Is Unique Choose Your Words Wisely Select Ideas that Support You Snap the Pieces into Place Familiarize, Don’t Memorize You Must Remember This Visual Aids Can Be an Ally Use Mental Rehearsal V. Stepping Onto the PodiumPeople Want You to Succeed Find Friendly Faces Be Audience-Centered Harmonize Your Voices Practice Deep Breathing Stay in the Moment Dress for Speaking Success Ignore this Second-rate Advice Turn the Tables, if Needed "Damn the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead!" VI. Stepping Down & Looking BackGive Yourself Approval Gaze into the Magic Mirrors See the Tree, Not the Leaves Do Your Best and Let it Go VII. The Big PictureYou Just Might Change the World Dedicate Your Speech Why Fear Ghosts? Speak as a Spiritual Act 100 Years From Now, Will it Matter? Your Life is a SpeechAuthors

Martin McDermott
Martin McDermott is Associate Professor of Speech Communication at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey. A graduate of Rutgers University, he pursued graduate studies at Ohio State University, and was awarded a Distinguished Scholar Fellowship at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication Studies. Martin has taught more than 3,500 students during his tenure at several colleges and universities, grading over 15,000 presentations in the process—and counting. An active member of the National Communication Association (NCA), Eastern Communication Association (ECA), and New Jersey Communication Association (NJCA), he also conducts continuing education workshops and coaches speakers of all levels in support of their personal and professional goals. A native of Trenton, New Jersey—with family roots stretching back to Brazil, Italy, England, and Ireland—he enjoys travel, film, song writing, athletics, and learning about a broad range of subjects. For more information about Martin McDermott’s training and coaching services, please visit www.martinmcdermott.com.

Speak with Courage
First Edition| 2014
Martin McDermott
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