So I’ve called this category public speaking. And yet it is meant to be the category for the background core skills. And then I dumped in live events on top of that. Why would I have immediately thought of public speaking as the main topic for this category?

Am I crazy or what?

Welllll … maybe but this isn’t evidence of it. I know that’s hard to believe but there is a reason for it.

In many ways, Public Speaking is THE background core skill. Almost every other skill is predicated on it.

First off, let’s clarify a concept in learning content creation. There are two elements in any learning event.  One is the content — what you learn. The other is the media — how the content is transmitted.

There are four basic media which can be used for learning content:

  1. The written word
  2. Audio
  3. Video
  4. Living events

The nature of the media will affect the learning content itself. Certain information cannot be transmitted effectively with some of the media. And some content is most effective with some of the media.

Now, here’s the point.

All the media are heavily dependent on public speaking. Even writing is best when you use your own voice. And your voice is most obvious when you are speaking. That’s why we teach to write as if you were having a conversation. Without the hmms and uhuhs of course. At least usually.

How you express yourself affects audio — which is after all only the recording of your voice. It also affects video — which of course includes your voice. And as we’ve mentioned your speech patterns affect your writing — at least it should in good writing!

That leaves only live events. And since public speaking is a live event — and all live events involve public speaking… Well you get the idea.

Now remember I mentioned that learning content is affected by the media. It’s kind of like a pyramid with the Learning content at the top, three of the media in the middle and live events underneath with the background core at the bottom.

If you change something in the background core — especially Public Speaking — then you are going to change everything above it.

That’s why even writers need to spend some time educating themselves about Public Speaking.

(And no this isn’t a set up for a course! Been there. Done that. )

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