Public speaking is often perceived merely as a transmission of information from a speaker to an audience. However, when we delve deeper, it becomes clear that public speaking is much more than just delivering a message—it is a performance. Just like an actor on stage or a musician in concert, a public speaker must engage, inspire, and captivate their audience. This transformation of speech into a performance involves the careful orchestration of voice modulation, body language, storytelling, and audience interaction.
The credibility and impact of a message on the audience lie in the quality of the speaker’s performance. As Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan, whose work is among the cornerstones of the study of media theory, famously said, “The medium is the message.” In public speaking, the speaker is the medium. A powerful message will lose its intensity if delivered by a weak medium.
While I was preparing for a public speaking workshop for two different sets of participants over the weekend, I came across a study conducted by the University of the Philippines’ Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. This study examined campaign-related visual narratives, including gestures and bodily behaviors, that helped reinforce specific slogans and images of political candidates from the 1970s until the 2022 elections.
And since narratives stick, and politics is a battle of stories, power and influence, how the story is told is critical.
Richard Bolisay, a UP Film Assistant Professor, emphasized that facts alone are not persuasive. “We’ve always thought that they were enough. Parang our biggest tragedy is we have to defend facts. Facts have to be carried by a narrative for people to latch onto them,” stressed Bolisay in the “Persuasion and the Polls” series on YouTube.
Mary Jannette Pinzon, an Associate Professor in the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts at UP, said the shaping of content is as important as the content itself. “Rhetoric is the art and skill of persuasion. Sabi ni Aristotle, ang rhetoric hinahanap yan talaga, all available means of persuasion. Ito ang ginagawa ng mga kandidato. Rhetoric is not the content per se, but it is the study and practice of shaping content,” explained Pinzon.
Pinzon used political candidates as examples, highlighting how they delivered messages—whether facts or myths—to target voters.
“Everything they do is aimed at winning,” she emphasized. When we closely examine how candidates shape their content or the outcome of their key messages, we see that rhetoric is performance.
George Kennedy, a scholar in rhetoric, stated, “Rhetoric can be identified as energy inherent in communication.” It is the emotional energy that impels the speaker to speak or the physical energy expended in the utterance. This energy is what the audience experiences as they decode the messages.
“Their speech, the content of their messages, their behavior—all of these create outcomes, impact, and election results,” she added.
Rhetoric is never complete without gestures. Gestures and all these non-verbal cues enrich the spoken word and enhance the overall impact of the message. When used effectively, these can help the speaker connect with the audience, clarify complex ideas, express emotions, and create a memorable and engaging presentation.
Monica Santos, an Assistant Professor in the UP Department of Anthropology, said the use of gestures, such as signs and symbols, is a way of connecting with people and even with the past.
“The main premise is that each movement is meaningful. We always have to take into account the meaning of the movement to the person making it. What is their intent with that movement?” emphasized Santos.
Gestures help illustrate key points, making messages more engaging and memorable for the audience. These bodily movements also enhance understanding by clarifying and reinforcing the spoken word, aiding the audience’s comprehension. The effective use of gestures can also create a sense of connection between the speaker and the audience.
Here’s what I usually emphasize to workshop participants: Be passionate when speaking in front of a crowd. Be mindful of your energy, as it is very contagious. Nobody wants to listen to or pay attention to someone who appears and sounds disinterested in what he or she is about to share. Gestures are instrumental in expressing emotions and attitudes. A passionate speaker conveys enthusiasm and urgency, while more restrained gestures indicate thoughtfulness or calm.
Gestures can help control the pacing and rhythm of speech. Deliberate pauses accompanied by appropriate gestures can emphasize important points and give the audience time to absorb information. Additionally, in a visual society, gestures add a dynamic element to speeches, capturing and holding the audience’s attention, making the delivery more lively and less monotonous.
Aspiring public speakers and those who engage in such activity due to the nature of their profession must embrace the reality that public speaking is a performance. To become effective communicators, they should continuously practice and refine their skills, utilizing every available tool, including their body. By mastering the use of gestures and other nonverbal cues, speakers can deliver their key messages clearly, passionately, and effectively. With dedication and practice, anyone can transform their public speaking abilities and make a lasting impact on their audience.*
