Praxis Speech & Theatre key terms

The art of using language deliberately to persuade or influence an audience, involving the selection and arrangement of arguments, evidence, and style for a particular situation.

A persuasive appeal based on the speaker's perceived credibility, character, and trustworthiness rather than on logic or emotion alone.

A persuasive appeal that targets the audience's emotions, values, or sympathies in order to move them toward a desired response.

A persuasive appeal grounded in logic, reasoning, and evidence such as facts, statistics, and structured argument.

The central assertion a speaker or writer asks an audience to accept, which the rest of the argument is designed to support.

The often unstated assumption that links a piece of evidence to a claim, explaining why that evidence should count as support.

A flaw in reasoning that makes an argument invalid or weak, such as attacking a person instead of the issue or generalizing from too few examples.

The process of studying an audience's demographics, attitudes, knowledge, and expectations so a message can be adapted to fit them.

Designing a speech around the listeners' needs, values, and prior knowledge rather than around the speaker's own preferences or convenience.

A single declarative sentence that states the central idea of a speech and previews what the speaker intends to establish.

A concise statement of exactly what a speech is meant to accomplish with a given audience, expressed as an infinitive phrase such as 'to persuade listeners to...'

A plan for arranging main points, such as chronological, spatial, cause-effect, problem-solution, or topical order, chosen to fit the content.

A sentence or phrase that connects one part of a speech to the next and signals how ideas relate to each other.

A brief verbal cue that tells listeners where the speaker is in the speech, such as 'first,' 'in contrast,' or 'finally.'

Speaking from a prepared outline using brief notes, allowing natural phrasing and eye contact rather than a memorized or read script.

Delivering a speech with little or no preparation time, requiring the speaker to organize ideas quickly and think on their feet.

Varying pitch, rate, volume, and emphasis to keep speech interesting and to reinforce meaning, in contrast to a flat monotone.

The clear production of individual speech sounds using the tongue, lips, teeth, and palate so words are intelligible to listeners.

The study of body movement, including posture, gestures, and facial expression, as a channel of nonverbal communication.

The study of how people use and interpret physical space and distance in communication, such as intimate, personal, social, and public zones.

Messages conveyed without words, including tone of voice, facial expression, gesture, posture, and use of space and time.

Listening with focused attention and effort, including paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, and giving feedback to confirm understanding.

A structured exchange among several participants who share ideas on a topic, often aiming at a decision or a joint understanding.

The patterns of interaction, roles, and influence among members of a group, including leadership, conflict, and cohesion.

A framework for analyzing arguments that identifies a claim, supporting evidence, the warrant linking them, and qualifiers or rebuttals that limit the claim.

The arrangement of events in a play, typically moving through exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

The point of greatest tension or turning point in a play, where the central conflict reaches its peak and the outcome begins to be decided.

The struggle between opposing forces in a drama, such as person against person, society, nature, or self, that drives the action.

The sequence of events in a play, arranged so that each action causes or leads to the next.

The reasons, desires, or needs that drive a character's choices and actions within the world of the play.

A character's immediate want or goal in a scene, which the actor pursues through action and which shapes line delivery and stage business.

The facts of a scene or play, including setting, time, relationships, and prior events, that an actor uses to build believable behavior.

The meaning or feeling beneath the literal words of a line, which an actor conveys through tone, timing, and physical behavior.

The planned placement and movement of actors on stage, including entrances, exits, crosses, and stage pictures, set by the director.

The visual composition created by actors' positions, levels, and spacing at a given moment, used to focus attention and convey relationships.

Moving toward the back of the stage or otherwise drawing focus to oneself, often forcing other actors to turn away from the audience.

Angling the body or turning slightly toward the audience so the face and actions remain visible while still relating to others on stage.

Using supported breath and resonant voice to make speech audible throughout a theatre without shouting or straining the vocal folds.

Clear and precise pronunciation of words on stage, ensuring every sound is articulated so the audience can follow the dialogue.

Breathing from the diaphragm so the lower abdomen expands, providing steady breath support for sustained vocal projection and control.