PUBLIC SPEAKING: PROBLEMS OF DEFINITION, QUALIFICATION FEATURES, FUNCTIONS IN COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Public speaking is one of the key forms of contemporary oral communication, serving to disseminate information, shape beliefs, regulate social interaction, and support professional activity across diverse fields. Its relevance has increased due to the growing significance of digital and hybrid formats of communication, which complicate interaction and introduce new demands for speakers. This article provides an integrated analysis of public speaking as a multidimensional phenomenon that combines linguistic, rhetorical, psychological, and social components. It examines the main definitional challenges, identifies structural and functional characteristics, and outlines distinctions between public speaking and other types of communication. Special attention is devoted to the qualification features of effective public speaking, including linguistic and rhetorical competence, non-verbal expressiveness, psychological preparedness, and strategic audience orientation. The study demonstrates that the effectiveness of a public speech depends on the speaker’s ability to integrate verbal and extralinguistic means, adapt to communicative situations, and consider the cognitive and emotional characteristics of listeners. The article also outlines the key communicative functions of public speaking – informational, persuasive, educational, social, and psychological – which operate on both individual and societal levels. The conclusions emphasise the need for an interdisciplinary approach that integrates methods from linguistics, rhetoric, pedagogy, psychology, and communication studies. Promising avenues for further research include the analysis of public speaking transformations in digital environments, the study of cross-cultural rhetorical models, and the use of AI-based tools for improving the preparation and assessment of public speech performances.