1.1: Why is Communication Important?
Tiffany Petricini
Learning Objectives
- Explore three types of public speaking in everyday life: informative, persuasive, and special occasion
- Understand the benefits of taking a course in public speaking
- Explain the benefits people get from engaging in public speaking
- Explain how AI impacts different types of public speaking and message delivery
We live in a world shaped by communication. Every relationship, every workplace, every community depends on our ability to share ideas, listen actively, and collaborate effectively. This book is not just about public speaking. It is about becoming a more intentional communicator in all areas of life—whether you are giving a speech, participating in a group project, writing an email, or navigating a tough conversation with someone you care about.
Good communication is not just about talking. It is about making meaning with others. It involves listening, reflecting, adapting, and responding. It requires an understanding of context, audience, purpose, and ethics. And it is one of the most important skills you can develop, no matter your career path or goals.
Three Purposes of Public Communication
One of the most direct ways communication shows up in public life is through speaking. While this book explores multiple forms of communication, public speaking offers a unique opportunity to practice meaning-making with a visible audience. Public messages often serve three main purposes:
Beyond the Podium Insight
Knowing whether you aim to inform, persuade, or inspire isn’t just for speeches—it shapes everyday decisions. When you write a social media post, draft an email to a supervisor, or speak up in a community meeting, being intentional about your purpose helps you choose the right tone, evidence, and delivery.
- To inform: Sharing knowledge and insight helps others make sense of complex topics. Whether you are giving a presentation, offering training, or reporting findings, informative communication builds understanding.
- To persuade: Influencing how others think, feel, or act is a core part of leadership and advocacy. Persuasive communication appears in campaigns, debates, pitches, and conversations where you ask others to consider a new point of view.
- To entertain or inspire: Humor, storytelling, and emotional connection help us feel more human and connected. Ceremonial speeches, performances, toasts, and personal narratives serve this function.
These purposes are not limited to formal speeches. They show up in everyday conversations, interviews, group discussions, and digital communication. The more you understand these purposes, the more effectively you can choose how to express yourself.
Why Take a Communication Course?
The course that accompanies this book offers more than presentation practice. It gives you tools to build communication competence across settings. Some of the key benefits include:
- Stronger critical thinking: You will learn how to organize ideas clearly, evaluate evidence, and communicate with purpose. These skills support effective dialogue, not just speeches.
- Improved interpersonal and group communication: You will gain awareness of how your verbal and nonverbal choices affect others, and how to adapt based on audience, context, and goals.
- Greater confidence: Whether you are asking a question in class, leading a meeting, or giving a formal talk, confidence grows with practice. You will develop techniques for managing anxiety and becoming more comfortable in a variety of communication situations.
- Ethical awareness: You will explore how language can include or exclude, amplify or silence, empower or harm. Ethical communication means thinking critically about the impact your words have on others.
How AI Impacts Communication
AI Insight
While AI can make message creation faster, it can also distance you from your authentic voice if you rely on it without reflection. For example, AI-generated speeches often default to generalized, “safe” phrasing that may sound polished but lack personal resonance. Learning to edit and adapt AI output ensures your audience still hears you, not just the machine.
Generative AI is already changing how people write, speak, and search for and share information. It can help you brainstorm ideas, analyze tone, or summarize arguments. At the same time, it raises new challenges about authorship, authenticity, and attention.
- Who is the communicator when AI drafts the message?
- How do algorithms affect what gets seen or heard?
- What responsibility do we have when our voices are amplified—or erased—by digital platforms?
This book helps you build AI literacy alongside communication competence. That means understanding the tools you may use, questioning how they shape your messages, and learning how to remain ethical, clear, and human in digital spaces.
What You Will Gain
By the end of this course, you will have more than a set of speech techniques. You will have a communication toolkit that helps you navigate the real world—classrooms, workplaces, communities, and digital spaces—with confidence and care. You will be able to:
- Speak clearly and ethically
- Listen actively and reflectively
- Adapt messages to different audiences
- Use technology, including AI, responsibly
- Think critically about the role of communication in shaping society
Communication competence is not something you master once and for all. It is something you build through practice, reflection, and engagement with others. This course gives you a place to begin.
