48 THE COUNTY AGENT'S SERVICES 



thing to do in trying to teach by the spoken word is to 

 decide definitely what one wants to teach and then to pre- 

 pare it so as to deliver it effectively. 



Then one should study and come to know his audience 

 and let it know him. Whether the audience is friendly, 

 indifferent or actually unsympathetic to the speaker or his 

 subject should make a great deal of difference in his 

 method of presenting the subject. The nearer public 

 speaking approaches the conversational method the better, 

 if one authority is right who says that it is "dialogue in 

 which the audience takes part." Certainly one should 

 talk with his audience and not at it or over its head. 



Studied forms of expression are not as important as 

 straight honest thinking and real mastery of one's subject. 

 This is why some persons with no experience as speakers 

 but who have thought out a subject to a conscientious con- 

 clusion often make eloquent and convincing speeches. A 

 good speaker will however vary his method with his audi- 

 ence and his purpose ; if the need be to convince his hear- 

 ers of certain facts, then he will use the argumentative 

 method; if to "sell an idea" or to stimulate to action, then 

 he will try persuasion; or he may purpose to teach prin- 

 ciples, in which case the didactic method with illustrations 

 will be the one which he will use. 



Not the least among the qualifications of a good public 

 speaker is the ability to state his message in a few words 

 and to stop when he gets through. A speaker may give a 

 good talk and make all his points, and then destroy its 

 effect by not having good terminal facilities. 



EXTENSION SCHOOLS 



The extension school or short course is perhaps the most 

 intensive and the most advanced teaching method used 



