Course Overview:
The course focuses on the practical skills of public speaking and grounded in classical and contemporary theories of rhetoric, it offers full coverage of all major aspects of speech preparation and presentation. Utilizing the full suite of resources, students learn to internalize the principles of public speaking, build confidence through speech practice, and prepare for success in the classroom and beyond. With the new Enhanced Speech Capture, instructors now have the ability to evaluate live speeches using a customizable rubric in the classroom. Instructors may also upload speech videos on students’ behalf to create and manage true peer review assignments. With its groundbreaking adaptive learning system also helps students “know what they know,” while guiding them to experience and learn important concepts that they need to know to succeed.
Course Objectives:
Help today’s students become capable, responsible speakers and thinkers.
Target Audience:
Instructors. Public figures. Spokespeople. Students. Managers. Trainers.
Course Outline:
Part one: Speaking and listening
Chapter 1: Speaking in public
- The power of public speaking
- The tradition of public speaking
- Similarities between public speaking and conversation
- Differences between public speaking and conversations
- Developing confidence: Your speech class
- Public speaking and critical thinking
- The speech communication process
- Public speaking in a multicultural world
Chapter 2: Ethics of public speaking
- The importance of ethics
- Guidelines for ethical speaking
- Plagiarism
- Guidelines for ethical listening
Chapter 3: Listening
- Listening is important
- Listening and critical thinking
- Four causes of poor listening
- How to become a better listener
Chapter 4: Giving your first speech
- Preparing your speech
- Delivering your speech
- Sample speeches with commentary
Part two: Speech preparation: Getting started
Chapter 5: Selecting a topic and a purpose
- Choosing a topic
- Determining the general purpose
- Determining the specific purpose
- Phrasing the central idea
Chapter 6: Analyzing the audience
- Audience-centeredness
- Your classmates as an audience
- The psychology of audiences
- Demographic audience analysis
- Situational audience analysis
- Getting information about the audience
- Adapting to the audience
Chapter 7: Gathering materials
- Using your own knowledge and experience
- Doing library research
- Searching the internet
- Interviewing
- Tips for doing research
Chapter 8: Supporting your ideas
- Examples
- Statistics
- Testimony
- Citing sources orally
Part three: Speech preparation: Organizing and outlining
Chapter 9: Organizing the body of the speech
- Organization is important
- Main points
- Supporting materials
- Connectives
Chapter 10: Beginning and ending the speech
- The introduction
- The conclusion
Chapter 11: Outlining the speech
- The preparation outline
- The speaking outline
Part four: Presenting the speech
Chapter 12: Using language
- Meanings of words
- Using language accurately
- Using language clearly
- Using language vividly
- Using language appropriately
- A note on inclusive language
Chapter 13: Delivery
- What is good delivery?
- Methods of delivery
- The speaker’s voice
- The speaker’s body
- Practicing delivery
- Answering audience questions
Chapter 14: Using visual aids
- Kinds of visual aids
- Guidelines for preparing visual aids
- Guidelines for presenting visual aids
Part five: Varieties of public speaking
Chapter 15: Speaking to inform
- Types of informative speeches: analysis and organization
- Guidelines for informative speaking
- Sample speech with commentary
Chapter 16: Speaking to persuade
- The importance of persuasion
- Ethics and persuasion
- The psychology of persuasion
- Persuasive speeches on questions of facts
- Persuasive speeches on questions of value
- Persuasive speeches on questions of policy
- Sample speech with commentary
Chapter 17: Methods of persuasion
- Building credibility
- Using evidence
- Reasoning
- Appealing to emotions
- Sample speech with commentary
Chapter 18: Speaking on special occasions
- Speeches of introduction
- Speeches of presentation
- Speeches of acceptance
- Commemorative speeches
Chapter 19: Speaking in small groups
- What is a small group?
- Leadership in small groups
- Responsibilities in a small group
- The reflective-thinking method
- Presenting the recommendations of the group