Francesco Rossi JaneCOMS 130

***COMS130 Midterm Review***

Classical canons of rhetoric: Invention Arrangement Style Memory Delivery

These canons should be guided by three elements which make part if the rethorical situation:

Purpose Audience constraints

Parts of an argument (or, the Toulmin Model) (chapter 16) A good argument is not one that confirms our existing beliefs or works to

persuade an audience, but one that is complete, reasonable, and meets certain tests of reasoning and evidence.

Claims are debatable assertions, and so they need to have supporting evidence (data).

Warrants are general assumptions, principles, of the logic that connect our evidence to claims.

Structural parts of a speech Introduction

o Attention gettero Introduce topico Establish credibilityo Thesis Statemento Preview

Body: o 3-5 main pointso Topic sentenceo Contento Internal review / transition

Conclusion:o Restate the thesiso Review of main pointso Attention Getter

Figures of speech Ethos: credibility of the speaker.

o Trustworthinesso Experience

Francesco Rossi JaneCOMS 130

o Vocabularyo appereance

Pathos: emotional appealo Fearo abstract

Logos: appeals to logico rationality

In The Art of Rhetoric, Aristotle divides these appeals or means of persuasion into two types of proofs: artistic and inartistic.

Artistic Proofs: Ideas from own mind, thus inventedo Personal knowledgeo Observationo Patterns of reasoning

Inartistic Proofs: Information gained from external sourceso Authoritieso Testimonyo Documents

Communication models (chapter 3 handbook) Trasmission Model (sender, message, channel, receiver)

o Based on Shannon and Weaver’s Mathematical model, describes the components of information transfer in communication. This model was originally design for transmitting information through electronic devices.

o The sender is the speaker, and the receiver is the audience. Encoding involves considering what parts of the topic the speaker will discuss and the best way to discuss the, in other words the content of the message. The speaker will also need to pay attention to non verbal channel as well as the verbal channel. The audience decodes the message and hopefully understands the purpose of the speaker. This model explains why we study topic selection, language, non verbal communication, visual aids, delivery and listening.

o However, this model lacks on interaction or reaction between the sender and receiver (feedback).

Interaction or Reaction Model (sender, message, channel, receiver, noise, feedback)

o This model includes a more complex communication process and the interaction between the participants, the concepts of sender and receiver are augmented and the concepts of noise and feedback are added.

o This model asks the sender and the receiver to both encode and decode a message.

o This model, in addition to the transmission model, explains why we study the audience and situational analysis, and careful listening.

o However this model lacks fields of experiences.

Francesco Rossi JaneCOMS 130

The transaction model (sender, message, channel, receiver, noise, feedback, competence, fields of experience, content)

o Both the speaker and the audience are active participants in the transaction. Their competence and fields of experience affect the construction of shared meaning. This in turn affects the outcome and speakers must carefully consider what their goal/outcome for the speech is. The context of the speaking transaction can ultimately affect every concept in the transaction.

o This model explains why we study ethical issue of public speaking, delivery, organization of messages, general and specific purposes, thesis statements, others and self-evaluations, and the elements in the previous two models.

Differences between informative and persuasive speeches (Chapters 14, 15) Informative speeches

o They are commonly delivered in diverse business, professional, classroom, ad community settings. The informative speaker aims to help the listeners gain understanding, by describing (in depth, relevant) or explaining (context, relationship past-present) some process, problem, or phenomenon of interest.

o Some organizational patterns commonly used for informative speaking are chronological/sequential, spatial, categorical, and causal.

o Every informative speaker must be concerned with how listeners learn. Listening critically involves:

Assess the argument, objectively Determine the speaker’s attitudes (metaphors, visual aids, etc.) Develop a position

Persuasive speech:o Using logic and facts to lay out your argument is the most effective way to

persuade people (faculties of speech). o Can generate controversy.

Differences between types of speeches delivery (chapter 12) Extemporaneous

o Carefully prepared though research, strategic organization of ideas, and practiced delivery.

o Delivered from speaking notes, typically using a keyword outline.o Offers the opportunity to deliver speech with flexibility, spontaneity, and

directness: establish eye contact, appropriate use of voices, pauses and posture.

o Encourage audience adaptation, understanding the context.o Works best when the speaker cares deeply about the topic and can speak

with passion and commitment, and therefore, with confidence. Impromptu

o Casual, often called in business, community, and classroom settings.

Francesco Rossi JaneCOMS 130

o Limited preparation available.o Can be seen as an opportunity to practice and improve delivery skills.

Manuscripto Demands a special focus on using good oral style, incorporating

gestures and movement, and using your voice effectively.o Carefully prepared formal speeches, usually delivered precisely as

written.o Often used in political speeches or ceremonial occasions.

Memorized o Requires intensive practice.o It challenges you to speak in the moment and to stay focused on the

ideas you are conveying.o Risk of “performing” rather than communicating with their audience.

Audience analysis (chapter 3) A speech is successful only if it benefits both speaker and audience. You must have a collaborative approach to preparing and presenting your

speech. Basic principles for preparing yourself to speak

o Know yourselfo Know your audienceo Know the situationo Aim for an audience responseo Discover relevant materialo Speak directly with your audienceo Develop confidence through practice

As you speak, you should try to overcome communication apprehension, and that can only be obtained by commitment to your topic and through preparation.