santa fe college: speech fall 2010 syllabus
DESCRIPTION
BreslinTRANSCRIPT
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Speech Manual and Syllabus
For SPC 2608: Introduction to Public Speaking
Santa Fe College
Course Sections .003, .005, .007, .015, .019, .021, and .052
Fall 2010 Edition
Pat Breslin Associate Professor of Speech Communication
Department of Humanities and Foreign Languages Santa Fe College
3000 NW 83rd Street, Building L, Room 9 Gainesville, Florida 32606
(352) 395-5608 [email protected]
http://people.sfcollege.edu/patrick.breslin/
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Table of Contents
Calendar …………………………………………………….……………………….. 3
Course Description and Policies ……………………………………………………. 4
Chapter 1: All the Right Moves …………………………………………………….. 12
The Oral Interpretation ……………………………………………….. 14
Chapter 2: Intro and Format …………………………………………………….. 17
The Demonstration Speech …………………………….……………........ 18
The Informative Speech ……………………………………………..… 21
Outline and Citation Guidelines ………………………………………... 24
Chapter 3: Word Tools ……………………………………………………...…….. 27
Chapter 4: Perspectives and Perceptions …………………………………………….. 29
Chapter 5: Logic and Reasoning …………………………………………….. 35
The Persuasive Speech
The Future History Speech
…………………………………………..
…….…………………………………….
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44
The Debate …………………………………………………………….. 46
The Elevator Speech ………………………….….……….…………. 50
Extra Credit Option ………………………………………………………….……… 52
Public Speaking and Your Career …………..….………………………………….... 54
Instructor Schedule …………………………..….…………………….……………… 56
The Discover™
Program …………………………….……………………………. … 57
Santa Fe College instructors may utilize this material as needed; others should first contact Patrick Breslin.
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COURSE CALENDAR Scheduled Assignments Graded Speeches
August 23 - 27 Course introduction; Discussion of graded speeches; Discussion of Speech Intro formats, Oral Interpretations, Discover Program, and Extra Credit Public Lecture Analysis; Reading Assignment: Syllabus Manual pp. 2 - 16, 52, 53, and 57; DeVito Chapters 1, 2, and 9
→
Oral Interpretations
(August 27: Last day to drop with no record and receive a refund for Fall Term)
August 30 - September 4
Read Syllabus Manual pp. 17 – 20; DeVito Chapters 3 and 6.
→ Oral Interpretations
September 6 - 10 (School Closed Monday); Read DeVito Chapter
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→ Demonstration Speeches
September 13 - 17 “Discover Program” Results Due; Discussion of
Informative Speech (Topic: “My Career”); Read Syllabus Manual pp. 21 – 26; DeVito Chapters 5 & 7
→ Demonstration Speeches
September 20 - 24 Read Syllabus Manual pp. 27 - 33; DeVito Chapters 8 & 10
→ Informative Speeches
September 27 - October 1
Exam #1 on DeVito Chapters 1 – 4 and Syllabus Manual reading assignments; Read Syllabus
Manual pp. 35 - 43; Discussion of Persuasive Speeches, Reasoning, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence; PowerPoint Tutorial
→ Informative Speeches
October 4 - 8 → Persuasive Speeches
October 11 - 15 Homecoming: School Closed Friday.
Discussion of Future History Speeches; Read Syllabus Manual pp. 44, 44; DeVito Chapter 11
→ Persuasive Speeches
October 18 - 22 Read DeVito Chapter 12 → Persuasive Speeches; Group Debate Game
October 25 - 29 → Future History Speeches
November 1 -5 Exam #2 on Chapters 5 – 8, Syllabus Manual reading assignments, and classroom lessons;
Read Syllabus Manual pp. 46 - 51
→ Future History Speeches; Debate Research
November 8 - 12 Veteran’s Day: School Closed Thursday.
Discussion of Debates; Discussion of Elevator Speeches
→ Debates and Elevator Speeches; Deadline for Extra Credit Analysis of Public Lecture
November 15 - 19 → Debates and Elevator Speeches
November 22 - 26 Thanksgiving Break: School Closed Thursday and Friday
→ Debates and Elevator Speeches
November 29 - December 3
→ Debates and Elevator Speeches
December 6 - 9 Exam #3 on Chapters 9 – 12 (See page 11 in this manual for Finals Week schedule)
→ Debates and Elevator Speeches
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Course Description and Policies
Official Overview: SPC 2608 introduces students to the rhetorical art form of public speaking
as it has emerged through history to its present status in history. Communication skills are taught as students
prepare and deliver informative and persuasive speeches. Emphasis is also placed on methods of adapting
messages to diverse audiences and developing listening skills when hearing messages from speakers who
have differing values and cultural backgrounds. In essence, the course offers both the rhetorical analysis and
practical skills components to ensure that students can both critically analyze and orally present thoughts.
Research is required to support all argument.
Informal Overview:
In this course you’ll learn styles of speaking that will be useful for other
college courses and, more importantly, for the working world. You’ll learn to feel more comfortable (or less
uncomfortable) speaking to groups of people. You will learn to focus your communication, and to
communicate your focus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to learn public speaking? I’m never going to be standing on a stage behind a podium
lecturing to an auditorium full of people.
Maybe not. But after you graduate, at various points in your career you
will be asked to speak to more than one person at a time: colleagues, co-
workers, clients, customers, and maybe even conference attendees.
You’ll need to inform them. Sometimes you’ll want to convince them.
In all cases you’ll want them to listen. To make that happen, you’ll need
to learn how to get and keep their attention. You’ll need to master the
right moves, the right words, the right set-up, and the right reasoning.
You’ll need to be aware of the perspectives of your audience, and the implications of your own viewpoints that you’ll want to share. All of these concepts will be covered in this
course.
When employers are asked which skills they look for in employees they wish to promote, usually the first
skill they specify is communication, both oral and written. The art of writing is addressed in other college
courses. Oral communication is the subject of Public Speaking. In circumstances involving face to face
interaction, it is the more important of the two. For more information on how Public Speaking will apply to
your career, go to Appendix A on page 54.
What textbook is required for this class?
The Essential Elements of Public Speaking by Joseph A. DeVito, available in the College
bookstore.
What are the reading assignments?
Required readings from the textbook and this manual are noted on the calendar on page 3 above. Please
complete the reading no later than the first day of class for each week
How many speeches will I have to do?
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There will be 7 graded speeches and various ungraded practice speeches. The length of most graded speeches
will be 5 minutes unless otherwise specified. Other speeches may be added to the coursework if it seems
appropriate. As of now, these are the titles of the graded speeches:
The Oral Interpretation
The Demonstration Speech
The Informative Speech
The Persuasive Speech
The Future History Speech
The Debate
The Elevator Speech
Are dates assigned for individual graded speeches?
Yes. They’ll be announced in class.
And the speeches are supposed to be 5 minutes long?
Yes, 5 minutes; no more, no less. You will be required to fill each speech with 5
minutes’ worth of content. Here is a comparison: if you enroll in an English
composition course that requires you to write a 200 word paper, you would not just
write 75 words, hand it in, and hope for the best; you would write 200 words. In
this Public Speaking course, you create 5 minutes of content; not just 2 or 3
minutes’ worth. And not 15 or 20 minutes’. You will need to do research, generate content, and practice
timing your speeches.
What are the exams like?
Each exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions. There will be 3 exams, for which a scantron is required
---the 8½” by 11” size green sheet---, so please buy one at the College bookstore. You can use the same
scantron for all 3 exams.
Is there a cumulative final exam? Not a cumulative one. An exam covering the last few chapters of the textbook will be administered during
finals week.
What’s the policy on attendance and assignments?
You are expected to (a) attend every class, (b) be prepared for every class, (c) read all materials and participate
in every class, and (d) complete all assignments on time. Unless otherwise announced in class, “assignments”
will consist solely of preparation for and delivery of graded speeches---plus studying for exams, of course.
What if I’m not ready on time? If you are assigned to deliver a graded speech on a certain day, and you’re not ready to do it on that day, the
speech will automatically be reassigned to the next class, and the grade you earn for it will be reduced by 15%
---a drop of a full letter grade. When the next class takes place, if you’re still not prepared, the speech will be
rescheduled to the next class, and you’ll lose another 15% (thus, a 2-letter grade drop). At a certain point in the
semester this policy may change: unpreparedness may result in a grade of zero if deemed needful.
What’s the rule on absences in general?
It depends on how often your class meets. You may miss the equivalent of one week of class without penalty,
according to these guidelines:
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If your class meets 3 times a week, you may have 3 absences without penalty on dates when you are not
scheduled to deliver a graded speech. If you’re absent more often than that without a documentable
excuse, your grade loses 10 points per absence.
If your class meets twice a week, you may have 2 absences without penalty on dates when you are not
scheduled to deliver a graded speech. If you’re absent more often than that without a documentable
excuse, your grade loses 15 points per absence.
If your class meets once a week, you may have 1 absence without penalty on dates when you are not
scheduled to deliver a graded speech. If you’re absent more often than that without a documentable
excuse, your grade loses 30 points per absence.
Naturally, I prefer that you never cut class. Realistically, you may need to. So consider these no-penalty
absences your “free days.” Use them wisely. Save them for when you catch a cold or your car breaks down.
Don’t squander them on days when you’re just not in the mood to attend class. You’ll need them at some point.
What happens if I’m absent more than the allowed number of times, or absent for a graded speech?
You lose grade points, in 2 different ways. If you’ve used up your “free days” and you
miss another class on a day when you’re not scheduled to deliver a graded speech, your
grade may be reduced by the number of points shown above. The only exception to this
would be if your inability to attend class can be proven and documented; i.e., a doctor’s
note or medical receipt, a car repair invoice, etc. If you know you won’t be able to come
to class, or if you need to arrive late or leave early, call me, or at least send an email.
If you have not initiated any prior communication, and if your absences cannot be
documented, the penalties for missing class will be enforced.
Whether you’ve used up your “free days” or not, if you’re absent on the day of a graded speech, it will be
assumed that you skipped class because you weren’t prepared, unless you can prove otherwise. You’ll be
automatically reassigned to deliver the speech during the next class period, and the points earned for the speech
itself will be reduced by 15%, which is a drop of a full letter grade as noted above.
In other words, if you’ve used up your “free days,” and if you then fail to show up for a scheduled graded
speech, your grade gets docked twice.
So to not lose points for absences, I have to prove why I couldn’t come to class?
Yes. You have to provide documentation showing that the absence was caused by circumstances beyond your
control, such as illness or vehicle breakdown. Please avoid offering excuses that
would not qualify as beyond your control, such as:
----A vacation trip that you (or your family) scheduled during the semester
----Studying for an exam for another class
----Having to clean the apartment because visitors are coming
----Oversleeping
----Being hung over
----Forgetting that your speech assignment was due
But if I’m paying for college---and paying my teachers’ salaries---, don’t I have the right to skip class
when I want?
Sure, and you have the right to not eat the groceries you’ve paid for, but what a waste that would be. To state
the obvious, you are in college to learn. Skipping class diminishes what you can learn. Your instructors are
paid to teach you about their subject of expertise in order to develop your intelligence, enhance your
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knowledge, and, most importantly, prepare you for life after graduation. Such preparation requires that you
become responsible and accountable for the results of every action you take or fail to take.
In a sense, the classroom is not a democracy; it is a benevolent dictatorship. The person in charge truly has
your best interests at heart, and wants you to succeed. Moreover, your instructor knows more about the subject
than you do, and by virtue of having been educated, tested, and certified, they are deemed capable of instructing
you in a manner that ultimately works best for you, even if it doesn’t always seem that way.
Therefore, instructors set up guidelines that oblige you to learn about consequences,
conscientiousness, and dependability. We do this because we truly want you to succeed.
Teachers like their students; otherwise, we wouldn’t teach.
In terms of a Public Speaking class, another factor must be taken into account regarding attendance. Part of
your grade will depend on how well you interact with your audience. If you skip class, you reduce other
peoples’ ability to raise their grade, and if they skip class, they do the same to you.
What about arriving late to class, or leaving early?
If you need to arrive late or leave early, please let me know in advance; otherwise, late arrival and leaving early
will count as a full absence, for which you lose points.
Can I request that a speech scheduled for a specific date be rescheduled to the next class?
You can request it, but because of class time constraints, I can’t guarantee it’ll happen. Do your best to be
ready when scheduled. If class time fills up with other activities and we don’t get around to your speech on the
assigned date, you should assume that it’s automatically rescheduled to the next class and you should be ready
to deliver it then. If you’re not ready on that date, you’ll lose points, as noted above.
But what if I get REALLY busy?
You’re supposed to get really busy. You’re a college student, and school is a busy place. If you’re like most
students, you’ll have exams, lab work to prepare, or papers to write, some of which will inevitably fall
during the same week that you’re supposed to deliver a graded presentation in speech class. That’s all part
of being in college and learning to juggle multiple priorities. You have time for what you make time for.
The best way to manage your time is to complete as many assignments and as much homework as possible,
for all your classes, long before the assignments are due. The sooner you get the hang of that, the easier
college will be.
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How much time should I set aside for speech preparation or studying?
There is a general rule for most college courses: 2 hours of preparation for each hour of class time. So if you
spend 3 hours in class during the week, plan for 6 hours of prep time. If you’re taking 5 classes at 3 hours each,
that’s 15 hours in the classroom each week, plus 30 hours (2 x 15) of prep time; or 45 hours a week, which is
more than a full time job. So it’s crucial that you plan your preparation time accordingly, and don’t overextend
yourself with other activities.
© Bill Watterson
I should expect 30 hours of class preparation every week? For a full course load, yes, if you want to maximize your chances of getting straight A’s in all your courses.
What if I have some unique challenges to deal with?
I’m available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that you may require due to a disability, in
compliance with College policy and equal access laws. Except for unusual circumstances, requests for
academic accommodations should be submitted during the first week of the semester so that arrangements can
be made. Students submitting such requests must be registered with the Disabilities Resource Center in room S-
229 on the Northwest Campus (phone 395-4400) for disability verification and determination of reasonable
academic accommodations.
What if somebody hassles me?
SFC prohibits any form of discrimination or sexual harassment among students, faculty and staff. For further
information, refer to the SFC Human Resources Policies Web site at
http://dept.sfcollege.edu/rules/PDF/Rule_2/2_8.pdf.
How do I get extra credit?
I’m glad you asked. Extra credit can be earned by doing an outstanding job on the delivery of your speeches,
and also by providing an in-class oral analysis of a public lecture you’ve attended during the current semester
(see page 52). Other opportunities may be provided during final exam week.
When are you in your office?
My office hours are listed on page 56 of this manual. My office is in Building L, room 9, inside suite 27.
What if I need to withdraw?
Refer to the Syllabus Manual calendar on page 3 for withdrawal dates. If you wish to withdraw after the
official semester withdrawal date, talk to your academic advisor first. Visit R-201, the academic advisors’
office, or call 395-5503.
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Be aware that if you stop attending class, instructors have no way of knowing the reason for your absence ---
zits, bad hair day, witness relocation program, alien abduction, etc.--- or whether you plan to return. If
circumstances prevent you from attending class regularly and you think you might not complete the term, it is
your responsibility to handle the withdrawal process. Withdrawal status is not automatically granted to
someone who merely stops attending class. If for some reason you are unable to initiate the withdrawal
procedure yourself, contact your teachers to discuss the situation. Otherwise, if you discontinue attending and
fail to carry out the withdrawal procedures, you’ll earn a grade based on the work you accomplished before you
stopped coming to class, which might result in an “F” on your record. To learn about the College policy on
withdrawals, please visit this website: http://dept.sfcollege.edu/records/withdraw.htm.
Any other rules I need to know about?
Here’s a big one: Be ethical. There are many ways to do this. A crucial one is to show respect. In academia
and in the working world, respect for one’s peers is of paramount importance. In Public Speaking, it is crucial
to refrain from offending your listeners. For that reason, in the classroom no inappropriate language may be
used ever. Words that you would not hear in a church, synagogue, or temple may not be spoken here. This
applies especially to terms that categorize people with respect to religion, race, nationality, and sexual
orientation. You are not expected to embrace the differences you see in others, but it is mandatory that you
respect them.
Here’s another way to be ethical: Don’t cheat and don’t plagiarize. In particular, don’t
copy information from the Web, or from another student, and pretend it’s yours.
Instructors can spot fake work a mile away. If you get caught---and most people do---,
the instructor has the option of giving you an “F” for the assignment in which the
plagiarism was found, or you might receive an “F” for the whole course. If plagiarism or
another form of cheating happens more than once, you’ll get a permanent Academic
Dishonesty notation on your transcript record
Anything else?
Here are some general etiquette guidelines for the classroom:
Earphones from iPods or other music devices should be removed before
entering the classroom.
No open laptops on your desk, please. Take notes the old-fashioned way.
No open books on your desk. Focus on the teacher, or on the students doing
presentations. Don’t do homework for other classes, or even for Speech class,
when other students are giving speeches. It is disrespectful to them.
While class is in session, set your cell phone on “silent” or turn it off.
If your cell phone goes off during class, or if it beeps to alert you to a missed
call, you will be responsible for bringing candy for everyone at the next class
session. If your cell phone goes off while you are delivering a speech, the
penalty will be increased, up to and including pizza. (Don’t laugh; it happens.)
If you are seen leaving the classroom with a cell phone in your hand, it will be
assumed that you’re going to make or receive a call during class time, for
which the penalty is a 25 point deduction from your grade. The only
exception would be if you’re making or receiving a call for a documentable
emergency situation. If that’s the case, talk to me.
Text-messaging or fiddling with your iPod while other students are delivering speeches in class
is considered disrespectful and is prohibited. Fifteen points will be automatically deducted from
your grade each time you are seen doing this. If someone observes you in the act of text-
messaging and alerts me to it, 15 points will be deducted from your grade and transferred to the
person who busted you.
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Please don’t keep a pinch of tobacco in your mouth during class. Beyond the fact that it looks
grotesque, I’ve known of students who died of oral cancer caused by the use of it.
Specifically regarding grade point penalties, please be aware that:
If someone is standing in front of the class speaking, and you are observed reading, 15 points
will be deducted from your grade.
If someone is standing in front of the class speaking, and you are observed writing, 15 points will
be deducted from your grade.
If someone is standing in front of the class speaking, and you are observed texting, 15 points will
be deducted from your grade.
If someone is standing in front of the class speaking, and you are observed drawing, 15 points
will be deducted from your grade.
If you are observed leaving the room during class with a cell phone, 25 points will be deducted
from your grade.
Do I have to dress up to deliver a speech?
Only if you want to. However, here are some appearance policies to follow on the days that you’ll
deliver speeches in this course:
If you happen to wear a tongue stud, please ensure that we cannot see it while you’re giving a
speech. It makes your tongue look like a little parade marshal marching with a baton, and it
visually distracts your audience from the message you want them to hear. It may slur your
speech.
If you have tattoos or body piercings on your lower abdomen, ensure that these are not visible
when you stand in front of the class. Nothing will demolish your credibility faster than inked
patterns or shiny jewelry dancing around your bellybutton while you’re trying to impress people
with your intelligence (especially if you’ve been overdoing it on the Twinkies lately). On the
days when you’re scheduled to speak, wear a long shirt or tuck it in your waistband.
Make sure the waistband of your pants is at your waist, and not making its way south toward
your knees.
What else should I know about?
When emailing your instructor:
Put your full name and class start time in the Subject line: “Sue Smith, 9 a.m. class.”
General rules to not lose points or lower your grade:
Don’t be unprepared for an assigned speech or presentation.
Don’t miss class.
Don’t leave class early or during a break, because:
(a) it is very conspicuous (everyone will know you’re gone, including the instructor);
(b) it shows disrespect to the other students who are responsible enough to remain until the
class is over; and
(c) it counts as a full absence, causing your grade to drop.
To earn extra credit points:
Do deliver outstanding speeches.
Do provide an in-class presentation on a public lecture (see page 51).
When preparing outlines to hand in with the speeches that require them:
Do prepare typewritten outlines. Don’t turn in handwritten outlines.
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When delivering speeches, bear in mind that, with the exception of a few specific exercises such as your
Oral Interpretation speech, this class involves extemporaneous speaking: “rehearsed, but in a conversational
tone.” For that reason,
Don’t read typed or scripted notes aloud in front of the class, and
Do use minimal notes while delivering your speech
What else should I know about?
One of the cornerstones of higher education is honesty; this requires that students adhere to accepted standards
of academic integrity. To support this, Santa Fe College has adopted a Student Conduct Code that outlines
general guidelines. Knowing what it says may help you stay out of trouble. It can be found at
http://dept.sfcollege.edu/rules/PDF/Rule_7/7_23.pdf.
How are grades calculated?
Grading and Grade A 900 - 1000 Oral Interpretation 60 points
Distribution B+ 850 - 899 Demonstration Speech 140 points
B 800 - 849 Informative Speech 1,2
150 points
C+ 750 - 799 Persuasive Speech 1,2
150 points
C 700 - 749 Future History Speech 1 150 points
D+ 650 - 699 Debate 1 150 points
D 600 - 649 Exams (3 @ 50 points each) 150 points
F 0 - 599 Elevator Speech 50 points
I* Total 1000 points
* Incomplete work must be fulfilled or the grade converts to an “F”. 1. Citations Required
An “I” is issued if at least 75% of the work is completed and if 2. Outline Required
the reasons for not fulfilling the remaining requirements are
demonstrably beyond the student’s control (illness, accident, etc.)
When will our final exam take place?
MWF 9 a.m. Final Exam Date: 12/08/2010 Time: 08:00 AM to 10:00 AM Campus: NW Bldg/Room: P-165
MWF 11 a.m. Final Exam Date: 12/08/2010 Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM Campus: NW Bldg/Room: P-165
MWF 12 p.m. Final Exam Date: 12/06/2010 Time: 01:00 PM to 03:00 PM Campus: NW Bldg/Room: P-165
TH 9:30 a.m. Final Exam Date: 12/07/2010 Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM Campus: NW Bldg/Room: L-203
TH 12:30 p.m. Final Exam Date: 12/07/2010 Time: 01:00 PM to 03:00 PM Campus: NW Bldg/Room: L-203
TH 3:30 p.m. Final Exam Date: 12/09/2010 Time: 03:30 PM to 05:30 PM Campus: NW Bldg/Room: L-203
Tue 7 – 9:45 p.m. Final Exam Date: 12/07/2010 Time: 08:00 PM to 10:00 PM Campus: NW Bldg/Room: L-203
What should I do if I have a question about my grade?
Make an appointment at my office. Bring your speech grade sheets and scantrons with you; we will review
them together.
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Chapter 1: All the Right Moves
There is an interior aspect to public speaking and an exterior aspect to it as well. The exterior aspect is how
you look and behave when speaking to a group. The interior aspect is the way you feel about it.
I get really nervous when I have to stand up and talk to a group of people.
Nervousness is quite normal. In fact, it’s so normal that if you don’t feel nervous when addressing a roomful
of strangers, you are probably seriously disturbed and need professional help.
Be aware that nervousness is invisible. It’s like having a headache. If
you tell people you have a headache, they know; if you don’t tell them,
they don’t know. So when you’re standing in front of the class and you
feel like saying, “I’m nervous,” don’t say it.
So how do I stop feeling nervous?
Practice, practice, practice. That’s part of your homework, and one of
the exterior aspects of public speaking. The more you practice by
yourself, and the more you speak in front of people, the easier it gets.
Deliver speeches in front of a mirror, in front of the TV, in front of your
roommates, in front of your cat. But don’t wait till you’re in your car
driving to class to practice your speech; it’s dangerous, and the
environment is too different.
Another way to reduce interior nervousness is to externalize it and work it off. You accomplish this by
developing the communication behaviors known as nonverbal skills. These include:
Moving around the front of the room
Gesturing with your arms and hands
Making eye contact with everyone in your audience
Modulate the volume of your voice
Modulate the inflection and tone of your voice
Be aware of your facial expressions, and change them while you speak
These external skills constitute the “packaging” in which your speeches will be contained. The audience will
enjoy seeing them, and the behaviors are helpful in expressing emotion.
Expressing emotion? That sounds like something from an acting class. I’m just here to learn how to
speak.
You’re here to learn how to communicate with more than one person at a time. Speech communication
should ideally address both hemispheres of the brain of every person in your audience. The left hemisphere
pays attention to words and their meanings. The right hemisphere perceives emotion. You want your
audience to learn information, absorb data, and remember details (left hemisphere). You also want them to
empathize with you, and experience feelings that are sympathetic with your point of view (right hemisphere).
Appropriate nonverbal communication techniques support the processing of right-hemisphere perceptions.
We’ll work on left-hemisphere information processing in later chapters.
Each person in your audience receives a message through a visual channel and a verbal channel. Below is an
approximated depiction:
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The visual channel carries images and diagrams into the observer’s mind. The verbal channel conveys the
auditory or spoken information, which is absorbed an analyzed by the left hemisphere. The visual and
nonverbal components of your speech---gestures, movement, facial expression, vocal inflection---are
observed and processed by the right hemisphere. You want to address both hemispheres when you speak.
Why should I move around the room?
There are several good reasons:
1. It helps you burn up nervous energy and calms you down.
2. It makes you seem more interesting.
3. It holds people’s attention.
4. It keeps them awake.
5. If the audience doesn’t like you, it’s harder for them to hit a moving target.
What about gesturing? Same reasons as above. You seem more active, and that holds the audience’s attention. It also
allows you to express emotion by moving your arms and hands to emphasize the ideas in your
presentation.
And looking people in the eye? There’s an old saying: “The eyes are the windows of the soul.” Eye contact establishes a connection
between you and your audience. If you look in each face for a moment or two, you’ll create the beginnings
of a subconscious bond between you and the people listening to you. So look everyone in the eye, and keep
doing it while you speak. Don’t just slide your gaze over faces as though you were a radar scanner.
Moreover, don’t look at the walls or the floor. Look in people’s eyes.
Why should I modulate the volume of my voice?
You need a certain amount of volume to be heard. If you change volume by getting
loud and then speaking softly, the contrast will grab people’s attention. Also, it’s
important that you be heard clearly by anyone sitting in the back of the room. In
most cases this will require that you talk at least 15% louder than your regular
conversational speaking voice.
What’s inflection?
Inflection could be compared to the rise and fall of notes in a melody that you’re
singing. Most people speak within a limited range of vocal “notes.” When you add
more notes, you sound more interesting to your listeners, and you sound more interested
in the subject you’re talking about. Inflection communicates feeling, adding drama and
intrigue to your speech. It places emphasis on the words that matter most. To view a
hilarious commentary on inflection, please click here.
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What about facial expressions?
Let your face become animated. Remember to smile, which many people forget
(especially men) when speaking. Frown, if that conveys the feeling you want to
share. Raise your eyebrows. Open your eyes wide. Act out what you feel.
Emotions are communicated by facial expressions. Enhancing your facial
expressions will speak to people’s feelings. It will generally cause them to like you
more.
We will work on all these skills in your first graded assignment: the Oral
Interpretation
GRADED SPEECH #1: THE ORAL INTERPRETATION
Your Oral Interpretation is an opportunity to flex and hone the crucial nonverbal components of Public
Speaking: the packaging in which your speech is contained. In this exercise you will focus on connecting
with your audience via eye contact and by placing yourself in close proximity to them. You will practice
movement, gesturing, pausing, vocal inflection, voice pitch, and volume.
Picking a Selection Pick a selection from any kind of literature. This may include a scene or excerpt from a
book, short story, or play. Nonfiction is acceptable if it is in the form of a true-life
adventure, a famous speech such as Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream,” or
humorous writing. Poetry is acceptable, especially if it tells a story. If you have written
your own poetry or short story, we’d love to hear it. You may also utilize material that
you’ve memorized, such as a song lyric.
Preparation
You ought to add notes and marks to the text of the selection you use, so you may need to use a photocopy of
your material or a downloadable text. If you obtain the text from a book, you may want to enlarge the pages
as they’re being copied to allow room for your notes on the page. If you download the text from the Web or
another source, or if you type it from memory, double-space it. Downloaded text can be copied into a Word
document and highlighted; then right-click, and click on Paragraph, Line Spacing, Double. You may also
wish to make it more readable by highlighting the selection, right-clicking, then and clicking on Font, All
Caps.
Add “prompting” notes to the text to remind you to pause and to establish eye contact. Make a prompting
mark at the end of every second or third sentence. When you arrive at that prompt you will stop speaking for
2 seconds---count silently to yourself, “one thousand and one, one thousand and two”---, look up from the
page, and focus your eyes on one member of the audience. Then look down at the page and resume reading
until you reach the next prompt, when you’ll pause again and look at another person in the audience.
Time constraints for this presentation will be rigidly enforced. You must practice this activity before you
come to class so that you can time it properly. As previously mentioned, don’t just practice it in the car on
the way to school (trust me; this really doesn’t work, and it distracts you from driving). The amount of time
spent introducing the selection to the class and then reading the whole thing aloud must be 5 minutes, give or
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take a few seconds. Rehearse your selection several times until you achieve that goal. If your selection is
too short, add more onto it or find another selection. If it’s too long, edit it down to an appropriate length.
If you read poetry, don’t pause at the end of each line unless a punctuation mark is already there. If
punctuation does not coincide with the end of a line, insert pauses at approximate 15-second intervals or
where grammatically appropriate.
You are expected to vocally express emotions contained in the text, and to
emphasize the important points by increasing volume, modifying pitch, and
pausing dramatically. These points should be underlined or otherwise
marked to remind you to voice them properly. Take on the identity of the
person who is speaking the words of your selection. Become the author,
and express their feelings through your voice. Pretend you’re on stage; act
out what’s happening.
Guidelines
Within the first 60 seconds of your presentation you must include all the following points:
The title and author of your selection
Your reason for choosing this particular work
The background, context, or historical/cultural setting of what you’re about to read:
----the storyline or plot in which the scene is unfolding
----the name(s) of any character(s) depicted in or narrating the scene
----the author’s presumed purpose for writing this selection
Key points that you want your audience to pay attention to; i.e., imagery, use of specific or
uncommon words, the mood or feeling that you think the author wants to convey, etc.
Your name
Delivery
Stand at the podium in the front of the room. Introduce yourself. Explain the above points to your audience,
and then begin to read the selection aloud. After a few moments, step away from the podium and, while
continuing to read aloud, slowly approach the audience. When you come to a prompt-mark in your text, look
up from the page and lock eyes with one person close to you. After 2 seconds, look back down at the page
and continue reading until you come to the next prompt. Then stop reading for a moment and lock eyes with
someone else. Do not scan multiple faces; look at one face at a time during each pause. First look at
someone near the front of the room and then someone in the middle or the back.
Hold your text in one hand and use the other hand to gesture and to express the feelings from the text.
Continue to slowly walk back and forth across the front of the room while reading your selection aloud.
When pausing in the text, you have the option of continuing to walk or momentarily stand still. Try both
until you see which one feels more comfortable. As you approach the end of your reading, make your way
back to the podium. Finish your presentation from there. Then return to your seat.
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Below you’ll find a sample evaluation form which will be used to grade your presentation. To get a good
grade, emphasize each of these when you deliver your presentation.
Absent Poor Mediocre Almost OK Good Quite Good Outstanding
Introduction to material (the story behind it)
0 0 2 4 5 6 7
Eye contact
0 0 2 4 5 6 7
Pausing
0 0 2 4 5 6 7
Voice modulation and inflection
0 2 3 4 5 6 7
Movement around the room
0 2 3 4 5 6 7
Gesturing with arms
0 2 3 4 5 6 7
Vocal volume and word rate
0 2 3 4 5 6 7
Facial expressiveness
0 0 2 4 5 6 7
Animatedness and physical energy
0 0 3 4 5 6 7
Timing
0 0 3 4 5 --- ---
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Chapter 2: Intro and Format
When delivering a speech, it’s crucial to provide some type of introduction to the topic; a warm-up, a lead-in
to what you’re going to say. There are various ways to begin a speech. We will discuss 4 of them in class.
Story: Begin with a story that illustrates or introduces your topic. A story will allow your audience to
experience what you’re talking about through your eyes, or through the eyes of the story’s creator.
Audiences love stories. That’s why we watch movies, to experience someone else’s perspective on the
world. And so we tell stories to share our own experience of the world.
Hypothetical Example: Start off with a “what if” scenario. Help your audience imagine a unique situation to
deal with, and then ask them how they would handle it. Give them an example that they might relate to.
Question: Ask your audience a question to lead into your topic. You might say, “By a show of hands, how
many of you…?” and then pose the question.
Surprise: State something true that your audience might find surprising. Provide an odd fact that has some
bearing on their lives.
After your introduction, state your name and then tell your audience what you’re going to talk about. There
is an old adage in Public Speaking; it goes like this:
1. Tell them what you’re going to say
2. Say it
3. Tell them what you just said
In this first step, you state your purpose. Generally, most speeches have one of two purposes: to inform or to
persuade. In stating your purpose, let your audience know specifically whether you’re going to inform or
persuade them, and include your topic in that statement; this is known as a specific purpose. The best way to
construct a specific purpose statement is to first ask yourself what you want your listeners to remember when
you’re finished, and then create a phrase that summarizes your ideas.
Examples: “Today I’m going to inform you how to change the oil in your car.”
Or: “Today I’m going to persuade you to get proper exercise.”
In the second step, break down your information into 3 to 5 main points (the fewer, the better) and tell your
audience what those are:
Examples: “First, I’ll show you the tools you’ll need for an oil change. Next, I’ll explain the process of
draining the old oil and adding new oil. And finally, I’ll show you how and where to recycle your old
oil.”
Or: “First, I’m going to explain the health benefits of exercise. Next, I’ll talk about the differences
between cardiovascular exercise and strength training. And finally, I’ll explain the proper way to
combine those two in your workout routine.”
The value of stating your main points is that it creates memory categories in your listeners’ minds. Your
audience will remember your information better because you have given them mental anchors for each of the
segments of information that you will talk about.
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After you’ve stated your main points, begin to elaborate on each one. When you’ve finished one point, use a
transition to move on to the next: “Now that we’ve talked about this topic, let’s move on to the next one.”
“We’ve examined this idea in detail, so now I’ll tell you about the next thing you’ll want to know.”
When you’ve finished going over the main points, proceed to the third step: summarize.
Examples: “To recap what we’ve looked at, today I showed you the tools you’ll need for an oil change.
Then I explained the process of draining the old oil and adding new oil. And lastly, I showed you how
and where to recycle your old oil. So, in conclusion, I hope that….”
Or: “Now let’s summarize what we’ve discussed. First, I explained the health benefits of exercise.
Next, I talked about the differences between cardiovascular exercise and strength training. And finally,
I explained the proper way to combine these two in your workout routine. So, in conclusion, I’d like
to….”
Now let’s put these formats to work in your next 2 speeches: the Demonstration Speech and the Informative
Speech.
GRADED SPEECH #2: THE DEMONSTRATION SPEECH
A demonstration speech is an informative speech with props. In your demonstration speech you will teach
the class how to do something: how to bake brownies, how to tune a guitar, how to apply makeup, how to
cook chicken, how to braid your hair (or someone else’s), how to juggle tennis balls, how to prepare lasagna,
how to change the oil in your car, how to safely pack belongings prior to moving---in short, how to do
almost anything that can be demonstrated within 5 minutes in front of a class while utilizing simple props.
You may also omit the props and teach us a physical skill instead: how to
defend yourself if attacked; how to do a martial arts kata; how to dance
a particular step (Soulja Boy, Macarena, Electric Slide), etc. If you
demonstrate something that results in an end product, bring along the
preparatory items as well as the end product itself. For example, if you
plan to demonstrate how to bake a chocolate cake, bring along the basic
ingredients such as the cake mix or cocoa and flour, milk (or an empty
milk container), one or two eggs, a container of icing, utensils, bowls,
pans, and anything else necessary to instruct people in the process of
cake-baking. Also, bring a cake, or at least a nice photograph of one.
Sample Topics
The following are examples of presentations that tend to work well in a demonstration with props:
How to tune a guitar
How to change oil in a car
How to bake brownie or cookies
How to perform CPR
How to apply makeup
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The following can be done without props:
How to do a dance step: Soulja Boy, Macarena, Electric Slide, etc
How to do a martial arts kata
How to defend yourself against an attacker
How to flirt
Here are some topics to not use (and why to not use them):
Rolling a Joint: not ethical
Using Pharmacy Products to Get High: not ethical
Using a Hookah: not ethical; tobacco kills
Card Games: too technical---many people in the class won’t understand
Football Plays: too technical---many people in the class won’t understand
Winning at Your Favorite Video Game: too technical---many people in the class won’t understand
Using Apps for Computer, iPod, iTunes, etc.: too technical---many people in the class won’t
understand
Drinking Games (such as Beer Pong): requires too many participants that obscure the audience’s
view of the speaker
Paper-Folding Activities (such as Origami): too hard to follow unless each person in the audience is
given a piece of paper, which then causes the presentation to become much too long
Participation Activities Requiring More Than One Participant: presentation becomes overly
complex
Using any of these prohibited topics will indicate that you haven’t bothered to read or follow these
instructions, and will result in a 10 point deduction from your grade.
On the next page you’ll find a sample evaluation form which will be used to grade your presentation.
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Demonstration Speech
Speaker Competencies Points Possible
Absent Poor Almost OK Good Great Outstanding
Introduce the topic (the story behind it)
0 2 5 8 10 12
Preview body of speech (tell us the main steps you’re
going to guide us through)
0 2 5 8 10 12
Relate topic to audience (tell why it’s good for us to
know this)
0 2 5 8 10 12
Engage your audience (Interact. Talk with us, not at us.)
0 2 5 8 10 12
Use correct language, jargon, and nomenclature, but
don’t get too technical
0 2 5 8 10 12
Use transitions and connectives (link one idea to the next)
0 2 5 8 10 12
Physically demonstrate the steps in the process
-10 -5 5 8 10 12
Wrap-up and summarize (tell the main points you want
us to remember)
0 2 5 8 10 12
Nonverbal
Eye contact
0 3 6 8 10 12
Vocal volume and pitch
0 3 6 8 10 12
Gesturing with arms and hands
0 3 6 8 10 12
Facial expressiveness
0 3 6 8 10 12
Animatedness and physical energy
0 3 6 8 10 12
Timing 0 3 6 8 10 ---
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GRADED SPEECH #3: THE INFORMATIVE SPEECH
Higher education has a purpose: to make your life better, and to provide you with some of the tools to allow
that to happen. After you graduate, you will hopefully establish yourself in a career. This should result in a
specific goal, which is to make you happy. Your professional endeavors should encompass more than the
quest for a paycheck. They should involve activities which you find personally fulfilling and rewarding.
Your job should cause you to feel good inside. If your job doesn’t make you happy, you’re in the wrong job.
Many students lack a sense of direction in what to do after graduation. Some have a definite career idea in
mind, but in many cases the desired goals are based upon incomplete information. Your informative speech
will hopefully help to focus on and identify your career goals, and to ensure that you have enough
information to place you on a life path that will give you all that you want. For this speech, you have an
assigned topic: your career. Tell us about your profession, either actual or intended. In the event that you
haven’t selected a career, or even if you have, part of your research for this speech will involve the
following:
Undergo a career assessment to identify a career direction, or to reconfirm the one you’ve chosen
Look up career information from various sources (websites, books, journals)
Cite information from your sources when you deliver the speech, and also in the outline you provide
to the instructor
Career Assessment In your career-based informative speech, you will select 3 to 5 main points to share with us (and again, the
fewer, the better). Some sample points to cover might include:
Why this career field appeals to me
The aspects of this work that I will find rewarding
Why I think I’m well suited for this field
Types of college degrees that apply to this field
The number of people working in this field
How this profession has evolved over time
Why this profession helps society
How I hope to make my mark in this field
If you have trouble narrowing down your choices to just one career, you have the option of creating a speech
that compares the advantages of 3 different careers that you want to consider.
In class you’ll be given an access code to the online version of an assessment program called Discover,
directions on which can be found on the last page of this manual. The Discover program will pose questions
pertaining to your interests, abilities, and values, and will suggest career areas that might be worth your
consideration. Note: the computers located in the Career Resource Center lab in I-40 have a more
entertaining version of the Discover program than the online edition, because they provide video examples
of various professions. You are welcome (and encouraged) to use that version. To make an appointment at
the Center, call 395-5824 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. (By the way, if you are
currently enrolled in SLS 1301, Life/Career Development, you will be required to take the lab version of the
Discover assessment anyway, so please visit the Career Resource Center to go through it. If you have taken
that course previously and you still have the assessment results in your files, you can bring them to class
instead of doing the assessment a second time.)
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Citation Sources
You are expected to research information and provide citations from at least 3 sources,
and mention them all in the body of your speech! (Pardon the loud font, but you’d be amazed at how many people miss this simple requirement, and ruin their
grade in the process.)
Citation sources for this speech may include:
The Discover program database
The federal government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (go to www.bls.gov/oco, and then click
on “A-Z Index” to find information on your career)
Salary.com, Payscale.com, Education-Portal.com, About.com, Allbusinesschools.com,
LifeOptimizer.org.
Any website pertaining to your profession---do a search for “[Career Name] professional
association.”
Books or journal article pertaining to your profession (check the Career Resource Center in I-40, and
also the library)
But not Wikipedia! Though generally informative, Wikipedia is not “peer-reviewed”; in other
words, it is not overseen by experts who verify that the information in it is accurate or correct.
All of the items on the following checklist should be included in your Informative Speech, as well as in your
upcoming Persuasive Speech:
-----Hand in a speech outline to the instructor before beginning your speech. Outline formats are provided
on the next 2 pages.
-----At the podium, start with a brief story, question, or hypothetical scenario.
-----Tell the audience your name, and introduce your topic thusly: “Today I would like to inform you about
my career (or “career choices,” “career options,” etc.).
-----Preview the main points you’re about to cover: “First, I’m going to talk about _____. Then, we’ll take a
look at ______. And finally, I’m going to explain ______.”
-----As mentioned, you must do research and use citations for your informative speech (and for your
remaining graded assignments as well). Even if you’re already an expert in your field and you don’t
need the information found in your citations, mention it anyway, either as a quote or paraphrased. It will
make you sound educated and scholarly. Be sure to mention information from all your sources, and do
so within the body of your speech---not at the beginning of your speech, and not at the end, but inserted
right into the speech information as you’re discussing it. Phrase it like this:
“According to an article in the International Journal of Video Game Fanatics,….”
“In Cynthia Citation’s book, Career goals for those who have no clue, it says….”
“On the website All-human-knowledge.com, I found the following information:..…”
-----Clarify your points. Don’t just mention an idea; elaborate on it. Each time you introduce an idea, tell a
bit more about it.
-----After discussing each point, use connectives to transition to the next point:
“Now that we’ve seen ……., let’s look at …..”
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“Keeping in mind ….., let’s examine….”
-----Also, use connectives within your discussion of each of your points
“However,…”
“In addition to this, ….”
“Moreover,…”
“Furthermore, …”
“Nevertheless,…”
-----At the end of the body of your speech, recap the points you’ve covered: “To sum up, today we looked at
____. We also talked about _____. And finally, we examined _____.” Then transition to your closing
statements (“So in conclusion…”) and thank your audience for their attention.
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OUTLINE AND CITATION GUIDELINES
You are to write two outlines for your Informative and Persuasive speeches. The first outline is the one you
take to the podium with you; the second will be given to your instructor (see the next page). Your podium
notes can be on a sheet of paper or on note cards, and should look something like this:
Opener/story
Introduction & topic
Main points:
----Point #1
----Point #2
----Point #3 [use no more than 5 main points]
Summary/wrap-up
Conclusion
Each of the items should consist of only a couple of words, a few sentence fragments, some facts and figures,
and at most an occasional complete sentence. For example, if your profession deals with bass fishing, your
notes might say
-----My first bass fishing story; I caught a big one
-----My name. “I’d like to inform you about professional bass fishing.”
-----Main points: equipment, bait, fishing spots
Point #1. How fishing equipment evolved over the years. The types of equipment most people prefer.
My personal favorite equipment. Citation: “Florida Angler magazine recommends the Bass Master
rod & reel because…”
Point #2: Types of bait commonly used. My favorite baits. Citation: www.bassfisher.com
recommends the Devil Spinner because it can…”
Point #3: My favorite fishing spots. Popular north Florida bass fishing spots. Citation: “The book
Bass Hunter by Kilgore Trout recommends 5 lakes near Gainesville; they are…”
-----Recap main points above. Encourage audience to try bass fishing as a profession or just as a hobby.
Then conclude your speech.
This outline format will be the one you’ll refer to when speaking from the
podium. It should be no more elaborate and contain no more information
than the example shown above. Keep it short, sweet, and simple. An
important point to remember:
Don’t read your speech aloud from the podium; don’t read a script or
essay. Except for cited quotes and statistics, you never read aloud during an
extemporaneous speech. You glance at the information on your outline page
or note cards, but you speak off-the-cuff, relying largely on your memory of
the information you’ve researched. The goal is to sound educated and
conversational, as though you’re explaining something to a group of friends--
-which is, in fact, what you’ll be doing in class.
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The outline you hand in to your instructor before delivering your speech should be formatted in the
following fashion (and typed, not handwritten):
Your Name
SPC 2600
Specific Purpose
written as an
infinitive phrase
“To inform my audience about …….”
Central Idea:
[This is a statement summarizing the main message of the whole speech,
written as one complete sentence.]
Main Points: I. [This is your first main point; each point and subpoint is written as
one complete sentence.]
A. Your first subpoint is a complete sentence.
B. Your second subpoint is a complete sentence.
1. Your first sub- subpoint is a complete sentence.
2. Your second sub- subpoint is a complete sentence.
a. Your first sub-sub-subpoint is a complete sentence.
b. Your second sub-sub- subpoint is a complete sentence.
II. [This is your second main point written as a complete sentence.]
III. [This is your third main point written as a complete sentence.]
(Use no more than 5 main points; 3 are preferred. For additional guidelines, review chapter 7 in your text book.)
(At the bottom of the outline page, list at least 3 sources of information. All of your citations must be specifically
mentioned during your speech, either as a direct quote or as a paraphrase.)
Sources
Last, First. Book Title in Italics. City: Publisher. Year. Print.
Last, F. (Year). Book Title Capitalized. in A.B. Smith (Ed.), Chapter Title Italicized. City: Publisher. Year.
(pp. 123-456). Print.
Last, F. Article title. Magazine or Journal Title Italicized, volume number (issue number). (Year). 23-456
Last, F. Article title. Website.com or Online Journal Name Italicized, volume number (issue number).
Retrieved Month Day, Year, from http://www.full-name-of-website.com/additional-data.html. Web.
26
Below you’ll find a sample evaluation form which will be used to grade your Informative, Persuasive, and
Future History Speeches. Be aware of the grading requirement for the information cited in your speeches.
You only earn points for cited material if you mention the source of it during the speech---not at the end, as
you would in a term paper, and not omitted altogether. Even if you quote and cite a dozen difference pieces
of carefully researched information, if you don’t tell us where the information came from during your talk,
no points will be given for the information. Examine the following list of competencies and ensure that you
exemplify each skill component to the maximum of your abilities; in fact, overdoing it on each one would
almost guarantee a good grade. Special warning: avoid filler noises! They will cost you points.
Absent Poor Almost OK Good Great Outstanding
Introduction to topic (the story behind it)
0 2 5 8 10 12
Preview body of speech (tell what you’ll talk about)
0 3 5 8 10 12
Relate topic to audience (make it pertinent to us)
0 3 5 8 10 12
Engage audience interest (hold our attention)
0 3 5 8 10 12
Proper language and terminology
0 3 5 8 10 12
Connectives: linking one idea to the next
0 0 5 8 10 12
Clarify points: give details about your subject
0 0 5 8 10 12
Citations: tell where you got your data
-10 0 5 8 10 12
Transition to conclusion
0 0 5 8 10 12
Summarize what you want us to remember
0 0 5 8 10 12
Eye contact
0 0 3 4 5 6
Connecting with your audience
0 0 3 4 5 6
Vocal volume and pitch
0 0 3 4 5 6
Word rate: not too fast (or slow)
0 1 3 4 5 6
Gesturing with arms and hands
0 1 3 4 5 6
Facial expressiveness
0 1 3 4 5 6
Posture: not slouching or leaning
0 1 3 4 5 6
Animatedness and physical energy
0 1 3 4 5 6
Movement around the room
0 1 3 4 5 6
Timing 0 1 3 4 5 ---
Filler noise deduction
-1 -3 -5 -7 -9 -12
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Chapter 3: Word Tools
You want your speeches to be remembered. The best way to do that is to employ words that contain vivid
imagery. There are various word tools to help make your ideas memorable.
Simile
Simile involves comparison. It states that one thing is like or as another thing. Some common examples
include:
Bold as brass
Hard as nails
Bright as a button
Dumb as a box of rocks
Happy as a clam
Dry as a bone
Proud as a peacock
Like taking candy from a baby
“Losing everything is like the sun going down
on me.” (Elton John)
Metaphor
Metaphor invokes identity. It states that one thing is another thing:
Life is a gamble
War is hell
God is love
Life is a gamble
Life's a bitch
Knowledge is power
Life is but a dream (From Row, Row, Row, Your Boat)
All the world's a stage (Shakespeare.)
Every day is a winding road (Sheryl Crow)
All we are is dust in the wind (Kansas)
You are the magnet and I am the steel (Walter Egan)
I am a rock, I am an island (Paul Simon)
You are the sunshine of my life (Stevie Wonder)
Love is a rose (Linda Ronstadt)
Parallelism
In parallelism we create sentences or phrases that begin the same way and end differently, or begin
differently and end the same.
A parallel repetition of beginnings is called Anaphora or Epanaphora. Examples:
“Come to me if you need advice; come to me if you need help; come to me if you need friendship.”
“We cannot dedicate; we cannot consecrate; we cannot hallow this ground.”
A parallel repetition of endings is called Antistrophe or Epistrophe. Examples:
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“If you need advice, come to me; if you need help, come to me; if you need friendship, come to me.”
“…a government of the people, by the people, for the people…”
Antithesis
Antithesis is a contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, phrases or clauses. You create
antithesis when you place 2 contrasting or opposite ideas near each other. To do so:
1. Start with a concept word
2. List words for opposite or contrasting concepts
3. Put the original and an opposite in two halves of a sentence (preferably the positive in the 2nd half)
4. Balance the two halves with the opposites in the corresponding positions.
Examples of Antithesis:
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
“It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”
“Plan your work, and work your plan.”
“To the world you’re one person, but to one person you’re the world.”
“Our work is caring, and our care is working.”
“It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years.”
“People don’t plan to fail, but they fail to plan.”
“You can take the girl out of the honky tonk, but you can’t take the honky tonk out of the girl.”
“Fish really bite when it’s raining, but fishing when it’s raining really bites.”
“Easy come, easy go.”
"One small step for a man, one giant leap for all mankind." – Neil Armstrong
"To err is human, to forgive, divine." Alexander Pope
Denotative and Connotative Language
Denotative language uses purely descriptive words to describe things as they are. These are the words you
would use in an informative speech.
“She walked into the classroom wearing blue jeans and a sweater.”
Connotative language employs words that have more than one meaning and that contain emotional
overtones. These are commonly used in persuasive speeches.
“She glided into the classroom radiating charm in her stylish jeans and cozy cashmere sweater.”
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Chapter 4: Perspectives and Perceptions
Types, Stages, States, and Lines
You speak to different people in different ways. The language you use with your best friend contains
vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that you would not necessarily employ when talking with your parents
or with preschoolers. You tailor your speech to your listeners, who can be categorized by types and by
stages.
Types
The world is inhabited by different types of people. The biggest type-category is the
most obvious: male and female. Men relate to other people in a different manner
than do women. Men tend to view things hierarchically; that is, they rank things
and people in terms of power and importance. Women also rank people, but they
interact with them relationally, in terms of connection and commonality. Generally,
men like to act, and to establish status; women like to connect, and to establish a
bond.
In most instances you will speak to audiences comprised of both sexes as well as multiple gender
orientations; i.e., straight, gay, bi, transgendered, and so on. Be careful to not offend people because of their
sex or orientation; be selective of your vocabulary and the terms you use. Do not use terms such as “That’s
so gay.” Instead of man or mankind, say people or humanity when discussing topics that are not gender-
specific. When discussing professions, don’t automatically refer to a doctor as he or a nurse as she; very
few professions are limited to members of only one sex.
Other types of people are those that we generally categorize into groups, such as
nationality, religion, race, political affiliation, music preference, sports team
preference, and so on. If you speak to an audience consisting entirely of one
group, you have a certain degree of freedom in employing vocabulary common to
members of that group. Such vocabulary may be highly contextualized for a
given group. By way of example, in the hip-hop community, the term
backpacker refers to a fan of non-mainstream hip-hop music. Conversely, among
guitar players, the word backpacker means a very slim acoustic guitar that can fit in a hiker’s backpack.
This brings up the topic of avoiding the use of vocabulary common to you and your group but unfamiliar to
others. If you’re a sports fan and you want to talk about the BCS controversy in football, be aware that some
people in your audience will have absolutely no idea what the letters BCS stand for, which sport they apply
to, and why there is a controversy about it. If you’re a computer techie and you want to discuss a component
of Linux such as GUI, explain up front that GUI means graphical user interface, and then tell your audience
what a graphical user interface is and why it’s important.
Another approach to type might involve the classroom use of a psychological profile such as the Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI. This categorizes behavioral preferences based on a person’s innate
tendency to (a) recharge their energy either in the company of others else or in solitude (Extravert/Introvert);
(b) focus on either sensory input or imaginative speculation (Sensing/iNtuition); (c) make decisions based on
either logic or emotion (Thinking/Feeling); and (d) be either highly organized or free-flowingly spontaneous
(Judging/Perceiving). If time permits, we will go through this assessment in class.
All MBTI types may be equally distributed within a typical audience, and for that reason it might not be
generally necessary to customize one’s message on the basis of the audience’s presumed behavioral style.
However, it appears that among college students there is a preponderance of Extraverts, Sensors, and
30
Judgers. Also, Thinkers tend to be found in higher numbers among men and Feelers among women.
Knowing this, you might wish to structure a classroom presentation that accommodates the learning
preferences of these groups. Therefore, in constructing a persuasive argument, appeal to reason rather than to
emotion.
Moreover, an inner awareness of one’s own behavioral style may prove useful. For example, at the end of a
long day, if you’re a bit tired and would like to have some time alone to chill, you would be considered an
Introvert. On the other hand, if you’re somewhat fatigued at the end of a school day and your first desire is
to hang out with your friends, you are more of an Extravert. Introverts may have a history of gravitating
toward solitude, which would not necessarily help cultivate the development of social skills that an
extraverted speaker would have acquired and would therefore capitalize on when delivering a presentation.
However, because Introverts often recharge their energies through passive endeavors such as reading, they
are a bit more likely to become bookworms, to be better adapted to the school environment that requires a lot
of reading, and to therefore possess the type of intelligence that supports their understanding of the proper
procedures required for crafting a speech that will earn a good grade.
In addition, students whose profile shows them to be more free-flowingly spontaneous (Perceiving) may
encounter greater difficulty in structuring their presentations along specified guidelines than those who are
more highly organized (Judging). The former might therefore benefit from devoting extra focus time to
organizing their work in order to ensure that it aligns with the course requirements---again, to get a better
grade.
Usually your audiences will be a mixture of many types. The larger the audience, the more varied their
background, and the greater the care you will need in order to avoid offending people or categorizing them
incorrectly. Don’t assume that people in your audience belong to the same group as you, are familiar with
your vocabulary, see the world the same way you do, or know a lot about your topic.
Stages Individuals grow through various stages or levels. Physical stages include childhood, adolescence, young
adulthood, early adulthood, middle age, and senior citizen. Mental stages pertaining to education include
elementary school, high school, college and graduate school, and perhaps more. In Public Speaking, the
most important stage that you will deal with---and this particular one might almost partake of the
characteristics of a type---is your audience’s age. In a given culture or country, people who belong to the
same age group have more in common with their own generation than they do with other generations. When
talking to people of your own age group you will have certain shared experiences. Referring to those
experiences and employing slang or jargon popular among your group will spark their interest. Speaking to
audiences that belong to other age groups will require that you use more general language and avoid age-
specific terminology. Modify your presentation so that it makes sense to your listeners.
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There are other significant stages in addition to those noted above. From early infancy until around the age
of seven, most children’s awareness occupies a level known as egocentric. For little kids, the world is all
about me and my things; “I’m a superhero; I’m a princess; I’m a dinosaur; here are my toys, my bike, my
family, my friends,” and so on. The child’s perspective is largely unidirectional, seeing the world primarily
from one perspective. Usually, children have not yet learned how to see the world as others see it; they are
not “other-oriented.”
(Occasionally, some children fail to outgrow this perspective. These are often the individuals who later
become bullies, and, perhaps much later, criminals.)
Beginning roughly around the age of eight, and continuing through high school and beyond, most people
transition into another stage: ethnocentric, the belief or conviction that the group to which one belongs is the
best and most desirable. In an expansion of compassion, the child’s focus shifts from me to us. “Our family,
our friends, our school, our team, our religion, our race, our nation.” Oftentimes this view is elevated to
“Our group is the best in the world, better than all the others.” Many adults see life from this perspective,
and sustain this view till the end of their days.
Caution must be used in speaking from an ethnocentric perspective. You have the right to believe in the pre-
eminence of your religion, race, nation, team, or club. But if members of your audience don’t belong to the
same group as you, and you want to speak about the superior beliefs, qualities, or abilities of your own
group, your listeners will almost certainly take offence at what you say. To state that your group is the best
implies that you are the best, or at least better than the people listening to you---an automatic put-down for
your audience. When you insult your audience you metaphorically shoot yourself in the foot. If for no other
reason than self-preservation, such prejudicial stances are to be avoided in Public Speaking situations.
Expressing bias against groups, or against an individual who represents a group, is guaranteed to backfire.
During the 1800s, Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, was England’s first Jewish
Prime Minister. A conservative, he was strongly disliked by his liberal counterpart,
William Gladstone. During a heated parliamentary debate over whether a particular
public park was suitable for use by British citizens, Gladstone fixed his gaze on Disraeli
and stated in a venomous tone that the park was “fit only for lunatics and Jews”---
whereupon Disraeli stood up and proclaimed, “Come! Let us go there!”
Some people at the ethnocentric stage experience a growth of compassion that
transcends their own group, and shift to a view known as worldcentric, in which
awareness has evolved from “me” to “us” to “all of us.” A person viewing humanity
from the worldcentric perspective sees commonality between all the peoples of the
Earth, and empathetically acquires a more pronounced “other-oriented” perspective.
During the second half of the twentieth century, this stage manifested itself strongly as the Civil Rights era.
It led to the promotion for the rights of the oppressed, the rights of minorities, the rights of women, and so
on. Most areas of the working world, and almost all areas of academia, now attempt to address life from this
point of view, recognizing that everyone possesses inherent value and deserves respect. This perspective has
been in place among the majority of educators for the last half-century and is generally considered the
standard to employ in Public Speaking.
A given audience may contain listeners from the ethnocentric as well as the worldcentric categories, and
possibly even a few egocentric personalities as well. A speaker should anticipate this, and construct his or
her presentation accordingly. The egocentric stage is sometimes referred to as pre-rational or pre-
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conventional. It is a level of individuality and personal power, represented by the acronym (which resembles
a radio station call sign) “WIIFM”: “What’s In It For Me?” Language that supports one’s feelings of
individuality, influence, and acquisition---“My way or the highway!”--- may strike a resonant chord with
egocentric listeners. Ethnocentric listeners, on the other hand, often inhabit a fundamentalist worldview, and
may respond favorably to such phrases as God, country, family, faith, authority, work ethic, family values,
founding fathers, and so on. The worldcentric stage is regarded as consisting of two significant sub-levels;
these may be termed achievist and pluralist. Listeners in the former group may respond favorably to terms
such as excel, success, achieve, opportunity, and so on, while those in the latter category might tend more
towards rights, justice, equality, and sustainability (or, perhaps, save the planet).
Note in the illustration below that each level grows into the next one. We may also say that each level
transcends and includes those that precede it.
Be aware that anyone has the right to occupy the stage they’re in. Little kids are entitled to be egocentric
because they haven’t outgrown it yet. Adults can be ethnocentric if it serves them well and if no one is
harmed by their attitude or behaviors. Worldcentric individuals have a right to see the world in an egalitarian
fashion. But we should note that the worldcentric mode, unlike the other perspectives, is based upon
compassion for all humanity. In comparing these 3 stages, we see that the worldcentric stage usually
promotes the greater good.
It has been observed by various developmentalists such as philosopher Ken Wilber that when the
worldcentric (or pluralistic) perspective is taken to an extreme, a flaw arises: if all perspectives are to be
granted equal value, then bigoted attitudes such as those espoused by Nazis and Klansmen (ethnocentric) are
automatically accorded the same degree of respect as the more inclusive and compassionate views of people
such as Martin Luther King, Jr. (worldcentric). Our culture’s attempt to honor everyone’s view equally---to
be “politically correct”---elevates the status of lower stages to higher ones. And worldcentrism, when
severely overdone, undermines and contradicts the very values it promotes.
In order to sidestep the mistake of stretching political correctness to such an extreme that it actually works
against the growth, development, and long-term survival of human culture, we should recognize two truths:
(1) when measured in terms of compassion, some perspectives are more highly evolved than others, and (2)
the development of awareness from egocentric to ethnocentric to worldcentric is a normal path of growth in
all humans. Moreover, growth progresses in phases, in a similar fashion to the insect which transforms itself
from caterpillar to chrysalis to monarch butterfly. It cannot skip levels and go directly from caterpillar to
butterfly; it must evolve through stages. So too with human awareness. We can’t jump from egocentric to
worldcentric. All of us must spend some time in the ethnocentric stage. You might be there right now, if
you believe that your race, religion, or group is inherently better than others. If that attitude seems outdated
to you, then you may be worldcentric.
There is yet another level to which individuals may evolve: the integral stage.
Egocentric
Ethnocentric
Worldcentric
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In the context of Public Speaking, the integral stage may be defined as a perspective that
acknowledges the levels of development of listeners in an audience
honors the value of each one
recognizes that each level or stage occupies a place in a hierarchy along a spectrum of compassion
and developmental awareness, and
regards each stage as a point from which listeners may evolve to higher stages
Most speeches are delivered from the perspective of the ethnocentric and worldcentric domains, which is
appropriate for speakers whose consciousness is embedded in those levels or stages. Integral speakers
acknowledge the necessity and value of the preceding stages, and note that these stages constitute the levels
of a developmental hierarchy which ultimately may be outgrown. Cultivating an integral perspective in your
speaking activities is a desirable goal.
States
In Public Speaking, we try to address audiences from an ethical standpoint. Ethics may be defined as a
system of moral values. An ethical perspective is one that attempts to speak the truth, to speak honestly, and
to speak on behalf of the greater good. We try to not deceive people, but to share truthfulness to the best of
our ability. Ethical Public Speaking may be most readily achieved from a
worldcentric perspective or an integral one. In crafting your speech, keep
in mind that people are always learning, growing, and maturing,
especially in an educational environment. Some grow more slowly than
others, and some may seem to not be growing at all, but everyone’s
perspective evolves over time. A speech that you create may help other
people’s development if you structure it strategically, from an ethical
point of view.
When speaking to an audience, you will often want to change their state of understanding or consciousness.
According to Merriam-Webster Online, a state may be defined as a “condition of mind or temperament.”
For our discussion, a state may be defined as a temporary condition of awareness in the mind of your
listeners. When you deliver a speech, especially a persuasive one, you may want to change your audience’s
state of awareness; you may want to change their mind.
Unless you are delivering a speech to a room full of egocentric-stage listeners such as preschoolers or first-
graders (or incarcerated felons), it’s safe to assume that most people in your audience view the world from
either an ethnocentric or worldcentric perspective. It is possible to contribute to their transition to the next
higher stage by persuading them of the morality of that stage’s perspective. For example, if you are speaking
to a group known for its antipathy toward members of a particular race or religion, you might describe how
some accomplishments achieved by individuals in the disdained group provided help or improved the lives
of people in the listeners’ group. In doing so, you may induce a temporary attitude of inclusiveness or
acceptance---a state---in the minds of the listeners. Repeated exposure to such a state, which is by definition
impermanent, may later contribute to a shift to the next stage, which tends to be permanent once achieved.
When we skillfully support the transition of our listeners’ stage from a current level to a higher one by letting
them temporarily experience a more evolved state, we make a gesture of ethical compassion in support of the
common good.
Specific rhetorical techniques that writers and speakers utilize to convince people of an idea’s value will be
studied in Chapter 11 in your textbook and discussed in class.
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Lines
In the context of this discussion, lines refers to lines of development. They could also be termed
competencies. Researcher Howard Gardner writes about multiple intelligences, which include such areas as
cognitive, moral, emotional, interpersonal, and so on. These lines of development, or competencies, may
intersect different developmental stages. For example, a person might have a very high moral line of
development occupying the worldcentric stage, but he or she might have a minimal line of interpersonal
development falling within the egocentric stage. This could manifest itself as a saintly person who
contributes much to the community but who is an insecure klutz when it comes to dating. Conversely, a
person could be highly evolved along the interpersonal line of development---again, worldcentric---, but
might fall within the egocentric level in regard to moral development. An example might be a friendly and
outgoing used car salesperson who is willing to deceive a customer in order to make a fast buck.
When addressing an audience, you may have little or no idea of the developmental lines they occupy. You
don’t know how much they know or don’t know. As noted above under the heading of Types, we should not
assume our audience knows a lot about the topic of our speech. Speeches about concepts, such as
philosophy or religion, or speeches on technical topics such as engineering or computer programming, may
lie well outside your audience’s background or current level of cognitive abilities. Therefore, as we
discussed above, you should clearly define the terms and concepts you’ll be using when you begin your
speech.
Naturally, you as a speaker are influenced and perhaps limited by your own developmental lines, which is to
say that there are some things you’re good at or know a lot about, and other things that you’re not good at or
know little about. You are also aware that in the context of this course you will be expected to demonstrate
various types of competencies in each of your speeches. Some of these involve structuring your presentation
within a specific format. Others require certain types of vocabulary, or use of logic and reasoning. Still
others might emphasize nonverbal skills. You should therefore work at maximizing each of them for every
speech in order to have a strong impact on your listening audience (and on your instructor who will be
grading your abilities). Fortunately, a complete listing of all these competencies is included in the evaluation
checklist for your speeches, and such checklists are provided in this manual after each speech descriptor.
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Chapter 5: Logic and Reasoning
The next few graded speeches will involve the structured use of reasoning, which is based on plain old
common sense. Here we examine 4 modes of reasoning:
1. Inductive Reasoning
2. Deductive Reasoning (Syllogism)
3. Causal Reasoning
4. Analogy
Inductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning is usually based on experience or observation. You see a
behavior in someone or something, and then speculate or generalize that the behavior
will be repeated elsewhere by that agent or by other similar agents. There are 2
common forms of Inductive Reasoning: strong induction and weak induction. Here
is an example of strong induction:
The speech instructor wears suspenders to our class every day. Therefore, the speech instructor wears suspenders to every speech class he teaches.
Here’s an example of weak induction:
The speech instructor wears suspenders to our class every day. Therefore, all speech instructors wear suspenders to their classes.
The obvious error here is overgeneralization: as assumption that because one member of a population
exhibits a certain behavior, all members of that population will exhibit the same behavior. Many aspects of
racism, sexism, and other “isms” involve the fallacy of overgeneralization, or weak induction. Here is an
example of weak induction employed in persuasion and debate:
Children learn by observing. Gay couples who adopt children will display homosexual behaviors observed by their children. Therefore, children adopted by gay couples will learn to be homosexual.
The first statement can be regarded as accurate: children learn by observing. The second statement seems
reasonable: homosexual behavior will be seen among gay couples. But “homosexual behavior” can refer to
anything as innocent as holding hands or giving a hug. The conclusion, “children adopted by gay couples
will learn to be homosexual,” could more accurately be stated, “children adopted by gay couples will learn
what behavior among gay couples looks like.” The argument described in this induction example implies
that seeing homosexual behavior will cause a child to become homosexual. For that argument to be
convincing, one would first have to provide scientifically validated facts and studies demonstrating that
among a sizeable representative sample of the population of all children adopted by gay couples, a
statistically significant percentage of them have turned out to be gay. However, present research indicates
that sexual orientation is seldom influenced by environment and appears to be biologically predetermined
(consider that the vast majority of gay people have been raised in straight families). Therefore, the argument
is weak.
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Deductive Reasoning
In Deductive Reasoning, a conclusion is arrived at from known facts. If the premises (proposals, basic
foundational ideas) are true, then the conclusion must also be true. Here is one of the most famous examples
of Deductive Reasoning:
Socrates is a man. All men are mortal. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
The same line of reasoning can also apply to a nonsense premise:
All ducks play golf. No duck who plays golf is a dentist. Therefore, no ducks are dentists.
This format of reasoning is usually referred to as a Syllogism. It
deals with relationships of identity.
All X are Y No X are Y Some X are Y Some X are not-Y
All cats are mammals. No mammals are insects. Therefore, no cats are insects.
All zorfs are sneeches. No sneeches are neekerbreekers. Therefore, no zorfs are neekerbreekers.
As with Inductive Reasoning, it’s possible to use Deductive Reasoning or Syllogism in either a strong or
weak argument. Here is an example of a poorly used Syllogism.
Marijuana is an intoxicant drug. Intoxicant drugs are addictive drugs. Therefore, marijuana is an addictive drug.
This conclusion, while not necessarily inaccurate, may be regarded as a possible overgeneralization.
Rephrasing the argument in a more precise fashion can strengthen its premise. Marijuana is an intoxicant drug. Intoxicant drugs are addictive drugs for certain people. Therefore, marijuana is an addictive drug for certain people. Therefore, to protect those people, marijuana should be illegal for all people.
Causal Reasoning
In Causal Reasoning, an assumption is made that one event or situation leads directly to another event or
situation. For example:
If you eat too much, you gain weight.
Or: If you’re gaining weight, you eat too much.
But there might be a completely different cause for the observed effect. (If you’re gaining weight, might you
be pregnant?) Avoid the fallacy of “False Cause” or “Only One Cause.” Here is an example:
“I went to class and fell asleep. Therefore, class is boring.”
But there may be more to the story:
“…and I was up till 4 a.m., and I got up at 6 a.m., and I have mono, and I’m pretty stoned right now.”
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Here is another posited connection: Unemployment rates are high because illegal aliens take American jobs.
But there could be other causes for the observed effect:
Unemployment rates are high because foreign products are outselling American products and causing losses in American businesses. Those businesses have layoffs to survive.
Analogical Reasoning
Analogy involves a comparison of similar cases, and assumes that what is true for one will be true for
another: If you’re good at soccer, you’ll be good at football.
Or: If you like chocolate ice cream, you’ll like strawberry ice cream.
But…. Can you throw a football accurately? Can you block?
Are you allergic to strawberries?
Here is another example. Some countries have strict gun control laws, and they also have lower rates of
crime than those found in the United States. Is there a connection? We might speculate that
Controlling handguns will decrease U.S. crime like it does in England and Japan.
But the people of England and Japan generally have a much more peaceful character than Americans, so the
comparison might not be valid. For analogies to be valid, they must be based on comprehensive and
accurate information.
Here’s a popular one:
It’s legal to smoke tobacco, so it should be legal to smoke marijuana also.
But are the two cases being compared essentially alike?
Both tobacco and marijuana are usually smoked. But tobacco contains a physically addictive drug, nicotine, which creates a need in the user for repeated ingestion. Marijuana contains THC which, while psychologically habit forming in some people, is not physically addictive. Therefore, smoking tobacco delivers a physically addictive drug into the bloodstream of the smoker, but smoking marijuana delivers a potentially psychologically addictive intoxicant into the body of the smoker. The act of smoking either tobacco or marijuana damages lung tissue and compromises the health of the user, and, to that extent, they are similar. But their mental effects are dissimilar.
© 2004 by Scott Adams
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GRADED SPEECH #4: THE PERSUASIVE SPEECH
In the Persuasive Speech you will share an opinion with us. You will attempt to convince us that your point
of view is true, valid, and correct. Recall that the topic of your Informative Speech was your career, in
which we focused on the concept that your job should involve activities that make you happy, and thereby
make your life a better place. For your Persuasive Speech, you will focus on ways to contribute to the
overall happiness of humanity. That’s a tall order. You will use your skills in logic, analysis, and critical
thinking to pull it off.
Specifically, your topic should relate to one of two areas: Ethics or Sustainability (and these may be
combined). The former involves Doing What’s Right for the Greater Good. The second supports Ways to
Create a Thriving World. You should craft a speech that examines social justice, responsible ecological
stewardship, and/or sustainability awareness.
Here are the important components of this speech.
1. You must hand in an outline
2. Citations will be required. Research is limited to books and journals. Website sources will not be
permitted.
3. For this speech you will use PowerPoint or a
comparable imaging program. Details are provided on
page 40.
4. Of the various possible formats that apply to
Persuasive Speeches, you will employ an approach
known as Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. On page
39 you’ll find an explanation of how it works.
Remember that you’ll be graded on the same components as
in your prior Informative Speech. Within the format required,
you’ll have to utilize examples of reasoning (Deductive,
Inductive, etc.) while also satisfying the usual requirements:
1. Give us an introduction to the topic
2. Relate the topic to your listeners’ lives
3. Preview the body of the speech
4. Interact with your listeners
5. Use correct terminology
6. Use transitions and connectives between your ideas
7. Clarify and elaborate on the concepts you discuss
8. Use citations
9. Let us know when you’re wrapping it up
10. Summarize the main idea you want us to remember
Regarding the subject areas of Ethics and Sustainability, possible topics might include but are not limited to
the following:
39
1. Abortion
2. Adoption
3. Affirmative Action Laws
4. Air Bags
5. Amnesty: Should prisoners receive
this?
6. Animal Rights
7. Animal testing in medicine
8. Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia
9. Bigamy
10. Birth Control
11. Capital Punishment
12. Carbon Footprint
13. Censorship of the Internet
14. Confederate Flag
15. Creationism and Evolution: are they
reconcilable?
16. Death Penalty
17. Discrimination Laws
18. Distributing condoms in schools
19. Does dieting lead to eating
disorders?
20. Donor Insemination: selling babies?
21. Drinking Age: Lower it or not?
22. Drunk Driving
23. Eating Less Meat
24. Eating Breakfast to Lose Weight
25. Endangered Species
26. Ethical Consumerism/Green
Shopping
27. Ethical vegetarianism
28. Feminism
29. Food Additives
30. Food Stamps
31. Foreign Policy
32. Fur is not a Fashion Statement
(using animal fur for coats)
33. Gay Adoption
34. Gay Marriages
35. Gene Testing for Child Selection
36. Genetic Engineering
37. Genetically modified foods
38. Global Warming: Fact or Fiction
39. Gun Control and Gun Laws
40. Human Cloning
41. Human Trafficking
42. Hunting Laws
43. Immigrants and Illegal Aliens
44. Immunity Rights for Political
Leaders
45. Legalizing prostitution
46. Mandatory Seatbelt Laws
47. Marijuana Decriminalization
48. Marijuana Legalization
49. Media Ethics
50. Mothers should stay at home
51. Nuclear Weapons
52. Organ Donation
53. Pesticide Use
54. Priests: Should they be allowed to
marry?
55. Privacy rights for Celebrities
56. Public Office Terms
57. Racial profiling
58. Reincarnation
59. Religions: Should they interfere
with medical care?
60. Right to own Pitbulls
61. School prayer
62. Should American companies go
overseas for workers?
63. Sexualization of young girls in
American culture
64. Spaying and neutering pets
65. Speed Limits
66. Stem cell research
67. Steroids
68. Tax Laws
69. Terrorism
70. Test Tube Babies
71. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan
72. Violence on TV
73. Water Conservation
74. Women in the Military
75. Wrestling and Football: Should girls
participate?
The Format You Should Use: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a persuasive format that has been used in ads and commercials for years
because it successfully convinces people that the idea being promoted---whether product, service, or policy
---is worthwhile and deserves their support. It involves five clearly defined steps:
a. Attention Step--- Tell us a story about a disturbing or startling situation, event, or condition.
b. Need Step--- Show us there is a need here, a lack of something, a problem that has not been
resolved
c. Satisfaction Step--- Describe how the problem could be fixed
d. Visualization Step--- Illustrate how the world will be a better place if the problem is fixed
e. Action Step--- Tell us the specific things we should do to help fix the problem
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To align your speech with these components, use the Attention Step as your opening story, audience
question, or other attention-getting device. Then use the next 3 steps---Need, Satisfaction, and Visualization-
-- as your 3 main points. Finally, use the Action Step as your summary and wrap-up.
You will need to use PowerPoint, or another comparable imaging program, to support your speech. In using
PowerPoint, many people focus on making fancy slides, and pay little attention to the proper formatting of
their speech. Moreover, many people mistakenly think PowerPoint’s presentation capabilities supersede the
speaker’s own communication skills. However, the reverse is true. Your speech should be a complete
presentation for which PowerPoint is not a necessity but rather an embellishment. If a technical glitch
prevents you from using your slides, you should still be able to deliver an effective speech. Therefore, create
the speech before you design any PowerPoint slides.
After you have put your speech together, then you are ready to create a slideshow to support it. We will go
through a PowerPoint tutorial in class. Here are the parameters for using PowerPoint.
1. Use only five slides, one for each of the five steps in the Motivating Sequence.
2. Except for the very first slide---the opening/title slide---, you should use no animation, no dancing
words, no flashy images, and no textured background in the slides.
3. In slides 2 through 5, use a header box at the top of each slide. The header box should contain a
simple complete sentence of no more than 12 words. The font should be a sans serif font like Ariel (a
sans serif font looks like this) rather than a serif font like Times New Roman, which is used throughout
this syllabus manual.
4. In slides 2 through 5, beneath the header box, use an image---not words, but an image---to represent
the idea specified in the header text.
The reason for this last requirement is that images often carry more impact that words, and linger longer in
the viewer’s memory. Compare this slide...
Help to fight world hunger.
The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world is well-fed, one-third is under-fed, and one-third is starving. While you read this, at least 200 people have died of starvation. Over 4 million will die this year.
…with this one:
Help to fight world hunger.
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Which one will you remember tomorrow? Images remain in our mind’s eye. Showing this second slide
while speaking the words in the prior slide would more than double the impact for your audience.
Images under a slide header are more memorable than words. Conversely, text within the header is less
memorable than an image. When the audience is listening to a speaker while trying to read words in a slide,
the two processes distract from one another, and people cannot efficiently do both at once without slowing
down their absorption of information. This overloads their sensory input and reduces what they will learn
and remember. So keep the header text simple: 12 words in a complete sentence.
Slideshow Beginning
Your first slide should be black, showing nothing on the screen that will divert your audience’s attention
away from your opening story, question, or other introductory comments. To create a black slide, use the
Shapes command to draw a box the full size of the slide. In the Shape Fill command, click on the color
black. You can also right-click on the blank slide, click on Format Background, click in the Color box, and
select black.
Now type in your title, along with your name, and change the font color from black to white so your
audience can see it against the dark background. Then click on the text box around the letters, click on
Animations, Custom Animations, Add Effect (located to the right by the star in a box), click on Entrance,
Fade, and On Click.
During your presentation, after you’ve completed your opening audience-connection message, left-click the
mouse or hit Enter or Page Down. Your title will reveal itself.
The title appears when you click.
Your first/title slide should be the only one employing animation of this type, and only because it lends a
touch of intrigue and drama to your opening while not distracting your audience prior to the appearance of
the title verbiage. But all the remaining slides should omit animation in order to avoid distracting the
audience.
Main Points Slides (second, third, and fourth)
Your three main points should consist of steps 2, 3, and 4 in the Motivated Sequence. Your three main
points that you state at the end of your introduction and your first slide would therefore be:
1. The existing need for what you propose
2. The potential fulfillment of that need
3. The actualized fulfillment of that need.
42
As you construct slides for your three main points, try to address the developmental levels of the people in
your audience. Select verbiage and images that cascade in significance from the individual to the collective,
addressing the personal, the community, and the suprapersonal. To put it another way, the slides should
cover:
1. What’s in it for me (or for you) if we address this problem?
2. What’s in it for us if the need were to be resolved?
3. What’s in it for all of us when the problem is fully resolved?
This approach will have greater impact on the audience. The following slides representing 3 main points
exemplify this concept while also demonstrating how to use parallel wording within the main point headers
for increased clarity and memorability.
This innovation will benefit
you.
This innovation will benefit
the community.
This innovation will benefit
the world.
Conclusion Slide (fifth)
Your final slide should urge everyone in your audience to go forth today to fix the problem. If you wish, you
may use a split screen approach and divide the slide from left to right, with the text on the left:
Do something
now!
Slide Formatting
As already noted, text in the header should consist of a complete sentence of no more than 12 words. For
images, you may wish to create photographs to upload into your slideshow. Otherwise, a plethora of images
can be found online, oftentimes for free, though you should use caution for copyrighted material. Searching
Google® under the heading of Images will usually yield fruitful results.
A strong contrast should exist between font color and background color. Black letters on a white
background are easy to read. Dark blue letters on white work well, as do white letters on black, dark blue, or
dark green. Avoid red, orange, or yellow backgrounds; they induce psychological discomfort in the viewer.
43
Don’t use the patterned background options offered in PowerPoint. Background images and patterns may
look pretty, but they can distract the viewer from the focal point of the slide.
Saving Your Work
After you create the slideshow, save it to a portable memory device, such as a flash drive or CD, and email it
to yourself as a backup.
44
GRADED SPEECH #5: THE FUTURE HISTORY SPEECH
In this class you’ve already talked about your career, which takes place in the larger context of your life. But
what does your life mean? What is your life all about, at least up until now? How do you define yourself?
What kind of person are you? In what contexts have you thought about your own existence? These are
some of the questions that may be posed to you in your future academic endeavors, as well as in job
interviews. Therefore, it’s worth your time to develop your own ideas on the most important subject of all:
You.
Does your life have a specific mission? A purpose? What are the things you value? What’s most important
to you? What are your strengths and good points? What do people like best about you? What challenges
would you like to overcome? And in the future, when you look back to see what your life has been, what
would you like to be able to say about it?
The year is 2040. You are the guest of honor at a testimonial dinner. You are approximately 50 years old and have lived according to your most important values while doing your best to achieve your personal goals. Now, hundreds of people have come to hear you talk about your life. You will deliver what is known as a Special Occasion speech. Pretend that you have been asked to describe all that you’ve accomplished during the last few decades. Imagine that your goals have been attained, you dreams fulfilled. Everything you’ve ever wanted is a done deal. Be ready to tell us about that---in the past tense. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I’d like to tell you the story of my life.”
Some possible components of this speech might include:
“I remember once when I was a kid….”
“The people who have most influenced my life”
“The values I’ve always tried to live by”
“What motivated me”
“The people I’ve influenced”
“Professional goals I’ve achieved”
“Personal goals I’ve achieved”
“Places I’ve visited, places I’ve lived”
“Relationships I’ve known”
“Ways that I’ve grown as a person”
Requirements for this speech:
1. No outline is needed.
2. Citations are needed.
Citations? How do I research a speech on events in
my life that have not yet occurred?
It’s simple. You look up and cite information regarding your career(s), or the phases of your life, in a
hypothetical retrospective fashion:
“Back in 2010, the website bls.gov said that there would be a need for [X number of] people in my profession over the next 15 years, and that’s exactly what happened. According to professions.com, individuals in my field were expected to earn $75,000 per year, but I earned twice that. According to
45
Americanvalues.net, the most important values in our country have traditionally been fairness and sustainability, and I have tried to live my life in alignment with those principles.”
Citations should be real, from the present year, not from the hypothetical future.
In your speech you are asked to provide 3 to 5 main points (3 is preferable). You can arrange them
chronologically (“What I did in my childhood; my teens; my twenties; my thirties; my forties,” etc.) or in
terms of categories (“First I’ll tell you about the people who most inspired me; then I’ll talk about the values
I’ve lived by and where those values came from; and finally I’ll tell you about the most important
achievements I’ve attained.”). Whichever format you follow, assume that you have arrived at the place in
your life where you want to be. To find examples or suggestions, you may do a web search for “Personal
Goals,” “Personal Values,” “Motivation,” or “Inspiration.” Ideas can be researched at www.my50.com, and
inspiring personal essays may be found at www.thisibelieve.org.
You’ll be graded on this according to the same guidelines used in your Informative and Persuasive speeches:
1. Introduction
2. Relating to your audience
3. Previewing your main points
4. Holding people’s interest (this is where your nonverbal skills come into play)
5. Correct terminology
6. Transitions (linking ideas)
7. Using citations
8. Wrapping up
9. Recapping what you want us to remember
Here are some online examples to click on and learn from:
Greg Graffin
Oprah Winfrey
Steve Martin
ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
46
GRADED SPEECH #6: THE DEBATE
A debate will test your skills in critical thinking and in presenting well-developed
ideas. The purpose of the debate is to convincingly prove your point and to disprove
someone else’s. You are expected to employ real and hypothetical examples, and to
provide logic, reasoning, comparison, analogy, facts, figures, statistics, and other
pertinent information to show that the ideas you present are valid.
You and the members of your debate team may select your own topic. You may want to revisit the topics
related to Ethics or Sustainability that you used in your Persuasive speech. The skills you demonstrate in a
debate are not topic-specific. Your style of presenting ideas and attitudes should be generalizable to any
subject. For the purpose of debating, it doesn’t matter what you personally believe in. What matters most is
the way you construct a verbal argument to convince people that a particular point of view merits their
acceptance. In order to build and sharpen your abilities in critical thinking, it is wise to select a topic about
which you previously had no opinion. Better still, the pinnacle of debate skill can be demonstrated in
arguing against something you already believe in. For example, if you believe that abortion should be legal,
you would strongly develop your debate skills by creating a counterargument against abortion. If you
believe that marijuana should be decriminalized, then successfully arguing against its decriminalization
would mark you as a highly skilled thinker.
Click here to watch a scene from the film “The Great Debaters.”
Debates involve two teams: an affirmative team and a negative team. The affirmative team wants to change
the way things are. If something is illegal, the affirmative team will argue that it should be legal. If certain
conditions exist, the affirmative team will argue to change those conditions. The negative team, conversely,
wants no changes to occur. The negative team argues that current conditions should remain exactly the
same, and that to change those conditions would be hurtful to or inappropriate for society.
A debate focuses on one single issue, pro or con. It does not pit two policies, entities, or concepts against
one another. Here are examples of correct and incorrect approaches to debate topics.
INCORRECT CORRECT
UF has a
superior
football
program
vs.
FSU has a
superior
football
program
UF has a
superior
football
program
vs.
UF does not
have a superior
football
program
INCORRECT CORRECT
Republicans
exemplify
American
values
vs.
Democrats
exemplify
American
values
Republicans
exemplify
American
values
vs.
Republicans do
not exemplify
American values
INCORRECT CORRECT
Superman
is the most
popular
superhero
vs.
Spider-man
is the most
popular
superhero
Superman
is the most
popular
superhero
vs.
Superman is
not the most
popular
superhero
47
Each debate team usually contains four members. The members will jointly
select a topic. They will then divide into two teams of two, and decide who
among them will present the affirmative argument and who will present the
negative argument. All members will, jointly and separately, research their
topics, and will stage their debate on an assigned date. As you prepare and
research the debate with your team members, you will, in a sense,
choreograph your manner of presentation. Each person will know what she
or he will say, and will have a good idea what will be said by members of
the opposing side. Each person is free to do some additional solo research
to dig up information to support their argument or to undermine the argument of the opposing team.
Surprising one’s opponents with new supportive information will increase your team’s chances of winning
the debate, and will allow your opponents to demonstrate their skill in arguing against your reasoning.
At the end of the debate, the entire class will vote on which team won the debate. Winning or losing a
debate will not determine your grade. Each participant will be graded individually on their argumentation
and thinking skills demonstrated during the debate. Use the components of the debate evaluation form as a
guideline for your presentation.
There are three segments to a debate: the constructive speech, the rebuttal
speech, and the cross-examination. For the first segment, begin by clearly
stating your thesis or central idea, such as “Marijuana should be
decriminalized.” Note: the only time you introduce information (facts, data,
citations, etc.) is during the first part of the debate, the constructive speech.
Within the second part, the rebuttal, you will not employ new information.
You will only argue against the other team’s reasoning. In the third part,
the cross examination, you will answer a question based on information
already provided.
A bountiful supply of research on the pros and cons of dozens of topics can be found in the web-links shown
below. Using these sites will save you hours of research time.
http://people.sfcollege.edu/diana.matthews/subjguide/speech.htm
http://dept.sfcollege.edu/library/PDF/handouts/hottopics.pdf
Constructive Speech: 5 to 7 minutes per person
The constructive speech is a persuasive speech delivered sitting down. The standard rules for persuasive
speeches apply: introduction, main points, citations, transitions, summary, etc. During the constructive
speech, each participant states their position on the selected topic. Opinions are expressed, examples are
given, facts and figures are cited, and terminology is defined. You will establish that a problem exists and
explain why it exists. As you and your team conduct research on the topic, you may want to divide up your
findings, pro and con, among the members of your team who will talk about them during the debate. For
example, if you find 8 arguments in favor of a concept and 10 arguments against it, you can divide them up
so that the team members who favor the topic can present 4 ideas each, and those who oppose the concept
will have 5 ideas apiece.
The constructive speech is the only time in the debate wherein arguments are introduced and information is
provided. As each participant speaks, members of the opposing side should be taking detailed notes to assist
in later counter-arguments during the rebuttal. The order of speakers is as follows:
48
First Affirmative Speaker
First Negative Speaker
Second Affirmative Speaker
Second Negative Speaker
Rebuttal Speech: four minutes per person
During the rebuttal speech you will attack your opponents’ arguments and rebuild your arguments which
may have been attacked by your opponents. But don’t just give us more reasons why your side of the
argument is right; emphasize why the logic of the other team is wrong. You are not allowed to introduce
any new arguments or information during the rebuttal. Also, don’t use preprinted notes. Take notes
while your opponents speak, and attempt to find fault with their reasoning. The order of speakers is as
follows:
First Negative Speaker
First Affirmative Speaker
Second Negative Speaker
Second Affirmative Speaker
Cross-Examination
In the cross-examination, each participant poses one simple, concise question to the opposing team. Each
member of that team should respond. Don’t argue with your opponents; just ask a brief question and let
them answer. The order of speakers is as follows:
First Affirmative Speaker
First Negative Speaker
Second Affirmative Speaker
Second Negative Speaker
Special Note
On page 24 of this manual you saw the injunction against reading aloud during a speech. Keep that in mind
while presenting your debate. During the opening segment, many students are strongly tempted to spout a
plethora of facts and figures, staring at pages of documentation while making no eye contact with their
audience. Avoid that hazard. The debate is not a data dump; it is a tag-team speech, and speeches require
eye contact with the audience. Even a newsreader on TV maintains eye contact with the camera. Your eyes
should be on your audience more than on your notes.
On the next page you’ll find a sample evaluation form which will be used to grade your debate presentation.
Examine it closely so you’ll know what is expected of you during the debate.
49
Constructive Speech Absent Yuck Lame Maybe OK Very Good Outstanding
Eye contact
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Vocal volume, word rate
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Animatedness and enthusiasm
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Defining topic & terms
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Reasoning: inductive, deductive (syllogism), causal, analogical
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Creativity & insightfulness in argumentation
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Supported points by citations
0 0 0 6 8 10 12
Summary/conclusion
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Rebuttal Speech
State the point you’re about to attack
0 2 4 6 9 11 13
Challenge your opponent’s logic and reasoning
0 2 4 6 9 11 13
Summary/conclusion of attack
0 2 4 6 9 11 13
Cross-Examination
Phrasing short, polite questions that stick to the topic
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Creativity & insightfulness in defending your views
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Asking/answering questions without help from team members
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
50
GRADED SPEECH #7: THE ELEVATOR SPEECH
The Elevator Speech, or Job Interview Speech, is a short summary of an applicant's background, expertise,
and education. It is a commercial, a self-promotional monologue which concisely highlights the full range of
an individual's suitability for a professional role. Designed to be brief enough to be completed during an
elevator ride in a tall office building, it is used for networking to solicit job leads, as well as to showcase
one's experience in front of a hiring panel or employment committee.
Preparation
First, think in detail about your next job or your ideal job. Visualize the type of work, the physical working
environment, the people you would work with, and so on. This will provide you with a conceptual basis
from which to create your commercial.
Then, picture yourself standing in front of an interview panel consisting of half a dozen executives and
administrators who run the company or organization you want to work for. Imagine they are conducting
preliminary interviews for a job you strongly desire. Prepare a speech describing your background,
education, qualifications, and abilities that would make you the ideal candidate for the job. When delivered
in front of a group, this speech should last 2 to 3 minutes.
Remember, in a job interview situation it is not only desirable but absolutely crucial that you brag about
yourself. An employer will want to know how you stand out from the other candidates, what makes you
different or special, and why they should offer you a salary. Elaborate about anything you might be proud of
in your education, your working background, or life activities. Talk about your achievements in every
context you can think of. Tell how you’ve completed an important task or accomplished something
meaningful. Include leisure interests, hobbies, or unpaid endeavors where you’ve utilized the abilities that
will apply to the job you want. While creating your commercial, consider the following issues:
What kind of skills or abilities will the job require?
How much experience do you have in demonstrating the appropriate
skills and abilities?
Exactly what can you do for your potential employer?
What is your primary area of competency?
How do you most want to be used?
Where have you performed recently or in the past, and how similar
was that setting to the hypothetical one in which you’re now seeking
employment?
What kind of setting would you most like to work in?
When you get up in front of the class, tell about the job you’re applying for. Then, imagining that your
classmates are the members of the interview panel, introduce yourself and give them your sales pitch. Do
not read it aloud. Going by memory, and referring to your notes only when necessary, convince them that
you are the best person in the world for this job. Write your commercial from today’s perspective, while
you’re still in college, not from a few years in the future. Imagine that the chief interviewer has asked, “Tell
us a bit about yourself.” Present the information in this order:
1. Your profession and degree (actual or anticipated)
2. The number of years spent in each of the above, if applicable
3. Measurable, quantitative accomplishments in school (GPA, awards, etc.) and at work (any numbers
pertaining to achievements).
51
For this exercise you’ll be graded on the following competencies:
Speaker Competencies Points Possible
Bad Poor Almost OK OK Very Good Outstanding
Self-introduction
0 1 3 4 5 6
Description of skills
0 1 3 4 5 6
Summary of experiences
0 1 3 4 5 6
Emphasis on strongest skill
0 1 3 4 5 6
Poise and presence
0 1 3 4 5 6
Charisma and confidence
0 1 3 4 5 6
Gesturing with arms and hands
0 1 3 4 5 6
Animation/energy
0 1 3 4 5 6
Eye contact and visual focus
0 1 3 4 5 6
Vocal power and diction
0 1 3 4 5 6
52
Extra Credit Option
Attend a public lecture, analyze it using the guidelines shown below, and give us a speech about it in class.
The lecture should be one that you attend in person during the current semester; not an online video lecture,
and not something you attended in the past. Lectures are offered here at Santa Fe, at the University of
Florida, and at other places around town. Check the Scene magazine listings in the Thursday edition of the
Gainesville Sun.
Read the instructions below carefully, noting that there are four components of the analysis that must be
fully addressed in your speech. You won’t be writing a paper to read aloud; you’ll merely plan and outline
your speech according to these guidelines and deliver it accordingly. Time will be allotted to deliver these
speeches in the classroom. You should try to attend a public presentation early in the semester. If you wait
till the end of the term, you’ll be busy with studying and finals, and there might not be any local
presentations that would fit your schedule.
You can earn up to 40 points of extra credit for this exercise, depending on how thoroughly you analyze the
speech and follow the required guidelines.
Part 1. Start with a story or a quote derived from the presentation you attended
Part 2. Tell us about the demographics of the event:
----The speaker’s name and credentials/biography
----The title of the speech
----The event location, date, and time
----The nature of speaker’s message: informative, persuasive, special occasion, etc.
----The speaker’s style: dynamic or relaxed, animated or immobile; posture; amount of
gesturing, eye contact, facial expression, vocal expressiveness; voice pitch, voice
volume (if unamplified); engaging the audience; visual appearance/attire
----The speaker’s supports: visual aids, exhibits, models, PowerPoint, overheads, anecdotes,
stories, personal experiences, connectives, etc.
----Layout and size of the physical facility
Part 3. Describe the audience and its behaviors:
----The estimated number of attendees
----The estimated age range of attendees
----Their public behaviors: alert/distracted, focused/unfocussed, interested/disinterested,
attentive/inattentive; rapt, watchful, yawning, arriving late, leaving early, asking
questions, engaging the speaker
Part 4. Relate your feelings about the event:
----Why did you choose to attend this particular speech?
----What was your first impression of the speaker? Did your impression change as the
speech progressed or after it ended?
----What did you like best about the speech?
----What did you like least?
----If the speech could be improved, how would you change it?
(Continued on next page)
53
Additional points you should cover in your analysis:
Did the speaker have an attention-gaining opening?
What kind of opening technique did she or he use?
Did the speaker establish him- or herself as a credible source?
Did the speaker give a brief outline of what ideas were to follow?
Were the speaker's ideas clearly organized so you could easily follow the development of ideas?
Were the speaker's ideas clearly stated so they were easy to understand?
Did the speaker's evidence and examples back up the main contentions?
Was the speaker's reasoning logical?
What special techniques did the speaker use in getting the ideas across?
Did the speaker effectively summarize in the conclusion?
Did the speaker end with an effective concluding statement?
Was the speaker's rate of delivery smooth and easy to follow?
Did the speaker use much vocal variety and inflection to emphasize the points?
Was the speaker's volume loud enough to be easily heard?
Did the speaker effectively use gestures and facial expressions to communicate ideas?
Was enthusiasm for the subject easily noticeable because of the speaker's vocal and non-verbal
actions?
Did the speaker use verbal disfluencies: "uh”, "um,", “like”, and "you know?"
Did the speaker seem interested in audience response to the message?
Did the speaker attempt to establish eye contact with members of the audience?
Did the speaker attempt to orient the message to the specific group being addressed?
Did the speaker appear to be responsive to audience feedback?
How would you characterize the audience's reaction to the speaker's message?
What do you think was the audience's reaction to the speaker's style of delivery?
Did the audience provide effective feedback to the speaker?
Do you think audience members were strongly moved or had their attitudes changed because of the
speaker's message?
Did the audience members ask questions and perceive that they received effective answers?
54
Appendix “A”
Public Speaking and Your Career
From Bookrags.com:
In general, jobs that are pursued by people skilled in speech and public speaking involve three things:
(1) dealing with the public, (2) organizing information, and (3) exhibiting individual responsibility.
Typical careers for individuals skilled in public speaking include advertising executive, attorney, corporate
communications officer, corporate trainer, customer service representative, human resources manager,
organizational development specialist, public relations professional, sales representative, and television
reporter.
Training in speech and communication is also important for individuals who desire employment as
administrators, audience coordinators for television programs, business analysts, computer consultants,
digital media specialists, entertainers, financial consultants, hospitality managers, insurance agents,
librarians, marketing professionals, mediators, nonprofit development officers, project development
specialists, retail buyers, social workers, telecommunications consultants, travel agents, and television
producers.
From the above lists, it may seem that any professional career could benefit from training in speech and
public speaking, and, in fact, that is probably true. Training in public speaking helps individuals develop
organizational skills, the ability to be comfortable when talking in front of both large and small groups, and
effective means to persuade others. These skills contribute to effectiveness in almost any career situation.
(Source: http://www.bookrags.com/research/public-speaking-careers-in-eci-03/)
Recommendations from your Instructor
Throughout the United States and around the world there are large numbers of public speakers who annually
earn six figures or higher by doing what you have done in speech class. Some of them take the experience
acquired in their jobs and careers and turn it into a presentation. Some do so with their hobbies and
pastimes. Many of these people study a topic they love until they become authorities on it, and they then
find an audience that wishes to hear about it.
Regardless of a person’s beginnings, profession, or background, anyone possessing strong communication
skills can flourish as a paid speaker. You could do so if you wish---without changing your current career
direction. You can proceed with your present career plans and be a paid speaker as well. Here’s how.
1. Think of any topic that you know a lot about, or one that you like a great deal, perhaps related to your
job, your major, or to some other activity. Conduct a web search by typing the name of that topic along with
the words “speaker,” “public speaker,” or “professional speaker.” You will find websites of people who
know the kind of things you know, and who have learned to talk to audiences about them in exchange for
money. If they can do it, so can you.
55
2. Visit the website of the National Speakers Association (www.nsaspeaker.org). Look at the site’s “Find A
Speaker” link. From here, you can use various search criteria to locate speakers, either using the "areas of
expertise" function, "metro area" or "keyword search". Examine the listings of speakers and their topics.
See which ones involve your own knowledge sets and interests.
3. To learn the business aspect of making a living as a paid speaker, you will have to do some homework
and research. Various books and websites can assist you. Conduct searches for books, articles, and website
that deal with becoming a paid professional speaker.
4. Locally, the central Florida chapter of the National Speakers Association brings professional presenters
to the Tampa vicinity every month. The chapter holds meetings in which these visiting speakers advise other
presenters on the best approaches to achieving commercial success in the field. The central Florida chapter
also hosts its own speakers’ academy from time to time. Their web address is www.nsacentralflorida.com.
At that site you can also review lists of Florida speakers categorized by topic specialty.
5. Your speaking style may benefit from some fine-tuning and modification in order to achieve a high level
of expertise, but that can be accomplished with practice and feedback. I recommend that you take the
following steps. First, create a presentation with a particular local audience in mind; put together a talk.
Then contact local groups whose meetings are advertised in the newspaper, and offer to speak for free; this is
how you get started. When you schedule a presentation---and this is crucial---, obtain a videocamera and
tape your speech. Later, watch it and critique yourself. The speech evaluation components listed for
informative and persuasive speeches in your Syllabus Manual can serve as your guidelines. Listen to your
voice, inflection, volume, language, and filler noises. Watch your body language, stance, gesturing, and eye
contact. Analyze your delivery style in terms of energy, presence, and interacting with your audience as
opposed to merely talking to them. From this you will determine what, if anything, you would like to work
on as you develop your style. Don’t be dismayed if your presentation doesn’t seem perfect at first. With
time you will achieve perfection.
56
Appendix “B”
Pat Breslin’s Schedule for Fall 2010
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
8:00
Office
Office Office
Office Office
9:00 Public Speaking SPC2608.003
P-165
Public Speaking SPC2608.003
P-165
Public Speaking SPC2608.003
P-165
10:00 Office Public Speaking
SPC2608.015 L-203
Office Public Speaking SPC2608.015
L-203
Office
11:00 Public Speaking
SPC2608.005 P-165
Office Public Speaking SPC2608.005
P-165
Office Public Speaking
SPC2608.005 P-165
12:00 Public Speaking SPC2608.007
P-165
Office Public Speaking SPC2608.007
P-165
Office Public Speaking SPC2608.007
P-165
Public Speaking
Public Speaking
1:00 SPC2608.019 L-203
SPC2608.019 L-203
2:00 Office
3:00 Office
Office
Public Speaking
Public Speaking
4:00
SPC2608.021 L-203
SPC2608.021 L-203
5:00
6:00
7:00
Public Speaking SPC2608.052
L-203
8:00
9:00
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Appendix “C”
THE DISCOVER PROGRAM The Discover Program is a career assessment tool. It examines your interests, abilities, and values, and then matches them with career areas that may be of interest to you. Within those career areas you will find lists of specific professions, and you’ll be able to access information about each profession. Use this information to support your Informative Speech presentation. On the SFC Northwest Campus, you can go to the Career Resource Center lab in I-40 and complete this assignment there; call ahead, 395-5824, to make an appointment. Otherwise, you can complete it online. Discover Set-Up In class you’ll be given an access code to log into Discover. After you’ve signed in and established your file information, click on Get Started. Then click on Plan My Path. When the next screen opens, click on Find Occupations That Fit Me, then on Select Path. A screen will open saying My Path Summary. Now follow these steps: Step 1: In the left-hand column sidebar, click on the first of the underlined steps, Interest Inventory. When the next page appears, click on Take Inventory Now. Read the UNIACT Instructions that appear, then click on Next, and the interest inventory will begin. As you go through this inventory, you will click on Dislike, Indifferent, or Like to rate your feelings on different career areas. When you come to the end of the Interest Inventory, a screen will appear showing several possible career areas that might be of interest to you. Beneath the career areas you will see a button labeled List Suggested Occupations. If you click on it you will come to another list of Career areas, and beneath each area will appear a list of specific professions. You can click on any profession to learn more about it. If the profession appeals to you, after you’ve clicked on it you can click on Add to My Favorites. Step 2: Now look at the left-hand sidebar again and click on the second of the underlined steps, Abilities Inventory. When the next page appears, click on Take Inventory Now. A screen will appear describing how you may rate yourself on 15 abilities important to career planning. Read the instructions on the page and click on Next. You will be guided through the inventory. When you come to the end of the Abilities Inventory, a screen will appear showing several possible career areas that might be of interest to you. Beneath the career areas you will see a button labeled List Suggested Occupations. If you click on it you will come to another list of career areas, and beneath each area will appear a list of specific professions. You can click on any profession to learn more about it. If the profession appeals to you, after you’ve clicked on it you can click on Add to My Favorites. Step 3: Look again at the left-hand sidebar and click on the third of the underlined steps, Values Inventory. When the next page appears, click on Take Inventory Now. A screen will appear describing how you may rate yourself on 22 values important to career planning. Read the instructions on the page and click on Next. You will be guided through the inventory. When you finish, a page will open listing your work-related values. At the bottom of that page, click on Show My Results. As before, various career areas will be suggested. Beneath the career areas you will see a button labeled List Suggested Occupations. If you click on it you will come to another list of career areas, and beneath each area will appear a list of specific professions. You can click on any profession to learn more about it. If the profession appeals to you, after you’ve clicked on it you can click on Add to My Favorites. Step 4: In the left hand sidebar, click on My Favorites. A list will appear showing your preferred professions based on your responses to the Discover program. At this point, select 3 professions that might seem to suit you. One by one, click on a profession to open its descriptor, then click on File and Print. (At the top and bottom of the screen you’ll find additional information links about the job, including Salary, Training, Related Occupations, and so on; if you wish, you can print these as well.)