SPEECH 220b
INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC SPEAKING
WINTER 2007
Instructor: Katherine E. Oleson
Class
Meetings:
M-F
Office Hours: Tues.
Phone: 425-564-3050
E-mail: koleson@bcc.ctc.edu
Required Textbook: David Zarefsky, Public Speaking: Strategies for Success, Custom Edition (Allyn
& Bacon, 2005; Pearson Custom Publishing, 2004) with MySpeechLab.
** You may log-in to www.myspeechlab.com and purchase your
access code with a credit card if you have purchased the text already OR would
like to use the online version of the text (E-book) this quarter. **
Course Description: This
course is designed to enhance your ability to construct and deliver speeches in
a public forum. The method for improving
your public speaking will be a combination of theory, critical analysis, and
practice. By applying rhetorical
theories to public speeches, you will develop the capacity to critically
reflect upon rhetorical practices. This
critical awareness will be put to use in the strategic planning of your own
speeches. By examining the speeches of
others, you will begin to see what does and does not work in a given speech
situation, and by preparing and delivering your own speeches to the class, your
ability to address an audience will improve. Consistent attendance and active
participation are essential to be successful in this course. I highly recommend that you have a college level
reading ability. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Course Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course,
students will be able to:
1. Identify and analyze the four
elements of the rhetorical situation
2. Explain and apply an understanding of ethical
considerations and responsibilities as a speaker
3. Demonstrate critical thinking through critique and
analysis of one’s own speeches as well as others’ speeches
4. Evaluate credibility of evidence
5. Identify and analyze lines of argument and fallacies
6. Present speeches that apply recommendations for
effective invention, arrangement, style, and delivery
Methods of Evaluation:
three graded speeches (200 points
each) =
600
three outlines (25 points each) = 75
ten oral/written critiques of
classmates (3 points each) = 30
two self-critiques (20 points
each) = 40
four homework assignments (25
points each) =
100
three in-class quizzes (10 points
each) = 30
ten MySpeechLab pre- &
post-test combos (5 points each) =
50
attendance and participation (75
points) =
75
1000 points
SPEAKING ASSIGNMENTS
Introductory Speech (ungraded, 2-3 min.): This
is an icebreaker in which you have the opportunity to tell the audience
something about yourself. The purpose of
this speech is two-fold: to get you speaking in the first week of class, and to
begin to establish your ethos
(personal credibility) for the audience.
Informative Speech (200 points, 5-7 min.): This is a speech in
which you educate your audience about
a subject of genuine controversy in the public forum. Like a classroom lecture or a news report,
this speech should be designed to provide information that is newsworthy,
balanced, and interesting for your audience.
It is crucial that the speech provide balance by offering fair and
accurate information from two opposing sides of the issue. The instructional
focus here will be on invention (that is, researching and choosing appropriate
speech materials) and organization. The
use of visual aids is required.
Persuasive Speech (200 points, 6-8 min.): The topic of this
speech will be the same issue of controversy as your first speech. This speech should be strategically designed
to actually persuade those who disagree
with you to move toward your side on the issue. You will use strategies to weaken their
commitment to an opposition position and/or to convert them to your own
position. The instructional focus will
be on constructing strong arguments before an audience with contrary opinions
without compromising your beliefs.
Visual aids are not allowed for this speech.
Protest Speech (200 points, 4-5 min.): Using the same topic
as the first two graded speeches, this speech imagines a different target
audience. Rather than change the opinions of an opposition
audience, this is a speech of leadership that should be designed to intensify beliefs already held by an
enthusiastic audience who have joined you in protest against those who oppose
your position. You will use strategies to
strengthen a friendly audience’s commitment to a position of dissent that they
share with you and inspire them to take further action to support your shared
cause. This speech round will be held in
an outdoor public location to better approximate the setting in which protest
speeches are typically given. The
instructional goal of this speech will be to develop your ability to make
appropriate choices with regard to language use, and the delivery of such. When giving this speech, you may use no more
than three 3x5 inch notecards.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
Outlines (25 points each): One day prior to each speech, you will turn in two copies of your
typed outlines. One copy will be graded
and returned to you, the other will be kept in a department file that is used
to deter plagiarism. The format of those
outlines will be described in more detail in class.
Critiques of Classmates (3 points each): You will
be giving several impromptu speeches throughout the quarter in which you orally
critique a specific aspect of a classmate’s speech. These will be assigned before each speech
round begins. You will also be assigned
to produce written critiques that will be due at the end of the speech
round. The more complete, constructive,
relevant, accurate, and clear your oral and written critiques are, the higher
your “critiques of classmates” grade will be.
Self-Critiques (20 points each): You will complete two
written self-critiques in this class.
For your Informative Speech and Persuasive Speech, you will view the videotape
and write short papers that critique the development of your speeches and your
performance according to the evaluation standards set in class. These self-critique papers must be typed,
double-spaced, 2 pgs., and written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font. More details will be provided in class.
Homework Assignments (25 points each): There are
four homework assignments designed to illustrate your understanding of course
material. These homework assignments will be directly transferred to your
speeches. One assignment (HW2) will be done on a blog. More information about
these assignments will be given in class.
Quizzes (10 points each): There will be four quizzes to
ensure that you are keeping up with the reading assignments, that you are
following the lectures and discussions, and that you are paying attention to
the learning environment that is developed during the speech rounds. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped; the
other three will count for 10 points each.
MySpeechLab pre- & post-tests (5 points each): You will
complete ten of the fourteen pre- & post-test combinations which correspond
to Ch. 1-14 in your text. These will be done online through the MySpeechLab
component of the course and are designed to help you understand the course
material and prepare you for your speeches. You will be required to submit the
results of your pre- and post-tests to me. More details will be provided in
class.
POLICIES
Attendance Policy: Regular class attendance is essential for
participation and will be checked each class meeting. It is your responsibility
to make sure that you are counted as present.
Students more than 10 minutes late will receive an absence for the
class. Students with 5 or more absences will not receive credit for the course.
Grading Scale:
940-1000=
A 730-759=
C
900-939=
A- 700-729=
C-
860-899=
B+ 660-699=
D+
830-859=
B 600-659=
D
800-829= B- 0-599=
F
760-799=
C+
Statement on Attendance During
Speaking Days:
Because participation and cooperative learning are essential to the academic
design of this course, your absence on a day when you are scheduled to speak or
critique hurts your fellow students and impairs your own learning process. In addition, failure to give a speech at the
proper time, or to produce an oral critique of a speaker who you were
responsible for critiquing, indicates a lack of kairos (ability to recognize and respond to what is timely). This is one of the most serious rhetorical
errors that one might commit. It is why the following rule must be enforced: if you do not appear on a day when you are
scheduled to speak, you will receive a “0” for that speech assignment; if you
do not appear on a day when you are scheduled to orally critique a classmate,
you will receive a “0” for that critique assignment. There are some ways you can avoid these
penalties:
·
If you know you will not be able to make it to class on a day when you
are scheduled to speak (or critique), you can demonstrate your ability to adapt
to the kairotic moment by making arrangements with a classmate to switch
speaking (or critiquing) positions with you.
You must also inform your instructor of this change. If you are traveling on an official athletic
schedule, it is up to you to notify your instructor as soon as possible and to
make arrangements to fit your speaking and critiquing schedule with your
travel.
·
If a serious illness or emergency keeps you from performing your
duties, you should do everything you can to contact your instructor as soon as
possible. Prompt consultation with your
instructor (within 24 hours) and possibly required documentation of the
unavoidable event (e.g. a note from your doctor, a copy of the accident report,
etc.) might result in the scheduling of a make-up speech if the teacher deems
the circumstances that caused the absence to be severe enough to merit
rescheduling and if there is time in the schedule to accommodate a make-up
assignment.
·
Please communicate with your instructor.
Late Written Assignments: For purposes of equity and
fairness for all students, you will be given a reasonable amount of time to
complete all written assignments.
Deadlines for all assignments will be announced in class. An assignment is on time when it is delivered
to the teacher in the class session on the day it is due (or via e-mail when
noted and in the time frame given). If you know you will be absent on the day
an assignment is due or there is an activity planned, make arrangements with me
prior to this. In the event that you
do not turn in your assignment in class on the day it is due, you will be
assessed the following academic penalty: late written assignments will receive
a one point grade reduction for every full day they are late (i.e. B+ to C+).
Statement on Academic
Integrity:
You should know that plagiarism is a serious violation of your contract as a
student and will be treated severely. It
is important for you to understand that plagiarism is any representation of another person’s words or ideas in a manner
that makes it seem as if they were your own, in either oral or written
form. Obviously, this means that you may
not copy another person’s papers or speeches.
But it also means that you should not use another person’s unique
phrases or organizational schemes without making it clear to your audience
where those words or ideas originated. Students caught cheating on a quiz or
assignment will not receive any credit for that portion of the class and will
be reported to the Dean of Student Programs.
In
addition, the same speech or other assignments may not be given for credit in
more than one class. If you are taking
(or have taken) some other course in the department with speech assignments,
you may not recycle a speech by giving it in both classes.
Special
Needs:
Please contact the DSS at 564-2498 or go in person to the DSS reception area of
the
Classroom Conduct: It is important that you exercise discretion
and good judgment regarding visual aids, speech topics, and delivery of
speeches. You should not bring to class
any item which is illegal or prohibited on campus (e.g. drugs, alcohol,
firearms, pornography, any related paraphernalia, etc.). It is also important to keep in mind that you
are unlikely to win the respect or gain the assent of your audience if you say
things that are offensive to them. If
you have any questions about what may or may not be appropriate, ask your
instructor. Please consult with www.bcc.ctc.edu/artshum/policy.html to review
the Arts and Humanities Division statement of Student Procedures and
Expectations as well.
In addition, when engaged in
your role as a speech critic, please be constructive in your comments. This
does not mean that you should ignore the flaws in your classmates’ speeches; on
the contrary, it is your responsibility to identify those flaws and communicate
suggestions for improvement to your classmates.
Always treat your classmates with respect. For example, you should frame
your comments regarding strengths and weaknesses of their speeches in a manner
intended to help them (and you) improve.
SCHEDULE
[Note: We will try to remain on this schedule, but
learning does not always happen according to strict timelines, and unforeseen
events can push us off our ideal timeline.
Therefore, this schedule is subject to change. You will be informed in class of any changes
that evolve over the course of the quarter.]
**
Throughout the quarter, we will be part of an in-class pilot for Learning Communities. We will work in
small groups to aid you in understanding of course material, preparing for
speeches & other assignments, and building community with your classmates.
**
Day Class
Activity Reading
Assignment
Tues.
Jan. 2 Orientation, Ice Breakers
Wed.
Jan. 3 Basics of Public Speaking
& Ethics Ch.
1: p. 2-10, 26-37;
Thurs.
Jan 4 Rhetoric, The Public Forum Ch.
1: p. 10-25; Appendix A
Preparing the Introductory
Speech
Fri.
Jan. 5 Introductory Speeches
Mon.
Jan. 8 Introductory Speeches
Choosing an Umbrella Topic Ch.
4: p. 92-112,
An Overview of the three
speeches
Tues.
Jan. 9 Audience Ch.
3
Wed.
Jan. 10 Thesis Ch.
4: p. 113-119
Learning Community
Thurs.
Jan. 11 Research & Supporting
Material Ch.
5: p. 120-133
Fri.
Jan. 12 Research &
Supporting Material Ch.
5: p. 133-155
Class meets in
D240L (behind the journal collection on the second floor)
for Library Research Session
HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT #1: RATIONALE OF TOPIC & THESIS FOR INFORMATIVE SPEECH IS DUE
TODAY BY MIDNIGHT VIA E-MAIL
Mon.
Jan. 15 No class
Tues.
Jan. 16 Arrangement/Outlines
Wed.
Jan. 17 Arrangement/Outlines
Learning Community
Thurs.
Jan. 18 Individual Meetings with
Katherine
Fri.
Jan. 19 Speech Criticism Ch.
2
Mon.
Jan. 22 Delivery and Visual Aids
Tues.
Jan. 23 Gallery Walk
DRAFT OUTLINES DUE IN CLASS
Learning Community
Wed.
Jan. 24 Gallery Walk
Thurs.
Jan. 25 Individual workday
Fri.
Jan. 26 Informative Speeches
Mon.
Jan. 29 Informative Speeches
Tues.
Jan. 30 Informative Speeches
Wed.
Jan. 31 Informative Speeches
Thurs.
Feb. 1 Informative Speeches
Fri.
Feb. 2 Informative Speeches
Mon.
Feb. 5 Choosing a Persuasive
Thesis
THESIS DUE BY MIDNIGHT VIA E-MAIL
Tues.
Feb. 6 Basics of Argumentation Ch.
6
Learning Community
Wed.
Feb. 7 Arguments & Fallacies
Thurs.
Feb. 8 Arguments & Fallacies
(continued)
HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT #2: RESPOND TO EACH STUDENT’S
Fri.
Feb. 9 Persuading the
Opposition Ch.
14: p. 382-413
Mon.
Feb. 12 Persuading the Opposition
(continued)
Argument Walk
Activity
Learning Community
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE IN CLASS
Tues.
Feb. 13 Organizing the Persuasive
Speech
Critiquing Sample Speeches
Wed.
Feb. 14 Gallery Walk
ROUGH DRAFT OUTLINES DUE IN CLASS
Thurs. Feb. 15 Gallery Walk
Fri.
Feb. 16 Individual Work Day
Mon.
Feb. 19 No class
Tues.
Feb. 20 Persuasive Speeches
Wed.
Feb. 21 Persuasive Speeches
Thurs.
Feb. 22 Persuasive Speeches
Fri.
Feb. 23 Persuasive Speeches
Mon.
Feb. 26 Persuasive Speeches
Tues.
Feb. 27 Persuasive Speeches
Wed.
Feb. 28 Speaking in
Protest/Further Motivating Supporters Protest Chapter
Thurs.
Mar. 1 Style Ch.
10
Learning Community
Fri.
Mar. 2 No class
Mon.
Mar. 5 Style (continued)
Tues.
Mar. 6 Ethics & Critiquing
sample speeches
Wed.
Mar. 7 Organizing
the protest speech
Learning Community
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT #4 DUE
Thurs.
Mar. 8 Delivering the Protest
Speech
Fri. Mar. 9 Protest Speeches
Mon.
Mar. 12 Protest Speeches
Tues.
Mar. 13 Protest
Speeches
Wed.
Mar. 14 Protest Speeches
Thurs.
Mar. 15 Protest Speeches
Fri.
Mar. 16 Course review