DREXEL UNIVERSITY

Department of Culture and Communication

Fall 2006-2007

 

Course Number and Section: COM 230-007                    Instructor: Dr. Thomas Houessou-Adin

Course Title: Techniques of Speaking                                  Office: PSA Building Room: 305

Course Dates: 9/25 - 12/8/06                                                            Office Hours: MWF 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Days and Time: MWF 4:00 - 4:50 p.m.                               Office Telephone: 215.895.2763/267.918.9059

Location: Curtis Hall Room: 255B                                        Email: th85@drexel.edu or ojubanire@aol.com

 

 

                                                                                                           

Required Text: Pfeiffer, William S. Pocket Guide to Public Speaking. Prentice Hall ISBN: 0-13-041544-8.

 

 

Course Description:

 

It is night on the savannas of Africa, and huddled around a campfire that provides warmth and protection against the darkness beyond are some forty creatures who have human form. The campfire may have been the original site of civilization. It provided a time for conversation, an exercise period for the new and dawning power of speech. Through speech these early persons could exchange and build ideas, interpret the experiences of the day and learn from them, and plan for the experiences of the morrow. They also could settle disputes, and tell stories that would remind them of heroic accomplishments. In other words, around these ancient campfires humans would first practice forms of public conversation that the Greeks later identified as basic types of public speaking: forensic speech, which deals with judgments of past behavior in search of justice; deliberative speech, which debates plans for future action; and ceremonial speech, which celebrates the actions, traditions, and values of group life. (Michael Osborn et al. Classical Origins of Public Speaking, 1992)

 

Public Speaking, a unique form of communication, is an ancient dynamic transaction between humans as shown in the above passage. It still plays a pivotal role in contemporary life. From everyday casual conversations and debates, self-introductory speaking and classroom presentations through business and professional careers, speech communication is needful to humankind as air. A lack of effective speaking skills can be too costly, including missing business opportunities, being passed over for promotion, and losing handsome amount of money over oneπs career.

 

This course is a forum where students will learn to become confident and engaged communicators through clear explanations, thorough preparation, and a lot of speech delivery practice. Students taking this course will learn inter alia, how to control Glossophobia, or speech phobia, also known as stage/performance fright, or speech anxiety, and how to put their fear of speaking publicly into perspective. Indeed, ≥feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial. But too much nervousness can be detrimental.≤ In this course therefore, research and reasoning, audience analysis, clear organization of ideas and support materials, diction and clarity of expression, and the interaction of verbal and non-verbal behaviors, are all emphasized.

Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

∑      Demonstrate familiarity with basic concepts and vocabulary of Speech Communication

∑       Demonstrate techniques of effective public speaking

∑       Make speech preparation an oral and collaborative process

∑       Research and incorporate data into prepared speeches

∑       Create and integrate effective visual aids into speeches

∑       Adhere to common principles of clear explanation

∑       Think critically and communicate effectively in writing and speaking

∑       Establish good eye contact, poise and judicious confidence while speaking publicly

∑       Recognize the centrality of the audience in speech preparation

∑       Adjust speech content in light of the audienceπs response

∑       Develop verbal skills using American business English

∑       Choose appropriate rhetorical modes for the material, the purpose, and the audience

∑       Give and receive constructive speech critique

 

Learning Outcomes Assessment: The grade for this course will be based on the following:

∑       Attendance and Active participation (Peer Feedback)                          15%

∑       Impromptu Self-Introductory Speech                                                   10%

∑       Two quizzes on assigned readings and material covered in class             30%

∑       Informative Speech (Speech Outline will be submitted)             15%

∑       Two Persuasive Speeches (Speech Outlines will be submitted)               30%

 

Classroom Etiquette: As a matter of mutual respect and courtesy for each other, both instructor and the students will follow these basic rules:

• Arriving very late and/or leaving early are strongly discouraged
• Please have pagers and cell phone turned off or set on ≥vibrate≤ during class session
• Please refrain from speaking when another individual is speaking
• Please don't leave or enter the room when a speech is being presented
• We will respect one anotherπs differences
• Please address issues -- donπt attack classmates
• Please do not engage in private and disruptive conversations during class session
• Show consideration and mutual respect for each other
• Respond to individuals professionally
• Make meaningful and dispassionate contributions to discussions
• Offer reasons, not mere opinions. Substantiate your opinions and your findings with facts
• Please donπt be brother or sister killjoy in your critique of classmatesπ speeches
• No question is ever dumb. Feel free to ask questions if you donπt understand a topic or a point

 

Disability Accommodations: Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustment and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Department 215.895.1313.

 

 

Academic Honesty: In preparing your speeches, keep in mind that two basic elements of the writing/speaking process are ≥the development of independent thought and a respect for the thoughts of others.≤ Penalties for plagiarism are going to be assigned, which range from failure on a particular assignment to failure in the course.

 

As students, you can tell that academic honesty is taken very seriously throughout the academe. Therefore, in my capacity as your COM 230 instructor, I want to do all I can to guard you against this unfortunate and gross mistake. I must first inform you that the turnitin.com and EVE2 plagiarism software, which are two powerful tools that help faculty track down unacknowledged sources in papers, are available to teachers. A word to the wise! Also, it is my pleasure to share with you the eight point shortcut to avoiding plagiarism proposed by Dorothy U. Seyler (1999), on page 115 of her book, Doing Research: The Complete Research Paper Guide. You are urged to consider these in preparing your speeches.

!WARNING! Each one of the following strategies results in a form of plagiarism!

∑       Downloading a paper from the internet

∑       ≥Borrowing≤ a friendπs paper from last semester

∑       Turning in a paper without any documentation

∑       Turning in a paper with in-text citations but no Works Cited page -- or the other way around

∑       Copying passages from a source without putting the passages within quotation marks

∑       Documenting only quoted material but not documenting paraphrased material

∑       Retaining too much of the wording and style of the original in paraphrasing

∑      Placing in-text citations at the end of long passages without making clear how much of the passage is from the source

Attendance and Participation Policy: Student participation is an essential part of the instructional process. Students are expected to contribute to the learning environment of their courses and to fulfill their academic responsibilities through active participation in the learning process. Participation standards for this course include first and foremost attendance at all class sessions, and meaningful contributions to class discussions, via answering questions and/or making constructive comments or suggestions. Students who do not meet the participation standards will receive a lower grade.

 

Indeed, students cannot participate in their courses unless they attend class. Attendance is a requirement for this course, although physical presence in class is not enough to score full credit for Attendance and Participation. Students are reminded that final grades are determined by performance of all course requirements, including attendance, which will be recorded for each class.

 

Any student who misses the equivalent of two weeks of class, that is, SIX classes in this case, may be given a failing grade for the course. Only absences as a result of fully documented medical emergencies and participation in away-games by student athletes are excused. In such cases, the instructor may require make-up work from students who miss class upon their return to class. Besides, every unsubstantiated absence is worth 3 points off the Attendance and Participation grade. In other words, FIVE such absences will result in a grade of 00/15 for Attendance and Participation.

 

 

Journalization: It will be of great benefit to you that you keep a journal. Therefore, you are urged to record in a notebook, your insights, observations, doubts, questions, comments and reactions about the speeches as well as text and other materials used in the course. Journalizing will not only energize class discussions, but it will help you maintain focus outside of class, and facilitate reviews for your final exam.

 

 

Course Withdrawal Policy: Undergraduate students may withdraw from a course up to the LAST DAY of the SIXTH WEEK of the term in which the course is taken.

 

 

 

Grading Scale: The following is the Grading Scale for this course.

 

Course Average	Letter Grade
90 - 100	A
80 - 89.99	B
70 ≠ 79.99	C
60 - 69.99	D
00 - 59.99	F

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Outline

 

WEEK 1

 

9/25/06: Introduction to Course/Presentation of Class Format

Student Impromptu Self-Introductory Speeches (2 minutes each)

9/27/06: Entering Behavior (Checking the amount of students' knowledge on the subject prior to taking this course) Pfeiffer, Chs 1-2 pp. 1-36

9/29/06: The Tools of the Trade: Physical Objects and Two-dimensional Visuals

QUIZ #1

 

WEEK 2

 

10/2/06: Pfeiffer, Chs 3-4 pp. 37-73

Persuasive Speech: Favorable, Neutral, and Unfavorable Audiences

10/4/06: Pfeiffer, Chs 5-6 pp. 75-126

Video: ≥Using Visual Aids≤ (10 mns)

10/6/06: Pfeiffer, Appendix pp. 127-137

QUIZ #2

 

WEEK 3: Learning-by-Example

 

10/9/06: COLUMBUS DAY -- NO CLASS

10/11/06: Informative Speech

Videos: ≥The Trouble with Numbers≤ (8mns) and ≥Same Holidays, Different Customs≤ (8mns)

Critique/Analysis of the two Speeches

10/13/06: Persuasive Speech

Videos: ≥School of the Americas≤ (6mns) and ≥We Donπt Have to Live in Slums≤ (8mns)

Critique/Analysis of the two Speeches

 

WEEK 4: Learning-by-Doing: Informative Speech

 

10/16/06, 10/18/06, 10/20/06: Individual Informative Speech Delivery and Feedback

WEEK 5: Learning-by-Doing: Informative Speech

 

10/23/06, 10/25/06, 10/27/06: Individual Informative Speech Delivery and Feedback Contπd

 

WEEK 6: Learning-by-Doing -- Persuasive Speech #1

 

10/30/06, 11/1/06, 11/3/06: Individual Persuasive Speech Delivery and Feedback

 

WEEK 7: Learning-by-Doing -- Persuasive Speech #1

 

11/6/06, 11/8/06, 11/10/06: Individual Persuasive Speech Delivery and Feedback Contπd

 

WEEK 8: Learning-by-Doing -- Persuasive Speech #2

 

11/13/06, 11/15/06, 11/17/06: Individual Persuasive Speech Delivery and Feedback

 

WEEK 9/ WEEK 10: Learning-by-Doing -- Persuasive Speech #2

 

11/20/06, 11/27/06, 11/29/06, 12/1/06: Individual Persuasive Speech Delivery and Feedback Contπd

 

WEEK 11: 12/4/06, 12/6/06, 12/8/06: Instant Speaking; Course Evaluations

Individual Speech Presentation

 

 

INFORMATIVE SPEECH

 

Choose a topic and prepare a speech that informs. After doing your research, prepare a one-page typewritten and double-spaced outline, and come fully prepared to class to deliver your speech from your outline.

 

 

PERSUASIVE SPEECH

 

 

Persuasive Speech #1 and Persuasive Speech #2

 

 

Prepare a Persuasive Speech on a controversial topic of your choice. After doing your research, prepare a one-page typewritten and double-spaced outline, and come fully prepared to class to deliver your speech from your outline.

 

Remember that evidence does not speak for itself. You will have to select the data you want to use and combine each fact with a claim that supports your point of view. The thesis you establish and the recommendation you make can be of your own invention. You do not need to use all the information in your speech, but you should be able to respond to questions that members of the audience might ask. Use as many tools of the trade as you deem fit.

 

 

 

Nota Bene: For each speech, except for the Impromptu Self-Introductory Speech (2 minutes), the student will submit a typewritten outline no longer than one page of the speech right after the oral presentation. The Individual Speech Deliveries, viz., One Informative Speech and two Persuasive Speeches will be 5 minutes long each for the oral presentation and 7 minutes each for the critique/Student feedback thereafter, a total of 12 minutes per presentation. Before each presentation, students will be given a Peer Evaluation Form to use as a guide for constructive feedback. In this course, strong emphasis is placed on the Extemp Delivery Mode. Therefore, all speeches should be presented extemporaneously.