Syllabus for Communication 1320, Public Speaking—page 1

SYLLABUS, COMM 1320, Public Speaking

Spring Semester 2007

Tuesday-Thursday Class Schedule

Instructor: Joseph O. Tabarlet

Office Hours: 8:30–10:00 MWF, 2:30–4:00 W, 1:30–4:00 TTh, 8:30–9:30 TTh in Presser 411, other hours by appointment. Office phone: 295-4571, office e-mail:

Course Objectives: This course is designed to help you gain competence in oral communication by providing the following: (1) training in the theory of speech communication, principles of logic and argumentation and specific tips for improving speaking abilities, (2) ample opportunity for practice in making oral presentations and in oral exercises in class and (3) feedback and help in improving your performance. In addition, advice and help in overcoming evaluation anxiety is a critical part of the class.

Text: Beebe and Beebe, Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach, 6th edition, 2005.

Grading: Grades for this class will be derived from the average of five graded speaking assignments and a final written examination. Grades will be determined from these components using the following formula:

Average of Speaking Assignments:60%

First Semester Exam: 10%

Second Semester Exam: 10%

Final Exam: 20%

Academic dishonesty (including plagiarism) WILL RESULT IN YOUR RECEIVING A GRADE OF F FOR THE COURSE.

Summary of Speaking Assignments:

Assignment #1, Personal Experience: You are to give a speech about a personal experience. This must be a true experience that happened to you. It should be an important experience, one that changed you or helped you to grow or learn in a significant way. “My Trip to YellowstoneNational Park” is probably not a good topic for this speech, unless something really important occurred at Yellowstone that made you a different person (in which case you might want to change the title to reflect the important event, not the trip!).

Assignment #2, Demonstration/Definition: This speech should be either a demonstration of a physical process (“Learning the Art of Origami”) or a definition of a concept, idea, or personal attribute (“How My Father Taught Me the Meaning of Courage”). Remember that if you are demonstrating something, watch your time limit especially as it regards set-up and clean-up for your speech. YOU MUST USE A VISUAL AID OF SOME KIND ON THIS ASSIGNMENT.

Assignment #3, Persuasive I: You will give a persuasive speech, that is, a speech designed to change the audience’s opinions or beliefs. Try to avoid “no-brainer” topics, that is, topics that everyone already agrees on (“Don’t Drink and Drive”), as well as “polarized” topics, ideas which have been debated endlessly and still are not close to resolution (“Why I Think Capital Punishment Should Be Abolished”).

Assignment #4, Persuasive II: This speech will be a more advanced persuasive speech which will concern a political, social, scientific or technical topic. YOU MUST USE A VISUAL AID FOR THIS SPEECH.

Assignment #5, Inspirational: Give a speech designed to increase the audience’s appreciation for a subject they already know about and agree with. You are not trying to change the audience’s minds, but rather to inspire them to a higher level of belief and fervor.

Assignment #6, Impromptu: These speeches will be given from topics which the instructor will hand out in class. The topics are proverbs, quotations, or questions of personal opinion. No documentation or support is necessary except from your own experience or knowledge. You will have about two minutes to look at three topics drawn randomly, to decide on one for your speech, and to prepare a brief (about one minute) speech on that topic.

Attendance: Roll will be taken every class meeting. It is exceedingly important that you do not miss classes, since in a class such as this one, late speeches can throw the whole semester’s schedule out of kilter. If you are not here, you cannot take advantage of other students’ experiences and the instructor’s advice. Therefore, if you miss a class during which you are scheduled to speak or take an exam, you may give the speech or take the test late, but one letter grade will be deducted from your score for each class meeting the assignment is late. If you know now that you will unavoidably be absent on a day a speech is scheduled, please let the instructor know as soon as possible so that other arrangements can be made. If you are late arriving to class, as a matter of courtesy, please do not interrupt a classmate while she or he is speaking. Listen or look to find out if someone is giving a speech before you come in; wait until that person finishes before entering.

If you miss more than 25% of the classes (7 class meetings) during the semester, YOU WILL RECEIVE A GRADE OF F FOR THE CLASS.

Schedule of Classes

(subject to revision)

Class Meeting / Assignment/Activity
Thursday, January 11 / Introduction to class, grading and attendance policies
Assignment: Paired interviews for introduction speeches
Tuesday, January 16 / Introduction to Public Speaking
Text: Chapter 1
Non-Graded Speaking Assignment: Introduction of a Classmate
Thursday, January 18 / Overview of the Speechmaking Process
Text: Chapter 2, Appendix B
Tuesday, January 23 / Ethics and Free Speech; Listening
Assignment to Speaking Groups
Text: Chapters 3 and 4, Appendix A
Thursday, January 25 / Analyzing Your Audience
Text: Chapter 5
Tuesday, January 30 / Developing Your Speech, Visual Aids
Text: Chapters 6 and 14 and Appendix C
Thursday, February 1 / Gathering Supporting Material (meet at UMHB Library)
Text: Chapter 7
Tuesday, February 6 / First Semester Exam
Thursday, February 8 / Speaking Assignment #1: Personal Experience
Group A
Tuesday, February 13 / Speaking Assignment #1: Personal Experience
Group B
Thursday, February 15 / Supporting and Organizing Your Speech
Text: Chapters 8 and 9
Tuesday, February 20 / Speaking Assignment #2: Demonstration/Definition
Group B
Thursday, February 22 / Speaking Assignment #2: Demonstration/Definition
Group A
Tuesday, February 27 / The Introduction, Conclusion and Speech Outline
Text: Chapters 10 and 11
Thursday, March 1 / Delivery
Text: Chapter 12
Tuesday, March 6 / Delivery: Body Language and Presentation
Text: Chapter 13; in-class video
Thursday, March 8 / Second Semester Exam
Week of March 12–16 / No class—Spring Break
Tuesday, March 20 / Persuasion
Text: Chapter 16
Thursday, March 22 / Persuasion, continued
Text: Chapter 17
Tuesday, March 27 / Speaking Assignment #3: Persuasive I
Group A
Thursday, March 29 / Speaking Assignment #3: Persuasive I
Group B
Tuesday, April 3 / Persuasion, continued
Text: TBA
Thursday, April 5 / Speaking Assignment #4: Persuasive II
Group B
Tuesday, April 10 / Speaking Assignment #4: Persuasive II
Group A
Thursday, April 12 / Impromptu and Special Occasion Speaking
Text: Chapter 18
Tuesday, April 17 / Speaking Assignment #5: Inspirational
Group A
Thursday, April 19 / No class—Play Day
Tuesday, April 24 / Speaking Assignment #5: Inspirational
Group B
Thursday, April 26 / Assignment #6: Impromptu Speeches
Random Order
Tuesday, May 1 / Final Exam—1:00 p.m.