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COMM 1212
FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEECH
Professor Gary Gillespie Fall 2012
TA Cole Johnson
Ext. 5257 Voice Mail, Office Fee 19
E-mail: gary.gillespie@northwestu.com
Discovery Web Pages: https://discovery.northwestu.edu/login/index.php
Required Textbook: The Art of Public Speaking, 10th edition, by Stephen Lucas.
This is the most used college basic speech textbook in the nation.
Textbook Online Learning Center:
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/007256296x/student_view0/
Significance of the course
College students have studied public speaking since the Greek philosopher Plato founded the
Academy—the first university—in 386 BC. Refusing to be ruled by kings or dictators, the ancient
Greeks invented democracy.
In order to make democracy successful, every educated citizen of Athens was trained in public
speaking and speech assignments were common for the elite young men who studied under Plato,
Aristotle and Socrates. The speech teachers in ancient Greece—called Rhetoricians—considered
their field an art form and coined the term “the art of public speaking.”
From the beginning of academia, learning to speak in public has been considered an essential part of
higher education. In today’s information age, becoming an effective communicator is all the more
vital.
There are practical benefits as well. Oral communication skills often top employer’s list of desirable
traits for new hires. If your future career involves working with people, public speaking will certainly be
a part of it.
This semester we will continue the ancient tradition and explore the principles for effective public
speaking.
About half of the class will be devoted to students speaking.
My intention is that speech class will be an enjoyable break from your other course. We will laugh
together as well as learn new insights and skills. It will be a challenge but also a lot of fun.
Four Objectives for Fundamentals of Public Speaking:
1.
To give students experience speaking in public by adapting to audiences, organizing
ideas, using visual aids, controlling nonverbal communication, being clear and vivid and
developing confidence.
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III.
2.
To learn some basic principles of public speaking, including delivery, clarity and
persuasion.
3.
To demonstrate communication skills by writing, polishing, and delivering a welcome to
my world, informative, commemorative, a debate speech and a course blog used to
post all assignments.
4.
To develop what you already know about speaking and listening by building your
communication skills.
Requirements for Success
A.
Attendance and Attentiveness:
Most class hours will include discussion and assignments designed to build people and teamwork
skills -- therefore attendance is essential. Your semester grade will be impacted by attendance and
contribution to your exam and debate groups and during lectures as judged by me at the end of the
semester.
We will be using "Professional Standards" for attendance and promptness. That means that coming
to class is a bit like going to work at a professional workplace.
Question: Do you know the difference between a professional job and an hourly job?
Generally, students who miss class often, or who have trouble coming on time, will receive lower or
very low grades regardless of their other scores.
Any more than two or three absences are problematic. I rarely give above a D to any student who
missed five or more sessions. More than eight missed sessions is an F.
Perfect or near perfect attendance guarantees a higher grade regardless of other scores.
Coming on time is a nonverbal message that you are fully committed to the learning process. A
willingness to participate and attentiveness in class is crucial to get the most out of the course and
help create a supportive learning experience for others. Students who I perceive are unsupportive,
unmotivated or seem unconcerned about the material will receive a lower grade.
If you know you will be missing class often, you may want to take this class another semester.
If missing a speech, exam or day when assignments are due because of illness or emergency, let me
know as soon as possible by calling 5257 or by sending an e-mail. I prefer email.
Free of Lap Top Distractions
In order to create a high quality-learning environment for everyone, students are expected to
concentrate and be active listeners during class.
To prevent surfing -- which will distract others -- computer or cell phone use during class is restricted.
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Professionalism commitment statement:
“To the best of my abilities, I promise to be in class about two minutes before each class. I will not
come late or leave early. If I do need to miss a class, or come late more than twice, I understand that
my semester grade will be reduced. Knowing that listening is hard work, I will strive to be attentive to
lectures and fully take part in activities. I will not work on other material, surf the Internet or check text
messages during class.
_______________________________________
Name Date
B.
Speeches must be given on the date assigned.
Because of the size of the class, speeches must be given on the day assigned in order to fit everyone
in. You are permitted to switch dates with another student—arrange this on your own and let me
know.
Late presentations due to illness or extra-ordinary circumstances are possible (except for the debate
speech), but there is no guarantee time will be available. If there is space for a late speech and
circumstances warrant it, your score will be reduced by at least one letter grade. No late speeches
after one week of assigned date.
C.
Chapters you need to read.
We have about one chapter for each hour that we meet, or about two chapters a week. We are
skipping chapter 18. Read every word carefully and take notes on key ideas to thoroughly understand
the chapters. Review your notes. Budget at least one hour to read and study each chapter.
In your study notebook, answer the review questions at the end of chapters or study questions at the
Online Learning Center to prepare for the midterm exams. See Flashcards for key terms. I also may
be posting lecture review questions which may appear on the study sheet for the exams. You may
want to answer these questions immediately after class to help you remember.
Educated people are literate people – have you fallen in love with reading?
19th century poet Emily Dickenson put it this way:
He ate and drank the precious words,
His spirit grew robust;
(2) He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was dust.
(3) He danced along the dingy days,
And this bequest of wings
(4) Was but a book — what liberty
A loosened spirit brings!
(1)
IV.
Speech Assignments
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A.
Two to four minute Welcome to My World Speech. To help explain your background,
personality, family, interests or aspirations tell us about your past, passions or purpose. Use detail
that calls up images in our mind.
B.
Five to Seven minute Informative Visual Aid Speech. You will receive two grades for
this assignment: speech content, speech delivery. You must turn in a formal outline. See Chapters 11
and 14.
C.
Four to Six minute Commemorative Speech in tribute of a person, group, institution,
anniversary, ceremony or idea. The speech requires practice to keep away from notes, yet the
speech is delivered from the manuscript, which means what you say is what is on the page. Students
turn in a two to three page manuscript (not an outline this time). See Chapters 11 and 17 for help.
D.
Two to Four minute Impromptu speech. Sometime in the semester you will be given
a topic during class and compose a very brief speech that hour. Post a report of how you did on your
blog. You may do more than one for fun or extra credit.
E.
Five minute Debate Speech presenting at least two arguments to persuade an
audience. To develop critical thinking, persuasion, and teamwork skills, students will take part in an
end of semester debate. 10 percent of your semester grade or 100 points includes both your outline
and original bibliography, your deliver and collaboration with groups. You will be paired with a partner.
(If you have someone in your group that you would like to debate with, let me know. Otherwise I will
assign you a partner.) Two teams will be the “Government” and support the proposition. The other
two teams will be the “Opposition”, against the proposition.
For the final debate, EACH student will turn in a one and a half to two and a half page outline of his or
her debate constructive speech. Students may submit a draft of the outline to get help perfecting it.
The outline must follow proper outline format. It will have a brief introduction, body listing main
arguments, sub points, transitions between points, and may include supporting evidence. Each
outline will end with a brief conclusion summarizing the points and urging acceptance.
The debate speech outline will have an original research bibliography of 6 to 10 published sources.
(EACH student turns in their own bibliography, not as a team.) See chapter 6 on how to research.
The outline is due the class hour that you speak and must also be posted on your blog.
Students will then use the outline as a general guide for a speech of 4.5 to 5 minutes as part of a
debate. Samples of the outlines and more detailed explanations of the assignment will be given.
Debates speeches must be given on the date assigned and cannot be made up. (With other
speeches it may be possible for you to switch dates with another student if you arrange this on your
own.)
Debate Topic areas:
Presidential elections. Did the voters make the right choice?
War, Military and homeland security issues: radical Islam, military suicides, privacy,
significance of threat of terrorism, Iranian nuclear weapons, terror cells in US, TSA Screening.
Global warming, environmental issues.
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American Culture (Capital Punishment, threat of advanced computer technology,
vegetarianism, factory farming, same sex marriage, rap music, use of copywriter images on
websites, immigration, social network web sites, facial recognition technology, driverless car
networks, legalizing marijuana.)
Pro-life issues: abortion: late term abortion, rape exception, tax funding, effects on women,
Bible view of abortion, fetal body part harvesting, stem cell research, fetal experimentation,
genetic engineering, cloning, sex selection abortion, contraception in the schools, world
population control. Assisted suicide. Killing the elderly.
F. Speech evaluations. Public speaking requires an audience to observe the speech. Part of
learning to speak is being able to evaluate other speakers. Audience members will observe and
sometimes turn in evaluation sheets to give feedback to speakers. Evaluation of others – usually
filling out a form -- is considered part of your grade for the speech in that unit. In other words,
students who don’t give feedback sheets (when assigned for whatever reason) will have their grade
for that speech reduced at least one half a grade.
V. Speech Course Blog
To help keep tract of your work and to make access to my comments easier, each student will set up
a Blogger.com https://www.blogger.com/start blog page. This will be a place where you can save all
assignments and where I can go to check your work. The Blog is worth 20 percent of your semester
grade. There are nine required posts – or about one post a week not counting the weeks for exams.
Blog Post one: Outline for Welcome to My World Speech with self-evaluation – 20 points.
Blog Post two: Answer questions on “Hidden World of Chili Peppers” speech in Appendix – 40
points.
Blog Post three: Speech planning worksheet questions on your informative speech – 20 points.
Blog Post four: Informative Speech outline – 20 points.
Blog Post five: Speech planning worksheet for Commemorative Speech – 20 points.
Blog Post six: Commemorative speech manuscript – 20 points.
Blog Post seven: Answers to Chapter 6 questions with links to three articles on your debate
topic – 20 points.
Blog Post eight: Debate speech outline and original bibliography – 20 points.
Blog Post nine: report on your impromptu speech or speeches – 20 points.
Extra Posts: Then you may make additional posts related to the class, such as lecture notes, answers
to chapter review questions, answers to exam study sheets or extra credit assignments. You may
evaluate speakers in chapel or at your church. Impress me. Extra postings will be worth about ten
points out of 1000 for the semester.
Possible extra credit for the course:
o Brief report on additional impromptu speeches given in class,
o Notes from observing two speeches at our debate tournaments on Sept. 14 and 28 -- 29
competitive debates during the NU debate tournament.
o Attending two debate team practices, Mondays and Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:20 PM in
Fee Hall 7.
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o Enter the Eagle Speaks contest.
o Watch one of the posted videos of presidential campaign speeches and provide a brief
report on what you observe.
o Attending at least two meetings of Film Works, One Up Video Gamer, or Drama Improv
clubs, or
o Presenting a speech outside of class.
Extra credit assignments (must be approved by me) are added to your total semester points and will
be worth about 50 points out of the 1000 for the course. These must be documented with a brief
report (two to six sentences) on your Blog titled “Extra Credit”.
Note: Please add the words "Extra Credit" in the title so I can watch for it when I calculate your grade.
Otherwise I may miss it, thinking that the post was a personal comment.
VI.
Semester Breakdown
Speech Course Blog – 20% 200 points
Informative Visual Aid Speech and outline -- 20% 200 points
Cooperative Exam 1
-- 20% 200 points
Commemorative Speech - 10% 100 points
Cooperative Exam 2
-- 20% 200 points
Debate speech and teamwork (outline and delivery) -- 10% 100 points
Semester grade -- 100% 1000 points total
VII.
Two Cooperative Exams
Cooperative Exams. You will take the three exams in groups of five or six members. You will be
given study sheets for all exams at least one week in advance. The procedure for taking the exams is
as follows:
A. Cooperative exam 1 -- this exam will cover mostly material from chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13,
14 and lectures to date.
Remember, you will need to budget time to read and study about two chapters each week.
See study sheet posted on the Discovery page. The format is multiple choice and true/false with
some short answers. Multiple-choice questions will have four possible answers, any or all of which
may be correct. All group members will receive a copy of the group exam. One copy will be chosen
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as the answer sheet. All group members will sign their names on the answer sheet. The group will
then proceed to discuss and choose answers to the questions.
The grade earned on the group exam will be the grade each member receives unless members score
below an 80% on the accountability test that follows immediately after the group exam has been
completed. The individual accountability test is a much shorter exam on the same material and uses
the same format (but not the same questions) as the group test. Failure to earn 80% or higher on the
individual test will result in a deduction of an individual’s test score as follows:
70-79=deduct 7 points from group score
60-69=deduct 14 points
50-59=deduct 23 points
Below 50=deduct 27 points
Consequently, if the group earns 85 on the group exam but a member earns a 66 on the individual
exam, that member’s final score is 72 (85 minus the 13 point deduction of group score).
Letter Grade Scale:
96 – 100 = A = 4.0
90 – 95 = A- = 3.7
87 – 89 = B+ = 3.5
84 – 86 = B = 3.0
80 – 83 = B- = 2.7
77 – 79 = C+ = 2.5
73 – 76 = C = 2.0
69 – 72 = C- = 1.7
65 – 68 = D+ = 1.5
60 – 64 = D = 1.0
56 – 59 = D- = 0.7
0 – 55 = F = 0
B.
Cooperative exam 2 -- material in chapters 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, and lectures to
date. The procedure used for exam 1 will be used for this exam.
C.
Plan ahead to be ready to take the exams on the assigned dates so that you can take
advantage of help on the group section. If you miss the exam, you must complete the entire exam on
your own. Students late for an exam for more than fifteen minutes also must complete the whole
exam. A detailed study sheet will be posted on Discovery at least one week in advance of the exams.
Keeping up with readings and studying your notes will also help you on exams.
Eagle Speaks Speech Contest
Thursday Nov. 1, 2011
Students from all sections of basic speech courses are invited to show off their work. Winners will
receive first, second and third place medals in informative and impromptu speaking. First place
winners will also receive a prize including: $50 cash. Other awards for second and third place: two
free tickets to the fall play, a Starbucks card and lunch with Darrell Hobson, Dean of the School of
Arts and Science.
Each section of Fundamentals of Speech may select 3 students to compete in the two events -- three
students for the informative speaking event and three for impromptu speaking event. (The same
student may enter both events). There will be three judges in each round. Judges will rank each
student one to six and rate each speech on a 30 point scale.
There will be two rounds for each event. A semifinal round and a final round.
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Thursday Nov. 1
2:00 PM Informative – two sections with six students each
3:15 PM Finals Informative speaking -- awards following
4:30 PM Impromptu speaking – two sections with six student each
5:45 PM Finals Impromptu speaking -- awards following
Speech Rules
Informative Speaking
7 to 10 minutes
The purpose of the speech must be to educate the audience about a topic of significance. The
speech will demonstrate all requirements for cohesive organization and variety of support. Three or
more sources should be used and cited in the speech. Visual aids that support a key idea are
required. Limited notes are permitted.
Impromptu Speaking
7 minutes (maximum, you do not need to use up the whole time).
Students are provided with three topics, ranging from a one or two word concept or sentence. For
example: nick names I have had, best and worst jobs, ideal date, roommates from hell, Freedom
means, or the names of popular figures in the news, the bible or history. From these, they will choose
one topic and have a total of 7 minutes to both prepare and speak. Timing commences with the
acceptance of the topic sheet and time signals will be given aloud while students prepare. Typically
students spend two minutes preparing and five minutes speaking. The speech will have clear
organization with sign posting. Speech may use humor but should develop an academically relevant
or socially significant thesis based on the topic.
Academic Honesty
Students who present another person’s work as their own have committed an act of academic
dishonesty commonly known as plagiarism (see pages 37 - 40 in fifth edition of text). Examples of
plagiarism are copying another student’s answers, failing to properly cite research sources, and using
as one’s own a paper or speech written by someone else.
It is dishonest to copy from a magazine article, book or website without giving credit to the gleaned
source. Solution: put quote marks around the lines your take from these sources and say where you
found them.
Openness to Your Ideas
This course will explore many social and political issues and ideas. I will sometimes reveal my
opinions about what I think on these issues -- especially if someone asks me. Your ideas are
welcomed in class discussion and in your speeches, even if they differ from mine. You will never be
graded down or impugned for the opinions that you hold. But make sure that you are using good
reasoning, have evidence to back up your ideas and that you are not committing fallacies. Higher
education means entering into the "Market place of ideas."
Question: What do you think "Market place of ideas" might mean exactly?
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
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Associate Professor Gary Gillespie has 30 years teaching experience in communication and speech.
As a student he spoke 300 times at speech competitions. Serving as an instructor and speech coach,
he has critiqued 5,500 student speeches.
He directs the NU debate team and has the second longest tenure of any coach in the five northwest
states. He lives in Kirkland with his wife Teresa, an attorney and Dean of the School of Business and
Management.
Test your comprehension
1.
List the objectives of this course.
2.
While you should attend every class, sometimes you may need to miss for a serious reason.
How many days can you miss before your grade is reduced?
3.
What do you need to purchase from the bookstore for this class?
4.
What assignments require a formal outline as explained in Chapter 11, “Outlining” ?
5.
What assignment requires a word for word manuscript (instead of an outline)?
Communication 1212 Tentative Calendar Fall 2012
DATE
August
Tues 28
Lecture and Learning
The Ancient Art of Public Speaking
Thurs 30
Levels of Communication and Getting
Acquainted Chapter 1 Speaking in Public and
Appendix: Giving your First Speech
Reading
Chapter 1 Speaking in Public
and Appendix: Giving your
First Speech
September
Tues 4
Active Listening
Welcome to my World Speeches
Chapter 3 Listening
Thurs 6
Welcome to my World Speeches
Chapter 2 Ethics
10
Tues 11
Welcome to my World Speeches
Blog Post one due: Welcome
to my World speech
Chapter 4 Giving Your First
speech
Chapter 5 Selecting Topic
and Purpose
Thurs 13
Public Communication
Informative speech assignment explained
Tues 18
Topics and Visual Aids
Chapter 15 Speaking to
Inform
Thurs 20
Organization and speech analysis
Chapter 14 Using Visual Aids
Tues 25
* Cooperative exam 1 on chapters 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 14 and 15 and lectures to date
See study sheet posted on
Discovery
See study sheet posted on Discovery
Thurs 27
Introductions and conclusions
Chapter 10 Beginning and
Ending
October
Tues 2
Thurs 4
Nonverbal Communication and Delivery
Chapter 13 Delivery
Informative Speech analyses
Tues 9
Outlining and speech analysis
*speech planning sheets due
Chapter 9 Organizing Blog
Post two due: Answer
questions on “Hidden World
of Chili Peppers” speech
handed out in class and
posted on Discovery See text
Chapter 11 Outlining
Blog Post three: speech
planning worksheet for
informative speech
Thurs 11
* Informative Visual Aid speeches
* Speech outlines due for group 1
__________________________________
* Informative Visual Aid speeches
*speech outlines due for group 2
Tues 16
* Informative Visual Aid speeches
*Speech outlines due for group 3
__________________________________
* Informative Visual Aid speeches
* Speech outlines due for group 4
Blog Post four: Informative
Speech outline
Thurs 18
The language of inspiration How to do the
commemorative speech
Speech analysis and the language of
Chapter 12 Using Language
Tues 23
11
inspiration
Thurs 25
Inspirational Speech analysis
Discuss your topic in class today.
Tues 30
* Commemorative speeches, group one
Manuscripts due for group one
November
Thurs 1
* Commemorative speeches, groups two
Manuscripts due for groups two
Tues 6
* Commemorative speeches, group three
Manuscripts due for group three
Thurs 8
What is an argument?
Tues 13
How to debate
Thurs 15
Evaluating evidence and spotting fallacies
Tues 20
Cooperative Exam 2 on chapters 7, 8, 9, 11,
12, 16, 17, and lectures to date
Impromptu speaking
See study sheet posted on Discovery
Thurs 22
Thanksgiving
Tues 27
Speech activity
Thurs 29
More on how to debate
December
Tues 4
Tips for persuasive nonverbal communication
* Bring Three hard copies of articles on your
topic to class today
Thurs 6
* Debate group one – outlines due for group
one
Thurs 13
8:00 AM
Final exam
session
* Debate groups two and three – outline due
for groups two and three
Blog Post nine: Your debate speech outline
for group two and three
Audience turns in notes for credit.
Chapter 18 Special
Occasions
Blog Post five: Speech
planning worksheet for
Commemorative Speech
Eagle Speaks Tournament
today 2 PM –win $$
Blog Post six:
commemorative speech
manuscript
Chapter 15 Speaking to
Persuade
Chapter 16
Methods of Persuasion
Chapter 8 Supporting your
Ideas
See study sheet posted on
Discovery
Blog Post seven: brief report
on your impromptu speech
Chapter 7
Gathering Support Blog Post
eight: Answer questions on
Chapter 7 and give links to
three articles
Blog Post nine: Your debate
speech outline for group one.
Audience turns in notes for
credit.
Blog Post nine: Your debate
speech outline for groups two
and three.
Audience turns in notes for
credit.