Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "COM 101-3"
COURSE NAME: "Public Speaking: Oral Rhetoric and Persuasion"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring Semester 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Connelly Daniel
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 10:00-11:15
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: TBA

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Because there has been implanted in us the power to persuade each other [...], not only have we escaped the life of the wild beasts, but we have come together and founded cities and made laws and invented arts. Isocrates

Speech is civilization itself. The word, even the most contradictory word, preserves contact - it is silence which isolates. Thomas Mann

The aims of this course are to provide the keys to overcoming the barriers that separate people, to create speeches that are ethical and empowering, and to learn about the confidence that comes from sharing responsible knowledge with peers within the context of public speaking.

In this course students will learn to speak effectively in front of an audience. The fundamentals of rhetoric as they are applied in oral communication, specifically in persuasion, will be introduced. Students will begin to acquire basic skills in logical argumentation: structuring a thesis statement, supporting it through a specific line of reasoning, and organizing arguments effectively and efficiently. Anxiety and fear about speaking in public will be addressed. Students will improve their skills in critical listening and peer review as they participate in evaluating the speeches given in class.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course is designed to introduce students to the principles and concepts that lead to effective public speaking. Students will learn how to prepare and organize the various parts of the persuasive speech: Introduction, Thesis Statement, Main Arguments, Supporting Arguments, Evidence, Supporting Materials, and Conclusions. Students will apply their knowledge of these fundamentals by delivering their own persuasive speeches in class. In addition, students will learn basic principles of reasoning, fallacies of reasoning, and the fundamentals of rhetoric.

Introductory, Ceremonial and Informative speeches will be defined during the course. Students will work singly and in groups in order to develop a more coherent idea of audience analysis, feedback and peer review. Numerous class exercises will help the student to overcome stage fright and panic in front of an audience. Sample persuasive speeches by well-known speakers will be presented on-line in class or as homework assignments and discussed in class.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

In addition to acquiring the above-mentioned basic structures of a persuasive speech, students will learn the following key concepts:

Finding an appropriate topic to suit the audience
Researching the topic (conducting responsible research)
Supporting ideas, using facts (learning to distinguish fact, opinion, inference), testimony, story
Structuring the speech using:
- Idea coordination
- Idea subordination
- Parallel structure of ideas
- Principle of sound division

Students will learn the fundamentals of modes of reasoning, including inductive, deductive , and analogical reasoning.

Fallacies of reasoning will be defined, including

post hoc ergo propter hoc
attacks ad hominem
misplaced authority
appeals to popular reason (common sense)
band wagon appeal
red herring
binary opposition/polarization
slippery slope
hasty generalization
propaganda techniques, empty rhetoric

Audience analysis and the basics of surveying techniques will be introduced.
Finally, students will be introduced to the practice of peer review and teamwork.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
SPEECH 1-4, 15% ea		60%
SPEECH 5, 20%		20%
Class activities and attendance, 10%		10%
Midterm extempore, 10%		10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A: Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B: This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C: This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D: This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
I will allow two unsanctioned absences (no questions asked, no excuses requried). Beyond this, your grade will be affected.

More than 5 absences will result in either (a) my recommendation that you withdraw from the course, and /or (b) course failure.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Public Speaking COM 101-3, Spring 2012, TTH 10:00-11:15 Professor Connelly

Schedule

Week 1

17 Jan: Self-introductions; ‘Getting to know you’ games; Course syllabus/objectives; Handouts: #1, 10 Tips for Public Speaking; #2, Know Your Audience; Ethos, Pathos, Logos: The Three Musketeers of Public Speaking. Class to Read: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/ethos-pathos-logos/

19 Jan: Introducing a classmate; Peer review and critique; Rowan Atkinson, Father of the Bride

Week 2

24 Jan: What makes a great speech? Brainstorming; Basic rules of great speechmaking; Speech1: Informative Speech (Due Week 3); appropriate tone: Paul Keating, funeral service of the Unknown Australian Soldier, 11 November 1993 (6 minutes + transcript)

Handouts #3, Mary Beard / The Guardian; #4, Jay Heinrichs, Give a Great Speech; Informative Speech Guidelines

26 Jan: JK Rowling, Harvard Commencement, 2009 (23 minutes); critique and review of speech, class discussion

Week 3: SPEECH 1: Informative

31 Jan: Students: Informative Speeches

2 Feb: Students: Informative Speeches

Week 4

7 Feb: Critique and Class Discussion of Speech 1; There goes the Fear: How to Combat Stage Fright. SPEECH 2: Pro and Con (Due Week 5)

Handouts #5, Joann McAbe (PDF); Pro and Con Speech Guidelines

9 Feb: Non-verbal communication; Improv Games.

Week 5: SPEECH 2: Pro and Con

14 Feb: Students: Pro and Con

16 Feb: Students: Pro and Con

Week 6:

21 Feb: Critique and Class Discussion of SPEECH 2; Common Fallacies of Reasoning

23 Feb: Common Fallacies of Reasoning; Mid-term exam guidelines.

Handouts: #6, Common Fallacies of Reasoning; Speech 3: Mid-Term Exam Guidelines

Week 7: SPEECH 3: Mid-Term Exam

28 Feb: Students: Impromptu Speech, 5 minutes, in class

1 Mar: Students: Impromptu Speech, 5 minutes, in class

Students to critique a famous speech of their choice, taken from http://www.emersonkent.com/famous_speeches_in_history.htm, due Week 8

Week 8:

6 Mar: Students: Famous Speech

8 Mar: Students: Famous Speech

SPEECH 4: Interview Speech Guidelines (Due Week 9)

Week 9: SPEECH 4: Interview

13 Mar: Students: Interview Speech

15 Mar: Students: Interview Speech

Week 10:

27 Mar: Obama, ‘Philadelphia Speech’, Review and Critique; SPEECH 5: Persuasive Speech Guidelines (due Week 12)

29 Mar: Pathos: Elie Wiesel, The Perils of Indifference vs Enoch Powell, Rivers of Blood

Week 11:

3 Apr: Martin Luther King, ‘I have a dream’ (1968); Robert F Kennedy, ‘On the Assassination of Martin Luther King’

5 Apr:

Week 12: SPEECH 5: Persuasive

10 Apr: Students: Persuasive Speech

12 Apr: Students: Persuasive Speech

Week 13:

17 Apr: Review and Critique of SPEECH 5, class discussion

19 Apr: Discuss: Guidelines for SPEECH 6, Final Exam Speech, Commemorative / Laudatory

Week 14: Finals: SPEECH 6: Commemorative / Laudatory

24 Apr: Students: Commemorative / Laudatory Speech

26 Apr: Students: Commemorative / Laudatory Speech

GRADING:

SPEECH 1-4, 15% ea.

SPEECH 5, 20%

Midterm extempore, 10%

Class activities and attendance, 10%

I will keep a log of attendance. If you begin not to attend, I will ask you to drop the course and / or post a failing grade for the course.