COMM 265 Advanced Public Speaking

Due Dates and Extensions
Submit assignments on or before the date due.  No late or make-up assignments will be allowed accept for extreme circumstances (permission of instructor is necessary). Students must complete the course by the last official day of instruction as set forth in the academic calendar.

Icebreaker:
All students are requested to post a brief personal biography and photo (if available) by the first Friday of class. This will give your fellow students an idea of who else is taking the course. In this biography, cover who you are, where you live, where you grew up, Church background, why you chose to take this course, and any other relevant information. Try to limit the biography to one typed, single-spaced page or less (20 points).

Discussion Forum posts/Class Participation (always due on Fridays):
Students are required to post ONE different discussion post for each chapter specified (total of 13). The discussion posts will be a reaction to the chapter and one of the corresponding questions. A rubric will be used for students to grade themselves on their participation in the discussion forum at the end of the semester (91 points total). Forum posts are always due by Friday at NOON in your time zone. 

Speeches:
You will be required to prepare and deliver five different speeches this semester, video recording and posting each to a designated Dropbox (100 points each). In addition, speech #5 will require the use of PowerPoint type presentation slides to illustrate its content. Each speech is designed to build on the previous one and to help you incrementally build your skills. Each speech is expected to fall within the specified time +/- 30 seconds. In order to complete the speech on time, students should practice their speech before delivering it and use a stopwatch when speaking.

Speech 1 – Introduction: (3 minutes) As the text says, this is a speech to introduce someone else. It is not about you, so be careful not to use it to draw attention to yourself. Interview a friend or colleague and prepare your speech as if to introduce him or her as a guest lecturer at a professional conference. Your job is to give this person the best connection possible to the audience, so their presentation will be successful

Speech 2 – Persuasive: (6 minutes) “Persuasive speaking is not a matter of talking someone into something against his or her will. It is not a hard-sell job from a high-pressure salesman. It is a complex art of mixing facts, logic, psychology and emotion to move an audience to change an idea or concept about a particular subject, or to make some specific action.”¹ Take subject ideas from Chapter 4 of your text or from your school, community, Church, or work.

Speech 3 – Difficult Scripture: (10 minutes) This speech is designed to be in Sermonette format. “Could you clearly and plainly explain the meaning of God’s Word to someone who asked you? This responsibility will confront you occasionally in this life, but there is coming a time when it will be one of your main responsibilities….Your goal here is to clearly and completely explain a scripture of your choosing that many people have misunderstood for one reason or another.” ² Difficult scriptures make some of the best Sermonettes because they are teaching and clarifying a point of God’s Word, and not correcting or improperly admonishing the audience. This teaching is well within the prevue of young and non-ordained men in Church services.

Speech 4 – Doctrinal: (10 minutes) This speech should clearly explain a simple doctrine such as the Sabbath, using no more than three scriptures. This is not a sermon. A sermon topic requires 6-9 times as much time as you have to introduce, develop, and conclude, so don’t take a sermon topic and try to jam it into 10 minutes. You only have time to explain a shorthand version simple answer. This is what people are usually looking for when they ask about a doctrine, so the exercise is practical.

Speech 5 – Historical (with visual aids): (10 minutes) This speech will provide an opportunity to add some helpful projection slides to your presentation. PowerPoint, or whatever presentation software you choose to use, can be a great help or a giant waste of everyone’s time. Review the class handouts and edit critically. LESS IS MORE.

Speech Self Evaluation: Self-evaluation or self critique is one of the most powerful tools used by highly effective speakers. For each speech you complete, you also need to turn in a brief critique. In this critique, you need to review and address the criteria provided. Additionally, you need to consider how well you met the criteria or expectations for the speech. After you give and save your speech. Let it rest for a day. Then come back, listen to it, and evaluate yourself. With this assignment, note areas for future improvement, but also be sure to note your strengths and things you did well. That way, in future speeches, you can build on your strengths and modify your weaknesses. This evaluation should only be a few paragraphs long. Pick two or three strengths of your speech and two or three areas for improvement (20 points each).

Peer Speech Evaluation Exercises (25 points each): You will be required to evaluate the speeches of three different peers during the semester.  (These brief exercises are designed to teach you to effectively, critically, and encouragingly learn to evaluate the effectiveness of a speech. To do this, you need to have the speech criteria at hand. Additionally, your evaluation should follow the format: encourage and praise -> instruct -> encourage and praise.  The rationale for peer speech evaluation is as follows:

      “…In concentrating on another’s speech you not only give him/her ideas on how to improve, but you also learn how to improve yourself. As you learn the essentials of a good speech you put it to double practice – to improve your speaking and to help your neighbor. This concentration on what makes for improvement in speaking promotes rapid growth. In showing the other person how easy it is for him/her to overcome his/her weaknesses, you discover how easily you can overcome your own. Progress is often surprising.

      Other invaluable knowledge and experience is gained from speech contents, speech preparation, analyzing materials to separate good from bad, considering how to best reach your audience and practicing ways to help others and receive help from others gracefully and with appreciation.”³

^1,2 Worldwide Church of God, Graduate Club Manual (1989) p.14.
³ Worldwide Church of God, Spokesman Club Manual (1989) {slightly adapted}

Grading:

Your course grade will be determined based on the number of points you have earned over the semester as follows: 

Grades are assigned as follows:

A = 887 – 986 points
B = 788 – 866 points
C = 709 - 787 points
D = 601 - 708 points
F = 600 points or below