Pat Breslin's
Santa Fe College
Speech eBook
for SPC 2608
Spring 2016 Edition
Course sections
.005, .006, .012,
.013, .015, and .019
Pat Breslin
Associate Professor of Speech and Rhetoric
Dept. of Humanities and Foreign Languages
3000 NW 83rd Street, Building L, Room 9
Gainesville, Florida 32606
352-395-5608
patrick.breslin@sfcollege.edu
Table of Contents
Calendar .......................................................................................................
3
Course Description and Policies ..................................................................
4
Chapter 1: All the Right Moves ............................................................... 18
The Oral Interpretation .............................................................................. 21
The Elevator Speech ................................................................................. 24
Chapter 2: Intro and Format ...................................................................
26
The Demonstration Speech ...................................................................... 29
The Informative Speech ............................................................................ 31
Outline and Citation Guidelines ................................................................ 35
The Future History Speech ........................................................................ 38
Chapter 3: The Societal Context of Public Speaking ..........................
40
Chapter 4: Persuasion and Public Speaking .......................................
47
Word Tools: The Appeal to Emotion ......................................................... 49
Logic: The Appeal to Reason ................................................................... 52
Fallacies of Logic to Avoid ........................................................................ 56
The Persuasive Speech ............................................................................ 58
The Debate ............................................................................................... 65
Extra Credit Option .....................................................................................
70
Public Speaking and Your Career ...............................................................
72
Instructor Schedule .....................................................................................
74
2
COURSE CALENDAR
Scheduled Assignments
January 5 - 8
Course introduction; Discussion of graded
speeches; Discussion of Speech Intro formats, Oral
Interpretations, and Extra Credit Public Lecture
Analysis; Reading Assignments: eBook pp. 2 23, 70 - 73; PSP Online Textbook chapters 1 &
12
Graded Speeches
Oral Interpretations
→
January 11 - 15
Read eBook pp. 24 - 30; PSP Online Textbook
chapters 3, 4, & 11
→
Oral Interpretations; Elevator Speeches
(January 11: Last day to drop with no record
and receive a refund for Spring Term)
January 18 - 22
Monday: College Closed; Discussion of MyPlan
Assessment; PSP Online Textbook chapters 7, 8,
&9
→
Demonstration Speeches
January 25 - 29
Discussion of Informative Speech (Topic: “My
Career”); Read eBook pp. 31 - 36; PSP Online
Textbook chapter 15
Demonstration Speeches
→
→
February 1 - 5
Exam #1 on PSP Chapters 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, and 15
and eBook reading assignments;
February 8 -12
Discussion of Future History Speeches. Read
eBook pp 38 & 39; PSP Online Textbook
chapter 17
→
February 15- 19
Read PSP Online Textbook chapters 6, 10, & 16
→
February 22 - 26
Discussion of Persuasive Speeches. Discussion of
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Persuasive
Speeches, Reasoning, Monroe’s Motivated
Sequence; PowerPoint Tutorial. Read eBook pp.
40 - 64; PSP Online Textbook chapters 13 & 14.
→
March 1 - 5
Spring Break: College Closed
→
Don't party too hard; nap instead.
March 7 - 11
Exam #2 on PSP Chapters 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 & 17.
Reading: PSP Online Textbook chapter 18
→
Persuasive Speeches
March 14 - 18
Discussion of Debates. Read eBook pp. 65 - 69
→
Persuasive Speeches
March 21 - 25
→
Debate Exercises; (March 23: Last day to
withdraw and receive a "W" for Spring term)
March 28 - April 1
→
Debates; Deadline for Extra Credit Analysis
of Public Lecture
April 4 - 8
→
Debates
April 11 - 15
→
Debates
April 18 - 22
→
Debates
April 25 - 28
Informative Speeches
Informative Speeches
Future History Speeches
Future History Speeches
Exam #3 on PSP Chapters 13, 14, 16, & 18 (See
page 16 in this eBook for Finals Week
schedule)
3
Introduction:
Course Description
and Policies
Official Overview: SPC 2608 introduces students to the rhetorical art form of public speaking as it
has emerged through history to its present state. Communication skills are taught as students prepare and deliver
informative and persuasive speeches. Emphasis is also placed on methods of adapting messages to diverse
audiences and developing listening skills when hearing messages from speakers who have differing values and
cultural backgrounds. In essence, the course offers both the rhetorical analysis and practical skill components to
ensure that students can both critically analyze and orally present thoughts. Research is required to support all
informative and persuasive presentations.
Informal Overview:
In this course you’ll learn styles of speaking that will be useful in other
college courses and, more importantly, in the working world. You’ll learn to feel more comfortable (or at least
less uncomfortable) speaking to groups of people. You will learn to focus your communication and to
communicate your focus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to learn public speaking? I’m never going to be standing on a stage behind a podium
lecturing to an auditorium full of people.
Maybe not. But at various points in your career you will be asked to
speak to more than one person at a time: colleagues, co-workers, clients,
customers, and maybe even conference attendees. You’ll need to inform
them. Sometimes you’ll want to convince them. In all cases you’ll want
them to listen. To make that happen, you’ll need to learn how to get and
keep their attention. You’ll need to master the right moves, the right
words, the right set-up, and the right reasoning. You’ll need to be aware
of the perspectives of your audience, and the implications of your own
viewpoints. All of these concepts will be covered in this course.
According to Forbes Magazine online, the number one skill needed for promotion in the business world is the
ability to speak to groups of people. For more information on how Public Speaking will apply to your career,
look at Appendix A on page 72.
What textbook is required for this class?
It's called The Public Speaking Project. It's free and online. Click here or copy and paste this into your
browser: http://www.publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html. You are advised to download and save the
chapters to your hard drive or flash drive so that you will have them even when you don't have internet access.
The process of downloading and saving the individual chapters will take about 15 minutes, but that's much
better than spending $100 for a hard copy textbook from the College bookstore. See the download instructions
on the next page.
4
Online Textbook Download Instructions
You may save your free online textbook to a flash drive or to your hard drive. You should create a new folder
to save it in.
1. Click on http://www.publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html, or copy and paste this into your browser.
You may also do an online search for "Public Speaking Project Virtual Text."
2. When the website opens, do NOT click on anything ABOVE the chapter listings. Image links posted above
the chapter titles are prepaid ads. You won't need those for this course.
3. Instead, click on the small blue box to the left that says Chapter 1. Several boxes will appear; click on one
that says "Download Color Version." A pdf file will open.
4. Depending on how your computer is configured, you will see various pdf commands either at the top of the
screen, or else near the bottom if you hover the cursor around there. One of the command icons is the Save
command which looks like an old style memory disk:
5. Click on the disk image to save the chapter to your computer. When it asks for a name, you might want to
label it by first typing in the chapter number followed by the title, such as "1 Introduction to Public
Speaking,"or "1 Speech." That way, the chapters will be saved in the proper numerical sequence and will be
easier to retrieve later.
Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 above for the remaining 17 chapters, inserting appropriate sequence numbers (2 –
18) in front of the chapter names .
What are the reading assignments?
Required readings from the online Public Speaking Project textbook and this online workbook are noted on the
syllabus calendar on page 3 above. Please complete the reading no later than the first day of class for each week.
How many speeches will I have to do?
There will be seven graded speeches and various ungraded practice speeches. With a couple of exceptions, the
length of most graded speeches will be five minutes unless otherwise specified. Other speeches may be added to
the coursework if it seems appropriate. These are the titles of the graded speeches:







The Oral Interpretation
The Elevator Speech
The Demonstration Speech
The Informative Speech
The Future History Speech
The Persuasive Speech
The Debate
Are dates assigned for individual graded speeches?
Yes. They’ll be announced in class.
5
And most of the speeches are supposed to be five minutes long?
Yes, five minutes; no more, no less. You will be required to fill each speech with five minutes’ worth of
content. Here is a comparison: if you enroll in an English composition course that requires
you to write a 200 word paper, you would not just write 75 words, hand it in, and hope for
the best; you would write 200 words. In this Public Speaking course, you create five
minutes of content; not just two or three minutes’ worth, and not 15 or 20 minutes’. You
will need to do research, generate content, provide details, and practice the timing of your
speeches.
Are any speech topics prohibited?
Yes, two. The first involves any message that advocates or recommends using drugs recreationally. The second
entails any message that promotes, or suggests that people consider adopting, your religion.
Why?
Regarding drugs, there are students at every college, some of them high-school dual enrollment students as
young as 16, who have already gone through rehab for drugs or alcohol. Some of those students, along with
others who are psychologically or biochemically susceptible to substance abuse, may be in your classes. If you
advocate that they indulge in any form of intoxication, and they listen to and carry out your suggestion, then in
the long term they will be hurt by your message. For this reason, telling people that they should get high
is unethical.
As for religion, be aware that a large number of students in your classes already believe in specific religious or
spiritual concepts. Let's hypothesize that I am a member of religion "A" and you are a member of religion
"B". If, during a classroom speech, I state that your life might be better if you accept my religion, this
implies that I believe my religion is superior to yours, and that therefore your religion is inferior to mine. This
can also be taken to mean that, spiritually speaking, I'm right and you're wrong. In the academic setting, all
spiritual perspectives are granted the same degree of respect. You are entitled to personally believe that your
religion is better than, or more true than, someone else's, but in the college classroom you are not permitted to
disrespect others by claiming or implying that, spiritually, you are better off than they are. Therefore, sales
pitches for specific religions are prohibited.
©2012 Wiley Miller
5/17/2012
6
What are the exams like?
Each exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions. Most of the exam questions are based on
readings from the online textbook, and to a much smaller extent from class lectures and the
contents of this eBook. There will be three exams, for which a scantron answer sheet is
required---the large, wide, 8½” by 11” sheet, and not the narrow strip scantron---, so please
buy one at the College bookstore. You can use the same scantron for all three exams.
Do you lecture on the exam material before the tests?
I review some of the exam content before the exams take place. Throughout the course I lecture on and teach
practical methods of Public Speaking; I assign textbook chapters related to those topics. As noted, most of the
exam material is based on the online textbook. The latter covers theory and concept, and my expectation is that
college students are capable of teaching themselves such material in their reading. For this reason, reading the
online textbook will give you a broader context and provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the
academic discipline of Speech. Moreover, your exam grade will depend on it. See page 3 above for the
textbook reading assignments.
Is there a cumulative final exam?
Not a cumulative one. An exam covering the last few chapters of the textbook will be administered during
finals week.
What’s the policy on attendance and assignments?
You are expected to (a) attend every class, (b) be prepared for every class, (c) read all materials and participate in
every class, and (d) complete all assignments on time. Unless otherwise announced in class, “assignments” will
consist solely of preparation for and delivery of graded speeches---plus studying for exams, of course.
What if I’m not ready on time?
If you are assigned to deliver a graded speech on a certain day, and you’re not ready to do it on that day, the speech
will automatically be reassigned to the next class, and the grade you earn for it will be reduced by 15%---a drop of
a full letter grade. On the next class day, if you’re still not prepared, the speech will be rescheduled to the
following class, and you’ll lose another 15% (thus, a two-letter grade drop). If unpreparedness becomes a chronic
problem for you, you will be required to visit the College Counseling Center for help.
What’s the rule on absences in general?
Attendance is required, for the simple reason that you learn things when you attend class, and you fail to learn
them if you don't. If, at the end of the semester, you have missed too many classes, you will be regarded as not
having completed the course and will receive a grade of Incomplete. However, be aware that the departmental
policy on absenteeism is this: The equivalent of a month of absences earns a grade of F. But other penalties
kick in before a month's absences take place, and they depend on how often your class meets. If necessary, you
may miss the equivalent of one week of class without penalty. But take note:
 If your class meets three times a week, you may have three absences without penalty on dates when you
are not scheduled to deliver a graded speech. If you’re absent more often than that without a
documentable excuse, your grade loses 10 points per absence.
 If your class meets twice a week, you may have two absences without penalty on dates when you are not
scheduled to deliver a graded speech. If you’re absent more often than that without a documentable
excuse, your grade loses 15 points per absence.
Naturally, I prefer that you never cut class. Realistically, you may need to. So consider these no-penalty absences
your “free days.” Use them wisely. Save them for when you catch a cold or your car breaks down. Don’t
squander them on days when you’re just not in the mood to attend class. You’ll need them at some point.
7
What happens if I’m absent more than the allowed number of times, or absent for a graded speech?
You lose grade points, in two different ways. If you’ve used up your “free days” and you
miss another class on a day when you’re not scheduled to deliver a graded speech, your
grade may be reduced by the number of points shown above. The only exception to this
would be if your inability to attend class can be proven and documented; i.e., a doctor’s
note or medical receipt, a car repair invoice, a veterinary emergency for your pet, etc. If
you know you won’t be able to come to class, or if you need to arrive late or leave early,
call me, or at least send an email. If you have not initiated any prior communication, and
if your absences cannot be documented, the penalties for missing class will be enforced.
Whether you’ve used up your “free days” or not, if you’re absent on the day of a graded speech, it will be assumed
that you skipped class because you weren’t prepared, unless you can prove otherwise. You’ll be automatically
reassigned to deliver the speech during the next class period, and the points earned for the speech itself will be
reduced by 15%, which is a drop of a full letter grade as noted above.
In other words, if you’ve used up your “free days,” and if you then fail to show up for a scheduled graded speech,
your grade gets docked twice.
So to not lose points for absences, I have to prove why I couldn’t come to class?
Yes. You have to provide documentation showing that the absence was
caused by circumstances beyond your control, such as illness or vehicle
breakdown. Please avoid offering excuses that would not qualify as
beyond your control, such as:
----Oversleeping
----Missing the bus
----Studying for an exam for another class
----Having to clean the apartment because visitors are coming
----Being hung over
----Forgetting that your speech assignment was due
----Going on a vacation trip that you (or your family) scheduled during
the semester
But if I’m paying for college---and paying my teachers’ salaries---, don’t I have the right to skip class when I
want?
That depends. If the instructor agrees to it, and if the course content is purely informational, meaning that you
simply have to learn the information in the curriculum and subsequently provide the correct answers on the exams,
then skipping class may be allowed. Otherwise, skipping class is prohibited, and doing so carries consequences.
If the instructor requires you to be there, you should assume it's for your own benefit. The instructor knows more
than you do about how the material may best be learned. If you prefer not to attend a class in person, there are
many online courses and programs available for you to use.
Moreover, some courses are not solely information-based. They may also be skill-based, requiring that you learn
a particular skill and then demonstrate it in class. Public Speaking is such a course. You are obliged to learn the
skill-sets that are part of Public Speaking, and you must demonstrate them with increasing levels of dexterity
until the instructor is satisfied that you have sufficiently mastered them.
In terms of Public Speaking class, another factor must be taken into account regarding attendance. Part of your
grade will depend on how well you interact with your audience. If you skip class, you reduce other peoples’
ability to interact with you, and if they skip class, they do the same to you.
8
Another component of attendance pertains to the fact that college involves more than just acquiring knowledge
and skills. You are expected to learn and cultivate habits and behaviors that apply to the real world, such as
showing up when you are expected to be there. Instructors therefore set up guidelines that oblige you to learn
about consequences, conscientiousness, and dependability. We do this because we truly want you to succeed.
What about arriving late to class, or leaving early?
If you need to arrive late or leave early, please let me know in advance; otherwise, late arrival and leaving early
will count as a full absence, for which you lose points.
Parenthetically, students are often late for class because they oversleep. It is widely known that college life tends
to foster sleep deprivation, which not only leads to oversleeping but also negatively impacts grades. If you
schedule your activities correctly, this shouldn't be a problem. Please try to get enough sleep.
© Scott Adams
Can I request that a speech scheduled for a specific date be rescheduled to the next class?
You can request it, but because of class time constraints, I can’t guarantee it’ll happen. Do your best to be ready
when scheduled. If class time fills up with other activities and we don’t get around to your speech on the assigned
date, you should assume that it’s automatically rescheduled to the next class and you should be ready to deliver it
then. If you’re not ready on that date, you’ll lose points, as noted above.
But what if I get REALLY busy?
Welcome to college. You’re supposed to get really busy. Not to mention frazzled, overworked, and swamped. In
college, that’s the norm. If you’re like most students, you’ll have exams, lab work to prepare, or papers to write,
some of which will inevitably fall during the same week that you’re supposed to deliver a graded presentation in
Speech class. That’s all part of being in college and learning to juggle multiple priorities. Remember this adage:
You have time for what you make time for. The best way to manage your time is to complete as many assignments
and as much homework as possible, for all your classes, long before the assignments are due. The sooner you get
the hang of that, the easier college will be.
How much time should I set aside for speech preparation or studying?
There is a general rule for most college courses: two hours of preparation for each hour of class time. So if you
spend three hours in class during the week, plan for six hours of prep time. If you’re taking five classes at three
hours each, that’s 15 hours in the classroom each week, plus 30 hours (2 x 15) of prep time, or 45 hours a week,
which is more than a full time job. So it’s crucial that you plan your preparation time accordingly, and don’t
overextend yourself with other activities.
9
I should do more than 30 hours of class preparation every week?
For a full course load, yes, if you want to maximize your chances of getting straight A’s in all your courses.
© Bill Watterson
How do I get an A in this class?
Most of your grade comes from your speeches. Each speech is described in great detail in this eBook. With each
descriptor there is a sample evaluation form or grading rubric listing all the competencies you'll be required to
demonstrate. Study the grading rubrics as you create your speech, and ensure that you demonstrate all the required
competencies to the maximum extent of your abilities.
Are the same grading rubrics used for all the speeches?
No. The grading rubrics evolve to match the formats and requirements of different speeches, in this manner:
---The first two speeches and their rubrics focus on nonverbal competencies.
---The third entails an increased focus on structure and content.
---The fourth, fifth, and six speeches share the same grading rubric, two-thirds of which deals with structure and
content and one-third with nonverbal components. My expectation is that everyone's mastery of this rubric
supports the sequential earning of higher grades with each successive speech, so my grading of those speeches
increases in rigor. The sixth speech, moreover, acquires additional formatting requirements based on concepts
introduced later in the semester.
---The seventh and final speech, a group debate, has its own rubric suited to the unique structure of debate.
How will I know how well I'm doing in the course?
There are two ways. At the end of each speech you'll receive an evaluation form that will show you how well you
did in terms of each of the skills on which you get graded. Each competency that receives a score lower than "Very
Good" or "Great" should be improved; you should put more effort into that particular component of your speech.
10
In most cases, the way that you ought to improve that competency is fairly obvious, but if you need clarification,
see me after class.
With regard to the points that you accrue, look at your numerical score for each speech. Divide that number by the
total points you could have earned. For example, if the maximum points you might earn on a speech is 150, and
you earn 129 points, simply divide 129 by 150. The answer is .86, or 86%, a grade of B+.
For ease of calculation, see the grade point calculator on page 16 of this eBook. Throughout this course, you
should keep a running total of your grade points and percentile grade. If it's lower than you want it to be, follow
the directions above and examine your evaluation sheets to see which competencies received the lower scores.
Those are the components you should improve in order to raise your grade. See me after class if you have any
questions or would like some help. Don't wait till the end of the term to do this, or it will be too late to increase
your grade.
© Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
What if I have some unique challenges to deal with?
I’m available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that you may require due to a disability, in
compliance with College policy and equal access laws. Except for unusual circumstances, requests for academic
accommodations should be submitted no later than the first week of the semester so that arrangements can be
made. Students submitting such requests must be registered with the Disabilities Resource Center in room S-229
on the Northwest Campus (phone 395-4400) for disability verification and determination of reasonable academic
accommodations. And please tell me anything you think I need to know in order to help you succeed in this
course.
What if somebody hassles me?
Santa Fe College prohibits any form of discrimination or sexual harassment among students, faculty and staff.
For further information, copy and paste this into your browser:
http://dept.sfcollege.edu/rules/content/media/PDF/Rule_2/2_8.pdf
How do I get extra credit?
I’m glad you asked. Extra credit can be earned by doing an outstanding job on the delivery of your speeches, and
also by providing an in-class oral analysis of a public lecture you’ve attended during the current semester (see page
70). Other opportunities may be provided during final exam week.
When are you in your office?
See the schedule on page 74. Let me know in advance if you wish to make an appointment.
What if I need to withdraw?
Refer to page 3 above for withdrawal dates. If you wish to withdraw after the official semester withdrawal date,
talk to your academic advisor first. Visit R-201, the academic advisors’ office, or call 395-5503.
11
Be aware that if you stop attending class, instructors have no way of knowing the reason for your absence --job schedule, family problems, relationship issues, health problems, etc.--- or whether you plan to return. If
circumstances prevent you from attending class regularly and you think you might not complete the term, it is your
responsibility to handle the withdrawal process. Withdrawal status is not automatically granted to someone who
merely stops attending class. If for some reason you are unable to initiate the withdrawal procedure yourself,
contact your teachers to discuss the situation. Otherwise, if you discontinue attending and fail to carry out the
withdrawal procedure, you’ll earn a grade based on the work you accomplished before you stopped coming to
class, which might result in an “F” on your record. To learn about the College policy on withdrawals, click here:
http://www.sfcollege.edu/records/index.php?section=course_withdraw
Any other rules I need to know about?
Here’s a big one: Be ethical. There are many ways to do this. A crucial one is to show respect. In academia and
in the working world, respect for one’s peers is of paramount importance. In Public Speaking, it is crucial to
refrain from offending your listeners. For that reason, in the classroom no inappropriate language may be used
ever. Words that you would not speak in front of a minister, nun, rabbi, or your grandmother may not be spoken in
this class. To learn more, click here.
Broom Hilda © by Russell Myers
This rule of language applies especially to terms that categorize people with respect to religion, race, nationality,
and sexual orientation. You are not expected to embrace the differences you see in others, but it is mandatory that
you respect them. Moreover, here is another way to be ethical: Don’t cheat and don’t plagiarize.
© Bill Amend 7/172012
12
In particular, don’t copy information from the Web, or from another student, and pretend it’s yours. Instructors
can spot fake work a mile away. If you get caught---and most people do---, the instructor has the option of
giving you an “F” for the assignment in which the plagiarism was found, or you might receive an “F” for the
whole course. If plagiarism or another form of cheating happens more than once, you’ll get a permanent
Academic Dishonesty notation on your transcript record. For more information, copy and paste this into your
browser: http://dept.sfcollege.edu/rules/content/media/PDF/Rule_7/7_23.pdf.
Anything else I should know?
Here is a crucial guideline: be mentally present. In other words, focus on whoever is standing in the front
of the room, which most of the time will be one of your classmates.
If you are texting, Tweeting, Instagraming, Yikyaking, Snapchatting, Facebooking, reading, drawing,
doodling, or otherwise not paying attention, then as far as I'm concerned you are mentally absent and
showing disrespect for whoever is speaking to you. For that behavior you will be counted as absent and
lose grade points. Therefore, you are expected to follow these etiquette rules for the classroom:
---Earphones from iPods
or other music devices
should be removed
before entering the
classroom.
---No open books on your
desk. Focus on the
teacher, or on the
students doing presentations. Don’t do
homework for other
classes, or even for
Speech class, when other
students are giving
speeches. It is disrespectful to them.
---While class is in
session, set your cell
phone on “silent” or turn
it off.
(c) 6/8/14 Garry Trudeau
---If your cell phone goes
off during class, or if it
beeps to alert you to a
missed call, you will be
responsible for bringing
candy for everyone at the
next class session. If
your cell phone goes off
while you are delivering
a speech, the penalty will
be increased, up to and including pizza. (Don’t laugh; it happens.)
---If you are seen leaving the classroom with a cell phone in your hand, it will be assumed that you’re going
to make or receive a call during class time, for which the penalty is a 25 point deduction from your grade.
13
The only exception would be if you’re making or receiving a call for a documentable emergency situation. If
that’s the case, talk to me.
---No open laptops on your desk, please. Generally you won't need to take notes because almost all of the
lecture material can be found in this eBook. If you wish to take notes, do it the old-fashioned way, with pen
and paper.
---Text-messaging or fiddling with your iPod while other students are delivering speeches in class is
considered disrespectful and is prohibited. Fifteen points will be automatically deducted from your
grade each time you are seen doing this. If someone observes you in the act of texting and alerts me to
it, 15 points will be deducted from your grade and transferred to the person who busted you.
That's confusing. Can you say it more simply?
Sure.
1. You lose 15 points each time you are seen texting or using your phone or iPod.
2. You lose 15 points each time you are seen reading, writing, or drawing.
3. You lose 25 points each time you are seen leaving the classroom with a cell phone in your hand.
© Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
To ensure civility within the classroom learning environment, disruptive and/or disrespectful behavior will
not be tolerated. This includes noncompliance, attitude, and snark. Anyone behaving inappropriately will,
at the instructor's discretion, lose 50 points from their grade total and will be dismissed from the room---by
the campus police, if necessary.
The following recommendations for proper behaviors are derived from the writings of sociology professor Lisa
Wade, Ph.D., and cited in www.businessinsider.com.

When communicating with professors via email, don't use lazy or incorrect grammar abbreviations such
as "u" instead of "you." Don't abbreviate "would have" with "would of," which will make you seem
very unintelligent; the correct form is "would've."

Never ask a professor if you missed anything important during an absence. From the instructor's
perspective, every class session is important. To imply otherwise is to insult the professor.

Don't start packing up your things as class is ending. This behavior creates the impression that you can't
wait to leave, which is also insulting. Wait until you are dismissed.

Don't ask questions about assignments or readings until after you've looking them up in the eBook.

In your speeches, never express an opinion unless you can back it up with data from a reliable source.
14
Do I have to dress up to deliver a speech?
Only if you want to. However, here are some appearance policies to follow on the days that you’ll deliver
speeches in this course:
 If you happen to wear a tongue stud, please ensure that we cannot see it while you’re giving a
speech. It makes your tongue look like a little parade marshal marching with a baton, and it
visually distracts your audience from the message you want them to hear. It may also slur your
speech.
 If you have tattoos or body piercings on your lower abdomen, ensure that these are not visible when
you stand in front of the class. Nothing will demolish your credibility faster than inked patterns or
shiny jewelry dancing around your bellybutton while you’re trying to impress people with your
intelligence (especially if you’ve been overdoing it on the cupcakes lately). On the days when
you’re scheduled to speak, wear a long shirt or tuck it in your waistband.
 Make sure the waistband of your pants is at your waist, and not making its way south toward your
knees.
 Ensure that we can see your eyes when you deliver a speech. Don't wear sunglasses, or a lowbrimmed cap, or long bangs that cover your eyes.
What else should I know about?
When emailing your instructor:
 Put your full name and class start time in the Subject line: “Sue Smith, 9 a.m. class.”
General rules to not lose points or lower your grade:
 Don’t be unprepared for an assigned speech or presentation.
 Don’t miss class.
 Don’t leave class early, because:
(a) it is very conspicuous (everyone will know you’re gone, including the instructor);
(b) it shows disrespect to the other students who are responsible enough to remain until the
class is over; and
(c) it counts as a full absence, causing your grade to drop.
To earn extra credit points:
 Provide an in-class oral analysis of a public lecture (see page 70).
When preparing outlines to hand in with the speeches that require them:
 Do prepare typewritten outlines. Don’t turn in handwritten outlines.
When delivering speeches, bear in mind that, with the exception of a few specific exercises such as your Oral
Interpretation speech, this class involves extemporaneous speaking: “Rehearsed, but in a conversational tone.”
For that reason,
 Don’t read typed or scripted notes aloud in front of the class, and
 Do use minimal notes while delivering your speech
And here is a nonacademic point of classroom protocol which I wish were unnecessary to explicitly state,
but a few clueless people still violate it:
 Please don’t keep a pinch of tobacco in your mouth during class. Beyond the fact that it looks
grotesque, I’ve known of students who died of oral cancer caused by the use of it.
What else should I be aware of?
One of the cornerstones of higher education is honesty; this requires that students adhere to accepted standards of
academic integrity. To support this, Santa Fe College has adopted a Student Conduct Code that outlines general
15
guidelines. Knowing what it says may help you stay out of trouble. For more information, copy and paste this into
your browser: http://dept.sfcollege.edu/rules/content/media/PDF/Rule_7/7_23.pdf.
What is the value of each assignment?
Oral Interpretation
60 points
Elevator Speech
50 points
Demonstration Speech
140 points
Informative Speech
150 points
Future History Speech
150 points
Persuasive Speech
150 points
Debate
150 points
Exams (3 @ 50 points each) 150 points
Total
1000 points
How are grade totals calculated?
A
900 1000
B+
850 899
B
800 849
C+
750 799
C
700 749
D+
650 699
D
600 649
F
0599
I*
* Incomplete work must be fulfilled or the grade converts to an “F”. An “I” is issued if at least 75% of the work is completed and if the reasons for
not fulfilling the remaining requirements are demonstrably beyond the student’s control (illness, accident, etc.)
Speech/Test
Use this Grade
Point Calculator
to track your GPA
during the semester
Oral Interpretation
Elevator Speech
Demonstration Speech
Informative Speech
Future History Speech
Persuasive Speech
Debate
Exam #1
Exam #2
Exam #3
your score
divided by
= your GPA
60
50
140
150
150
150
150
50
50
50
If your course GPA is not as high as you want it to be, make an appointment to meet with me outside of class.
You see from the information shown above that most of your grade comes from your speeches. It is important
to remember that Public Speaking is primarily a subjective course. This means that your grade will be
determined by the extent to which your instructor believes you have satisfied all of the requirements of the
assignment. Simply completing the assignment will not automatically earn you a good grade; it is how well you
complete the assignment, and meet all the criteria for that speech, which determine your grade.
© Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
16
When will our final exam take place?
Finals are listed below by class meeting time.
MWF 10 a.m.
MWF 11 a.m.
MWF 1 p.m.
TH 9:30 a.m.
TH 11:00 a.m.
TH 12:30 p.m.
Final Exam Date:
Final Exam Date:
Final Exam Date:
Final Exam Date:
Final Exam Date:
Final Exam Date:
Monday, 4/25/16
Wednesday, 4/27/16
Wednesday, 4/27/16
Tuesday, 4/26/16
Thursday, 4/28/16
Tuesday, 4/26/16
Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Room: P-165
Room: P-165
Room: P-165
Room: L-203
Room: L-203
Room: L-203
I've heard that there's a way to skip the final exam. How does that work?
Keep track of your cumulative grade points from speeches and exams throughout the semester. On the prior
page you saw the grading scale indicating that to get an "A" you need to accrue a total of 900 points (90% of the
maximum possible points). If, by the last week of class, you have earned 900 points or more from your
speeches and the two prior exams, you will have already earned an "A" and you'll be exempt from the final
exam.
If I’ve earned enough points for a lower grade that I’m happy with, like 800 points for a B, can I still skip
the final?
No. Skipping the final is a privilege earned by accruing at least 900 points before finals week. If you have less
than 900 points and you skip the final, you’ll receive a grade of Incomplete and you’ll have to take the exam at
a later date.
17
Chapter 1:
All the Right Moves
There is an interior aspect to public speaking and an exterior aspect to it as well. The exterior aspect is how
you look and behave when speaking to a group. The interior aspect is the way you feel about it.
2/26/14
I get really nervous when I have to stand up and talk to a group of people.
Nervousness is quite normal. In fact, it’s so normal that if you don’t feel nervous when addressing a roomful of
strangers, you are probably seriously disturbed and need professional help.
Be aware that nervousness is invisible. It’s like having a headache. If
you tell people you have a headache, they know; if you don’t tell them,
they don’t know. So when you’re standing in front of the class and you
feel like saying, “I’m nervous,” don’t say it.
So how do I stop feeling nervous?
Practice, practice, practice. That’s part of your homework. The more
you practice by yourself, and the more you speak in front of people, the
easier it gets. Deliver speeches in front of a mirror, in front of the TV,
in front of your roommates, in front of your cat. (But don’t wait till
you’re in your car driving to class to practice your speech; it’s
dangerous, and the environment is too different.)
Another way to reduce interior nervousness is to externalize it and work it off. You accomplish this by
developing the communication behaviors known as nonverbal skills. These include:
 Moving around the front of the room, wall to wall, far left to far right
 Gesturing with your arms and hands
 Making eye contact with everyone in your audience
 Modulate the volume of your voice
 Modulate the inflection and tone of your voice
 Be aware of your facial expressions, and change them while you speak
These external skills constitute the “packaging” in which your speeches will be contained. The audience will
enjoy seeing them, and the behaviors are helpful in expressing emotion.
18
Expressing emotion? That sounds like something from an acting class. I’m just here to learn how to
speak.
You’re here to learn how to communicate with more than one person at a time. Speech communication should
ideally address both hemispheres of the brain of every person in your audience. The left hemisphere pays
attention to words and their meanings. The right hemisphere perceives emotion (to understand the importance
of that, click here). You want your audience to learn information, absorb data, and remember details (left
hemisphere). You also want them to empathize with you, and experience feelings that are sympathetic with
your point of view (right hemisphere). Appropriate nonverbal communication techniques support the processing
of right-hemisphere perceptions. We’ll work on left-hemisphere information processing in later chapters.
Each person in your audience receives a message through a visual channel and a verbal channel. The visual
channel carries images and diagrams into the observer’s mind. The verbal channel conveys the auditory or
spoken information, which is absorbed and analyzed by the left hemisphere. The visual and nonverbal
components of your speech---gestures, movement, facial expression, vocal inflection---are observed and
processed by the right hemisphere. You want to address both hemispheres when you speak.
Shouldn't I stay at the lectern?
Not for more than a few moments. Don't hide behind it, don't lean on it, don't dance with it. Launch yourself
away from it.
Why should I move around the room?
There are several good reasons:
1. It helps you burn up nervous energy and calms you down.
2. It makes you seem more interesting.
3. It holds people’s attention.
4. It keeps them awake.
5. If the audience doesn’t like you, it’s harder for them to hit a moving target.
What about gesturing?
Same reasons as above. You seem more active, and that holds the audience’s attention. It also
allows you to express emotion by moving your arms and hands to emphasize the ideas in your
presentation.
And looking people in the eye?
There’s an old saying: “The eyes are the windows of the soul.” Eye contact establishes a connection between
you and your audience. If you look in each face for a moment or two, you’ll create the beginnings of a
subconscious bond between you and the people listening to you. So look everyone in the eye, and keep doing it
while you speak. Don’t just slide your gaze over faces as though you were a radar scanner. Moreover, don’t
look at the ceiling, walls, or floor. Look in people’s eyes.
In most of your speeches you will need to rely on notes. Looking at them should not interfere with looking at
your audience. To support that process, your notes should be either on a sheet of paper or on note cards. Please
do not stand in front of the class reading notes on your phone. Focusing your eyes on such a small object will
interfere with your ability to look at your audience. Also, please don’t use an iPod or laptop; they become
awkward to carry around, and they keep your gaze away from the people you should be looking at. An iPad,
Kindle, or Nook would probably work well, as long as you look at your audience. Paper notes or cards work
best.
19
Why should I modulate the volume of my voice?
You need a certain amount of volume to be heard. If you change volume by getting
loud and then speaking softly, the contrast will grab people’s attention. Also, it’s
important that you be heard clearly by anyone sitting in the back of the room. In
most cases this will require that you talk at least 15% louder than your regular
conversational speaking voice.
What’s inflection?
Inflection could be compared to the rise and fall of notes in a melody that you’re
singing. Most people speak within a limited range of vocal “notes.” When you add
more notes, you sound more interesting to your listeners, and you sound more interested
in the subject you’re talking about. Inflection communicates feeling, adding drama and
intrigue to your speech. It places emphasis on the words that matter most. To view a
hilarious commentary on inflection, please click here.
Also, avoid filler noises, such as "uh," "um," "like," "you know," "or whatever," and so on. They make you
sound unintelligent.
© Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
What about facial expressions?
Let your face become animated. Remember to smile, which many people forget
(especially men) when speaking. Frown, if that conveys the feeling you want to
share. Raise your eyebrows. Open your eyes wide. Act out what you feel.
Emotions are communicated by facial expressions. Enhancing your facial
expressions will speak to people’s feelings. It will generally cause them to like you
more. To see a powerful video on communicating with your body, click here.
20
GRADED SPEECH #1:
THE ORAL INTERPRETATION
Your Oral Interpretation is an opportunity to flex and hone the crucial nonverbal
components of Public Speaking: the packaging in which your speech is contained. In
this exercise you will focus on connecting with your audience via eye contact and by
placing yourself in close proximity to them. You will practice movement, gesturing, pausing, vocal inflection,
voice pitch, and volume.
Picking a Selection
Pick a selection from any kind of literature. This may include a scene or excerpt from a
book, short story, or play. Nonfiction is acceptable if it is in the form of a true-life
adventure, a famous speech such as Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream,"or
humorous writing. Poetry is acceptable, especially if it tells a story. If you have written
your own poetry or short story, we’d love to hear it. You may also utilize material that
you’ve memorized, such as a song lyric.
Preparation
You ought to add notes and marks to the text of the selection you use, so you may need to use a photocopy of
your material or a downloadable text. If you obtain the text from a book, you may want to enlarge the pages as
they’re being copied to allow room for your notes on the page. If you download the text from the Web or
another source, or if you type it from memory, double-space it. Downloaded text can be copied into a Word
document and highlighted; then right-click, and click on Paragraph, Line Spacing, Double. You may also wish
to make it more readable by highlighting the selection, right-clicking, then and clicking on Font, All Caps.
Add “prompting” notes to the text to remind you to pause and to establish eye contact. Make a prompting mark
at the end of every second or third sentence. When you arrive at that prompt you will stop
speaking for two seconds---count silently to yourself, “one thousand and one, one thousand
and two...”---, look up from the page, and focus your eyes on one member of the audience.
Then look down at the page and resume reading until you reach the next prompt, when you’ll
pause again and look at another person in the audience.
Time constraints for this presentation will be rigidly enforced. You must practice this activity
before you come to class so that you can time it properly. As previously mentioned, don’t just practice it in the
car on the way to school (trust me; this really doesn’t work, and it distracts you from driving). The amount of
time spent introducing the selection to the class and then reading the whole thing aloud must be five minutes,
give or take a few seconds. Rehearse your selection several times until you achieve that goal. If your selection
is too short, add more onto it or find another selection. If it’s too long, edit it down to an appropriate length.
If you read poetry, don’t pause at the end of each line unless a punctuation
mark is already there. If punctuation does not coincide with the end of a line,
insert pauses at approximate 15-second intervals or where grammatically
appropriate.
You are expected to vocally express emotions contained in the text, and to
emphasize the important points by increasing volume, modifying pitch, and
pausing dramatically. These points should be underlined or otherwise marked to
remind you to voice them properly. Take on the identity of the person who is
speaking the words of your selection. Become the author, and express their
feelings through your voice. Pretend you’re on stage; act out what’s happening. To see the level of
animatedness that will earn you an A for this exercise, click on this link.
21
Guidelines
Within the first 60 seconds of your presentation you must include all the following points:
 The title and author of your selection
 Your reason for choosing this particular work
 The background, context, or historical/cultural setting of what you’re about to read:
----the storyline or plot in which the scene is unfolding
----the name(s) of any character(s) depicted in or narrating the scene
----the author’s presumed purpose for writing this selection
 Key points that you want your audience to pay attention to; i.e., imagery, use of specific or uncommon
words, the mood or feeling that you think the author wants to convey, etc.
 Your name
Delivery
Stand at the lectern in the front of the room. Introduce yourself. Explain
the above points to your audience, and then begin to read the selection
aloud. After a few moments, step away from the lectern and, while
continuing to read aloud, slowly approach the audience. When you come
to a prompt-mark in your text, look up from the page and lock eyes with
one person close to you. After two seconds, look back down at the page
and continue reading until you come to the next prompt. Then stop reading
for a moment and lock eyes with someone else. Do not scan multiple
faces; look at one face at a time during each pause. First look at someone
near the front of the room and then someone in the middle or the back.
Hold your text in one hand and use the other hand to gesture and to express
the feelings from the text. Continue to slowly walk back and
forth across the front of the room while reading your selection aloud. When pausing in the text, you have the
option of continuing to walk or momentarily stand still. Try both until you see which one feels more
comfortable. As you approach the end of your reading, make your way back to the podium. Finish your
presentation from there. Then return to your seat.
This pie chart to the right shows the general
categories of grade components for this
exercise. Content and information---your
introduction---comprise 10% of your grade.
Nonverbal skills such as eye contact,
movement, gesturing, voice, and so on,
constitute 90% of your grade. Please
examine the evaluation form on the next page
to understand specific grade components.
Content
10%
Nonverb
al
90%
22
Speaker Competencies
Points Possible
Absent
(F)
Poor
(D-)
Mediocre
(D)
Almost OK
(C)
Good
(B)
Quite Good
(A)
Outstanding
(A+)
Introduction to material (the story behind it)
0
0
2
4
5
6
7
Eye contact
0
0
2
4
5
6
7
Pausing
0
0
2
4
5
6
7
Voice modulation and inflection
0
2
3
4
5
6
7
Movement around the room
0
2
3
4
5
6
7
Gesturing with arms
0
2
3
4
5
6
7
Vocal volume and word rate
0
2
3
4
5
6
7
Facial expressiveness
0
0
2
4
5
6
7
Animatedness and physical energy
0
0
3
4
5
6
7
Timing
0
0
3
4
5
---
---
To get a good grade, emphasize all ten
of these competencies when you
deliver your presentation. And I mean
all TEN of them, not just a few.
23
GRADED SPEECH #2:
THE ELEVATOR SPEECH
The Elevator Speech, or Job Interview Speech, is a short summary of an applicant's
background, expertise, and education. It is a commercial, a self-promotional
monologue which concisely highlights the full range of an individual's suitability
for a professional role. Designed to be brief enough to be completed during an
elevator ride in a tall office building, it is used for networking to solicit job leads, as well as to showcase one's
experience in front of a hiring panel or employment committee.
Preparation
First, think in detail about your next job or your ideal job. Visualize the type of work, the physical working
environment, the people you would work with, and so on. This will provide you with a conceptual basis from
which to create your commercial.
Then, picture yourself standing in front of an interview panel consisting of half a dozen executives and
administrators who run the company or organization you want to work for. Imagine they are conducting
preliminary interviews for a job you strongly desire. Prepare a speech describing your background, education,
qualifications, and abilities that would make you the ideal candidate for the job. When delivered in front of a
group, this speech should last one to two minutes.
Remember, in a job interview situation it is not only desirable but absolutely crucial that you
brag about yourself. An employer will want to know how you stand out from the other
candidates, what makes you different or special, and why they should offer you a salary.
Elaborate about anything you might be proud of in your education, your working background,
or life activities. Talk about your achievements in every context you can think of. Tell how
you’ve completed an important task or accomplished something meaningful. Include leisure
interests, hobbies, or unpaid endeavors where you’ve utilized the abilities that will apply to
the job you want. While creating your commercial, consider the following issues:







What kind of skills or abilities will the job require?
How much experience do you have in demonstrating the appropriate
skills and abilities?
Exactly what can you do for your potential employer?
What is your primary area of competency?
How do you most want to be used?
Where have you performed recently or in the past, and how similar was
that setting to the hypothetical one in which you’re now seeking
employment?
What kind of setting would you most like to work in?
When describing what you've done in the past, talk about your activities in terms of these skill categories:





Communication
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Mathematical analysis
Organization





Planning
Leadership
Customer Service
Flexibility
Teamwork
24
When you get up in front of the class, tell about the job you’re applying for. Then, imagining that your
classmates are the members of the interview panel, introduce yourself and give them your sales pitch. Do not
read it aloud. Going by memory, and referring to your notes only when necessary, convince them that you are
the best person in the world for this job. Write your commercial from today’s perspective, while you’re still in
college, not from a few years in the future. Imagine that the chief interviewer has asked, “Tell us a bit about
yourself.” Present the information in this order:
1. Your profession and degree (actual or anticipated)
2. The number of years spent in each of the above, if applicable
3. Measurable, quantitative accomplishments in school (GPA, awards, etc.) and at work (any numbers
pertaining to achievements).
For this exercise you’ll be graded in this manner:
Forty percent of your grade will depend on
content---details and information.
Content
40%
Sixty percent of your grade will depend on
how well you employ nonverbal skills and
behaviors.
Nonverbal
60%
Speaker Competencies
Points Possible
Bad
Poor
Almost OK
OK
Self-introduction
0
1
3
4
Very Good
5
Outstanding
6
Description of skills
0
1
3
4
5
6
Summary of experiences
0
1
3
4
5
6
Emphasis on strongest skill
0
1
3
4
5
6
Poise and presence
0
1
3
4
5
6
Charisma and confidence
0
1
3
4
5
6
Gesturing with arms and hands
0
1
3
4
5
6
Animation/energy
0
1
3
4
5
6
Eye contact and visual focus
0
1
3
4
5
6
Vocal power and diction
0
1
3
4
5
6
25
Chapter 2:
Intro and Format
When delivering a speech, it’s crucial to provide some type of introduction to the
topic; a warm-up, a lead-in to what you’re going to say. There are various ways
to begin a speech. We will discuss four of them in class.
Story: Begin with a story that illustrates or introduces your topic. A story will
allow your audience to experience what you’re talking about through your eyes,
or through the eyes of the story’s creator. Audiences love stories. That’s why we
watch movies, to experience someone else’s perspective on the world. And so
we tell stories to share our own experience of the world.
Hypothetical Example: Start off with a “what if” scenario. Help your audience imagine a unique situation to
deal with, and then ask them how they would handle it. Give them an example that they might relate to.
Question: Ask your audience a question to lead into your topic. You might say, “By a
show of hands, how many of you…?” and then pose the question.
Surprise: State something true that your audience might find surprising. Provide an odd
fact that has some bearing on their lives.
After your introduction, state your name and then tell your audience what you’re going to talk about. There is
an old adage in Public Speaking; it goes like this:
1. Tell them what you’re going to say
2. Say it
3. Tell them what you just said
Within your introduction, which should be 60 seconds long, you state your purpose. Generally, most speeches
have one of two purposes: to inform or to persuade. In stating your purpose, let your audience know
specifically whether you’re going to inform or persuade them, and include your topic in that statement; this is
known as a specific purpose. The best way to construct a specific purpose statement is to first ask yourself what
you want your listeners to remember when you’re finished, and then create a phrase that summarizes your ideas.
Examples: “Today I’m going to inform you how to change the oil in your car.”
Or: “Today I’m going to persuade you to get proper exercise.”
In the second step, break down your information into three main points and tell your audience what those are:
Examples: “First, I’ll show you the tools you’ll need for an oil change. Next, I’ll explain the process of
draining the old oil and adding new oil. And finally, I’ll show you how and where to recycle your old oil.”
Or: “First, I’m going to explain the health benefits of exercise. Next, I’ll talk about the differences
between cardiovascular exercise and strength training. And finally, I’ll explain the proper way to combine
those two in your workout routine.”
26
The value of stating your main points is that it creates memory categories in your listeners’ minds. Your
audience will remember your information better because you have given them mental anchors for each of the
segments of information that you will talk about.
After you’ve stated your main points, begin to elaborate on each one. Each main point explanation should last
60 seconds. When you’ve finished one point, use a transition to move on to the next: “Now that we’ve talked
about this topic, let’s move on to the next one.” “We’ve examined this idea in detail, so now I’ll tell you about
the next thing you’ll want to know.”
When you’ve finished going over the main points, proceed to the third step: Summarize. This should also be
60 seconds long.
Examples: “To recap what we’ve looked at, today I showed you the tools you’ll need for an oil change.
Then I explained the process of draining the old oil and adding new oil. And lastly, I showed you how and
where to recycle your old oil. So, in conclusion, I hope that….”
Or: “Now let’s summarize what we’ve discussed. First, I explained the health benefits of exercise. Next, I
talked about the differences between cardiovascular exercise and strength training. And finally, I explained
the proper way to combine these two in your workout routine. So, in conclusion, I’d like to….”
Here is another way to understand the format.
For a five minute class presentation, write five one-minute speeches, all connected together:
-----A one minute introduction
-----A one minute discussion of your first main point
-----A one minute discussion of your second main point
-----A one minute discussion of your third main point
-----A one minute recap and conclusion
Here is how that would work:
First 60
seconds
Provide 30 to 45 seconds of
introductory material: a story, a
hypothetical example, a questionand-answer series with the
audience. Then state your name
and your purpose: "Today I
would like to inform/persuade
you about..."
Then, state your three main points in this manner: "I'm
going to talk about three aspects of [the topic]:
 "First, [give us a clear, distinct, and complete sentence of
15 to 20 words. Pause at the end of it.]
 "Then, [give us a clear, distinct, and complete sentence of
15 to 20 words. Pause at the end of it.]
 "And finally, [provide a clear, distinct, and complete
sentence of 15 to 20 words. Pause at the end of it.]
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time.
Second 60
seconds
State, "Now, let's look at [the first
main point]." Discuss main point #1
in great detail for 45 to 50 seconds.
Move on to the next main point with a two-part
transition.
---"Now that we've finished looking at [main point #1]..."
---"...let's move on and examine [main point #2]."
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time.
27
Third 60
seconds
Discuss main point #2 in great
detail for 45 to 50 seconds.
Move on to the next main point with a two-part transition.
---"Now that we have finished discussing [main point #2]..."
---"...let's take a look at [main point #3]."
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time.
Fourth 60
seconds
Discuss main point #3 in great
detail for 45 to 50 seconds.
Close out this main point and move on to your conclusion in
this manner:
"Now that we've finished discussing [main point #3], let's
sum up what we've learned about [this topic]."
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time.
Fifth 60
seconds
State, "Today, we've taken a look at [the
topic].
---"First, we discussed [restate your 15 to 20
word descriptor of main point #1].
---"Then, we examined [restate your 15 to 20
word descriptor of main point #2].
---"And finally, we looked at [restate your 15
to 20 word descriptor of main point #3]."
Now, provide another 45 to 50 seconds of
additional discussion material about your topic.
Tell the audience something that you haven't
told them before. Bring the speech to a close by
encouraging the audience to learn more about
the subject.
We’ll put these formats to work in your upcoming speeches, starting with your next assignment, the
Demonstration Speech.
(John Cleese demonstrating a scene from "The Ministry of Silly Walks.")
28
GRADED SPEECH #3:
THE DEMONSTRATION SPEECH
A demonstration speech is an informative speech with props. In
your demonstration speech you will teach the class how to do
something: how to bake brownies, how to tune a guitar, how to
apply makeup, how to cook chicken, how to braid your hair (or
someone else’s), how to juggle tennis balls, how to prepare lasagna,
how to change the oil in your car, how to safely pack belongings
prior to moving---in short, how to do almost anything that can be
demonstrated within five minutes while utilizing simple props.
You may also omit the props and teach us a physical skill instead: how to defend yourself if attacked; how to do
a martial arts kata; how to dance a particular step (Gangnam Style, Soulja Boy, Macarena, Electric Slide, the
Wobble), etc. If you demonstrate something that results in an end product, bring along the preparatory items as
well as the end product itself. For example, if you plan to demonstrate how to bake a chocolate cake, bring
along the basic ingredients such as the cake mix or cocoa and flour, milk (or an empty milk container), one or
two eggs, a container of icing, utensils, bowls, pans, and anything else necessary to instruct people in the
process of cake-baking. Also, bring a cake, or at least a nice photograph of one.
Sample Topics
The following are examples of presentations that tend to work well
in a demonstration with props:
 How to sew a button on a shirt
 How to tune a guitar
 How to change oil in a car
 How to bake brownies or cookies
 How to perform CPR
 How to apply makeup
The following can be done without props:
 How to do a dance step
 How to do a martial arts kata
 How to defend yourself against an attacker
 How to flirt
Click here to view a good example of
a typical demonstration process.
Here are some topics to not use (and why to not use them):
 Rolling a joint or firing up a bong: not ethical
 Using pharmacy products to get high: not ethical
 Using a hookah: not ethical; tobacco kills
 Card games: too technical---many people in the class won’t understand
 Football plays: too technical---many people in the class won’t understand
 Winning at your favorite video game: too technical---many people in the class won’t understand
 Using apps for computer, phone, iPod, iPad, etc.: too technical---many people in the class won’t
understand
 Drinking games (such as beer pong): requires too many participants that obscure the audience’s view of
the speaker
 Paper-folding activities (such as origami): too hard to follow unless each person in the audience is
given a piece of paper; but then that causes the presentation to become much too long
 Participation activities requiring more than one participant: presentation becomes overly complex
29
Using any of the prohibited topics listed above will indicate that you haven’t bothered to read or follow these
instructions, and will result in a 10 point deduction from your grade.
Here are some more guidelines to follow. For this exercise, please,
 No PowerPoint or other imaging programs
 No online video
 No handouts
57%
Grade component ratio for your Demonstration Speech:
43%
57% Content, 43% Nonverbal
Speaker Competencies
Points Possible
Absent
Poor
Almost OK
Good
Great
Outstanding
Introduce the topic (the story behind it)
0
2
5
8
10
12
State three main points as three complete sentences
0
2
5
8
10
12
Relate topic to audience (tell why it’s good for us to
know this)
0
2
5
8
10
12
Engage your audience (Interact. Talk with us, not at us.)
0
2
5
8
10
12
Use correct language, jargon, and nomenclature, but
don’t get too technical
0
2
5
8
10
12
Use transitions and connectives (link one idea to the next)
0
2
5
8
10
12
-10
-5
5
8
10
12
0
2
5
8
10
12
Physically demonstrate the steps in the process
Wrap-up and summarize (tell the main points you want
us to remember)
Nonverbal
Eye contact
0
3
6
8
10
12
Vocal volume and pitch
0
3
6
8
10
12
Gesturing with arms and hands
0
3
6
8
10
12
Facial expressiveness
0
3
6
8
10
12
Animatedness and physical energy
0
3
6
8
10
12
Timing
0
3
6
8
10
---
30
GRADED SPEECH #4:
THE INFORMATIVE SPEECH
Higher education has a purpose: to make your life better, and to provide you with some of the tools to make that
happen. After you graduate, you will hopefully establish yourself in a career. This should result in a specific
goal, which is to make you happy. Your professional endeavors should encompass more than the quest for a
paycheck. They should involve activities which you find personally fulfilling and rewarding. Your job should
cause you to feel good inside. If your job doesn’t make you happy, you’re in the wrong job.
Many students lack a sense of direction regarding what to do after graduation. Some have a definite career idea
in mind, but in many cases their desired goals are based upon incomplete information. Your informative speech
will hopefully help you focus on and identify your career goals, and to ensure that you have enough information
to place you on a life path that will give you all that you want. For this speech, you have an assigned topic:
your career. Tell us about your profession, either actual or intended. In the event that you haven’t selected a
career, or even if you have, part of your research for this speech will involve the following:
 Undergo a career assessment to identify a career direction, or to reconfirm the one you’ve chosen
 Look up career information from various sources (websites, books, journals)
 Cite information from your sources when you deliver the speech, and also in the outline you provide to
the instructor
In your career-based informative speech, you will select three main points to share with us. Some sample points
to cover might include:








Why this career field appeals to me
The aspects of this work that I will find rewarding
Why I think I’m well suited for this field
Types of college degrees that apply to this field
The number of people working in this field
How this profession has evolved over time
Why this profession helps society
How I hope to make my mark in this field
If you have trouble narrowing down your choices to just one career, you have the option of creating a speech
that compares the advantages of three different careers that you want to consider.
As you think about possible career options, consider that they should ideally satisfy certain overlapping factors:
passion, profession, vocation, and mission. What you love and what you're good at may define your passion.
What you're good at and what you can be paid for may define your profession. What you can be paid for and
31
what the world needs may define your vocation. And what the world needs plus that which you love may
define your mission. The point at which they all intersect may define your purpose in life.
Assessment
Log in to eSantaFe's Career link to access the MyPlan program to create an account for yourself. When the
program opens, click on the tab labeled "Assessment" To use the program for free, utilize this access code:
SLGRUA3E. You will see four types of assessments. Click on and fill out these three:
 Career Interest Inventory
 Career Skills Profiler
 Career Values Assessment
The results will suggest career areas that seem to be suitable for you. This will constitute part of your research,
and may provide useful insight for your career plans.
© Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
If you'd like to explore some additional ways to narrow down your career search, click here:
http://www.drryanduffy.com/instruments.html
32
Citation Sources
You are expected to research information and provide citations from at least three sources,
and mention them all in the body of your speech!
(Pardon the loud font, but you’d be amazed at how many people miss this simple requirement, and damage their
grade in the process.)
Citation sources for this speech may include:
 The MyPlan database
 The federal government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (go to www.bls.gov/oco, and then click on
“A-Z Index” to find information on your career)
 EBSCO host: Log on to eSantaFe, click on Library Databases, then Academic Search Complete. Type
in key words such as the name of your profession, then words like "career", "salary", "education", etc.
 Salary.com, Payscale.com, Education-Portal.com, About.com, Allbusinesschools.com,
LifeOptimizer.org
 Any website pertaining to your profession---do a search for “[Career Name] professional association”
 Books or journal article pertaining to your profession (visit the Career Resource Center in R-217, and
also the library)
 Note: Blogs cannot be used as citations unless you state the article title and author's name. Don't just
say, "According to Wordpress/Huffington Post/Upworthy.com..." That's not enough. Give more details
about the source.
As stated above, you must do research and use citations for this speech (and for your remaining graded
assignments as well). Even if you’re already an expert in your field and you don’t need the information found
in your citations, mention it anyway, either as a quote or paraphrased. It will make you sound educated and
scholarly. Be sure to mention information from all your sources, and do so within the body of your speech---not
at the beginning of your speech, and not at the end, but inserted right into the speech information as you’re
discussing it. Phrase it like this:
 “According to an article in the International Journal of Video Game Fanatics,….”
 “In Cynthia Citation’s book, Career goals for those who have no clue, it says….”
 “On the website All-human-knowledge.com, I found the following information:..…”
Pronunciation
In your research, when you encounter an unfamiliar name, please look up the correct pronunciation for it before
mentioning it in class. For example, an often-cited resource for reproductive information, the Guttmacher
Institute (found online at Guttmacher.org), is pronounced GOOT-mocker, not "gut-matcher." Similarly, the
renowned news agency Reuters (Reuters.com) is pronounced ROY-ters, not "rooters." Incidentally, if you cite
data found at NYTimes.com, pronounce it New York Times dot com.
Protocols for this presentation
-----Hand in a speech outline to the instructor before beginning your speech. Outline formats are provided on
pages 35 and 36.
-----While delivering your speech, remember the most important rule of nonverbal behavior: Look in
everyone's eyes, repeatedly. For that reason, don't write notes for yourself in the form of an essay or script.
This reduces eye contact and interaction. Use minimal notes consisting of sentence fragments and key words.
Your audience wants to hear you talk; they don't want to hear you read aloud. Neither do I.
-----While you speak, move around the entire front of the room. Be energetic. Get LOUD; let your voice be
heard out in the hallway.
Let's revisit the five-component diagram as it incorporates research and citations:
33
Write five one-minute speeches, all connected together:
-----A one minute introduction
-----A one minute discussion of your first main point
-----A one minute discussion of your second main point
-----A one minute discussion of your third main point
-----A one minute recap and conclusion
Details are shown below:
Then, state your three main points in this manner: "I'm
going to talk about three aspects of [the topic]:
 "First, [give us a clear, distinct, and complete sentence of
15 to 20 words. Pause at the end of it.]
 "Then, [give us a clear, distinct, and complete sentence of
15 to 20 words. Pause at the end of it.]
 "And finally, [provide a clear, distinct, and complete
sentence of 15 to 20 words. Pause at the end of it.]
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time
Second 60 State, "Now, let's look at [the first main Move on to the next main point with a two-part
point]." Discuss main point #1 in great transition.
seconds
detail for 45 to 50 seconds. Use at least ---"Now that we've finished looking at [main point
one citation or resource within it:
#1]..."
"According to this book/author/
---"...let's move on and examine [main point #2]."
website/ professional organization,..."
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time
Discuss main point #2 in great detail for 45 Move on to the next main point with a two-part
Third 60
to 50 seconds. Use at least one citation or
transition.
seconds
resource within it: "According to this
---"Now that we have finished discussing [main
book/author/ website/ professional
point #2]..."
organization,..."
---"...let's take a look at [main point #3]."
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time
Fourth 60 Discuss main point #3 in great detail for 45 Close out this main point and move on to your
to 50 seconds. Use at least one citation or
conclusion in this manner:
seconds
resource within it: "According to this
"Now that we've finished discussing [main point
book/author/ website/professional
#3], let's sum up what we've learned about [this
organization,..."
topic]."
Look at your audience at least 80% of the time
State, "Today, we've taken a look at [the
Now, provide another 45 to 50 seconds of
Fifth 60
topic].
additional discussion material about your topic.
seconds
---"First, we discussed [restate your 15 to 20 Tell the audience something that you haven't told
word descriptor of main point #1].
them before. Bring the speech to a close by
---"Then, we examined [restate your 15 to 20 encouraging the audience to learn more about the
word descriptor of main point #2].
subject.
---"And finally, we looked at [restate your 15
to 20 word descriptor of main point #3]."
First 60
seconds
Provide 30 to 45 seconds of
introductory material: a story, a
hypothetical example, a questionand-answer series with the
audience. Then state your name
and your purpose: "Today I
would like to inform/persuade
you about..."
Do those things in this speech and in those that follow, and you'll receive an excellent grade.
34
Outline and Citation Guidelines
You are to write two outlines for your speeches. The first outline is the one you take to the lectern with you; the
second will be given to your instructor (see below). Your speaking notes can be on a sheet of paper or on note
cards, and should look something like this:




Opener/story
Introduction & topic
Main points:
----Point #1
----Point #2
----Point #3
Summary/wrap-up/Conclusion
Each of the items in your speaking notes should consist of only a couple of words, a few sentence fragments,
some facts and figures, and at most an occasional complete sentence. For example, if your profession deals
with bass fishing, your notes might say:
-----My first bass fishing story; I caught a big one
-----My name. “I’d like to inform you about professional bass fishing.”
-----Main points: equipment, bait, fishing spots
 Point #1. How fishing equipment evolved over the years. The types of equipment most people prefer.
My personal favorite equipment. Citation: “Florida Angler magazine recommends the Bass Master rod
& reel because…”
 Point #2: Types of bait commonly used. My favorite baits. Citation: Bassresource.com recommends
the Devil Spinner because it can…”
 Point #3: My favorite fishing spots. Popular north Florida bass fishing spots. Citation: “The book Bass
Hunter by Kilgore Trout recommends five lakes near Gainesville; they are…”
-----Recap main points above. Encourage audience to try bass fishing as a profession or just as a hobby. Then
conclude your speech.
This outline format will be the one you’ll refer to when speaking from the lectern. It should be no more
elaborate and contain no more information than the example shown above. Keep it short and simple. Here we
will emphasize again an important point mentioned previously: Don’t read a script or essay; don't read your
speech aloud from the lectern. Except for cited quotes and statistics, you never read aloud during an
extemporaneous speech. You glance at the information on your outline page or note cards, but you speak offthe-cuff, relying largely on your memory of the information you’ve researched. The goal is to sound educated
and conversational, as though you’re explaining something to a group of friends---which is, in fact, what you’ll
be doing in class.
The format for the outline you'll hand in to your instructor may be found on the next page. Structure you own
outline accordingly. List your name, your specific purpose, your central idea, your main points, and your
sources. All this should be typed, not handwritten.
Grading Rubric
There is a college policy that sets up guidelines to measure how much you have learned in all of your courses.
The policy measures attributes known as General Education Learning Outcomes. Within the curriculum of
Public Speaking, these learning outcomes measure your mastery of five skills: Organization, Language,
Delivery, Supporting Material, and Central Message. These five components form the foundation for your
grade. On page 37 you’ll find a sample evaluation form which will be used to grade your Informative, Future
35
History, and Persuasive Speeches. You'll see the footnoted breakdown of the competencies measured as
learning outcomes.
As you practice your presentations, be aware of the grading requirement for the information cited in your
speeches. You only earn points for cited material if you mention the source of it during the speech---not at the
end, as you would in a term paper, and not omitted altogether. Even if you quote and cite a dozen difference
pieces of carefully researched information, if you don’t tell us where the information came from during your
talk, no points will be given for the information. Examine the following list of competencies and ensure that
you exemplify each skill component to the maximum of your abilities; in fact, overdoing it on each one would
almost guarantee a good grade. Special warning: avoid filler noises! They will cost you points.
.............................................................................................
Your Name
SPC 2608
Specific Purpose
written as an
infinitive phrase
Central Idea:
Main Points:
“To inform my audience about …….”
[This is a statement summarizing the main message of the whole speech,
written as one complete sentence.]
I. [This is your first main point; each point and subpoint is written as
one complete sentence.]
A. Your first subpoint is a complete sentence.
B. Your second subpoint is a complete sentence.
1. Your first sub- subpoint is a complete sentence.
2. Your second sub- subpoint is a complete sentence.
a. Your first sub-sub-subpoint is a complete sentence.
b. Your second sub-sub- subpoint is a complete sentence.
II. [This is your second main point written as a complete sentence.]
III. [This is your third main point written as a complete sentence.]
Sources
Last, First. Book Title in Italics. City: Publisher. Year. Print.
Last, F. (Year). Book Title Capitalized. in A.B. Smith (Ed.), Chapter Title Italicized. City: Publisher. Year.
(pp. 123-456). Print.
Last, F. Article title. Magazine or Journal Title Italicized, volume number (issue number). (Year). 23-456
Last, F. Article title. Website.com or Online Journal Name Italicized, volume number (issue number).
Retrieved Month, Day, Year, from http://www.full-name-of-website.com/additional-data.html. Web.
36
Speech Grading Rubric
Absent
Poor
Almost OK
Good
Great
Outstanding
Give us a strong introduction to your topic 1
0
2
5
8
10
12
Clearly state your main points 2
0
3
5
8
10
12
Relate your theme to the people in the room 1
0
3
5
8
10
12
Talk to us; ask questions; interact 3
0
3
5
8
10
12
Use correct vocabulary and topic terms 3
0
3
5
8
10
12
Use connectives to link your main points 2
0
0
5
8
10
12
Give us details and depth in your topic analysis 4
0
0
5
8
10
12
-10
0
5
8
10
12
Smoothly transition to your conclusion 2
0
0
5
8
10
12
Restate and summarize your main ideas 2
0
0
5
8
10
12
Eye contact 5
0
0
3
4
5
6
Connecting with your audience 5
0
0
3
4
5
6
Vocal volume and pitch 5
0
0
3
4
5
6
Word rate: not too fast (or slow) 5
0
1
3
4
5
6
Gesturing with arms and hands 5
0
1
3
4
5
6
Facial expressiveness 5
0
1
3
4
5
6
Posture: not slouching or leaning 5
0
1
3
4
5
6
Animatedness and physical energy 5
0
1
3
4
5
6
Movement around the room 5
0
1
3
4
5
6
Timing 5
0
1
3
4
5
---
-1
-3
-5
-7
-9
-12
Cite sources; tell us where you got your data 4
Filler noise deduction 5
1 - Central Message
2 - Organization
3 - Language
4 - Supporting Material
5 - Delivery
37
GRADED SPEECH #5:
THE FUTURE HISTORY SPEECH
In this class you’ve already talked about your career, which takes place in the larger
context of your life. But what does your life mean? What is your life all about, at
least up until now? How do you define yourself? What kind of person are you? In
what contexts have you thought about your own existence? These are some of the
questions that may be posed to you in your future academic endeavors, as well as in job interviews. Therefore,
it’s worth your time to develop your own ideas on the most important subject of all: You.
Does your life have a specific mission? A purpose? What are the things you value? What’s most important to
you? What are your strengths and good points? What do people like best about you? What challenges would
you like to overcome? And in the future, when you look back to see what your life has been, what would you
like to be able to say about it?
The year is 2046. You are the guest of honor at a testimonial dinner. You are approximately 50 years old and
have lived according to your most important values while doing your best to achieve your personal goals.
Now, hundreds of people have come to hear you talk about your life. You will deliver what is known as a
Special Occasion speech. Pretend that you have been asked to describe all that you’ve accomplished during the
last few decades. Imagine that your goals have been attained, your dreams fulfilled. Everything you’ve ever
wanted is a done deal. Be ready to tell us about that---in the past tense. “Good evening, ladies and
gentlemen. Tonight I’d like to tell you the story of my life.”
Some possible components of this speech might include:
 “I remember once when I was a kid….”
 “The people who have most influenced my life”
 “The values I’ve always tried to live by”
 “What motivated me”
 “The people I’ve influenced”
 “Professional goals I’ve achieved”
 “Personal goals I’ve achieved”
 “Places I’ve visited, places I’ve lived”
 “Relationships I’ve known”
 “Ways that I’ve grown as a person”
Requirements for this speech:
1. An outline.
2. Citations.
Citations? How do I research a speech on events in
my life that have not yet occurred?
It’s simple. You look up and cite information regarding your career(s), or the phases of your life, in a
hypothetical retrospective fashion. Citations should be real, from the present year, not from the hypothetical
future.
“Back in 2016, the website bls.gov said that there would be a need for [X number of] people in my profession
over the next 15 years, and that’s exactly what happened. According to professions.com, individuals in my
field were expected to earn $45,000 per year, but I earned twice that. According to Americanvalues.net, the
38
most important values in our country have traditionally been fairness and sustainability, and I have tried to
live my life in alignment with those principles.”
Take another look at the image on page 32 regarding your passion, profession, vocation, and mission.
Incorporate these into your speech.
For this presentation, you are asked to provide three main points. You can arrange them chronologically
(“What I did in my twenties; my thirties; my forties,” etc.) or in terms of categories (“First I’ll tell you about the
people who most inspired me; then I’ll talk about the values I’ve lived by and where those values came from;
and finally I’ll tell you about the most important achievements I’ve attained.”). Whichever format you follow,
assume that you have arrived at the place in your life where you want to be. To find examples or suggestions,
you may do a web search for “Personal Goals,” “Personal Values,” “Motivation,” or “Inspiration.” Ideas can be
researched at www.my50.com, and inspiring personal essays may be found at www.thisibelieve.org.
You’ll be graded on this according to the same guidelines used in your Informative and Persuasive speeches:
1. Introduction
2. Relating to your audience
3. Previewing your main points
4. Holding people’s interest (this is where your nonverbal skills come into play)
5. Correct terminology
6. Transitions (linking ideas)
7. Using citations
8. Wrapping up
9. Recapping what you want us to remember
ZITS
by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
Here are some online examples.
 Greg Graffin
 Oprah Winfrey
 Steve Martin
39
Chapter 3:
The Societal Context of
Public Speaking
You speak to different people in different ways. The language you use with your best friend contains
vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that you would not necessarily employ when talking with your parents or
with preschoolers. You tailor your speech to your listeners, who can be categorized by types and by stages, and
whose personal growth and knowledge encompass states and lines.
Types
The world is inhabited by different types of people. The biggest typecategory is the most obvious: male and female. Men relate to other
people in a different manner than do women. Men tend to view things
hierarchically; that is, they rank things and people in terms of power and
importance. Women also rank people, but they interact with them
relationally, in terms of connection and commonality. Generally, men
like to act, and to establish status; women like to connect, and to
establish a bond. There is also a measurable gender-based difference in
listening skills.
(If you are the first person in your class to bring up and specifically cite
some of the concepts of listening discussed in this TED talk --- click here
---, you might earn some extra credit for it.)
In most instances you will speak to audiences comprised of both sexes as
well as multiple gender orientations; i.e., straight, gay, bi, transgendered,
and so on. Be careful to not offend people because of their sex or
orientation; be selective of your vocabulary and the terms you use. Do
not use terms such as “That’s so gay.” Instead of man or mankind, say
people or humanity when discussing topics that are not gender-specific.
When discussing professions, don’t generically refer to a doctor as he or
a nurse as she; very few professions are limited to members of only one
sex.
Other types of people are those that we generally categorize into groups,
such as nationality, religion, race, political affiliation, music preference,
sports team preference, and so on. If you speak to an audience consisting
A Note on Gender
Men should be conscious
of negative gender
connotations in the
messages they convey to
women. I've heard 8year-old girls ask each
other if they'd rather be a
boy or girl, due to the
perceived advantages of
being male. One girl
remarked, "If I was a
boy, then the other boys
wouldn't tease me when
we play soccer."
Conversely, I've heard
little boys state, "I'm glad
I'm not a girl," as though
that were an awful thing
to be.
Moreover, I once heard a
young woman complain,
during a presentation to
her class, how unfair it is
that, "If you want to
insult a guy, call him a
girl!", because aspects of
femaleness in men are
seen as undesirable.
Sadly, women also
internalize this
perspective as a norm. I
heard one female student
say to her male friend
who was apparently
demonstrating non-manly
behaviors, "Dude, you're
being a girl." ---thus
belittling her own gender.
40
entirely of one group, you have a certain degree of freedom in employing vocabulary common to members
of that group. Such group-based vocabulary may be highly contextualized. For example, in the hip-hop
community, the term backpacker refers to a fan of non-mainstream hip-hop music. Conversely, amongst
guitar players, the word backpacker is the name of a very slim acoustic guitar that can fit in a hiker’s
backpack.
This brings up the topic of avoiding vocabulary common to you and your group but unfamiliar to others. If
you’re a sports fan and you want to talk about the BCS controversy in football, be aware that some people in
your audience will have absolutely no idea what the letters BCS stand for, or which sport they apply to, or why
there is a controversy about it. If you’re a computer techie and you want to discuss a component of Linux such
as GUI, explain up front that GUI means graphical user interface, and then tell your audience what a graphical
user interface is and why it’s important.
Type Example: The MBTI
Another approach to type might involve the use of a psychological profile such
as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI. This categorizes behavioral
preferences based on a person’s innate tendency to (a) recharge their energy
either in the company of others else or in solitude (Extravert/Introvert); (b)
focus on either sensory input or imaginative speculation (Sensing/ iNtuition);
(c) make decisions based on either logic or emotion (Thinking/ Feeling); and
(d) be either highly organized or free-flowingly spontaneous (Judging/
Perceiving). If time permits, we will go through this assessment in class.
All MBTI types may be equally distributed within a typical audience, and for that reason it might not be
generally necessary to customize one’s message on the basis of the audience’s presumed behavioral style.
However, it appears that among college students there is a preponderance of Extraverts, Sensors, and Judgers,
as opposed to Introverts, iNtuitives, and Perceivers. Moreover, Thinkers tend to be found in higher numbers
among men and Feelers among women. Knowing this, you might wish to structure a classroom presentation
that accommodates the learning preferences of these groups. In this course we will study how to appeal to
reason as well as to emotion, but be aware that, of the two, the appeal to reason has more impact on most
audiences.
In this regard, an inner awareness of one’s own behavioral style may prove useful. For example, at the end of a
long day, if you’re a bit tired and would like to have some time alone to chill, you would be considered an
Introvert. On the other hand, if you’re somewhat fatigued at the end of a school day and your first desire is to
hang out with your friends, you are more of an Extravert. Introverts may have a history of gravitating toward
solitude, which would not necessarily help cultivate the development of social skills that an extraverted speaker
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would have acquired and would therefore capitalize on when delivering a
presentation. However, because Introverts often recharge their energies through
passive endeavors such as reading, they are more likely to become bookworms, to
be better adapted to the school environment that requires a lot of reading, and to
therefore possess the type of intelligence that supports their understanding of the
proper procedures required for crafting a speech that will earn a good grade.
In addition, students whose profile shows them to be more free-flowingly spontaneous (Perceivers) may
encounter greater difficulty in structuring their presentations along mandated guidelines than those who are
more highly organized (Judgers). The former might therefore benefit from devoting extra focus time to
organizing their work in order to ensure that it aligns with the course requirements---again, to get a better grade.
Usually your audiences will be a mixture of many types. The larger the audience, the more varied their
background, and the greater the care you will need in order to avoid offending people or categorizing them
incorrectly. Don’t assume that people in your audience belong to the same group as you, are familiar with your
vocabulary, see the world the same way you do, or know a lot about your topic.
Stages
Individuals grow through various stages or levels. Physical stages include childhood, adolescence, young
adulthood, early adulthood, middle age, and senior citizen. Mental stages pertaining to education include
elementary school, high school, college and graduate school, and perhaps more. In Public Speaking, the most
important stage that you will deal with---and this particular one might almost partake of the characteristics of a
type---is your audience’s age. People who belong to the same age group in any given country may have more
in common with their own generation in other countries than they do with other generations in their own
community. When talking to people of your own age group you will have certain shared experiences.
Referring to those experiences and employing slang or jargon popular among your group will spark their
interest. Speaking to audiences that belong to other age groups will require that you use more general language
and avoid age-specific terminology. Modify your presentation so that it makes sense to your listeners.
There are other significant stages in addition to those noted above. From early infancy until around the age of
seven, most children’s awareness occupies a level known as egocentric. For little kids, the world is all about me
and my things; “I’m a superhero; I’m a princess; I’m a dinosaur; here are my toys, my bike, my family, my
friends,” and so on. The child’s perspective is largely unidirectional, seeing the world primarily from one point
of view. Usually, children have not yet learned how to see the world as others see it; they are not “otheroriented.” (Occasionally, some children fail to outgrow this egocentric perspective. These are often the
individuals who later become bullies, and, perhaps much later, criminals.)
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Beginning roughly around the age of six or seven, and continuing through high school and beyond, most people
transition into another stage: ethnocentric, the belief or conviction that the group to which one belongs is the
best and most desirable. In an expansion of compassion, the child’s focus shifts from me to us. “Our family,
our friends, our school, our team, our religion, our race, our nation.” Oftentimes this view is elevated to “Our
group is the best in the world, better than all the others.” Many adults see life from this perspective, and sustain
this view till the end of their days.
Caution must be used in speaking from an ethnocentric perspective. You have the right to believe in the preeminence of your religion, race, nation, team, or club. But if members of your audience don’t belong to the
same group as you, and you want to speak about the superior beliefs, qualities, or abilities of your own group,
some of your listeners will almost certainly take offence at what you say. To state that your group is
the best implies that you are the best, or at least better than the people listening to
you---an automatic put-down for your audience. When you insult your audience
you metaphorically shoot yourself in the foot. If for no other reason than selfpreservation, such prejudicial stances are to be avoided in Public Speaking
situations. Expressing bias against groups, or against an individual who represents a
group, is guaranteed to backfire.
During the 1800s, Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, was England’s first Jewish Prime
Minister. A conservative, he was strongly disliked by his liberal counterpart, William
Gladstone. During a heated parliamentary debate over whether a particular public park was
suitable for use by British citizens, Gladstone fixed his gaze on Disraeli and stated in a
venomous tone that the park was “fit only for lunatics and Jews”---whereupon Disraeli stood
up and proclaimed, “Come! Let us go there!”
Some people at the ethnocentric stage experience a growth of compassion that transcends their own group, and
shift to a view known as worldcentric, in which awareness evolves from “me” to “us” to “all of us.” A person
viewing humanity from the worldcentric perspective sees commonality between all the peoples of the Earth, and
empathetically acquires a more pronounced “other-oriented” perspective.
Note in the illustration below that each level grows into the next one. We may also say that each level
transcends and includes those that precede it, as illustrated below.
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Worldcentric
Ethnocentric
Egocentric
During the second half of the twentieth century, the worldcentric stage manifested itself strongly as the Civil
Rights era. It led to the promotion for the rights of the oppressed, the rights of minorities, the rights of women,
and so on. Most areas of the working world, and almost all areas of academia, now attempt to address life from
this point of view, recognizing that everyone possesses inherent value and deserves respect. This perspective
has been in place among the majority of educators for the last half-century and is generally considered the
standard to employ in Public Speaking.
A given audience may contain listeners from the ethnocentric as well as the worldcentric categories, and
possibly even a few egocentric personalities as well. A speaker should anticipate this, and construct his or her
presentation accordingly. The egocentric stage is sometimes referred to as pre-rational or pre-conventional. It is
a level of individuality and personal power, represented by the acronym (which resembles a radio station call
sign) “WIIFM”: “What’s In It For Me?” Language that supports one’s feelings of individuality, influence, and
acquisition---“My way or the highway!”--- may strike a resonant chord with egocentric listeners. Ethnocentric
listeners, on the other hand, often inhabit a fundamentalist worldview, and may respond favorably to such
phrases as God, country, family, faith, authority, work ethic, family values, founding fathers, and so on. The
worldcentric stage is regarded as consisting of two significant sub-levels; these may be termed achievist and
pluralist. Listeners in the former group may respond favorably to terms such as excel, success, achieve,
opportunity, and so on, while those in the latter category might tend more towards rights, justice, equality, and
sustainability (or, perhaps, save the planet).
Be aware that anyone has the right to occupy the stage they’re in. Little kids are entitled to be egocentric
because they haven’t outgrown it yet. Adults can be ethnocentric if it serves them well and if no one is harmed
by their attitude or behaviors. Worldcentric individuals have a right to see the world in an egalitarian fashion.
But we should note that the worldcentric mode, unlike the other perspectives, is based upon compassion for all
humanity. In comparing these three stages, we see that the worldcentric stage usually promotes the greater
good.
It has been observed by various developmentalists such as philosopher Ken Wilber that when the worldcentric
(or pluralistic) perspective is taken to an extreme, a flaw arises: if all perspectives are to be granted equal value,
then bigoted attitudes such as those espoused by Nazis and Klansmen (ethnocentric) are automatically accorded
the same degree of respect as the more inclusive and compassionate views of people such as Martin Luther
King, Jr. (worldcentric). Our culture’s attempt to honor everyone’s view equally---to be “politically correct”--elevates the status of lower stages to higher ones. And worldcentrism, when severely overdone, undermines
and contradicts the very values it promotes.
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In order to sidestep the mistake of stretching political correctness to such an extreme that it actually works
against the growth, development, and long-term survival of human culture, we should recognize two truths:
(1) when measured in terms of compassion, some perspectives are more highly evolved than others, and
(2) the development of awareness from egocentric to ethnocentric to worldcentric is a normal path of growth in
all humans. Moreover, growth happens in phases, in a similar fashion to the
insect which transforms itself from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.
It cannot skip levels and go directly from caterpillar to butterfly; it must
evolve through stages. So too with human awareness. We can’t jump from
egocentric to worldcentric. All of us must spend some time in the
ethnocentric stage. You might be there right now, if you believe that your
race, religion, or group is inherently better than others. If that attitude seems
outdated to you, then you may be worldcentric.
(To view a humorous interaction between the ethnocentric and worldcentric stages, click here.)
There is yet another level to which individuals may evolve: the integral stage.
In the context of Public Speaking, the integral stage may be defined as a perspective that
 acknowledges the levels of development of listeners in an audience
 honors the value of each one
 recognizes that each level or stage occupies a place in a hierarchy along a spectrum of compassion and
developmental awareness, and
 regards each stage as a point from which listeners may evolve to higher stages
Most speeches are delivered from the perspective of the ethnocentric and worldcentric domains, which is
appropriate for speakers whose consciousness is embedded in those levels or stages. Integral speakers
acknowledge the necessity and value of the preceding stages, and note that these stages constitute the levels of a
developmental hierarchy which ultimately may be outgrown. Cultivating an integral perspective in your
speaking activities is a desirable goal.
States
In Public Speaking, we try to address audiences from an ethical standpoint. Ethics may be defined as a system
of moral values. An ethical perspective is one that attempts to speak the truth, to speak honestly, and to speak
on behalf of the greater good. We try to not deceive people, but to share truthfulness to the best of
our ability. Ethical Public Speaking may be most readily achieved from a
worldcentric perspective or an integral one. In crafting your speech, keep
in mind that people are always learning, growing, and maturing,
especially in an educational environment. Some grow more slowly than
others, and some may seem to not be growing at all, but everyone’s
perspective evolves over time. A speech that you create may help other
people’s development and upward growth if you structure it strategically,
from an ethical point of view.
When speaking to an audience, you will often want to change their state of understanding or consciousness.
According to Merriam-Webster Online, a state may be defined as a “condition of mind or temperament.” For
our discussion, a state may be defined as a temporary condition of awareness in the mind of your listeners.
When you deliver a speech, especially a persuasive one, you may want to change your audience’s state of
awareness; you may want to change their mind.
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Unless you are delivering a speech to a room full of egocentric-stage listeners such as preschoolers or firstgraders (or incarcerated felons), it’s safe to assume that most people in your audience view the world from
either an ethnocentric or worldcentric perspective. It is possible to contribute to their transition to the next
higher stage by persuading them of the morality of that stage’s perspective. For example, if you are speaking to
a group known for its antipathy toward members of a particular race or religion, you might describe how some
accomplishments achieved by individuals in the disdained group provided help or improved the lives of people
in the listeners’ group. In doing so, you may induce a temporary attitude of inclusiveness or acceptance---a
state---in the minds of the listeners. Repeated exposure to such a state, which is by definition impermanent,
may later contribute to a shift to the next stage, which tends to be permanent once achieved. When we skillfully
support the transition of our listeners’ stage from a current level to a higher one by letting them temporarily
experience a more evolved state, we make a gesture of ethical compassion in support of the common good.
Specific rhetorical techniques that writers and speakers utilize to convince people of an idea’s value will be
studied in Chapter 16 in your online textbook and discussed in class.
Lines
In the context of this discussion, lines refers to lines of development. They could also be termed competencies.
Researcher Howard Gardner writes about multiple intelligences, which include such areas as cognitive, moral,
emotional, interpersonal, and so on. These lines of development, or competencies, may intersect different
developmental stages. For example, a person might have a very high moral line of development occupying the
worldcentric stage, but he or she might have a minimal line of
interpersonal development falling within the egocentric stage. This could
manifest itself as a saintly person who contributes much to the community
but who is an insecure klutz when it comes to dating. Conversely, a
person could be highly evolved along the interpersonal line of
development---again, worldcentric---, but might fall within the egocentric
level in regard to moral development. An example might be a friendly
and outgoing used car salesperson who is willing to deceive a customer in
order to make a fast buck.
When addressing an audience, you may have little or no idea of the
developmental lines they occupy. You don’t know how much they know
or don’t know. As noted above under the heading of Types, we should
not assume our audience knows a lot about the topic of our speech. Speeches about concepts, such as
philosophy or religion, or speeches on technical topics such as engineering or computer programming, may lie
well outside your audience’s background or current level of cognitive abilities. Therefore, as we discussed
previously, you should clearly define the terms and concepts you’ll be using when you begin your speech.
Naturally, you as a speaker are influenced and perhaps limited by your own
developmental lines, which is to say that there are some things you’re good at
or know a lot about, and other things that you’re not good at or know little
about. You are also aware that in the context of this course you will be
expected to demonstrate various types of competencies in each of your
speeches. Some of these involve structuring your presentation within a
specific format. Others require certain types of vocabulary, or use of logic
and reasoning. Still others might emphasize nonverbal skills. You should
therefore work at maximizing each of them for every speech in order to have
a strong impact on your listening audience (and on your instructor who will be
grading your abilities). Fortunately, a complete listing of all these
competencies is included in the evaluation checklist for your speeches, and
such checklists are provided in this eBook after each speech descriptor.
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Chapter 4:
Persuasion and
Public Speaking
Persuasive speeches commonly address one of three issues: questions of fact, questions of value, or questions
of policy. According to author Keith Murphy:
Questions of Fact are those which ask you to answer whether or not something is. These questions are always
answered either "Yes" or "No" and then you must construct body paragraphs to support the facts as you see
them.
 Did this man commit this crime? (Yes or No, and then your evidence)
 Is the wall blue? (Yes or No, and then your evidence)
Questions of Value address the relative merit (goodness or badness) of a thing. Here you are usually asked to
choose between things, ideas, beliefs, or actions and explain why you choose in the manner you did.



Which is more valuable, Love or Money? (Which and then why)
If you could retrieve one thing from your childhood, what would it be and why? (Which and why)
Is it better to work for a living or live for your work? (Which and why)
Questions of Policy ask the speaker to explain what they would do. The key word in these topics is usually
"should" as in "what should we do....". The question asks the speaker to create a plan of action to solve some
sort of problem. The answer is a breakdown of the plan and a justification that it fixes the problem.



What should be done to combat the drug problem? (Plan and justify)
What can be done to slow the rise in teen pregnancy? (Plan and justify)
What should a freshman do to succeed as a student? (Plan and justify)
The above questions may be addressed, either individually or collectively, within a persuasive speech. They
help to support Rhetoric, which is the art of persuasion. Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that there are three
components to Rhetoric: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos, which in the modern Public Speaking curriculum deal with
credibility, reason, and emotion. The first focuses on the ethical character of the speaker, and requires the
pointing out of, or convincing an audience of, the speaker's credibility. The second involves logic. The third
entails arousing the feelings of the audience.
Ethos, the Greek work for character, is developed by proving to the audience
that you know what you're talking about or that, by virtue of who you are, you
are worth listening to. Character implies credibility. Credibility is acquired by
sharing your expertise in your career or profession, or by establishing yourself
as a respectable member of your community. It may also be attained by
earning academic degrees or professional certifications. Credibility is often
displayed by the scope of knowledge you reveal when you speak in front of an
audience. In the context of speeches delivered in the classroom, credibility is
reflected in the research you provide in your argument so as to take into
account all the possible pros and cons, and acknowledging opposing
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perspectives. This also shows character. Conversely, the absence of
character can be found in the behavior of the individual who is willing to
advocate any perspective for selfish reasons rather than to promote
objective truth.
The second component of rhetoric is the appeal to reason or logic.
Derived from the Greek logos¸ which means "word," logic involves the
use of reason to convince an audience that your argument is sound and
solid. In Public Speaking it's crucial to research your topic so that you
provide enough facts, figures, and statistics to
©wileyink 6.29.12
explain your ideas thoroughly. This is why we provide citations and sources to
substantiate the concepts that we talk about. The appeal to reason or logic is
perhaps the most significant way to convince an audience of the validity of your
argument.
The third component of rhetoric is the appeal to emotion. Almost all advertising on
TV, in magazines, and on the internet is designed to appeal to the audience's
feelings. This is known as pathos. According to Professor Jeanne Fahnestock
of the University of Maryland, College Park, pathos is "...an appeal to an audience's
sense of identity, their self-interest, their emotions." This very often involves
addressing the audience on the two most fundamental levels, egocentrism and
ethnocentrism. We are exposed to much of this form of rhetoric in political
speeches during election years. But many speeches from the perspective of pathos
are designed to appeal to everyone's sense of universal fairness and justice, or the
worldcentric standpoint. Out of necessity, the worldcentric point of view carries
within it the egocentric and ethnocentric perspectives. An audience member can be
convinced that "Choosing what's good for the world benefits my own group and me
personally."
In the following pages we will first examine the tools and techniques that appeal to emotion. Then we will look
at reason and logic. If you successfully combine and incorporate these approaches into your speeches, you
should acquire credibility in the eyes of your audience.
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Word Tools: the Appeal to Emotion
You want your speeches to be remembered. The best way to do that is to employ words that contain vivid
imagery. There are various word tools to help make your ideas memorable.
Simile
Simile involves comparison. It states that one thing is like or as another thing. Some common examples
include:
 Bold as brass
 Hard as nails
 Bright as a button
 Dumb as a box of rocks
 Happy as a clam
 Dry as a bone
 Proud as a peacock
 Like taking candy from a baby
 “Losing everything is like the sun going down
on me.” (Elton John)
If you'd like to enjoy some humor, take a moment to look at similes contained within analogies by clicking
here.
Metaphor
Metaphor invokes identity. It states that one thing is another thing:
 War is hell
 God is love
 Life is a gamble
 Ignorance is bliss
 Knowledge is power
 A cat is a pillow that eats
 All the world's a stage (William Shakespeare.)
 Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott ("A mighty fortress is our God") (Martin Luther)
 Life is a highway (Tom Cochrane; Rascal Flatts)
 Baby, you're a firework (Katy Perry)
 Love is an open door (from "Frozen")
 Every day is a winding road (Sheryl Crow)
 All we are is dust in the wind (Kansas)
 You are the magnet and I am the steel (Walter Egan)
 I am a rock, I am an island (Paul Simon)
 She's a super freak (Rick James)
 You are the sunshine of my life (Stevie Wonder)
 Love is a rose (Linda Ronstadt)
 Life is but a dream (Row, Row, Row, Your Boat)
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Parallelism
In parallelism we create sentences or phrases that begin the same way and end differently, or begin differently
and end the same.
A parallel repetition of beginnings is called Anaphora or Epanaphora. Examples:
“Come to me if you need advice; come to me if you need help; come to me if you need friendship.”
“We cannot dedicate; we cannot consecrate; we cannot hallow this ground.”
A parallel repetition of endings is called Antistrophe or Epistrophe. Examples:
“If you need advice, come to me; if you need help, come to me; if you need friendship, come to me.”
“…a government of the people, by the people, for the people…”
Antithesis
Antithesis is a contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, phrases or clauses. You create
antithesis when you place two contrasting or opposite ideas near each other.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
"Say what you mean, and mean what you say."
"Winners never quit and quitters never win."
“It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”
“Plan your work, and work your plan.”
"We learn to read so we can read to learn."
"It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice."
“It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years.”
"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
“To the world you’re one person, but to one person you’re the world.”
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
“Our work is caring, and our care is working.”
“People don’t plan to fail, but they fail to plan.”
"When you cough in your hand, you hand off your cough."
“You can take the girl out of the honky tonk, but you can’t take the honky tonk out of the girl.”
“Fish really bite when it’s raining, but fishing when it’s raining really bites.”
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"One small step for a man, one giant leap for all mankind."
"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."
Michael J. Fox
"What was educationally significant and hard to measure has been replaced by what is educationally
insignificant and easy to measure. So now we measure how well we taught what isn't worth learning."
(Comment on standardized testing by Arthur Costa, Emeritus Professor at California State University)
"Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight?
Why am I trying to see, when there ain't nothing in sight?
Why am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try?
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die?"
(Christopher George Latore Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls)
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have."
President Gerald R. Ford
Denotative and Connotative Language
Denotative language uses purely descriptive words to describe things as they are. These are the words you
would use in an informative speech.
“She walked into the classroom wearing blue jeans and a sweater.”
Connotative language employs words that have more than one meaning and that contain emotional overtones.
These are commonly used in persuasive speeches.
“She glided into the classroom, radiant in her stylish jeans and cozy cashmere sweater.”
Simple Language
Don't use too many fancy or multi-syllable words. As the bumper sticker says, "Eschew obfuscation" (avoid
making things unclear). Simple, clear vocabulary will carry more impact.
Scott Adams 8/18/2012
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Logic: the Appeal to Reason
© Bill Watterson
The next few graded speeches will involve the structured use of reasoning, which is based on common sense.
Here we examine four modes of reasoning:
1. Inductive Reasoning
2. Deductive Reasoning (Syllogism)
3. Causal Reasoning
4. Analogy
Inductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning is usually based on experience or observation. You see a behavior in someone or
something, and then speculate or generalize that the behavior will be repeated elsewhere by that agent or by
other similar agents. There are two common forms of Inductive Reasoning: strong induction and weak
induction. Here is an example of strong induction:
The speech instructor wears suspenders to our class every day. Therefore, the speech instructor wears
suspenders to every speech class he teaches
Here’s an example of weak induction:
The speech instructor wears suspenders to our class every day. Therefore, all speech instructors wear
suspenders to their classes.
The obvious error here is overgeneralization: as assumption that because one member of a population exhibits a
certain behavior, all members of that population will exhibit the same behavior. Many aspects of racism,
sexism, and other “isms” involve the fallacy of overgeneralization, or weak induction. Here is an example of
weak induction employed in persuasion and debate:
Children learn by observing.
Gay couples who adopt children will display homosexual behaviors observed by their children.
Therefore, children adopted by gay couples will learn to be homosexual.
The first statement can be regarded as accurate: children learn by observing. The second statement seems
reasonable: homosexual behavior will be seen among gay couples. But “homosexual behavior” can refer to
anything as innocent as holding hands or giving a hug. The conclusion, “children adopted by gay couples will
learn to be homosexual,” could more accurately be stated, “children adopted by gay couples will learn what
behavior among gay couples looks like.” The argument described in this induction example implies that seeing
homosexual behavior will cause a child to become homosexual. For that argument to be convincing, one would
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first have to provide scientifically validated facts and studies demonstrating that among a sizeable representative
sample of the population of all children adopted by gay couples, a statistically significant percentage of them
have turned out to be gay. However, present research indicates that sexual orientation is seldom influenced by
environment and appears to be biologically predetermined (consider that the vast majority of gay people have
been raised in straight families). Therefore, the argument is weak.
Deductive Reasoning
In Deductive Reasoning, a conclusion is arrived at from known facts. If the premises (proposals, basic
foundational ideas) are true, then the conclusion must also be true. Here is one of the most famous examples of
Deductive Reasoning:
Socrates is a man.
All men are mortal.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
The same line of reasoning can also apply to a nonsense premise:
All football players are humans.
No humans are hatched from chicken eggs.
Therefore, no football players are hatched from chicken eggs.
This format of reasoning is usually referred to as a Syllogism. It
deals with relationships of identity.
All X are Y
No X are Y
Some X are Y
Some X are not-Y
All bunnies are mammals.
No mammals are iPods.
Therefore, no bunnies are iPods.
All zeeps are sneeches.
No sneeches are gazookers.
Therefore, no zeeps are gazookers
As with Inductive Reasoning, it’s possible to use Deductive Reasoning or Syllogism in either a strong or weak
argument. Here is an example of a poorly used Syllogism.
Marijuana is an intoxicant drug.
Intoxicant drugs are addictive drugs.
Therefore, marijuana is an addictive drug.
This conclusion, while not necessarily inaccurate, may be regarded as a possible overgeneralization.
Rephrasing the argument in a more precise fashion can strengthen its premise.
Marijuana is an intoxicant drug.
Intoxicant drugs are addictive drugs for certain people.
Therefore, marijuana is an addictive drug for certain people.
Therefore, to protect those people, marijuana should be illegal for all people.
Causal Reasoning
In Causal Reasoning, an assumption is made that one event or situation leads directly to another event or
situation. For example:
Or:
If you eat too much, you gain weight.
If you’re gaining weight, you eat too much.
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But there might be a completely different cause for the observed effect. (If you’re gaining weight, might you be
pregnant?) Avoid the fallacy of “False Cause” or “Only One Cause.” Here is an example:
“I went to class and fell asleep. Therefore, class is boring.”
But there may be more to the story:
“…and I was up till 4 a.m., and I got up at 6 a.m., and I have mono, and I’m pretty stoned right now.”
Here is another posited connection: Unemployment rates are high because illegal aliens take American jobs.
But there could be other causes for the observed effect:
Unemployment rates are high because foreign products are outselling American products and causing losses in
American businesses. Those businesses have layoffs to survive.
Analogical Reasoning
Analogy involves a comparison of similar cases, and assumes that what is true for one will be true for another:
If you’re good at soccer, you’ll be good at football.
If you like chocolate ice cream, you’ll like strawberry ice cream.
Or:
But….
Can you throw a football accurately? Can you block?
Are you allergic to strawberries?
Here is another example. Some countries have strict gun control laws, and they also have lower rates of crime
than those found in the United States. Is there a connection? We might speculate that
Controlling handguns will decrease U.S. crime like it does in England and Japan.
But the people of England and Japan generally have a much more peaceful character than Americans, so the
comparison might not be valid. For analogies to be valid, they must be based on comprehensive and accurate
information.
© 2004 by Scott Adams
Here’s a popular argument:
It’s legal to smoke tobacco, so it should be legal to smoke marijuana also.
But are the two cases being compared essentially alike?
54
Both tobacco and marijuana are usually smoked. But tobacco contains a physically addictive drug,
nicotine, which creates a need in the user for repeated ingestion. Marijuana contains THC which, while
psychologically habit forming in some people, is not physically addictive. Therefore, smoking tobacco
delivers a physically addictive drug into the bloodstream of the smoker, but smoking marijuana delivers a
potentially psychologically addictive intoxicant into the body of the smoker. The act of smoking either
tobacco or marijuana damages lung tissue and compromises the health of the user, and, to that extent,
they are similar. But their mental effects are dissimilar.
55
Fallacies of Logic to Avoid
The 10 Commandments of Rational Debate
Source: www.relativelyinteresting.com
1. Thou shalt not attack the person’s character, but the argument itself. (“Ad hominem”)
Example: Dave listens to satanic musician Marilyn Manson; therefore, his arguments against
certain parts of religion are worthless. After all, would you trust someone who listens to that devil
worshiper?
2. Thou shalt not misrepresent or exaggerate a person’s argument in order to make them
easier to attack. (“Straw Man Fallacy”)
Example: After Jimmy said that we should put more money into health and education, Steve
responded by saying that he was surprised that Jimmy hates our country so much that he wants to
leave it defenseless by cutting military spending.
3. Thou shalt not use small numbers to represent the whole. (“Hasty Generalization”)
Example: Climate Change Deniers take a small sample set of data to demonstrate that the Earth is
cooling, not warming. They do this by zooming in on 10 years of data, ignoring the trend that is
present in the entire data set which spans a century.
4. Thou shalt not argue thy position by assuming one of its premises is true. (“Begging the
Question”)
Example:
Sheldon: “God must exist.”
Susan: “How do you know?”
Sheldon: “Because the Bible says so.”
Susan: “Why should I believe the Bible?”
Sheldon: “Because the Bible was written by God.”
Susan: “???”
Here, Sheldon is making the assumption that the Bible is factually true, and that therefore his
premise – that God exists – is also true.
5. Thou shalt not claim that because something occurred right before another event, it must be
the cause of that event. (“Post Hoc/False Cause”). This can also be read as “correlation does not
imply causation”.
56
Or: There were three murders in Dallas this week and on each day it was raining. Therefore,
murders occur on rainy days.
6. Thou shalt not reduce the argument down to only two possibilities when there is a clear
middle ground containing multiple possibilities. (“False Dichotomy”)
Example: You’re either with me, or against me. Being neutral is not an option.
7. Thou shalt not argue that because of our lack of complete information on a topic, the claim
must be true or false. (“Ad Ignorantiam”).
Example: Ninety-five percent of unidentified flying objects have been explained; 5% have not.
Therefore, the 5% that are unexplained prove that aliens exist.
8. Thou shalt not lay the burn of proof onto whomever is questioning the claim. (“Burden of
Proof Reversal”).
Example: Marcy claims she sees the ghosts of dead people, then challenges you to prove her
wrong. The burden of proof is on Marcy, not you, since Marcy made the extraordinary claim.
9. Thou shalt not assume that “this” follows “that”, when it has no logical connection. (“Non
Sequitur”).
This is similar to the post hoc fallacy. It differs in this manner: whereas the post hoc fallacy is due to
lack of a causal connection, in the non sequitur fallacy the error is due to lack of a logical
connection.
Example: If you do not buy this Vitamin X supplements for your infant, you are neglecting her.
10. Thou shalt not claim that because a premise is popular, it must therefore be true.
(“Bandwagon Fallacy”).
Example: Just because a celebrity like Dr. Oz endorses a product doesn’t make it any more legitimate.
57
GRADED SPEECH #6:
THE PERSUASIVE SPEECH
In the Persuasive Speech you will share an opinion with us. You will attempt to
convince us that your point of view is true, valid, and correct. Recall that the topic
of your Informative Speech was your career, in which we focused on the concept
that your job should involve activities that make you happy, and thereby make
your life a better place. For your Persuasive Speech, you will focus on ways to contribute to the overall
happiness of humanity. That’s a tall order. You will use your skills in logic, analysis, and critical thinking to
pull it off. Specifically, your topic should relate to one of two areas: Ethics or Sustainability. The former
involves Doing What’s Right for the Greater Good. The second supports Ways to Create a Thriving World.
These may be combined. You should craft a speech that examines social justice, responsible ecological
stewardship, and/or sustainability awareness.
You may have one or more strong opinions that you would like to express to the class in this exercise. Feel free
to do so. But make sure your opinions are supported by facts. In this case, "facts" are not merely citations or
quotes by others who feel the same as you do. It's not enough to argue that because three or four educated
people believe in something, it is therefore valid and true (see the "Bandwagon Fallacy" on the preceding page).
For our purposes, "facts" implies data: numbers, statistics, and verifiable information. Without such numbers,
any argument is weak. For example, you might want to argue in favor of the existence of God. There are no
numbers or scientifically obtainable statistics to prove that God exists. However, there are studies containing
verifiable numbers demonstrating the percentage of Americans who believe in God. Those numbers could
become part of your argument.
Here are the important components of this speech.
1. You must hand in an outline
2. Citations will be required. Research is limited to books and journals. Website sources will not be
permitted except in addition to citations from three physical sources.
© 2013 by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
3. For this speech you will use PowerPoint or a comparable imaging program. Details are provided on
pages 61 to 64.
4. Of the various possible formats that apply to Persuasive Speeches, you will employ an approach known
as Monroe's Motivated Sequence. On the next page you’ll find an explanation of how it works.
58
Remember that you’ll be graded on the same components as in your prior Informative Speech. Within the
format required, you’ll have to utilize examples of reasoning (Deductive, Inductive, etc.) while also satisfying
the usual requirements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Give us an introduction to the topic
Relate the topic to your listeners’ lives
Preview the body of the speech
Interact with your listeners
Use correct terminology
6. Use transitions and connectives between your ideas
7. Clarify and elaborate on the concepts you discuss
8. Use citations
9. Let us know when you’re wrapping it up
10. Summarize the main idea you want us to remember
Regarding the subject areas of Ethics and Sustainability, possible topics might include but are not limited to the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Abortion: What is a human being?
[requires instructor permission]
Adoption
Affirmative action laws
Air bags
Amnesty
Animal rights
Animal testing in medicine
Birth control
Carrying concealed weapons on
campus
Corporal punishment/spanking
Carbon footprint
Censorship of the Internet
Civility in the classroom
Confederate flag: it's origins, forms,
and meaning
Creationism/Evolution
[requires instructor permission]
Death penalty/capital punishment
Discrimination laws
Distributing condoms in schools
Does dieting lead to eating
disorders?
Donor insemination: selling babies?
Drinking age: Lower it or not?
Drunk driving
Eating less meat
Eating breakfast to lose weight
Electoral college
Emotional Intelligence
Endangered species
Ethical consumerism/green shopping
Ethical vegetarianism
Euthanasia
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
Fast food and lowered test scores
Feminism
Food additives
Food stamps
Foreign policy
Fur is not a fashion statement (using
animal fur for coats)
Gay adoption
Gay marriages
Gene testing for child selection
Genetic engineering
Genetically modified foods
Global warming: fact or fiction
Gun control/gun laws
Homelessness
Hormones in animal feed
Human cloning
Human trafficking
Hunting laws
Immigrants and illegal aliens
Immunity rights for political leaders
Legalizing prostitution
Mandatory seatbelt laws
Marijuana decriminalization*
Marijuana legalization*
Media ethics
Mail order brides
Mothers should stay at home
Nuclear weapons
Organ donation
Palm Oil
Pesticide use
Pet adoption
Physician-assisted suicide
64. Polygynandry (multiple spouses)
65. Poverty
66. Priests: Should they be allowed to
marry?
67. Privacy rights for celebrities
68. Public office terms
69. Racial profiling
70. Reincarnation
71. Religions: Should they interfere
with medical care?
72. Right to own pitbulls
73. School prayer
74. Should American companies go
overseas for workers?
75. Sex-based privileges
76. Sexualization of young girls in
American culture
77. Spaying and neutering pets
78. Speed limits
79. Stem cell research
80. Steroids
81. Student debt
82. Tanning beds
83. Tattoos in the workplace
84. Tax laws
85. Terrorism
86. Test tube babies
87. The war: does it help the U.S.?
88. Violence on TV
89. Water conservation
90. Women in the military
91. Wrestling and football: Should girls
participate?
92. Zombie Apocalypse
*(In presentations on the topic of marijuana, do not cite the multiple available uses of the hemp plant to support your argument. They
are two related but distinct plants. Nobody can get high on hemp.)
The Format You Should Use: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a persuasive format that has been used in ads and commercials for years
because it successfully convinces people that the idea being promoted---whether product, service, or policy---is
worthwhile and deserves their support. It involves five clearly defined steps:
59
a. Attention Step--- Tell us a story about a disturbing or startling situation,
event, or condition.
b. Need Step--- Show us there is a need here, a lack of something, a
problem that has not been resolved.
c. Satisfaction Step--- Describe how the problem could be fixed
d. Visualization Step--- Illustrate how the world will be a better place if
the problem is fixed
e. Action Step--- Tell us the specific things we should do to help fix the
problem
Please click here to see the process used in a satire.
To align your speech with these components, use the Attention Step as your opening story, question, or other
attention-getting device. Then use the next three steps---Need, Satisfaction, and Visualization--- as your three
main points. Finally, use the Action Step as your summary and wrap-up.
In terms of formatting the information, this grid may help:
Within the introduction:
Describe a major problem that requires our attention.
Within main point #1:
Tell us the cause of the problem.
Tell how this problem impacts you.
Within main point #2:
Show us how good our lives
would be if the problem were
fixed.
Tell how this problem impacts us.
Within main point #3:
Describe a major instance where
the problem has been fixed.
Tell how this problem impacts the
world.
Within the conclusion: Encourage the audience to do everything they can to fix the problem and
make the world a better place.
60
You will need to use PowerPoint, or another comparable imaging program, to support your speech. In using
PowerPoint, many people focus on making fancy slides, and pay little attention to the proper formatting of their
speech. Moreover, many people mistakenly think PowerPoint’s presentation capabilities supersede the
speaker’s own communication skills. However, the reverse is true. Your speech should be a complete
presentation for which PowerPoint is not a necessity but rather an embellishment. If a technical glitch prevents
you from using your slides, you should still be able to deliver an effective speech. Therefore, create the speech
before you design any PowerPoint slides.
After you have put your speech together, you will be ready to create a slideshow to support it. We will do a
PowerPoint tutorial in class. Here are the parameters for using PowerPoint.
1. Use only five slides, one for each of the five steps in the Motivated Sequence.
2. Except for the very first slide---the opening/title slide---, you should use no animation, no dancing
words, no flashy images, and no textured background in the slides.
3. In slides 2 through 5, if you wish to use verbiage at all, place a header box at the top of each slide. The
header box should contain a simple complete sentence of no more than 12 words. The font should be a
sans serif font like Ariel (a sans serif font looks like this) rather than a serif font like Times New Roman,
which is used throughout this eBook.
4. In slides 2 through 5, beneath the header box, use an image---not words, but an image---to represent the
idea specified in the header text.
The reason for this last requirement is that images often carry more impact than words, and linger longer in the
viewer’s memory. Compare this slide...
Help to fight world hunger.
The World Health Organization estimates that
one-third of the world is well-fed, one-third is
under-fed, and one-third is starving. While
you read this, at least 200 people have died
of starvation. Over 4 million will die this year.
…with this one:
Help to fight world hunger.
61
Which one will you remember tomorrow? Images remain in our mind’s eye. Showing this second slide while
speaking the words in the prior slide would more than double the impact for your audience.
Note: In our culture we are accustomed to seeing disturbing images. The picture above is an example; it shows
a child suffering from malnutrition. As you review and select images for your PowerPoint slides, use powerful
images. But don't select ghastly ones. Do not show us pictures of people who are dead or dying.
Images under a slide header are more memorable than words. Conversely, text within the header is less
memorable than an image. When the audience is listening to a speaker while trying to read words in a slide, the
two processes distract from one another, and people cannot efficiently do both at once without slowing down
their absorption of information. This overloads their sensory input and reduces what they will learn and
remember. So keep the header text simple: 12 words in a complete sentence.
Slideshow Beginning
Your first slide should be black, showing nothing on the screen that will divert your audience’s attention away
from your opening story, question, or other introductory comments. To create a black slide, right-click on the
blank slide, click on Format Background, click in the Color box, and select black. You can also use the Shapes
command to draw a box the full size of the slide. In the Shape Fill command, click on the color black.
Now type in your title, along with your name, and change the font color from black to white so your audience
can see it against the dark background. Then click on the text box around the letters, click on Animations,
Custom Animations, Add Effect (located to the right by the star in a box), click on Entrance, Fade, and On
Click. (If that seems too complicated, just start with a black slide, and then use a second black slide with your
title information on it.)
During your presentation, after you’ve completed your opening audience-connection message, left-click the
mouse or hit Enter or Page Down. Your title will reveal itself.
The title appears
when you click.
Your first/title slide should be the only one employing animation of this type, and only because it lends a touch
of intrigue and drama to your opening while not distracting your audience prior to the appearance of the title
verbiage. But all the remaining slides should omit animation in order to avoid distracting the audience.
Main Points Slides (second, third, and fourth)
Your three main points should consist of steps 2, 3, and 4 in the Motivated Sequence. Your three main points
that you state at the end of your introduction and your first slide would therefore be:
1. The existing need for what you propose
2. The potential fulfillment of that need
3. The actualized fulfillment of that need.
62
As you construct slides for your three main points, try to address the developmental levels of the people in your
audience. Select verbiage and images that cascade in significance from the individual to the collective,
addressing the personal, the community, and the suprapersonal. To put it another way, the slides should cover:
1. What’s in it for me (or for you) if we address this problem?
2. What’s in it for us if the need were to be resolved?
3. What’s in it for all of us when the problem is fully resolved?
This approach will have greater impact on the audience. The following slides representing three main points
exemplify this concept while also demonstrating how to use parallel wording within the main point headers for
increased clarity and memorability.
This innovation will benefit
you.
This innovation will benefit
the community.
Conclusion Slide (fifth)
Your final slide should urge everyone in your audience
to go forth today to fix the problem. If you wish, you may
use a split screen approach and divide the slide from left
to right, with the text on the left.
This innovation will benefit
the world.
Do something
now!
Slide Formatting
As already noted, text in the header should consist of a complete sentence of no more than 12 words. For
images, you may wish to create photographs to upload into your slideshow. Otherwise, a plethora of images can
be found online, oftentimes for free, though you should use caution for copyrighted material. Searching
Google® under the heading of Images will usually yield fruitful results.
A strong contrast should exist between font color and background color. Black letters on a white background
are easy to read. Dark blue letters on white work well, as do white letters on black, dark blue, or dark green.
Avoid red, orange, or yellow backgrounds; they induce psychological discomfort in the viewer. Don’t use the
patterned background options offered in PowerPoint. Background images and patterns may look pretty, but they
can distract the viewer from the focal point of the slide.
63
Saving Your Work
After you create the slideshow, save it to a portable memory device, such as a flash drive or CD, and email it to
yourself as a backup.
To see a very good example of a persuasive speech delivered by someone much younger than you, click here.
64
GRADED SPEECH #7:
THE DEBATE
A debate will test your skills in critical thinking and in presenting welldeveloped ideas. The purpose of the debate is to convincingly prove your
point and to disprove someone else’s. You are expected to employ real
and hypothetical examples, and to provide logic, reasoning, comparison,
analogy, facts, figures, statistics, and other pertinent information to show
that the ideas you present are valid.
You and the members of your debate team may select your own topic. You may want to revisit the topics
related to Ethics or Sustainability that you used in your Persuasive speech. The skills you demonstrate in a
debate are not topic-specific; your style of presenting ideas and attitudes should be generalizable to any subject.
For the purpose of debating, it doesn’t matter what you personally believe in. What matters most is the way you
construct an oral argument to convince people that a particular point of view merits their acceptance. The
pinnacle of debate skill can be demonstrated in arguing against something you already believe in. For example,
if you believe that abortion should be legal, you would strongly develop your debate skills by creating a
counterargument against abortion. If you believe that marijuana should be decriminalized, then successfully
arguing against its decriminalization would mark you as a highly skilled thinker.
Debates involve two teams: an affirmative team and a negative team. The affirmative team wants to change the
way things are. If something is illegal, the affirmative team will argue that it should be legal. If certain
conditions exist, the affirmative team will argue to change those conditions. The negative team, conversely,
wants no changes to occur. The negative team argues that current conditions should remain exactly the same,
and that to change those conditions would be hurtful to or inappropriate for society.
A debate focuses on one single issue, pro or con. It does not pit two policies, entities, or concepts against one
another. Here are examples of correct and incorrect approaches to debate topics.
UF has a
superior
football
program
INCORRECT
FSU has a
superior
vs.
football
program
INCORRECT
Republicans
Democrats
embody
embody
American
vs.
American
values
values
UF has a
superior
football
program
CORRECT
UF does not
have a superior
vs. football
program
CORRECT
Republicans
Republicans do
embody
not embody
American
vs. American values
values
Each debate team usually contains four members. After the members
jointly select a topic, they then divide into two teams of two, and decide
who among them will present the affirmative argument and who will
present the negative argument. All members will, jointly and separately,
research their topics, and will stage their debate on an assigned date. The
debate process is usually more interesting if the affirmative team and the
negative team separate from each other and conduct their research in private
rather than with the whole group. For this reason, the affirmative team
members should not tell the negative team members about the data they have researched, and vice versa.
65
At the end of the debate, the entire class will vote on which team won the debate. Winning or losing a debate
will not determine your grade. Each participant will be graded individually on their argumentation and thinking
skills demonstrated during the debate. Use the components of the debate evaluation form on page 69 as a
guideline for your presentation.
There are three segments to a debate: the constructive speech, the rebuttal
speech, and the cross-examination. For the first segment, begin by clearly
stating your thesis or central idea, such as “Marijuana should be
decriminalized.” Note: the only time you introduce information (facts, data,
citations, etc.) is during the first part of the debate, the constructive speech.
As noted above, it’s recommended that you don’t tell your opponents about
the information you’ll use in your argument. However, you should try to
anticipate what they will say so that you can address it in your rebuttal.
You should therefore research information on both sides of the issue: one side for you and your partner to
promote, the other side for the two of you to attack.
Within the second phase, the rebuttal, you will not employ new information. You will only argue against the
other team’s reasoning, or countermand their facts if you happen to have supporting data to the contrary. In the
third phase, the cross examination, you will answer a question based on information already provided.
As you construct your argument around the chosen topic, make sure that you address questions of fact,
questions of value, and questions of policy, as mentioned previously in this eBook. Specifically,
 Cite abundant data, details, and statistics that support your side of the argument
 Build a solid description of the moral, ethical, and humanitarian implication and ramifications of your
perspective
 Explain the rules, regulations, or laws which should be enacted to make your vision a reality
Researching the Debate
You may certainly use valid Web sources for this exercise. Books are also recommended. Library databases
are highly suitable; we will discuss these in class. If you limit your research to the Internet, you may be tempted
to plagiarize by copying and pasting sentences, paragraphs, or pages from websites into the notes you’ll be
using. Don’t do that; you’ll get busted. You may paraphrase---you should paraphrase---but don’t plagiarize.
Moreover, don't just tell us someone else's opinions. Your debate argument should be created by you, not by
Stone Soup 1/21/13
an online or printed citation source. You should present your own ideas supported and substantiated by the
research of others; we want to hear your ideas foremost, and the ideas of other people secondarily, and only
when they sanctify your own thoughts. The aspects of the debate on which your research and formatting will be
graded include the following:
66
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Defining topic and terms
Reasoning: inductive, deductive (syllogism), causal, analogical
Creativity and insightfulness in argumentation
Supporting points by citations
Summary/conclusion
You will be called upon to create a very convincing argument that fulfills these requirements, without copying
and pasting into your notes more than a sentence or two in the form of a direct quote. Instructors often observe
common telltale signs that a student has copied and pasted excessive online source material into their debate
notes. These symptoms of plagiarism include:
 Staring at and reading from note pages during most or all of the constructive phase of the debate, with
little or no audience eye contact.
 Mispronouncing words because they are unfamiliar to the student.
 Using vocabulary and phraseology that the student never uses in the classroom.
If you exhibit these behaviors, you might be asked to hand in all your notes to the instructor after the debate.
You are permitted to directly quote no more than three sentences per citation
source; additional paraphrased information may be derived from each source you
use. If it is discovered that you have copied more than three sentences of directly
quoted citation material from any source, points will be deducted from your
grade, at the instructor’s discretion. If it is found that you copied full paragraphs
or pages into your notes, 50 points will be retroactively deducted from your
grade, resulting in an F for your debate grade.
That said, you are encouraged to engage in online research in a responsible fashion. A bountiful supply of
research on the pros and cons of dozens of topics can be found in our library's databases.
Behavioral Protocols
1. Previously in this eBook you saw the injunction against reading aloud during a speech. Keep that in
mind while presenting your debate. During the opening segment, many students are strongly tempted to
spout a plethora of facts and figures, staring at pages of documentation while making no eye contact
with their audience. Avoid that hazard. The debate is not a data dump; it is a tag-team speech, and
speeches require eye contact with the audience. Even a newsreader on TV maintains eye contact with
the camera. Your eyes should be on your audience more than on your notes.
2. Do not use a laptop for your notes during the debate. It obstructs the
audience's view of your face. Also, don't use your phone. You may use an
iPad or other device of similar size, provided that you maintain plenty of eye
contact with the audience. Otherwise, print out your notes or hand-write
them. There are multiple resources on our campus for printing notes, so don’t
show up in the classroom without your notes and say that you didn’t have time to print them. As noted
earlier in this eBook, you have time for what you make time for.
Constructive Speech: Seven minutes per person
The constructive speech is a persuasive speech delivered sitting down. The standard rules for persuasive
speeches apply: introduction, main points, citations, transitions, summary, etc. During the constructive speech,
each participant states their position on the selected topic. Opinions are expressed, examples are given, facts
67
and figures are cited, and terminology is defined. You will establish that a problem exists and explain why it
exists.
As mentioned previously, the constructive speech is the only time in the debate wherein arguments are
introduced and information is provided. As each participant speaks, members of the opposing side should be
taking detailed notes to assist in later counter-arguments during the rebuttal. The order of speakers is as
follows:
 First Affirmative Speaker

First Negative Speaker
 Second Affirmative Speaker

Second Negative Speaker
Rebuttal Speech: Four minutes per person
During the rebuttal speech you will attack your opponents’ arguments. In doing so, don’t just give us more
reasons why your side of the argument is right. Instead, emphasize why the other team is wrong, in this
manner:
1. Point out flaws in their logic and reason.
2. Mention instances where they provided data without citing it.
3. Challenge their facts and data, but only if you can provide sources citing information to the contrary.
With the exception of item #3 above, remember that you are not allowed to introduce any new arguments or
information during the rebuttal. Therefore, don’t write your rebuttal before the debate begins; that’s like trying
to hit a baseball before the pitcher throws it to you. Take notes while your opponents speak, and use the
information in those notes to find fault with what they say. You may cite data that contradicts your opponents’
stance only if you have specific information which addresses concepts that your opponents brought up in their
opening argument. The order of speakers is as follows:
 First Negative Speaker

First Affirmative Speaker
 Second Negative Speaker

Second Affirmative Speaker
Cross-Examination
In the cross-examination, each participant poses one simple, concise, topically relevant question to the opposing
team. Each member of that team should respond. Don’t argue with your opponents; just ask a brief question
and let them answer. The order of speakers is as follows:
 First Affirmative Speaker

First Negative Speaker
 Second Affirmative Speaker

Second Negative Speaker
On the next page you’ll find a sample evaluation form which will be used to grade your debate presentation.
Examine it closely so you’ll know what is expected of you during the debate.
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Debate Grading Rubric
Constructive Speech
Absent
Yuck
Hmmm
Maybe
OK
Very Good
Outstanding
Eye contact
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
Vocal volume, word rate
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
Animatedness and enthusiasm
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
Defining topic & terms
0
2
4
7
10
13
14
Reasoning: inductive, deductive
(syllogism), causal, analogical
0
2
4
7
10
14
15
Creativity & insightfulness in
argumentation
0
2
4
7
10
14
15
Supported points by citations
0
0
0
6
9
14
15
Summary/conclusion
0
2
4
7
12
14
17
State the point you’re about to
attack
0
2
4
9
11
12
13
Challenge your opponent’s logic
and reasoning
0
2
4
7
10
12
14
Summary/conclusion of attack
0
1
3
5
7
10
12
Phrasing short, polite questions
that stick to the topic
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Creativity & insightfulness in
defending your views
0
2
4
6
8
10
14
----
-2
-4
-6
-8
- 10
- 12
Rebuttal Speech
Cross-Examination
Penalty for asking your team
member to help you ask/answer
questions
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Extra Credit Option
Attend a public lecture, analyze it using the guidelines shown below, and give us a speech about it in class.
You can only do this extra credit exercise once during the semester. The lecture should be one that you attend
in person during the current semester; not an online video lecture, and not something you attended in the past.
Lectures are offered here at Santa Fe College, at the University of Florida, and at other places around town.
For information on other local presentations, check the Scene magazine listings in the Thursday edition of the
Gainesville Sun.
You can earn up to 30 points of extra credit for this exercise, depending on how thoroughly you analyze the
speech and follow the required guidelines. In your analysis, your recap of the speaker's intended message
should comprise no more than a sentence or two. We don't want to hear what the speaker said; we want to hear
how they said it, how the audience behaved, and how you felt about it.
Read the instructions below carefully, noting that there are four components of the analysis that must be fully
addressed in your speech. You won’t be writing a paper to read aloud; you’ll merely plan and outline your
speech according to these guidelines and deliver it accordingly. Time will be allotted to deliver these speeches
in the classroom. You should try to attend a public presentation early in the semester. If you wait till the end
of the term, you’ll be busy with studying and finals, and there might not be any local presentations that would
fit your schedule.
Part 1. Start with a story or a quote derived from the presentation you attended
Part 2. Tell us about the demographics of the event:
----The speaker’s name and credentials/biography
----The title of the speech
----The event location, date, and time
----The nature of speaker’s message: informative, persuasive, special occasion, etc.
----The speaker’s style: dynamic or relaxed, animated or immobile; posture; amount of
gesturing, eye contact, facial expression, vocal expressiveness; voice pitch, voice
volume (if unamplified); engaging the audience; visual appearance/attire
----The speaker’s supports: visual aids, exhibits, models, PowerPoint, overheads, anecdotes,
stories, personal experiences, connectives, etc.
----Layout and size of the physical facility
Part 3.
Describe the audience and its behaviors:
----The estimated number of attendees
----The estimated age range of attendees
----Their public behaviors: alert/distracted, focused/unfocussed, interested/disinterested,
attentive/inattentive; rapt, watchful, yawning, arriving late, leaving early, asking
questions, engaging the speaker
Part 4.
Relate your feelings about the event:
----Why did you choose to attend this particular speech?
----What was your first impression of the speaker? Did your impression change as the
speech progressed or after it ended?
----What did you like best about the speech?
----What did you like least?
----If the speech could be improved, how would you change it?
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Additional points you should cover in your analysis:




Did the speaker have an attention-gaining opening?
What kind of opening technique did she or he use?
Did the speaker establish him- or herself as a credible source?
Did the speaker give a brief outline of what ideas were to follow?




Were the speaker's ideas clearly organized so you could easily follow the development of ideas?
Were the speaker's ideas clearly stated so they were easy to understand?
Did the speaker's evidence and examples back up the main contentions?
Was the speaker's reasoning logical?



What special techniques did the speaker use in getting the ideas across?
Did the speaker effectively summarize in the conclusion?
Did the speaker end with an effective concluding statement?






Was the speaker's rate of delivery smooth and easy to follow?
Did the speaker use much vocal variety and inflection to emphasize the points?
Was the speaker's volume loud enough to be easily heard?
Did the speaker effectively use gestures and facial expressions to communicate ideas?
Was enthusiasm for the subject easily noticeable because of the speaker's vocal and non-verbal actions?
Did the speaker use verbal dysfluencies: "uh”, "um,", “like”, and "you know?"




Did the speaker seem interested in audience response to the message?
Did the speaker attempt to establish eye contact with members of the audience?
Did the speaker attempt to orient the message to the specific group being addressed?
Did the speaker appear to be responsive to audience feedback?




How would you characterize the audience's reaction to the speaker's message?
What do you think was the audience's reaction to the speaker's style of delivery?
Did the audience provide effective feedback to the speaker?
Do you think audience members were strongly moved or had their attitudes changed because of the
speaker's message?
Did the audience members ask questions and perceive that they received effective answers?

71
Appendix “A”
Public Speaking and Your Career
From Bookrags.com:
In general, jobs that are pursued by people skilled in speech and public speaking involve three things:
(1) dealing with the public, (2) organizing information, and (3) exhibiting individual responsibility.
Typical careers for individuals skilled in public speaking include advertising executive, attorney, corporate
communications officer, corporate trainer, customer service representative, human resources manager,
organizational development specialist, public relations professional, sales representative, and television reporter.
Training in speech and communication is also important for individuals who desire employment as
administrators, audience coordinators for television programs, business analysts, computer consultants, digital
media specialists, entertainers, financial consultants, hospitality managers, insurance agents, librarians,
marketing professionals, mediators, nonprofit development officers, project development specialists, retail
buyers, social workers, telecommunications consultants, travel agents, and television producers.
From the above lists, it may seem that any professional career could benefit from training in speech and public
speaking, and, in fact, that is probably true. Training in public speaking helps individuals develop
organizational skills, the ability to be comfortable when talking in front of both large and small groups, and
effective means to persuade others. These skills contribute to effectiveness in almost any career situation.
(Source: http://www.bookrags.com/research/public-speaking-careers-in-eci-03/)
Recommendations from your Instructor
Throughout the United States and around the world there are large numbers of public speakers who annually
earn six figures or higher by doing what you have done in speech class. Some of them take the experience
acquired in their jobs and careers and turn it into a presentation. Some do so with their hobbies and pastimes.
Many of these people study a topic they love until they become authorities on it, and they then find an audience
that wishes to hear about it.
Regardless of a person’s beginnings, profession, or background, anyone possessing strong communication skills
can flourish as a paid speaker. You could do so if you wish---without changing your current career direction.
You can proceed with your present career plans and be a paid speaker as well. Here’s how.
1. Think of any topic that you know a lot about, or one that you like a great deal, perhaps related to your job,
your major, or to some other activity. Conduct a web search by typing the name of that topic along with the
words “speaker,” “public speaker,” or “professional speaker.” You will find websites of people who know the
kind of things you know, and who have learned to talk to audiences about them in exchange for money. If they
can do it, so can you.
2. Visit the website of the National Speakers Association (www.nsaspeaker.org). Look at the site’s “Find A
Speaker” link. From here, you can use various search criteria to locate speakers, either using the "areas of
expertise" function, "metro area" or "keyword search". Examine the listings of speakers and their topics. See
which ones involve your own knowledge sets and interests.
72
3. To learn the business aspect of making a living as a paid speaker, you will have to do some homework and
research. Various books and websites can assist you. Conduct searches for books, articles, and website that
deal with becoming a paid professional speaker.
4. Locally, the central Florida chapter of the National Speakers Association brings professional presenters to
the Tampa vicinity every month. The chapter holds meetings in which these visiting speakers advise other
presenters on the best approaches to achieving commercial success in the field. The central Florida chapter also
hosts its own speakers’ academy from time to time. Their web address is www.nsacentralflorida.com. At that
site you can also review lists of Florida speakers categorized by topic specialty.
5. Your speaking style may benefit from some fine-tuning and modification in order to achieve a high level of
expertise, but that can be accomplished with practice and feedback. I recommend that you take the following
steps. First, create a presentation with a particular local audience in mind; put together a talk. Then contact
local groups whose meetings are advertised in the newspaper, and offer to speak for free; this is how you get
started. When you schedule a presentation---and this is crucial---, obtain a videocamera (or at least a camera in
your phone) and record your speech. Later, watch it and critique yourself. The speech evaluation components
listed for informative and persuasive speeches in your eBook can serve as your guidelines. Listen to your voice,
inflection, volume, language, and filler noises. Watch your body language, stance, gesturing, and eye contact.
Analyze your delivery style in terms of energy, presence, and interacting with your audience as opposed to
merely talking to them. From this you will determine what, if anything, you would like to work on as you
develop your style. Don’t be dismayed if your presentation doesn’t seem perfect at first. With time you will
achieve perfection.
73
Appendix “B”
Pat Breslin’s Schedule for Spring 2016
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Office
Office
Office
Office
Office
8:00
9:00
10:00
Public Speaking
SPC2608.019
P-165
Public Speaking
SPC2608.013
L-203
Public Speaking
SPC2608. 019
P-165
Office
11:00
Public Speaking
SPC2608.005
P-165
Public Speaking
SPC2608.012
L-203
Public Speaking
SPC2608.013
L-203
Public Speaking
SPC2608. 019
P-165
Office
Public Speaking
SPC2608.005
P-165
Public Speaking
SPC2608.012
L-203
Public Speaking
SPC2608.005
P-165
12:00
Office
Office
Office
Public Speaking
SPC2608.015
L-203
1:00
Public Speaking
SPC2608.006
P-165
Office
Public Speaking
SPC2608.015
L-203
Public Speaking
SPC2608.006
P-165
Office
Office
Public Speaking
SPC2608.006
P-165
Office
2:00
3:00
74