This course is an introduction to speech communication which emphasizes the practical skill of public speaking, including techniques to lessen speaker anxiety, and the use of visual aids to enhance speaker presentations. Civility and ethical speech-making are the foundations of this course. Its goal is to prepare students for success in typical public speaking situations and to provide them with the basic principles of organization and research needed for effective speeches. Because life in postmodern America requires coping skills from all of us, we should not overlook “the role of speech in public settings,” according to J. Michael Sproule (The Heritage of Rhetorical Theory, New York: McGraw Hill, 1997), who states: “In fact, Americans today seem to have only two real alternatives in coping with the challenges of the era – better speech or sullen silence.” The goal of this course is the former.
