Com A-Midterm 1

7 ways to become a better listener.

1) Take Listening Seriously 2) Be an Active Listener 3) Resist Distractions 4) Don't be diverted by Appearance or Delivery 5) Suspend Judgement 6) Focus your listening 7) Develop note-taking skills

Discuss methods of controlling nervousness and making it work for, rather than against, the speaker.

1. Acquire speaking experience: The more you become accustomed to a situation, the less threatening it will become. 2. Prepare: Pick speech topics you care about and prepare them so well that you can't do anything but succeed. The more practice you have, the more comfortable you will become. 3. Think positively: Confidence- If you think you can do it, you will. By controlling your nerves you can focus on your speech. 4. Use the power of visualization: Picture yourself, days before the speech, as being successful and working through mistakes in your speech. 5. Most nervousness is not visible: If you act calm and collected, it is often difficult for the audience to sense your extreme nervousness. 6. Don't expect perfection: There is no such thing as a perfect speech. Often your audience will not notice your mistakes either. They are not judging looking for a perfect performance.

Identify and discuss the five major methods of organizing main points in a speech.

1. Chronological: The main points follow a time order. 2. Spatial: The main points follow a directional pattern. 3. Causal: The main points show a cause-effect relationship. 4. Problem-solution: The first main point deals with the existence of a problem and the second main point presents a solution to the problem. 5. Topical: The main points divide the topic into logical and consistent subtopics.

Explain three ways to avoid abstractions in an informative speech.

1. Description: A statement that depicts a person, event, idea, or the like with clarity and vividness. Can describe internal feelings as well. 2. Comparisons: Put the subject in concrete, familiar terms. A statement of the similarities among two or more people, events, ideas, etc. 3. Contrast: A statement of the differences among two ore more people, events, ideas, etc.

Explain and apply the six guidelines for informative speaking.

1. Don't overestimate what the audience knows: You can't make assumptions on what they know. Make sure to explain everything. They have to understand everything the first time you say it. 2. Relate the subject directly to the audience: You have to keep them interested the entire speech. Use the words "you" and "yours." 3. Don't be too technical: Some things can't be explained to a normal audience. The subject might not be too difficult, but the language used can be. Language should be straightforward. 4. Avoid abstractions: Add description, comparisons, or contrasts. 5. Personalize your ideas: People want to be entertained. 6. Be creative: Using language imaginatively.

What is ethics?

1. Ethics- the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human affairs

What are the 4 guidelines for an effective central idea?

1. Full sentence 2. Not a question 3. Avoid figurative language 4. Not be vague or overly general

Differentiate among the general purpose, specific purpose, and central idea of a speech.

1. General purpose: The broad goal of a speech. 2. Specific purpose: A single infinitive phrase that states precisely what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech. 3. Central idea: A one sentence statement that sums up or incapsulates the major ideas of a speech.

What are the three guidelines for ethical listening?

1. Listen courteously and attentively 2. Avoid prejudging the speaker 3. Support the free and open expressions of ideas

What are the five guidelines for ethical speechmaking discussed in this chapter?

1. Make sure your goals are ethically sound 2. Be fully prepared for each speech 3. Be honest in what you say 4. Avoid name-calling and other forms of abusive language 5. Put ethical principles into practice at all times

Four Causes of Poor Listening

1. Not concentrating 2. Listening too hard 3. Jumping to conclusions 4. Focusing on Delivery and Personal Appearance

Discuss the four kinds of informative speeches.

1. Objects: Anything that is visible, tangible, and stable in form. Can be alive. People, animals, places. 2. Processes: A systematic series of actions that leas to a specific result or product. One kind explains a process so that the listeners understand it better. A second explains a process so listeners will be better able to preform the process themselves. 3. Events: Anything that happens or is regarded as happening. 4. Concepts: A belief, theory, idea, notion, principle, or the like. Often are more complex. Avoid too technical of terms.

4 methods to use when having trouble choosing a speech topic.

1. Personal inventory: Jot down all of your interests and hobbies and from this list a general topic and specific topic may come. 2. Clustering: Divide your paper into subjects and write down topics that come to your mind for each. 3. Free associate: Write down a word and write whatever comes to mind. Eventually an idea will click with the sublists. 4. Internet search: Search a general topic or subject.

Identify and discuss the basic elements of the speech communication process.

1. Speaker: The person who is presenting an oral message to the listener. Your success as a speaker depends on you. 2. Message: Whatever a speaker communicates to someone else. The goal is to have your intended message be the message that is actually communicated. The message is sent with words and actions. 3. Channel: The means by which a message is communicated. Class has most direct channel. 4. Listener: The person who receives the speaker's message. Without a listener, there is no communication. Everything the speaker says is filtered through the listener's frame of reference. You must be audience centered. 5. Feedback: The messages, usually nonverbal, sent from a listener to a speaker. You can tell how your message is being received. It is two way communication. 6. Interference: Anything that impedes the communication of a message. It can be external or internal to listeners. You have to try to hold their attention despite this. 7. Situation: The time and place in which speech communication occurs. You have to be alert to the situation. It can help or hurt your speech.

Explain why a strong sense of ethical responsibility is vital for public speakers.

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human affairs. You want to gain a desired response from your listeners, but not at any cost. You do not want to lie or hurt anyone to make yourself look better. All speakers should be truthful. But speaking is often abused with disastrous results (Hitler). The spoken words has a lot of power.

Define ethnocentrism, and explain why speakers need to avoid it.

Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures. It can lead to prejudice and hostility towards different racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural groups. In order to be a successful speaker, you need to show respect for others. Once you know about the different cultural factors, try to listen to your speech through their eyes. You do not want to be misunderstood. You want to relate to a wide range of listeners.

What is the difference between global plagiarism and patchwork plagiarism and incremental plagiarism?

Global plagiarism- lifting a speech entirely from a single source Patchwork plagiarism- stitching a speech together by copying from a few sources Incremental plagiarism- occurs when a speaker fails to give credit for a specific quotations and paraphrases that are borrowed from other people

What is the difference between hearing and listening?

Hearing is the physical process of sound being detected by your ear drum and transmitted to your brain. Listening is the actual comprehension of what the speaker is saying.

Discuss why it is important for speeches to be organized clearly and coherently.

Listeners need coherence. They only get the chance to understand and hear something once. The speech has to be organized strategically in order to achieve particular results with particular audiences. It can improve critical thinking skills in order to understand relationships. It also can increase your confidence and improve your speaking ability.

Explain why good listening is important to effective speechmaking.

Listening is important because it is how we get most of our ideas and information. If you do not listen, you will not understand and you can pass on your misunderstanding to others. The best speakers are usually the best listeners.

Identify the major similarities and differences between public speaking and everyday conversation.

Similarities: 1. Organizing your thoughts logically. (Step by step) 2. Tailoring your message to your audience. 3. Telling a story for maximum impact. (Carefully build your story) 4. Adapting to listener feedback. (Aware of verbal, facial, and physical reactions) Differences: 1. Public speaking is more highly structured. (Detailed planning and prep, time limits.) 2. Public speaking requires more formal language. (No slang, jargon, bad grammar) 3. Public speaking requires a different method of delivery. (Clear voice, erect posture, no likes or ums)

Discuss Lucas's five tips for formulating specific purpose statements and the five questions to ask about them.

Tips: 1. Write the purpose statement as a full infinitive phrase, not as a fragment. 2. Express your purpose as a statement, not as a question. 3. Avoid figurative language. 4. Limit your statement to one distinct idea. 5. Make sure it is not too vague or general. Questions: 1. Does my purpose meet the assignment? 2. Can I accomplish my purpose in the time allotted? 3. Is the purpose relevant to my audience? 4. Is the purpose too trivial for my audience? (Too superficial) 5. Is the purpose too technical for my audience?