Speech Communication

Study of oral communication and its role in contemporary society. Emphasis on listening, interpersonal communication, small group decision making, and public speaking, informative and persuasive speaking. This course introduces students to the principles and practices of contemporary forms of public speaking in the United States. Selecting topics from current U.S. society and or American history, students will perform research and gather credible evidence from both primary and secondary U.S. sources to create both informative and persuasive speeches. Students are also asked to employ methods taught in this course to analyze both historical and contemporary U.S. rhetoric for authenticity, organizational structure, target audiences and effectiveness as a means of persuasion or communication.