 I don’t expect you to walk in without stage

fright. That’s why you’re here. I do want

willingness to try to speak. Without that, we
can’t get anywhere.

 This class is about giving speeches. You’ll never

overcome stage fright, fear of public speaking or
learn what a bad presentation will teach you if
you skip instead of trying. You cannot fail a
speech if you get up there and try. Don’t skip
because you’re afraid or not very well
prepared. You’ll reduce your grade significantly
by skipping a presentation. It’s better to come
and do badly than to not come at all.
 Introduce great speeches and rhetoric to
students. Speakers and speeches from the
past have much to teach us, but only when
we listen and evaluate what is said and how.
 To learn to tailor a speech to the event and
audience.
 To understand the circumstances of a speech:
the event, venue, audience, and speaker’s
credentials.
 To gain a practical understanding of the use
of rhetorical devices.
You will be giving a minimum of 4 prepared speeches over
the course of the class. Your final exam is a 5-7 minute
speech on a topic chosen by the instructor.

Ice Breaker: An introduction to yourself.

Informational Speech: What to Do with a Plastic Knife.
Storytelling:You will tell a story in a speech. It may be a
personal story, one you’ve written, or one you’ve found
from another source. Be sure to cite your source. You may
use up to 3 props.
Persuasive Speaking:You will pick a particular topic that you
want to persuade us to agree with you. If you want to
practice convincing your parents about a particular issue,
this may be the place to practice.
 Topic: Anything regarding a social problem.

 Time: 5-7 minutes.

 Minimum 1 visual element.

 Minimum 1 audience participation element.

 Q&A Session
Connecting to the audience through humor
 Framing is done with a (frequently formulaic)
expression which keys the audience in to
expect a joke.

 "Have you heard the one…",

 Reminds me of a joke I heard…",
 "So, a lawyer and a doctor…";

 It creates a social space and clear boundaries

around the narrative which follows.
 Following the framing, the joke, in the form of a
story, can be told.

 The teller can and does modify the text of the

joke, depending both on memory and the present
audience.

 The important characteristic is that the narrative

is succinct, containing only those details which
lead directly to an understanding and decoding
of the punchline.
 The punchline is intended to make the
audience laugh.

 A trigger contained in the punchline causes

the audience to abruptly shift its
understanding of the story from the primary
(or more obvious) interpretation to a
secondary, opposing interpretation.

 "The punchline is the pivot on which the joke

text turns as it signals the shift between the
story and the interpretation.