1/15/04 Email from Irv
-Note: The only syllabus change appears to be replacing Fink readings with Jones. We're now assigned Jones, ps. 1-248 for Friday, Feb. 6, and ps. 249-388 for Saturday, Feb. 14. - R
Hi,
This is a reminder that the speech due on Saturday is a 4 minute speech about a speech. The following points are essential.
1. The speech should be one that you heard this week with the intent of reviewing it for the class.
2. The four minutes is not to simply recap the speech but is to analyze what happened.
3. There are a number of elements that can be analyzed. Some might be more important than others. What was the situation? Who is the audience? What were the main arguments? Of these rhetorical questions, how did this all interact with the speaker, audience, and topic? And ultimately did it work?
4. The speech presentation style is extemporaneous from notes. Hasling's chapter 6 deals with outlining and includes a sample of an acceptable outline form.
5. Try not to perceive the speech as a laundry list but rather interpret the material and emphasize those elements that you think are most compelling.
6. I am attaching an updated syllabus. See you on Saturday.
Irving J. Rein
Professor of Communication Studies
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois USA
i-rein@northwestern.edu
Jerry Rice was kind enought to share his outline from last year with us.
Jerry Rice
“Viewing the Public” 4 minutes
Professor Irving J. Rein
1-24-2003
Attention Statement: If you are like me, the most difficult part of this speech- besides the delivery- was finding a public address to observe that worked well for both analyzing and spending 4 minutes talking about in front of your classmates. After quite a bit of searching, I ran across an on-campus public appearance by Mel Sembler, a 1952 graduate of the School of Communication and the United States Ambassador to Italy.
The ambassador’s speech was surprisingly good, capturing the attention and interest of the audience in a way I have not seen in a live public speech. To discuss why this speech was effective, I will focus on three key areas that the ambassador really scored points with the audience:
I. Building audience rapport
II. Informative speech with subtle persuasion
III. Brevity followed by Q & A
Body:
I. Sembler showed remarkable prowess at building audience rapport. He:
A. Used the obvious Northwestern connection
1. Sincere nostalgic feeling about return to campus (choked up)
2. Changes on campus
3. Talked about being on stage during Northwestern’s Centennial year.
II. Ambassador’s speech was mostly informative, but embedded with subtle persuasion
A. Initially informative tone
1. Discussed his life as a business man.
a. owns/operates over 200 shopping centers throughout country
b. founded drug treatment center- over 12,000 graduates of the rehab program
c. national finance chairman for Republican party
2. Discussed role as U.S. Ambassador to Italy
a. responsible for over 750 govt. employees on Italian soil
b. includes INS, IRS, customs, FBI, and more
c. advance trade opportunities with Italy
B. Embedded within the information were subtle persuasive remarks
1. Italy as U.S. ally
a. used strong language and examples when discussing U.S./Italy relationship
b. Described Italy as strong, dependable, reliable, close ally…seemed very sincere, paused as if searching for stronger words to enforce this thought
c. Related story about how Berlusconi traveled to U.S. on Memorial Day to honor the fallen soldiers of WWII with Pres. Bush even though he had 19 heads of state traveling to Italy for a conference the very next day.
2. NU as great educational opportunity
a. NU prepares you to be a leader
b. NU is respected throughout the world as a leading educational institution
c. Hopes that the audience will support Northwestern as he and his wife have throughout the years.
III. Brevity of prepared remarks allowed ample time for audience Q & A, leading to further rapport with audience
A. Billed as an hour-long speech, from 6-7 p.m.
1. Spoke for only 25 minutes, following a 5 minute introduction by President Bienen
2. Allowed 30 minutes for audience Q & A
3. Fielded questions in a manner that reinforced his persuasive points about the relationship between Italy and the U.S.
a. Q: Is now a good time for U.S. students to study abroad in Italy?
b. A: Absolutely. Italy and the U.S. have a fantastic relationship right now. They have given nothing but sympathy and support since September 11th
4. Q & A allowed audience to connect with the speaker and feel like a part of the program
Conclusion:
I. Outstanding job of building rapport with audience. Methods described in Hasling’s text- humorous anecdote and reference to the occasion.
II. He kept an informative feel to the speech with persuasive undertones.
III. Prepared remarks brief, allowing the audience to ask questions.
The ambassador was an outstanding speaker, and I would not hesitate an instant to go see him speak again
Early Start On Saturday, January 17 - Email from Rachel Blank
On Saturday, January 17, MSC morning classes will
start at 9:15 a.m. and end at 12:15. This change will accommodate the MBTI workshop which will start at 12:30. Lunch will be served in the atrium when your morning class ends.
If you know of any classmates who might miss this message -- or who are known not to check their email -- would you please make some telephone calls to inform them of the schedule change. The faculty have very happily agreed to this change, so it is important that you be prompt in order not to miss important class material.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
See you early on Saturday!
Rachel
The Basic Structure of an Outline
Introduction
A. Attention Statement (Humorous Anecdote, Illustrative Anecdote, Surprising Fact, Rhetorical Question, Response Question, Reference to the Occasion)
B. Purpose Statement – The Presummary of the Speech - Make it Brief, Clear, Well-Qualified (sets the parameters of the speech)
Body
I. Main Heading
A. Supporting Information
B. Supporting Information
(Transition)
II. Main Heading
A. Supporting Information
B. Supporting Information
(Transition)
Limit Main Headings to 5 or 6. Make them Generalizations. Make sure they are phrased so that they are easily recognized during the speech.
Main Heading Patterns:
Topical, Problem-Solution, Chronological, Spatial
Supporting Information:
Definition of Terms, Specific Instances, Statistical Data, Testimonial Evidence, Explanation
Transitions – Phrases that lead your audience to the next idea
Conclusion
A. Summary Statement – Without recapitulating the speech, the summary can end with a summary of the general ideas
B. Reinforcement of Thesis – Paraphrasing the thesis can reinforce the main idea, especially in short speeches
A Quotation can be an effective way to end a speech.
