Eloquentia Perfecta

1. Eloquentia Perfecta Fall 2013

2. Focusing elements • Focusing elements for the speaker (me, me, me) • General purpose • Thesis statement

3. The general purpose • To inform • To persuade • To mark an occasion (celebrate, entertain, inspire, etc.)

4. The thesis statement • Clearly expresses the central idea of your speech. • i.e., What is the speech about? • An expository (explanatory) statement explains something to the audience. • An argumentativestatement makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. • Theclaim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

5. Good reading on thesis statements • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/01/

6. Focusing tool • Outlining • Identifying claims and supporting material • Choosing a pattern of organization

7. When outlining, consider • The Principles of Good Form: • Unity- this is exhibited when the presentation contains only those points that are implied by the purpose and the thesis statement. • Coherence- the clarity and logical consistency • Coordination • Subordination • Balance- appropriate emphasis or weight on each part of the speech relative to the other parts and to the theme.

8. Transitions • Words, phrases or sentences that tie the speech ideas together and enable the speaker to move smoothly from one point to the next. • Examples: • To show comparison: similarly, in the same way, likewise, just as • To contrast ideas: on the other hand, and yet, at the same time • To illustrate sequence of time or events • First, second, etc. before, after, later, earlier • To indicate explanation: for example, to illustrate, in other words • To emphasize significance: most important, above all, remember • To summarize: as we have seen, altogether, in summary, finally

9. Reading on transitions • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/01/

10. Transition Checklist • Did you include enough transitions to adequately guide your listeners through your speech? • Do you use appropriate transitions when making comparisons, showing cause and effect, illustrating a sequence in time, contrasting ideas, summarizing information, and so forth? • Do you include full-sentence transitions that alert listeners to shifts from one main point to the next? • Do you use transitions to alert listeners to the conclusion of your speech?

11. Patterns of organization • Chronologically • Organize the points according to their occurrence in time relative to one another • A historic event • Spatial pattern • Use when your purpose is to describe or explain the physical arrangements of a place, scene or an object • The tour of a facility

12. Causal (Cause-Effect) pattern • When you need to relate a cause to its effects • Why students drop out • Problem-Solution Pattern • Organizes main points both to demonstrate the nature and significance of a problem and to provide justification for a proposed solution • Teen pregnancy

13. Narrative pattern • Storytelling; a story or a series of short stories • My grandmother . . . • Circular pattern • Develops one idea, which leads to the next, which leads to the next . . . • Good for demonstrating a particular form of reasoning

14. Reading on patterns • http://www.publicspeakingguidebook.com/the_abcs_of_public_speaking_p10.htm

15. Focusing elements for the audience • Thesis statement • Preview statement • Transitions/signposts

16. Focusing tools • Language • Voice • Body movement • Presentation aids

17. Discussion: how do I use my research to develop my outline? • FAQ • How many main points should I use? • Rough draft outlines are due Monday, September 30. • Yes, it has to be properly formatted and typed!

18. Source • Mikesell, R. (2013). Focusing Elements. • O’Hair, D., Stewart, R. and Rubenstein, H. (2010). A speaker’s Guidebook, Text and Reference. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.