Speech 218- Interpersonal Communication

Contact instructor Laura Braibish

This class is an Introduction to various aspects of the communication process in one-to-one relationships. Emphasis is placed on enhancing personal and professional relationships by expanding knowledge, increasing understanding and developing practical skills necessary for competent communication. The various aspects of interpersonal communication explored in this class are self-concept, perception, emotions, language, nonverbal communication, listening, relationship development, communication climates and conflict resolution.

Class Handouts (all handouts are in PDF so you will need an adobe reader to open them)

Syllabus Winter 2010

Textbook Outline (use for class notes and study sessions)

Midterm

Reflection 1- Talk about a time when you experienced the irreversible nature of communication?

Reflection 2- Describe two people for whom you are a significant other.  Describe your communication behavior with each of them, giving examples of how (a) you deliver "booster" and "buster" messages to each of them; (b) you create self-fulfilling prophecies that work for and against each of them; and (c) they allow your communication with them to affect their behavior.

Reflection 3-Find an opportunity to practice your active listening skills.  Reflect on the experience.  What worked and why?  What didn't work, if anything, and why? What might you do differently in future active listening situations?

Identity Paper 

Describe a subculture to which you belong.  Give examples and explain several misunderstandings you have had with members of another subculture. What do these misunderstandings indicate about the way in which you view the world? Use terms and theory from the text

Emotion Journal

Follow the assignment on page 125 of the textbook.  Keep a 3 day log of your emotions and then answer the questions in the text.

Observation Essay: Nonverbal 

Produce a well-organized, clearly written essay that adheres to the requirements for written work as stated in your syllabus. A well-written essay will be free of spelling, grammatical and other editing errors. It will include an introduction, body and conclusion, clearly articulated thesis, arguments, and evidence based on your observations and course material.

You will conduct observations at several public places including at least one structured event with a large number of participants such as a play rehearsal, concert or street fair. Other examples of public places would be a store, restaurant, student center, park etc. (Dorm rooms, apartments, and homes are NOT public spaces.) Observe a variety of groups and dyads communicate nonverbally. Observe at least one conversation of each of the following groups: men only, women only, mixed. Include a brief description of your observation site (location, time of day, persons present and their sex, any specific factors that may affect communication—loud music, crowded conditions, etc.). Analyze the nonverbal communication you observe in terms of voice, body, face, and environment. Discuss the following: (1) identify those nonverbal communications you observed that might be interpreted as gender based; (2) identify examples of nonverbal communication that seemed not to be related to gender; (3) identify examples of “mixed” nonverbal cues; (4) discuss the power dimension of the nonverbal communication you observed; (5) did you observe any examples in which the communication between men only, women only (or women only) differed from the communication men and women together? (6) feel free to add any interesting comments on things that occurred that might not fit into parts 1-5.

Final Examination:

Write a paper explaining how the language of responsibility and perception checking are useful in active listening and conflict management.  Be sure to reference the text and personal experience to support your assertions.  Text references should include page number in proper MLA ‘in text’ citation format.   Email completed paper to Laura Braibish at artsprof1@yahoo.com no later than Wednesday, March 17th.  Be sure to include your name and class in the subject line of the email.

Speech 111- Fundamentals of Speech

Contact instructor Laura Braibish

Course Description: Fundamentals of Speech is a basic course concerned with public speaking. During this course you will have opportunities to acquire and develop skills that prepare you to present formal presentations of diverse nature.

Course Objectives: This class provides an effective and practical introduction to the college-level public speaking course and a safe forum for practicing public speaking skills. By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Effectively conceive, organize, support, and deliver successful speeches

• Express your ideas with confidence and clarity

• Effectively analyze an audience

• Deliver several types of speeches for various occasions

• Develop effective listening skills through evaluating others‟ speeches

• Understand and control communication anxiety to a greater degree

• Develop your reasoning abilities & support your claims

• Understand the connection between public speaking, civic participation & democracy

Class Handouts (all handouts are in PDF so you will need an adobe reader to open them)

Syllabus

Research Tools

Speech of Introduction Assignment Sheet

Speech of Introduction Grading Sheet

Speech of Personal Success Assignment Sheet

Speech of Personal Success Example

Speech of Personal Success Outline

Speech of Personal Success Grading Sheet

Speech of Personal Success Peer Evaluation Sheet

Speech of Personal Success Video Self Evaluation Form

Informative Speech Assignment Sheet

Informative Speech Example

Informative Speech Outline

Informative Speech Grading Sheet

Informative Speech Peer Evaluation Sheet

Informative Speech Video Self Evaluation Form

Choosing a Persuasive Speech Topic

Persuasive Speech Assignment Sheet

Persuasive Speech Example

Persuasive Speech Grading Sheet

Persuasive Speech Peer Evaluation Sheet

Persuasive Speech Video Self Evaluation Form

Personal Development Paper

Write a paper discussing your improvement in public speaking this term.  Talk about presentation, preparing and using visual aids, your methods of persuassion and your level of comfort in front of people.  Be sure to reference personal examples from your videos and comments from your peer feedback forms.  Talk about areas where you improved and areas where you still need improvement.  Email completed papers to Laura Braibish at artsprof1@yahoo.com by Wednesday March 17th.