Final Exam Questions

Drawing from the information covered in this class, please prepare answers to three of the following questions. Be sure to use original examples to illustrate your points. Also, be sure to explain your answer based on theory and terminology learned in the class. Please e-mail your responses to me by Wednesday, December 20th. Do NOT post to this site.

1. What is communication? Explain how the types of communication covered in this class (non-verbal, interpersonal, group, and public speaking) are important/relevant to your career goals (or why they are not). How has what you have learned about communication influenced your perception of how we communicate in the work environment? Give examples.
2. Compare and contrast informative, persuasive, and motivational speeches. Provide examples of when you may be required to provide each type of speech in your career. In what ways can the strategies applied in public speaking be applied to interpersonal communication situations? In what ways does public speaking differ from interpersonal communication?
3. Define nonverbal communication, and explain how meaning is communicated nonverbally. How do we ascertain meaning from nonverbal communication? Does context influence the meaning, why/why not? Give an example to illustrate your point.
4. The United States is a widely diverse country. How do our cultural, racial, and religious differences influence communication? Consider how meaning is derived, how messages are shaped, how we interact with each other, and how we play into norms and roles.

Critique

Please post a written critique of the informative speech. For those not yet assigned a person to critique, you will post yours next week.

Argument Analysis

You must find an example of persuasive discourse in the public sphere and provide an analysis of the argument.

1. Locate an argument. This can be an editorial from a newspaper, a review of a movie, a post on a message board. The only stipulation is that it must be available in the public sphere.

2. List the source (if there is a Web link provide it with your analysis, if it is a publication, then cite the source as you would in a "Works Cited" page.

3. List the THESIS of the argument.

4. Breakdown the arguments provided in support of the thesis, utilizing Toulmin's argument structure (Data-Warrant-Claim). Remember, the claim is likely stated, the Data should be stated, and the warrrant is often implied.

Post the completed assignment to this thread.

Informative Speech Rough Draft

For your class-time today, please complete the following activities and post to this site a rough draft of your informative speech.

1. Select a topic with the appropriate scope to fulfill the requirements of the speech (please refer to the handout provided in class for a review of the speech requirements). Remember that the topic should be something you are interested in/passionate about. It must also be a topic that you can illustrate to the audience that they would/should want to learn about.

2. Research the topic online to find unbiased, reliable, and current information about the topic. Remeber too that you will be required to cite at least one source that is not online when it comes time to give the speech.

3. Write a clear and concise thesis statement. The textbook discusses writing a thesis statement if you need assistance.

4. List your main ideas. These are the points that you must address in order to achieve your specific goal.

5. Write the body of your speech. To accomplish this, list your main idea and then use the research you gathered to explain the main ideas. Be sure to give consideration to transitions between each main idea.

6. Write the introduction. Now that you can see what the speech itself will look like, consider how you will introduce the topic with an appropriate attention-getter. Remember to then state your thesis and main ideas clearly. Finally write a transition into the first main idea (body of the speech).

7. Write the conclusion. Consider how to transition into a summarization of the main ideas that illustrate what the audience should understand to be informed about your topic. Think of a strong point to leave the audience with (consider why you feel this was a topic that the audience would want to be informed about).

8. Post the rough draft to this thread today (Wednesday, November 29, 2006) for full credit.

Chapters 3-5

Remember that you are still responsible for the material covered in Chapters 3-5. If you have any questions about this or any of the other material for the test this coming Monday, please post them here and we can discuss them.

ECPI - Communication 110

Welcome!

We'll try this out and see how it goes. Let me know if you have any problems using this Blog for your coursework. Some of you have completed your first assignment (500 word essay, "What do you hope to gain from this course?") Please click on "comment" below and post your response here. Even if you have already e-mailed it, please post here as well.

Jason D. Grant