Sophomore English:  Speech

Course Number:  0093
Level:  Honors
Department:  English

Course Description
Prerequisite:  English 1
Open to:  Sophomores
Length:  Semester
Credit:  .5
Summary:  Just as in the companion  semester in Language & Composition, students in Speech identify rhetorical elements in their reading of expository and argumentative  essays.  They then address these same rhetorical issues in preparing speeches to serve different purposes and audiences.  Informative and argumentative speeches involve research; students learn how to locate, evaluate, and properly cite both primary and secondary sources.  Paraphrasing and summarizing are important skills exercised in the research work.

Course Goals:

• Formulating insightful questions about the rhetorical aims of a text
• Focusing a purpose for speaking and identifying the most advantageous means of delivery
• Critiquing the delivery of a speech for its rhetorical effectiveness
• Rehearsing the skills of paraphrasing and summarizing
• Accessing on-line databases and evaluating their authority and quality

Textbooks and Materials: 
Primary Text:  The Art of Public Speaking
Other texts:  assorted essays

 

Major Assessments:  Reading exams focusing on rhetorical analysis; delivery of several speeches; the paraphrasing and summarizing of text; editing for the proper citation of sources.

 

(Parents and students: please consult individual teachers for grading policies, extra credit info, class procedures, etc.)