Fundamentals of Public Speaking

This course is a workshop in which students cultivate their own speaking style while developing strengths in skillful communication with diverse audiences in a variety of situations through multiple media. During the six-week term, students will engage in activities designed to foster their skills in written self-presentation, online visual and audio performance, and face-to-face encounters with individuals and groups. To promote the students’ exploration of themselves as public figures, we will explore the views of others who have considered the question of public speech, and who have engaged in public performance in a variety of contexts. The goal of this course is that students who begin with solid English reading and speaking comprehension skills will complete the course with 1) an enhanced capacity to successfully represent themselves and their perspectives in a variety of social circumstances, and 2) a refined sensitivity to how their self-presentation affects the lives of those around them.