Q & A

Q: I'm worried about all of the work we need to do in my speech class. I thought all we had to do was get up and talk.

A) Public speaking is an art as well as a skill. There is over 2,500 years of theoretical and historical material from which we can draw in learning about the disciplines of rhetoric, oratory, and performance.

Q: Can you teach me to stop being nervous when I have to get up in front of people to give a speech?

A) Nervousness quite often is linked to the unknown -- not knowing what to do and not having much practice in doing it. Remember the first time you jumped off of the high dive at a swimming pool? Sang a solo at church? Taking your driver's license exam? The more frequently you do an activity, and the more you learn about HOW to do it, the less nervous you become. You are developing familiarity with both the activity and the techniques for doing it better, whether it's diving or driving, singing or speaking.

Q: Why do the different instructors have different assignments for the same class? I dropped my public speaking class last semester, and I've got a different instructor this semester who is doing everything completely different.

A) because each instructor is encouraged to present the material in a way that they've developed. There isn't just one way to approach the study of any subject. No two sections of math will be the same if the instructors are different; American history, composition, and foreign language classrooms will all reflect the personality and teaching style of the particular instructor. You will cover the same material because all sections of any general education speech class use the same textbook, but the assignments, the exams, and the classroom activities will be devised by the individual instructor.

Q: Some people are just born speakers and performers, so I'm never going to do as well in a speech class as someone who doesn't have to work as hard as I do.

A) And some people are just born musicians, artists, athletes, and actors. And many of those talented people would not be successful if there weren't legions of less-talented who could appreciate their talents. We're not competing for the Academy Award of college speech class, here. What we're attempting to accomplish is to give each student a framework for making choices in communicating effectively; to introduce the discipline and practice some skills that may enhance the oral communication skills a student already possesses; and to gain some appreciation for the oratorical heritage that permeates American culture.

Q: Why are the general education speech courses worth three-credits? I've been talking since I was very young, so there can't be much to it.

A) Just like other three-credit college classes, we cover a body of theoretical material with application exercises. Like math, we cover some theories. Like literature, we read outstanding examples of oratory. Like science lab, we actually put the theories to use. Like composition, we write outlines and do research.

Q: What can I do with a degree in speech communication?

A) Anything you want. There are some careers that are specific to the field: public relations, stage performance, political campaign management, museum interpretation - just a host of possibilities that you can explore through internships. Students minoring in journalism are often working in the media long before graduation, both print and electronic. Many large corporations rate communication skills as the #1 skill among potential employees, so coupling a speech major with studies in management or marketing will give you an edge in securing that corporate position after graduation.

Q: I don't know what to give a speech about. No one will care what I have to say.

A) First of all, topic selection is something we do in class -- it's one of the areas we cover using both the textbook and lecture. Second, deciding what will interest your audience is something we also do in class -- we spend considerable time on audience analysis. Third, you are not being graded in these classes on whether the audience gets up and cheers wildly at the conclusion of your presentations. You are being graded on whether you comply with the rules, techniques, and time limits imposed by the instructor.