Concepts in Chapter 15 & 16

A concept I found useful in chapter 15 is that we should avoid fallacies in our argument. A fallacy is something that is wrong in our argument. There are four main categories for fallacies which are: faulty assertions, flawed evidence, defective reasoning, erroneous responses. If we have a fallacy in our speech then the audience would not see the speaker as reasonable, and someone we should not trust.

A concept I found interesting in chapter 16 was about the different speeches for special occasions. There are speeches of introduction where the speaker introduces someone very briefly to the audience. Speeches of nomination that shows a persons success if could of had the chance. Award presentations where people recognize others for what they have done. Acceptance speeches, which a person who is given a award,honor, etc. is speaking. After-dinner speeches where the speaker keeps the good feelings up. Tributes and eulogies are another form. Tributes are where we give respect towards an individual for what they have done. A eulogy is given when someone has passed away. The last type of speech for a special occasion is mediated speaking.

Persuading Others

A recent discussion in which I tried to persuade someone to accept my point of view was when I tried to tell my friend to go with me to the library because I had to pick up something and I did not want to go alone. She did not want to go with me because it was too far of a walk, so I explained all the times I went with her when I did not feel like walking at all. I told her that I always went with her when she needed something, so I expected the same thing :). So my reasoning should of made her feel bad because she ended up going to the library with me! It just takes a bit of persuasion to convince someone to do something even if they don't want to!

Speech Buddy Videos

In the 15.1 video I learned about how to identify the elements of arguments, which can be helpful towards our speech. There is four basic elements when it comes to this which are: thesis, claim, evidence, & reasoning. The types of appeal the speaker used was to relate the material to the audience, and to link the claim to the evidence.

In the "Schooling: Pro" video I learned about the pros of home schooling. I learned that it can be more flexible, it avoids violence, and that it brings strong relationships, which these types of points would be of interest towards the audience. In the video "Schooling:Con" the speaker is telling us the cons of home schooling. He explains that parents aren't as effective as real teachers, that are home isn't a great environment of learning, and parental involvement. The speaker appeals the audience with his main points by giving us a visualization of his words. Both speakers in the "Schooling" video tried to connect the audience by letting us picture everything now and in the future.

Actuative Speech

For the actuative speech I will be speaking about animal testing and how we should fight it. My main points for this speech is that: testing on animals doesn't work, it is unethical to test on animals (murder), and what people can do to fight it. I plan on trying to persuade my audience towards my point of view by showing them how it is morally wrong. In the beginning of the speech I would want to explain how animals such as dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits, and etc. are used as test subjects. When testing on animals it can slowly kill them, and they are treated very unfairly and animals cannot fight for themselves & they do not have a say in their life. Then near the end of my speech I want to tell my audience what they can do to not support animal testing by not buying products that use animals as test subjects. I could also tell the audience to join organizations that fight animal testing as well.

Persuasion

We are immersed by persuasion everywhere we go & it is something we really cannot avoid. There are magazines, billboards, television commercials, shopping centers, school, work, people, and basically your whole surrounding is covered with things to persuade you. Persuade you to buy certain products, to make book a spontaneous trip, to work for certain people, to look a certain way, and etc. The media is the one who controls these aspects, and you may not even realize it. To be a critical consumer we need to be aware of what someone, or something is trying to persuade us to do. We just need to think about what we really need, and not what we want.

Concepts in Chapter 14

A concept I found useful or interesting in Chapter 14 is the Monroe's Motivated Sequence, which our class needs to use for our last speech. With this sequence we as the speaker are trying to encourage the audience to focus on outcomes the speaker is talking about with their ideas. There are five steps when it comes to this sequence. The five steps in the Monroe's Motivated Sequence is: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action. With the first step, the speaker needs to relate the topic to the audience so that it will grab their attention. Need, which is the second step, the speaker needs to establish the problem/current harm with their topic. The third step, which is satisfaction means to describe the solution to the problem. The second to the last step, visualization is when we need to show the positive outcomes of the solution. Action, which is the last step of this sequence is basically meaning to explain how the audience can be a solution to the problem.

Speech Buddy Videos

Throughout the speech buddy videos I had watched, I learned many various things that I found useful for my speech. I learned about the different strategies for using audience-centered language in our speeches in the chapter 10 videos. There are five different ways when it comes to this strategy which are: refer to current events, using pronouns which would make the audience feel included in the speech, inclusive language that helps visualize ideas, spark imagination, and possible use humor. When using humor in a speech we need to be careful with how we use it. It could interest the audience, or it could confuse them. I also learned about the different tips for effective language for our speech, which can be found on my last blog post.

In the chapter 12 speech buddy videos I found useful the tips about vocal delivery in a speech. There are five areas in vocal delivery which are: volume, pitch, rate, variety, & pronunciation. Physical delivery is another important aspect of our speech. There are five aspects when it comes to physical delivery which are: eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, body movements, and appearance. I also learned the importance of practicing, which is something we should all do to prepare! haha