The objective of the course is to provide the student with an increased awareness 
of the principles of Public Speaking. The class focus will be on developing your 
capability to communicate in situations where you must make choices. Although 
public speaking may involve presenting information to large audiences, the 
concentration in this class will be on providing you with skills that are 
appropriate in smaller groups. Therefore, you will learn:

1. Goal setting. Learn to assess speaking situations so you can set reasonable and 
   appropriate goals.
2. Audience analysis and adaptation. Become audience-centered. Understanding what 
   people are thinking and expecting will help you convey your message for maximum 
   impact.
3. Communicative creativity - Learn techniques for producing ideas and finding 
   supporting materials that add depth, interest, and credibility to what you want to 
   say. By the end of the course, you should have an excellent grasp of the resources 
   available in the UGA Library.
4. Organizational skills - When you arrange what you want to say in a coherent 
   pattern, you help your listeners follow your path through your thoughts.
5. Language sensitivity - As communication technologies shrink the globe, 
   sensitizing yourself to cultural and gender differences in language use has become 
   critical. In addition, you will learn how to add color and interest to your 
   speeches by the ways you use words.
5. Polished delivery - Most students arrive in SPCM 2150H with good speaking skills 
   but much anxiety about speaking to a group. You'll have a chance to fine-tune
   those few habits that may distract listeners, to add vocal variety and dramatic
   gestures that reinforce your message, to practice eye contact, posture and 
   movement, and to gain confidence through practice.
7. Critical thinking and listening - As you listen to other speakers, you will learn 
   to ask critical questions about the speaker's intent, biases, language use, 
   organization, support for ideas, and central message. The critical consumption of 
   messages is an important skill for life in the information age.
8. Students will complete research assignments which will involve computer-based
   research and paper preparation. 
9. Students will consider the moral and ethical implications of a variety of
   communication situations.

1. Personal Introductions
2. Speaking in Public 
3. Listening critically
4. Brainstorming
5. Audience analysis
6. Delivery and presentation skills 
7. Interest techniques
8. Speaking to persuade 
9. Thinking Critically
10. Visual Aids 
11. Ethics
12. Gathering research materials 
13. Types of persuasion 
14. Supporting materials

“Academic honesty is – defined broadly and simply – the performance of all academic 
work without cheating, lying, stealing, or receiving assistance from any other 
person or using any source of information not appropriately authorized or 
attributed” (From the Preamble to “A Culture of Honesty”). The University, the 
Department of Speech Communication, and I personally take academic honesty very 
seriously. Every student at the University of Georgia should be familiar with the 
booklet, “A Culture of Honesty: Policies and Procedures on Academic Dishonesty.” If 
you are not, please obtain one of these booklets and read it carefully. This 
document has a thorough presentation of four types of academic dishonesty including 
plagiarism, unauthorized assistance, lying/tampering, and theft, as well as the 
procedures that are in place to adjudicate alleged incidents of academic 
dishonesty. The policies and procedures described in “A Culture of Honesty” will be 
strictly followed.

University Mandated Statement Concerning the University Honor Code & Academic Honesty 
All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” 
Students are responsible for informing themselves about those standards before 
performing any academic work. More detailed information about academic honesty can 
be found at http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm.