Speaking Effectively in Public Settings

Aristotle's timeless Rhetoric is the foundation of this modern college text on how to speak effectively in the workplace, in business, and in the public forum. This text is easy for beginning students to follow and offers a wealth of practical examples and suggestions. The authors discuss many aspects of public speaking: Aristotle's view that the objective of all speeches is to persuade, the early idea of adapting a mix of appeals to an audience, ethical appeal to an audience, paraverbal language as a meaning-modifier, and, as the modern day demands, there is a discussion of the need to respect cultural differences and to be aware of sexism. Contents: Part I. Basic Concepts and Approaches. Communication as Process; Rhetoric as Communication; Reasoning Logically; Using Language Resourcefully; Listening Responsibly; Part II. Acquiring Effective Speaking Skills. Choosing the Subject and Purpose; Analyzing the Audience; Planning the Message; Organizing the Message; Mastering the Message; Part III. Interacting with Audiences. Gaining Acceptance of Information; Seeking Agreement on Issues; Evoking Emotion and Motivating Change; Appendix A: Speaking in Small-Group Discussion; Appendix B: Select Day-By-Day Course Outlines; Bibliography.