Public Speaking

Communicating an idea successfully to an audience in a 'one-to-many' speaking situation. Emphasis on creating, researching, organizing and presenting speeches. The ability to speak in public is now required in a great many professions, and is a skill best acquired through practice. This course is designed to give an overview of the principles and tools involved in communicating an idea successfully to an audience, and how to turn these into practice. Students have an opportunity to practice techniques for reducing stress, and work on delivering informative, persuasive and entertaining presentations, as well as evaluating critically the varying styles of key public speakers in the real world. The course also aims to help students both with presentations in other classes and to prepare them for the demands of the working environment. The emphasis is on providing a supportive and collaborative atmosphere in which these skills can be developed and improved.