Taking Sides - The Art of Public Speaking and Debate
One Section Available to Choose From:
| Course Dates | Weeks | Meeting Times | Status | Instructor(s) | CRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 15, 2013 - August 02, 2013 | 3 | M-F 9A-12P | Open | Christopher Carr | 10578 |
Course Description
Whether we are making formal presentations at school or simply chatting with friends, we are constantly required to organize and to present our thoughts verbally. This course allows students the opportunity to improve upon and to polish their oral communication skills in a friendly and encouraging setting.
George Bernard Shaw wrote: "The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place." In order to avoid this problem, students will be exposed to various persuasive techniques that they will use in creating and delivering a weekly presentation. We will examine various examples of effective and poor communication. In terms of content, we will examine one short story and one film per week that deals with a particular theme. (Broad themes such as good versus evil or perception versus reality are examples of possible topics.) After examining these works and after completing several short, formative exercises used to generate and organize students' thoughts on these works, the week will culminate in a formal debate, in which students will take sides and prepare formal presentations on our theme. While there will be discussion of the text and of the film each week, the summative presentation/debate will address the theme of the week more broadly.
Learning goals:
This course is only open to students enrolled in IEP (Intensive English Program).
**When registering in Banner, students must enroll in “Putting Your Ideas into Words” (CRN: 10572) or “Taking Sides " The Art of Public Speaking and Debate” (CRN: 10578) AND one of the following courses: “TOEFL Preparation” (CRN: 10040), or “English on Stage: Building Language Skills through Performance” (CRN: 10571)