700 Oral Skills
Course Policies & Description

I only have a few policies for my classes, and I'm explaining them here to  be sure they are clear to everyone an that  there is no misunderstanding later in the session.


Attendance
You should never miss one of the speaking classes.

My teaching technique in 700 Speaking is based the assumption that you are in class and have the opportunity to listen and communicate during our class hour.  Unlike classes where reading and studying might help you catch up on material you miss, you cannot “study” the opportunity to listen and communicate.

For this reason, I will not be able to give a passing grade to anyone missing more than 7 classes in this session.

Homework and Grades
I try not to give much homework, especially in this class, but the homework I give is important, and I expect you to do it.  I may decline to accept late work, especially recordings and scheduled presentations, and if I do accept it, I assess penalties to ensure that all students are given the same opportunities and treated fairly.

I base your grades on several factors.  Your performance on your presentations is the largest factor in your final grade, and I evaluate presentations on organization, pronunciation and general fluency (which includes vocabulary accuracy and grammar).  Other final grade factors include pronunciation recordings and participation in discussions and Q&A. I will also grade your participation is the special projects we undertake.  If you do not complete all the assigned work in this class, you cannot pass the class.  

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Speaking Assignment Descriptions
In this class, we will do several types of speaking activities.

Graph analysis.  This speech is given during the second week of class.  Each speaker will find a graph to present, either in print or on the Internet.  Next, you will both describe the graph and make general conclusions about it.  You will record this speech, evaluate your presentation, and meet with me to discuss your presentation. 

The purpose of this speech is to establish the basic structure of an English speech and to give you individual attention for pronunciation points you need to focus on in this class. 

Process speech.  This is the second of the three major speeches you give in this class.  In this speech, you will give directions and possibly demonstrate how to do something.  You will be expected to use some PowerPoint, and you will record this speech so you can review it and meet with me to discuss it.

Video Project.  For this activity, the class will produce a mock TV show. We will write, act, and film this show, then we will edit it and (try to) put it on the Internet.  This activity is excellent practice for pronunciation and informal speech.  I have put some examples of other class' video work on this web site. 

Debate.  This speaking activity is a structured discussion between two groups of panelists on opposite sides of an issue.  The class will choose the topic, and an independent judge will determine the winning team.

Academic speech.  The final assignment of the quarter is an oral presentation of your research from the grammar/writing class.  For this speech, you will use Powerpoint slides with imbedded sound files.  I have put some examples of this assignment on this web site.  If you are not taking grammar/writing or not writing a research paper, please see me to discuss an alternative presentation.