Discussion Board – Effective Speakers

Write a two paragraph message to post in the Effective Speakers discussion forum on ONE of the following:

• Describe a very effective public speaker – why is this person an effective speaker?
  • For this option, you may select a contemporary speaker whom you have listened to in a live interaction or in a mass-mediated context. (Note: online sources such as YouTube count as a mass-mediated context. Include a hyperlink to such a mediated source).
  • As you describe the speaker’s impact, highlight four factors of speaker effectiveness and cite the pages in our text.
• Analyze how public speakers made history – how did their speaking have an impact on society?
  • For this option, select a historic speaker whom you have listened to in a live interaction, in a mass-mediated context, or by doing historical research for speakers who are not contemporary. You may use print or online sources, which should be identified. A good resource for finding speeches online is the Speech Bank at the American Rhetoric page.
  • As you describe the speaker’s impact, highlight four factors of speaker effectiveness and cite the pages in our text.
• Review a movie that features a public speaker – how was his/her rhetoric presented in the film?
  • For this option, write a review of a film that you have viewed. It may be based on historical fact such as the film Milk, or a fictional character such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. (Note: A good web source for finding materials about films is the Internet Movie Database. Include a hyperlink so that readers can get an image of the film.)
  • As you describe the speaker’s impact, highlight four factors of speaker effectiveness and cite the pages in our text.
• What real world issues concern you? – how do speakers promote the issue effectively?
  • For this option, identify three speakers or organizations who communicate meaningfully to you on this set of issues. You may also include a web site that explains the agenda and positions of an organization as one of your three “speakers.”
  • As you describe each speaker’s impact, highlight four factors of speaker effectiveness and cite the pages in our text.