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○ If you decide to talk with someone as a part of your research, you will need to plan an
information interview by doing the following:
▪ Arranging an appointment and indicating how much time you will need with the
person.
EVALUATING YOUR RESOURCES
• Remember to maintain a healthy skepticism about the sources you find for your speech; no
matter where your research is from, you need to evaluate it by considering these five
factors:
○ Relevancy. Consider the degree to which your source is related to your speech’s specific
purpose. You can waste a lot of time sifting through and reading material that barely
touches on your topic.
▪ To eliminate irrelevant resources, stay focused on your specific purpose.
○ Currency. For some speech topics, it’s critical to have the most current information
available. Publication dates of printed materials are relatively easy to determine, but some
Web sites are a different challenge.
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○ Authority. Question the author’s credentials. Find out what qualifications the creator
brings to the work, such as personal experience, a prolonged professional career, or
relevant academic degrees from a respectable educational institution.
▪ You can usually find information about an author’s credentials within the first few
pages of a book or in a footnote or biographical note in an article or another document.
○ Objectivity. Use objective research sources that are based on facts, not bias. Whereas all
sources have some degree of bias, avoid blatantly one-sided or propaganda-like resources
whose sole purpose is to convey the author’s point of view or a particular ideology.
▪ If the resource is a Web site, click on the “About” link, which should take you to a
page describing the mission and purpose of the group or organization that publishes
the site. Review this information to see if the site is pushing a particular agenda. Also,
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Of the four factors considered in an audience analysis (demographics, attitudes,
knowledge, and types), which do you think plays the largest role in how an audience
will react to your speech? Why?
2. Why do you think it is important that your resources be objective? What signals
might indicate that a resource is not objective?
3. If you were asked to speak to a civic group in a neighboring town, how could you
best determine the audience’s prior knowledge about your topic?
• Remind students that there are various ways to find out more information about an
4. What are the five steps to preparing your speech? Which step do you think you will
find the easiest? Why? Which one will be the most challenging? Why? Approximately
how much time do you think you will need to complete each of the five steps?
5. How important is it to determine whether your audience is voluntary or captive?
Give an example of a time when you were a member of each type of audience. How
did it change your attitude or interest in the topic?
• Allow students to share their examples and discuss as a group. Ask students how a
VIDEO SCENARIOS
HOW TO COMMUNICATE: ORAL CITATIONS
This video feature shows students competent communication skills in action based on the
scenario following. The first video illustrates an ideal outcome, whereas the What if?
challenges prompt them to apply their own skills to times when their communication partner is
more difficult. To access the videos, go to macmillanhighered.com/choicesconnections2e.
Assign students to watch the videos and answer the questions before class, and then they can
The text suggests students use the following skills when citing sources in a speech:
1. Avoid plagiarism by giving proper credit to the sources of quotations, testimonies,
unique facts, and statistics that you use in a speech. Unlike written reports, there is no
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2. Use an introductory phrase to begin crediting your source. This alerts your audience to
the citation. Avoid awkward, forced phrasing, such as “That statistic came from an article
in the January 8, 2012, edition of the New York Times newspaper.”
3. Provide information about the credibility of the source, including the author, title of the
work, and date. It’s not necessary to give page numbers or volume details. If the author
and/or title of the work are not well known, provide additional information to prove the
credibility of the source.
Instructor Note: Online, students will be asked a multiple-choice question after the first
video. For Chapter 13, it is the following:
Why is it important to include an oral citation for the National Institute of Health
recommendations?
A. The information is unbelievable without it.
B. The information is from an invalid source.
[The * indicates the right answer. Depending whether the student answers the question right or
wrong, one of these two feedback options should appear:
Right answer: Congratulations, you are correct!
Wrong answer: Incorrect. Any and all information that is unique or original; contains quotes,
statistics, or testimony; or that you paraphrase requires an oral citation. See the section
WHAT IF?
This section challenges students to adapt their skills and communication plans when things
don’t work out as shown previously. Students will view two videos. In each video, the
encounter becomes challenging and students must choose how they would respond based on
the open-ended question.
1. How would listing all your sources together during your speech influence your audience’s
view of you? For example, “Before continuing, I would like to say that my sources for
this next part of my speech include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
National Institute for Health, and. . . .”
2. If you give too many details on your source information, such as “The National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute, which is part of the National Institute of Health, a division of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a government agency . . . ,” how
would this affect your audience’s understanding of your speech?
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Topic Time: Brainstorming
Goal: To give students an opportunity to work with other students to generate appropriate
speech topics
Time: 20 minutes
2. Divide students into small groups of three or four.
4. Once complete, review with students the guidelines for a good topic. Did
brainstorming help them generate good topics? Why or why not?
2. Illegal Drug Audience Analysis
Goal: To give students an opportunity to practice doing audience analysis
Time: 60 minutes
1. Divide students into groups of four or five.
3. Assign each group one of the following audiences to analyze:
a. A third-grade public school class
4. Have each group create a list of questions they would need to consider before
5. Have each group share their results and discuss the importance of effective audience
analysis.
3. To Research or Not to Research
Goal: To demonstrate the importance of doing research prior to presenting a presentation
Time: 45 minutes
1. Purchase several candy bars or “prizes” for student volunteers.
2. Divide the class into four or five groups.
3. Assign the following topics:
a. Understanding Nanotechnology
b. The Science of Cloning—Boon or Bane to Society
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4. Explain that the groups have 15 or 20 minutes to prepare a short speech on their
5. Have each group present their speech.
6. Open a discussion by asking the speakers how they felt during their presentations.
Did they feel extra stress because they felt unprepared? Ask the audience to
7. Present the “prizes” to the students who were willing to give the speeches and thank
them for their help!
4. Feedback Power Teams
Goal: To provide students a support group that provides feedback and offers assistance
and support during the process of planning and presenting speeches; students will also
work on teamwork and leadership skills
Time: 15 minutes several times during the course
1. Divide students into teams of three or four.
2. Have each team meet to exchange contact information, select a leader, and create a
3. Explain that they will be working with their team throughout the speech section of
the course. The teams will be responsible for reviewing each other’s work and
assisting each other as needed. Each team will submit a combined report containing a
list of the selected topics and copies of all group members’ outlines on specified
dates. Teams will be given time in class but also need to meet as needed to work on
the following items:
a. Topic selection—to be submitted as a team on the specified date.
b. Outlines—to be submitted as a team on the specified date.
c. Pre-speech practice—each group should meet outside of class prior to speech due
5. Is This a Good Source or Not?
Goal: To help students learn how to evaluate Internet sources
Time: 20 minutes
2. Ask students to use their electronic devices to find an Internet resource that would be
3. Have students evaluate their chosen Web site by answering the following questions:
a. What is the goal of the Web site?
b. Who is the targeted audience of the Web site?
c. Are the sources for the information on the Web site provided?
d. Is the information current?
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4. Once complete, have students share their findings and discuss the challenges one
faces in finding the best resources for a speech.
MEDIA RESOURCES
1. American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank
2. “Knowing Your Audience”
This 5-minute video by Toastmasters International discusses how to do an effective
audience analysis. You can access the video on the Toastmasters International site by
3. Nancy Duarte: “The Secret Structure of Great Talks”
This 18-minute TED Talk by author and CEO Nancy Duarte discusses the essence of
4. Speech Topics Help
5. “Audience Analysis”
This 23-minute presentation discusses how to do an audience analysis effectively. The