Course

Public Speaking

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
Communications
Course code
CMNS 1125
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
20
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
Fall
Summer
Winter

Overview

Course description
This highly interactive course presents the foundational skills and knowledge that students need to prepare and deliver effective oral presentations. Students examine basic speech communications theory, practice vocal, verbal, and non verbal speech delivery skills, and gain knowledge of expository and persuasive organizing patterns. They experiment with appropriate physical and electronic visual aids to complement their presentation, and become familiar with a variety of speech formats. A workshop approach is taken, and learning activities are oriented toward small groups. Students must be competent in articulating and enunciating spoken English. This course emphasizes participation and performance.
Course content
  1. What Do We Need To Know And Do About Speech Anxiety?
    • causes of speech anxiety
    • positive and negative effects of speech anxiety
    • methods for managing speech anxiety
  2. How Does Audience Analysis Help Us Prepare an Effective Presentation?
    • the importance of audience analysis
    • methods for gathering information about the audience
    • assessing audience demographics, expectations, knowledge, and attitudes
    • adapting the speech to audience interest and needs
  3. How Does Listening Prepare Us to Offer Effective Feedback to Speakers?
    • active listening skills as a means to identify speech strengths and challenges
    • organizing and articulating specific feedback
    • reducing speaker resistance and defensiveness
  4. What Are Some Foundations of Speech Composition?
    • selecting and narrowing a topic
    • finding relevant information
    • developing the central idea of the speech
    • organizing the speech
      • introduction
      • main points
      • support materials
      • transitions
      • conclusions
    • developing an effective outline
  5. What Are Some Methods of Organizing Speech Content?
    • informative speeches
      • kinds of informative speeches
      • coherence patterns for organizing informative speeches
    • persuasive speeches
      • basic elements of persuasion
      • coherence patterns for organizing persuasive presentations
      • special considerations
    • special occasion speeches
      • speech of introduction
      • speech of tribute
      • speech of acceptance
      • ceremonial (e.g., land acknowledgement)
    • speech forms in contemporary use
  6. What Are Some Elements of Effective Speech Delivery?
    • non verbal oral presentation skills
    • vocal characteristics and oral presentations
    • verbal speech communication skills
    • experimenting with and maximizing speech delivery skills
  7. How Do Speaking Prompts Enhance Speech Delivery?
    • kinds, benefits, and pitfalls of speech prompts
      • brief or elaborate cue cards
      • speaking notes
    • preparing effective speech prompts
    • maximizing the benefits of speech prompts
  8. How Do Basic Presentation Aids Enhance Speech Delivery?
    • purpose and selection of presentation aids
    • kinds of basic presentation aids
    • methods for using presentation aids
    • selection and use of slide display technologies
    • cautions
Learning activities

This course emphasizes learning through doing. Students work together in small groups to examine and apply course concepts and they speak every class, beginning in the first session: Early speaking efforts, however, are not formally evaluated. Part of each class is given over to workshop practice of verbal, vocal and non-verbal speech delivery skills.  Students speak both extemporaneously and in an impromptu manner, serve as chairperson on speech occasions, and evaluate their own and their classmates' presentations using specific criteria developed in the course. They are expected to be familiar with the course text.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation must be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline. Students will be assessed using a variety of methods such as those listed below.

Quizzes up to 10%
Written Audience Analysis Assignment 5-10%
Oral Presentations (including other impromptu and extemporaneous speeches with presentation aids) 60-70%
Self and Peer Evaluations 10-15%
Attendance, Participation, Professional Conduct, and Ungraded Assignments 5-10%
TOTAL 100%
Learning outcomes

Overarching goal:

By the end of the course, successful students are better equipped to prepare and deliver effective oral presentations in a variety of contexts.

Knowledge:

By the end of the course, successful students are able to:

  • explain the causes and effects of speech anxiety
  • articulate the purpose, benefits, and methods of audience analysis
  • describe a variety of coherence patterns for informative, persuasive and special occasion speeches
  • explain the elements of persuasion as they apply to public speaking
  • elaborate on the verbal, vocal, and non verbal elements of speech delivery
  • give details of the ingredients of effective presentation aids.

Skills: 

By the end of the course, successful students are able to:

  • develop a personal strategy for effectively managing speech anxiety
  • consider and integrate audience interest, needs, and knowledge when preparing a speech
  • listen critically to other speakers
  • constructively evaluate other students’ speeches
  • deliver effective impromptu speeches on assigned topics
  • effectively organize extemporaneous speeches using outlines and cue cards
  • effectively employ a variety of verbal, vocal, and non verbal techniques in speech delivery
  • use appropriate informative or persuasive strategies in their speeches
  • select or design and integrate appropriate and effective physical and electronic presentation aids
  • tailor speech content and delivery for different audiences.

Attitudes:

By the end of the course, successful students gain greater appreciation for:

  • the motivating effects of speech anxiety
  • the importance of adequate speech preparation and practice
  • the benefits and pitfalls of their preferred oral presentation style
  • the importance of ethical and professional public speaking behaviour.

 

Textbook materials

A course textbook, in current edition, such as one of the following will be selected for the course.  Wherever possible a Canadian edition will be chosen. 

  • Gregory, H. Public Speaking for College and Career. New York: McGraw Hill.
  • Lucas, S., Wattam, J. and Simeon, L. The Art of Public Speaking. New York: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
  • O'Hair, D., Stewart, R. and Rubinstein, H. A Speaker's Guidebook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.
  • O'Hair, D.,; Rubenstein, H.; and Stewart, R. A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking. Boston:  Bedford/St. Martin's.

Requisites

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for CMNS 1125
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU CMNS 185 (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU CMNS 1120 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG CMNS 1115 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU SPEE 1500 (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU MCOM 281 (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) No credit
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) No credit
University of Northern BC (UNBC) No credit
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV CMNS 235 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC THEA 150 (1.5)
Vancouver Community College (VCC) No credit

Course Offerings

Fall 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
20
Currently enrolled
15
Remaining seats:
5
On waitlist
8
Building
New Westminster - South Bldg.
Room
S1620
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
15:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
20
Currently enrolled
16
Remaining seats:
4
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2010
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20