ENGLISH 5

FINAL PROYECT

1. Choose a topic to be discussed in no less or more than 5 minutes.

A woman's place is in the home.
•Boys and girls should not have equal education.
•A foreign language cannot be taught. It must be learned.
•A country gets the government it deserves.
•A man should have a wife for the family and a mistress for pleasure.
•All property should be owned by the state.
•Murderers should be executed.
•Soft drugs like marijuana should be legalized.
•Beauty is only a matter of taste.
•We are all basically selfish.
•Punishment never has any good effect.
•You will be happier if you stay unmarried.
•People work better if they are paid more.
•Committing suicide should be made legal.
•Royalty and democracy are incompatible.

2. How To Research Speech Topics

Find all possible sides, statements and answers of the selected controversial speech topics. Research and discover:

•Background information, new aspects or new questions.
•Disagreeing opinions, beliefs, arguments, values and policies.

To tickle your mind quickly: check out possible sub-topics or special angles of view of the list above.

3. Choose A Side

By now, pick out one controversial speech topic and take a stand. Your choice has to deal with the assigment rules, the occassion, your personal interests and the reaction of your listeners. Ask yourself:

•What is my opinion, concern, belief about this controversy?
•And why do I think like this?

4. Develop Supporting Arguments

Research supporting arguments for your speech topics. Document your findings.

•Look for evidence - facts, examples, statistics and figures.
•Use - when appropriate - visual aids to illustrate and prove your central message
•Also search for valuable quotations, definitions, and comparisons.


5. Study The Opposing Arguments

The next step is looking for arguments that disagree with the conclusions of your controversial speech topics. Study them carefully, summarize them. Understatement is the best way to reply or attack the opposition.

6. Video tape
When finished all the above points, video tape yourself. Look for a nice place that can reflect the topic you are discussing. YOU are the most important character!!!

7. Speaking Evaluation Rubric (Checklist)

Take into consideration the following aspects that will be evaluated.


a. Vocal Expression-Expressiveness (Voice Usage)
__Monotonous
___Some variation
___Enthusiastic
___Energizes the audience with enthusiasm.

b. Vocal Expression-Clarity (Distinctness of the articulation and pronunciation of words
__Poor articulation
__Generally clear.
__Clear throughout.
__Precisely clear.

c. Vocal Expression-Audibility (Appropriateness of the vocal volume used by the speaker)
__Cannot be heard.
__Generally audible
__Audibility dropped a couple of times.
__Audible throughout.

d. Physical Expression-Eye Contact (Degree to which the speaker maintains eye contact with the listener(s))
__Avoids eye contact.
__Some eye contact.
__Much eye contact.
__Involves audience with eye contact.

e. Physical Expression – Bodily Movement (Movements of the entire body as well as facial expression, and to the use of gestures)
__Stiff or erratic.
__Some order.
__Good order.
___Effective order.

f. Organization-Order (Sequencing of main points within the message)
__No order.
__Some order.
__Good Order.
__Effective order.

g. Organization-Focus (Extent to which the central thesis is clear and the subpoints are related to this thesis)
__Unclear focus (purpose).
__Clear focus (purpose).
__Focus (purpose) ideas well related.
__Audience never loses sight of the speaker’s focus (purpose).

h. Organization-Transitions (Extent to which the speaker provides internal summaries and signal words (“in the first place,” “finally,” etc.) for the listener).
__No transitions.
__Some transitions.
__Good transitions.
__Effective transitions/summaries.

i. Support and Elaboration-Reasoning (Clarity and use of the reasoning process).
__No support.
__Some elaboration.
__Good elaboration and support.
__Full/effective elaboration with documentation.

j. Support and Elaboration-Illustrating, Exemplifying, Clarifying and Documenting (The way the speaker works with each idea).
__Reasoning unclear.
__Reasoning clear.
__Reasoning clear and somewhat effective.
__Reasoning clear and effective.

k. Adaptation to Audience (Extent to which the speaker uses language and conventions appropriate for the listener/audience).
__Inadequate (unclear meaning, inappropriate style).
__Adequate (appropriate use, clear meaning).
__Effective (appropriate and effective style).
__Audience engaged during the entire presentation.


8. Questions, doubts, comments at zulvega@hotmail.com