Chapter 15

The section in Chapter 15 that was the most helpful to me was the section that explains the type of appeals. I heard of the terms logos, ethos, pathos, and mythos before, but I could not tell you off hand exactly what they meant. This section made me clearly understand what each type of appeal is specifically used for. For my speech on same-sex marriage, I need to use all of the types of appeals in order to support my topic and have sufficient evidence. I need to use personal stories (pathos) of friends that I know that are gay as evidence that my view is the best. I also need to use religion or history (mythos) to tune into the audiences personal cultural beliefs. Since I have a touchy topic, these types of evidence will help develop my view into a good, strong argument.

Interactive Videos Ch. 15

The ideas presented in the interactive videos for Chapter 15 could be helpful in my speech. In the first video, the speaker reiterated that a thesis must be supported with a claim, evidence, and reasoning. To help develop a good argument, the evidence should be supported with examples and statistics. In the video for pro-home schooling, the speaker clearly stated the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling. She also clearly stated the problem and what she thought to be the solution. She appealed to the audience by using specific examples that related to and affected the audience's lives. Even in the video against home schooling, the speaker made me think about my own education and how beneficial my resources are now, and how different my life would be if I were to have been a student at home with my parent as my teacher.

Persuasive Discussion

I recently had a discussion with a family member about Prop 8. I was trying to convince him to vote against it, while he was trying to persuade me to vote for it. It was more like a debate because more family members joined the discussion and brought up new arguments. Two of us were pro same-sex marriage and two of us were against it. The arguments for same-sex marriage were valid and included points about discrimination and history (proof of gay’s centuries ago). The arguments against it were based on personal views and morals. In my opinion, we had good reasoning. However, those against same-sex marriage we not persuaded by the end of the discussion because they strongly believe in their morals. For my speech, I need to find stronger points in order to persuade my audience who perhaps may have strong beliefs as well.

Chapter 14

In Chapter 14, I found the section about a negative audience very useful. It closely related to my topic of supporting gay marriage and even used gay marriage as an example. This section suggested ways to counter the resistance I may experience from the audience due to my position. One way was to take the common-ground approach to my topic. The text used the example of drawing parallels between same-sex marriage and other struggles over civil rights like slavery, child labor, and women’s right to vote. I will most definitely use this advice and point out how these once resisted laws are now ordinary.

Sea of Persuasion

I am immersed in a sea of persuasion everyday by driving by billboards with advertisements, watching commercials on TV, listening to commercials on the radio, and communicating with family and friends. My best friend has been trying to persuade me to go out with her and some other friends this Friday when I have an exam on Saturday morning, so it wouldn’t be such a good idea. I have watched the commercial for freecredit.com several times, so last week I was persuaded to go on the website and sign up. However, once I got on the site, I realized that it wasn’t as “free” as it claims to be in the commercial. It was $15 per month, and when I cancelled, was charged $1. This is why it is important to be a critical consumer. It is important to analyze both the pros and cons of everything before you are persuaded into it. You must question its accuracy, credibility, honesty, value and significance before you can decide whether or not you should believe in it.

Persuasive Speech

I have been researching about how I am pro-gay marriage with is a hot topic after Prop 8 passed. I have had many arguments with family members who voted yes on Prop 8 because I have many friends who are gay and deserve equal rights. All of the arguments I hear from people who are against gay marriage have invalid arguments. I have found a ton of newspaper articles and internet sites on my topic, which is mainly how I will support my speech. However I still want to find some textbooks on gay marriage. My main points will be: the problem- which is why are people against gay marriage, and the solution- which is how we can appeal Prop 8 and support gay marriage. I plan on beginning my speech with something funny to get the audience’s attention, but nothing offensive because it is a touchy topic. I plan to end my speech with a quote from one of the gay people I know who I plan to interview. I am going to persuade my audience towards my point of view with statistical evidence of gay people, and proving how this issue is discrimination.

Flickr

Some of the comments on Flickr regarding sexist language suggest banning the use of derogatory words. It’s interesting how the first respondent “Dancing Deer” confessed that she does not care how people regard her including tags like girl, broad, chick, woman, hey you, and lady. The text shows examples of how (in speeches especially) we should use gender-neutral words, like saying humankind instead of mankind. I think it just depends on how sensitive a person is and how they perceive the meaning of certain words. I personally would not take offense to someone calling me a freshman/chairman/etc because I know it is not intended to be offensive and with equal rights between men and women, I just I’m just passed that stage. However, I do also know that some people may be offended, so in formal speeches especially it is best to just avoid those words. One of the last comments on Flickr stood out to me. It read: If you aren't seeking out things to get annoyed about, you'll find life a lot less annoying. I completely agree with her! People always take things the wrong way when it’s not necessarily a HUGE issue (unless it’s intentional of course).

Interactive Videos Ch 10 and 12

I learned more helpful tips for my speech in the videos for Chapter 10 and 12. As a reminder from the text, I learned that you can make your speech audience-centered by referring to current events, using inclusive language, and sparking imagination. When delivering your speech, it is best to use a variety of tones so your speech isn’t boring. Keeping natural, formal movements is also a key to physical delivery so the audience is not distracted. And a new tip in the last clip suggested practicing your speech in sections so you can master each part and make your speech flow. It is also helpful to practice in front of friends or family so you can feel more comfortable in front of a large audience. It was easier to comprehend what the text says by actually watching examples of what you are and are not supposed to do.

Chapter 10

The section in Chapter 10 about spoken versus written language was very interesting. I always wondered why we shouldn’t memorize our speeches. This section explains why memorized speeches may be heavy and hard to follow. Audiences prefer an extemporaneous delivery method which is more conversational and engaging. It also explains how it is good to be redundant while saying a speech so the audience recalls your main points. In written language, readers can simply reread the information over again so redundancy is not necessary. This section also reiterated how engaging storytelling can be, and how too many facts and statistics during a speech loses the audiences attention. I have never compared the specific differences between spoken and written language, so I found this section very appealing.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11 gave me a lot of good ideas about presentation media. Most people think of using PowerPoint when told to use a visual aid, when really there are many other options. Depending on your topic, you can choose which presentation technique will help present your ideas the best. In the past, I have only used powerpoints and posters. The table on page 279 is helpful because it shows the advantages and limitations of each type of presentation media. I think the audio and video ideas would be a good way to catch the audiences attention. Most of these types of presentation media may take away a lot of valuable speaking time, which is probably why it is just easier and more time convenient to use PowerPoint. However, now I know there are much more options than just showing slides.