NFGS_ch1.1_lecppt.pptx

1. Chapter 1.1
The Rhetorical Speechmaking
Process
Copyright © 2022 W. W. Norton & Company

2. Introduction
• Effective speaking is the ability to think critically about yourself as
a speaker as well as about your audience and to make appropriate,
strategic decisions before and while you speak
• The process of speechmaking is easy to learn but difficult to master
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3. Why Presentations?
• Public speaking—speakers address public audiences
• Presentation speaking—speakers create meaning with verbal
and nonverbal messages and establish relationships with audience
members
• The ability to present ideas and information to colleagues and
clients is valued by employers more than oratory
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4. The Rhetorical Situation
• Rhetorical situation—the context in which you’ll be speaking
• The speechmaking process begins with understanding the
rhetorical situation
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5. What Is Rhetoric?
• Rhetoric—the art of influencing the thinking, feelings, and
behavior of an audience
• Late fourth century BCE Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote
Rhetoric—a treatise describing strategies that successful speakers
employ to express their views clearly and persuasively
• Rhetoric formed the basis for many of the speaking strategies we
use today
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6. Elements of the Rhetorical Situation
• Rhetorical situation—the particular circumstance in which we
speak to influence what our listeners know, believe, feel, and/or
do
• Every rhetorical situation involves six primary elements:
• Occasion
• Speaker
• Audience
• Purpose
• Content
• Delivery
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7. Elements of the Rhetorical Situation: Occasion
• Every presentation occurs for a particular reason, at a specific
time, and in a particular place, using a particular medium
• The audience will have certain expectations about what you will
say and how you will say it based on the occasion
• Being aware of and adapting your presentation to the occasion is
essential to your success as a speaker
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8. Elements of the Rhetorical Situation: Speaker
• It is essential to know what kind of speaker you are and what sorts
of things you’ll do
• Your personal characteristics, attitudes, and skills affect the way
you speak to others and how others react to you
• Understanding yourself—your strengths and your weaknesses—
and assessing this understanding are important aspects of the
rhetorical speechmaking process
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9. Elements of the Rhetorical Situation: Audience
• The members of your audience will react in a variety of ways to
what you say
• Their reactions will be shaped by the unique mix of attitudes,
values, and characteristics they bring with them
• Thinking critically about who your listeners are is an essential
step in the presentation process
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10. Elements of the Rhetorical Situation: Purpose
• This is the outcome you seek as the result of making a
presentation
• Purpose is not the same as topic, which is simply another
name for the subject matter of your presentation
• Effective speakers identify and focus on a clear, relevant, and
achievable purpose, and they use it to guide all other major
decisions
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11. Elements of the Rhetorical Situation: Content
• The presentation should convey a message
• The content of your presentation should reflect two indispensable
actions:
• Selecting ideas and information that support your purpose and
that are appropriate for the occasion and your audience
• Strategically organizing your ideas and information into a
coherent and compelling message
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12. Elements of the Rhetorical Situation: Delivery
• Delivery is what audience members see and hear when you speak
• Delivery focuses on how you use your voice, face, body, notes, and
presentation aids to convey your message to an audience
• Channel—the medium or media you use to transmit a message
• The channel of your presentation will inform the delivery
decisions you take and strategies you employ
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13. Putting It All Together: An Impromptu Speech (1 of 2)
• Impromptu Speech—presenting a coherent message with little
or no preparation and no time to practice
• The speaker must think critically about the six elements in this on-
the-spot rhetorical situation
• Decide on two or three key points and organizational pattern
• Formulate an attention-getting beginning
• Pause or rephrase the question while gathering your thoughts
• Think ahead as you begin speaking
• Trust your words will come out right
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14. Putting It All Together: An Impromptu Speech (2 of 2)
Rhetorical
Situation
Select one letter of the alphabet and think of three words beginning with the same letter that describes who you
are, your beliefs, your behavior, and/or something you like to do.
Occasion This presentation is occurring on the first day of class. You’re in a twenty-five-student classroom, so you’ll be heard
as long as you speak at a normal volume. The protocols of this occasion are determined by your instructor’s
directions. Your classmates don’t expect you to have rehearsed, and they won’t expect your delivery to be
superlative.
Speaker What is it about you that “describes who you are”? Can you think of three words that accurately and memorably
capture your uniqueness?
Audience Given what you know about your classmates, what three words will they find interesting, unusual, and memorable?
Are there any words that you should avoid using with this audience?
Purpose Your purpose has been determined for you by your instructor, and it is the same for you and all your classmates: to
help your classmates become acquainted with and remember you.
Content The three words you’ve chosen—and the explanations you give for each—generate the content of your speech.
You decide to talk about each word in turn, not all together, and to give an explanation of each word before moving
to the next one. This decision makes your presentation clear and well organized.
Delivery Given the classroom setting, you should use a conversational voice that is loud enough for everyone to hear and
make sure to look at your audience and smile while delivering your presentation.
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15. Conclusion
• Presentation speaking is honed by knowledge and practice
• As these strategies and skills become second nature, you will
improve your speaking ability and become a more confident,
polished, and effective presenter
• Your ability to succeed in any speaking situation depends on how
well you think critically and make strategic decisions about the
essential elements of the rhetorical situation
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16. Credits
This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint presentation for Chapter 1.1.
For more resources, please visit The Norton Field Guide to Speaking:
http://digital.wwnorton.com/nfgspeaking.
Copyright © 2022 W. W. Norton & Company