COM 225 Study Guide Essay example

Submitted By jqromain
Words: 996
Pages: 4

COM 225 Midterm Study Guide

Written vs Oral Communication qualities Qualities of written communication: Adherence to grammar conventions – correct sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, etc. Correct spelling and punctuation Elevated, formal vocabulary Clarity – through succinct sentences, sentence variety, properly placed modifiers, etc Qualities of oral communication:
Short sentences
Simple sentence structure
The use of first- and second- person pronouns (I and you)
The speaker’s individual style
Adaptions to the listeners’ language style (if known)
The use of contractions
The use of repetition for emphasis and effect
Occasional jargon, slang, and colloquialisms

Listening uphill: asking your audience to work too hard – not smart speaking. It makes for ineffective speaking because it increases the chances that you’ll lose your audience’s attention and interest. (Good listening requires energy and engagement on the part of the audience however)

Understanding the Public Communication Process (components)
1. Sender
2. Receivers
3. Frame of reference
4. Message
5. Channel
6. Noise
7. Context

“Power of the Podium” : refers to the inherent respect that public communicators enjoy as soon as they approach the speaking space.

Encoder: the person delivering the speech, the sender. As the encoder, you create meaning by taking the ideas in your mind and translating them into various codes perceptible to others, such as words, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
Decoder: the audience members (the receivers). They are the listeners who assign and create meaning from the speaker’s words and behaviors.

Performance vs Communication Orientation

Performance Orientation:
The speaker perceives the need for perfection and views the speaking event as a competition
The speaker’s focus turns inward to the performing self, inviting uncertainties and anxieties
The speaker strives for perfect delivery skills, resulting in artificiality
The needs of the audience become secondary
Listeners are invited to unleash their inner critic

Communication Orientation:
The speaker relies on their communication experience and applies it to the public speaking context
The speaker’s focus is outward, toward the audience and the exchange of ideas
The speaker uses natural delivery skills, like those used in important conversation
The needs of the audience remain primary
Listeners are likely to remain in communication mode and respond with constructive feedback and discussion

Speaker’s energy: a communication-oriented word. Instead of negative emotions, associate adrenaline flow with positive emotions like this one. Speaker’s energy makes your eyes bright, brings liveliness to your voice, helps you think on your feet, and gives you confident posture.

SWOT: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool that businesses and organizations use to distinguish themselves from their competitors and successfully compete in their markets. In public speaking, we use it to identify our current strengths and opportunities.

CRAAP: a tool for assessing the credibility of a research source. Stands for:
Currency: the timeliness of the info
Relevance: the importance of the info for your needs
Authority: the source of the info
Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the info content
Purpose: the reason the info exists

Thesis vs False Thesis
Thesis: one main idea to which everything else in your presentation connects. Has one central idea and the main points are inevitable and not easily substitutable.
False Thesis: when you explore a topic from several random angles yet leave listeners with no single coherent new perception of their world.

Sub points vs Supporting Details
Sub points: ideas that support a main point. Nearly all main points have sub points, typically two or more of them.
Supporting details:

Peer Reviewed: