About this course: This course gives you a reliable model for preparing and delivering effective presentations. In business, in school, and in public life, we are often called upon to “make a few comments.” Often, people tasked with such speeches become flummoxed. They might not know what to talk about, or ramble without making a point, or simply be confusing to listen to. This course is designed to help you shine where others falter. We’ll learn how organize talks clearly, write them memorably, and deliver them confidently. By the end of the course, you should be able to significantly reduce your fear of public speaking, use rehearsal techniques to develop a strong, vibrant speaking voice, and perform speeches with dynamic movement and gestures. The speech model that we’ll practice is useful for briefings, elevator talks, interviews, and even as a structure for hour-long presentations. If you’re a beginner, this course will help you quickly master the fundamentals of speaking. If you’re a seasoned speaker, this course will help you better understand public speaking and push you to the next level.
Created by: University of Washington
Taught by: Dr. Matt McGarrity, Principal Lecturer
UW Department of Communication
| Basic Info | Course 1 of 4 in the Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization |
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 5 weeks of study; 2 hours per week. |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Vietnamese |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Week 1: Understanding speech
Thank you for joining Introduction to Public Speaking! I am thrilled at the prospect of a global discussion about good speech. Let's get started! In this module, we’ll focus on the basics of the course and how rhetorical canons will help us structure our time. Then we’ll turn to the important ways that speaking and writing differ. By the end of this week, you should have some tools for evaluating your speech writing. If you want some feedback, you’ll be able to upload an introductory speech for peer review.
13 videos, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Welcome!
- Video: Course and assignment overview
- Video: Week 1 overview
- Video: What is rhetoric?
- Video: Rhetorical situations
- Video: The canons of rhetoric
- Practice Quiz: Rhetoric
- Video: Speech is a natural medium of sound
- Video: Don't treat speaking as writing
- Discussion Prompt: Speaking and writing in action
- Video: How do we talk?
- Video: Good delivery is easy to understand
- Video: Week 1 review
- Peer Review: Introductory Speech (Optional)
- Video: Introductory speech sample
- Video: Recording good speech videos
Graded: Week 1 quiz
WEEK 2
Week 2: Making ideas compelling and memorable
Now that we have the course foundation out of the way, we can work on our basic speech model: the key point speech. I love this format. It's the Swiss army knife of speeches. This basic model works in interviews, short presentations, elevator talks, and can even structure an hour long presentation. After overviewing the assignment, we’ll talk about how to plan out your speeches. By the end of the week, you should have some tools for quickly putting together short presentations. You can practice this by analyzing some speeches.
14 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Week 2 overview
- Video: Key point speech overview
- Video: Key point speech rubric
- Reading: Key point speech rubric
- Video: The components of a memorable point
- Video: Can you hear these components?
- Video: Outlining and flowing
- Video: Inventing key points: Topics
- Video: Inventing key points: How many points?
- Discussion Prompt: Practice inventing points
- Video: Arranging key points: Subordination
- Video: Arranging key points: Coordination and discreteness
- Video: Stylizing key points: Phrasing
- Discussion Prompt: Revising for arrangement and style
- Video: Week 2 review
- Reading: Speech analysis #1 overview
- Video: Key point speech for analysis
- Reading: Matt's feedback
- Video: Improved key point speech
- Discussion Prompt: Speech analysis #1 discussion
Graded: Week 2 quiz
Graded: Speech analysis #1
WEEK 3
Week 3: Illustrating and delivering your ideas
This week, we’ll talk about support and arrangement. The lessons here will immediately help all of your other presentations. Why? Because we need to think about how audiences hear our ideas in real time. There are things we should be doing to help listeners instantly organize and process the information we’re presenting to them. By the end of the week, you should be able to discuss evidence clearly and highlight your speech's organization. If you want some feedback, you’ll be able to upload a practice elevator speech for peer review.
14 videos
- Video: Week 3 overview
- Video: Finding the right support
- Video: Discussing your examples concisely
- Video: Performing your key point
- Video: Sample performance of a key point
- Video: Highlighting speech structure
- Video: Introductions
- Video: Transitions
- Video: Conclusions
- Discussion Prompt: The importance of arrangement
- Video: Revising your speech
- Video: Practicing and remembering your speech
- Video: Week 3 review
- Video: Optional: Key point speech with structure identified
- Video: Sample elevator speech
Graded: Week 3 quiz
Graded: Elevator speech
WEEK 4
Week 4: Overcoming your fear of public speaking and developing great delivery
This week, we'll discuss speech apprehension and delivery. I know the fear of public speaking is a pressing topic for many. Why didn’t we start the course with this? Because I think many delivery concerns go away if the invention and arrangement are good. However, invention and arrangement are just part of the equation - now we can supercharge our delivery. By the end of this week, you’ll have some techniques for combating those butterflies and speaking confidently. If you want some feedback, you’ll be able to upload a practice key point speech for peer review.
16 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Week 4 overview
- Video: What is public speaking apprehension?
- Video: The causes of public speaking apprehension
- Video: Reducing your public speaking apprehension
- Video: Example of public speaking apprehension
- Video: Analyzing the example
- Discussion Prompt: Discussing the example
- Video: Breath control
- Video: Projection
- Video: Pitch
- Video: Rate and pauses
- Video: Gestures
- Video: Movement
- Discussion Prompt: Models of movement and gesture
- Video: Week 4 review
- Peer Review: Practice Key Point Speech (Optional)
- Video: Sample key point speech
- Reading: Speech analysis #2 overview
- Video: Sample speech
- Reading: Matt's feedback on the sample speech
- Video: Improved speech
- Discussion Prompt: Speech analysis #2 discussion
Graded: Week 4 quiz
Graded: Speech analysis #2
WEEK 5
Week 5: Course conclusion and your final speech
Thank you for time in this course. I hope the material has proven helpful in some way. We concluded our discussion of the speech last week. I would like to spend a bit of time reflecting on the course and talking a bit about the other courses in this specialization. We will end this week with your final key point speech.
3 videos
- Video: Course review
- Video: Other recommended courses
- Video: Sample key point speech
Graded: Key Point Speech
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
University of Washington
Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the West Coast and is one of the preeminent research universities in the world.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
one of the best course which taught me public speaking
very effective course thanks Dr. matt
It was very interesting and well organized , to my surprise!
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education, partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2017 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
KK
A prima facie social-instrument!