Articulation Just compare heart beard and heard Dies

Articulation Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain. (Mind the latter, how it’s written. )

How to be a Better Listener Take listening seriously; it takes practice and self-discipline to be a good listener Be an active listener; passive listening is a habit Active: giving undivided attention to a speaker in a genuine effort to understand the speaker’s point of view Resist Distractions; tune out sources of external and internal interference Do not be swayed by appearances; both attractive and unattractive Suspend Judgement

Focus your Listening Listen for Main Points Listen for Evidence Introduction often tells you how many main points will be presented Main points need to be supported by evidence Listen for Technique What methods does the speaker use to gain attention? Relate to the audience? Is the delivery fluent? Dynamic? Convincing? How well does the speaker use eye contact? Gestures? Visual aids?

Develop Note-Taking Skills Do not attempt to write down everything Use a key-word outline Briefly note main points and supporting evidence Example Serious 4 nurse shortage Total of 120, 000 Avg. 47 per hospital Reduced services main causes Low faculty at nursing school Employment available beyond hospitals Poor working hours Excessive paperwork

Choosing a Topic and Purpose

How to Choose a Topics you know a lot about Topics you want to know more about

Brainstorming Personal Inventory: experiences, hobbies, skills, beliefs, etc. Clustering Divide paper into 9 columns: People, Places, Things, Events, Processes, Concepts, Natural Phenomena, Problems, and Plans List the first 5 -6 things that come to mind for each category Reference Search: browse through an encyclopedia, periodical database, or other reference sources. Internet Search: use a subject-based search engine to browse categories and sub-categories Yahoo! Directory (dir. yahoo. com) Librarians’ Index (www. lii. org)

Determining Purpose General Purpose: the broad goal of a speech Persuade: to change or structure the attitudes of the audience Inform: convey information clearly Specific Purpose: A single infinitive phrase that states precisely what a speaker hopes to accomplish in his or her speech Limited focus Indicates PRECISELY what you hope to accomplish

How to Write a Good Purpose Statement Write it as a full infinitive phrase, not a fragment Ineffective: calendars Effective: To inform my audience about the four major kinds of calendars used in the world today Express your purpose as a statement, not a question Ineffective: What is Dia de los Muertos? Effective: To inform my audience about the history of Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos celebration Avoid Figurative Language in your Personal Statement Limit you Purpose Statement to One Distinct Idea