Epiphany: Speech

Showing posts with label Speech. Show all posts

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Speech Assignments (2005-06); 2008-1

Students,
    Besides completing the proverb presentations and doing the Listening Exam (CNN 5-16-06), next week each s
tudent will present a sales pitch for product.
    This will involve,
    1. Knowing the product (either by reading a manual or researching the product);
    2. Building a vocabulary related to the product;
    3. Comparing with other (usually unnamed products);
    4. Listing the benefits of the product (cost, health, fashion, ease of use, etc.).
    5. Understanding your audience and applying that understanding to persuade;
    6. Understanding your purpose: to sell by arousing interest in, or desire for, your product;
    7. Building your sales pitch effectively, using the commonplaces (comparison, division, definition, reasons, testimony [what others say], examples, etc.).
    Good luck. Hope you can make a sale next week.

Students,
For next week, pretend you're a weather announcer. Write a short report on the weather.
    This will be a two-level exercise.
     1. Writing. Find an interesting group of facts and details to report the weather. Introduce, organize, conclude. Find colorful language.
     Here's a sample I made up:
"Here's Nancy Chen with the upcoming local weather forecast."
   "Thank you, Bob. Get out your umbrellas: The forecast is for rain, rain, and more rain, lasting at least through tomorrow morning and early afternoon. In fact, it's not likely to clear until tomorrow evening. So for those with children, why not try staying indoors this weekend and enjoy your favorite television programs instead. Wait until the sun comes out: then you can hit the beaches again! Now back to Bob."
     2. Speaking. After you're written your little presentation, you'll have to practice it for speaking in class. Consider the following:
    1. Intonation. Find a proper melody to fit the words.
    2. Pronunciation. Be sure you know how to pronounce the words you use.
    3. Articulation. Speak clearly.
    4. Accent. Use the right stress and secondary stress on each word (many should not have problems with this).
    5. Volume. Project your voice (let your voice carry, so even people far back can hear you).
    6. Fluency. Your speaking should flow, not stop and start: "Um, it will, ah, snow and, ah, um, it will get, ah, colder."
    7. Memory. Remember, memory is divided into 3 parts:
    a. You should remember your content, though not necessarily the exact words. If necessary, use cue cards. These are small index cards that may have a few words written on them, which can then be shuffled for the next card, etc.
    b. Your memory should also be a storehouse. This will not be necessary for this first speech, but in the long term the more that is stored in your memory, the more it will help you write/deliver speeches.
    c. Remember the memory of your listeners--the audience. Make your speech vivid, clear, simple, and complete. Big words are not as good as the right words. Short sentences are better than longer sentences with many subordinate clauses! Those are great for novels, but not for public speaking.
    8. Gesture. This includes physical poise, eye contact, and vocal variation (changes of pace, drama, and volume).
Good luck.
    Obviously, you should tune in on several weather reports to practice your presentation. You may wish to tape some of these and listen repeatedly.

Students,
    Here are some ideas for your next speech:
    You are to broadcast an "on-the-scene" event, whether tragic or of social interest, such as the following:
    1. A movie premiere.
    2. A train/plane/car accident (the car accident will have to be major, of course, involving many automobiles).
    3. A political protest (against some social policy or law).
    4. A national or celebrity wedding.
    5. A major fire.
    6. A natural disaster (earthquake, typhoon, volcanic eruption, etc.).
    7. An awards ceremony (MTV, Oscars, Emmy awards, etc.).
    8. A major criminal act (a bank robbery, etc.)
Or any other idea you come up, similar to the above.
    The report should include:
1. A point of view about the event;
2. Interesting details (the dress of the stars, the design of model of the plane, the political cause, the cause of the vehicular accident, the deaths involved in such an event as a fire, the guests invited to the celebrity wedding and obviously the celebrities involved, the nominees at the awards ceremony, the description of suspects in a robbery, the amount stolent, the clues, etc. Other details of course include the location, time, identity of the speaker, and so on.

THE BALLAD OF THE HARP-WEAVER

(1922)

Edna St. Vincent Millay

"Son," said my mother,
When I was knee-high,
"You've need of clothes to cover you,
And not a rag have I.

"There's nothing in the house
To make a boy breeches,
Nor shears to cut a cloth with
Nor thread to take stitches.

"There's nothing in the house
  But a loaf-end of rye,
And a harp with a woman's head
  Nobody will buy,"
  And she began to cry.

That was in the early fall.
When came the late fall,
"Son," she said, "the sight of you
Makes your mother's blood crawl,–

"Little skinny shoulder-blades
Sticking through your clothes!
And where you'll get a jacket from
God above knows.

"It's lucky for me, lad,
  Your daddy's in the ground,
And can't see the way I let
  His son go around!"
  And she made a queer sound.

That was in the late fall.
When the winter came,
I'd not a pair of breeches
Nor a shirt to my name.

I couldn't go to school,
Or out of doors to play.
And all the other little boys
Passed our way.

"Son," said my mother,
"Come, climb into my lap,
And I'll chafe your little bones
While you take a nap."

And, oh, but we were silly
For half an hour or more,
Me with my long legs
Dragging on the floor,

A-rock-rock-rocking
To a mother-goose rhyme!
Oh, but we were happy
For half an hour's time!

But there was I, a great boy,
  And what would folks say
To hear my mother singing me
  To sleep all day,
  In such a daft way?

Men say the winter
Was bad that year;
Fuel was scarce,
And food was dear.

A wind with a wolf's head
Howled about our door,
And we burned up the chairs
And sat upon the floor.

All that was left us
  Was a chair we couldn't break,
And the harp with a woman's head
  Nobody would take,
  For song or pity's sake.

The night before Christmas
I cried with the cold,
I cried myself to sleep
Like a two-year-old.

And in the deep night
I felt my mother rise,
And stare down upon me
With love in her eyes.

I saw my mother sitting
On the one good chair,
A light falling on her
From I couldn't tell where,

Looking nineteen,
And not a day older,
And the harp with a woman's head
Leaned against her shoulder.

Her thin fingers, moving
In the thin, tall strings,
Were weav-weav-weaving
Wonderful things.

Many bright threads,
From where I couldn't see,
Were running through the harp-strings
Rapidly,

And gold threads whistling
Through my mother's hand.
I saw the web grow,
And the pattern expand.

She wove a child's jacket,
And when it was done
She laid it on the floor
And wove another one.

She wove a red cloak
  So regal to see,
"She's made it for a king's son,"
  I said, "and not for me."
  But I knew it was for me.

She wove a pair of breeches
Quicker than that!
She wove a pair of boots
And a little cocked hat.

She wove a pair of mittens,
She wove a little blouse,
She wove all night
In the still, cold house.

She sang as she worked,
  And the harp-strings spoke;
Her voice never faltered,
  And the thread never broke.
  And when I awoke,–

There sat my mother
With the harp against her shoulder
Looking nineteen
And not a day older,

A smile about her lips,
And a light about her head,
And her hands in the harp-strings
Frozen dead.

And piled up beside her
And toppling to the skies,
Were the clothes of a king's son,
Just my size.

Speech Examination: Guidelines and Directions

Next week, at the regular time, we'll have a speech examination. This will be your best opportunity to use everything you have learned this semester, including,
    1. poise,
    2. articulation,
    3. diction (choice of words),
    4. coherence (organization),
    5. gesture (body movement, vocal variation),
    6. vocal production (volume),
    7. tone (intonation),
    8. pronunication.

Assignment

The assignment, to be performed either in the classroom or in my office, will be in two parts. Two students at a time will take turns playing the parts of interviewer and interviewee (the interviewer and the person being interviewed).
    The employment opportunity is a part-time instructor at our university.     Students will be evaluated based on the criteria above as well as the content of the interview, whether as interviewer or interviewee.
    To give you reasonable guidelines I refer you to this website that will help you prepare for the exam. For a quick checklist from that page, see box, left. This of course is only a checklist (you cannot rely on it entirely), but will give you some ideas of the direction to go. Obviously you must find a proper point-of-view or context, too. For example, you may wish to omit the question about pressure (#10), but at least sensibly contextualize it (justify it). Take a McDonald's job interview, for example: "As you know, during rush hours, the demand for burgers is very high. Do you think you're able to work under that kind of pressure?"
    Remember, each student will play both roles, as interviewer and interviewee (this means the same two students). Obviously judgment will be different for each role.
    The interviewer will be judged on the basis of the questions asked, followup questions, etc. The interviewee will be judged on the basis of the best responses to those questions. The interviewee is not responsible if the interviewer performs poorly; the interviewee is only responsible for the best responses allowed.
    Students will be chosen by lot. The first student will interview student 2, who will interview student 3, etc. until student 11 interviews student 1, to complete the chain.
    Each interview will last about ten minutes. Time, of course, is a factor in both real-life situations (where the interviewer has numerous applicants to interview in a single morning) and in our classroom situation (where we only have 2 hours). Therefore, an important part of your rehearsal will involve crisp questions and quick replies. In this regard, both parties should exercise control, but the interviewee should especially consider a balance between not responding in a too involved manner while at the same time responding in an adequate manner. In the same way, the interviewer must not cut the interviewee off but insure that the interview remains in her/his control when the response is too vague or meandering (not to the point).
    Students will be graded in both their interviewer and interviewee roles. Do NOT feel too much pressure; your performance all semester is equally important. At the same time, this is an important show of what you've learned.
    ALL students must appear. Makeups are NOT allowed except in case of documented emergency.
    Good luck!

Indiana Jones Film Review Sample

SPEAKING KEY: underlined=emphasis; smaller font=quicker pace; //= long pause.

CONTENT ANALYSIS: The writer uses cataphora (she does not define the "hero" (Indiana Jones), "that famous fedora" (hat), "whip," or the theme song (by John Williams) until later. But she's already summed up the basic ingredients (elements) that make up an Indiana Jones film. Here she's being general compared to her specific review. "Iconography" creates coherence by referring back to the ingredients I mentioned above (hat, whip, etc.). Then she uses cause-effect for both film (Spielberg dives head first into the conventions) and response ("it will warm you with nostalgia, if only briefly"). Already she has evaluation: whatever nostalgia one feels will be brief.
    An antithesis ("it's admittedly a pleasure") sums up Harrison Ford's role as well as Ford himself at 65.
    Another antithesis concludes that despite Ford, the film "has no idea where to go."
    Reference (to "fan boys") follows, then more cause-effect (new technology ruined the film, making it "slick and fake").
    A lower level of specificity tells when the film is "especially" slick and fake ("the messy climax").
    Vague critical approval ("LeBeouf holds his own") follows (the critic avoids telling why LeBeouf is good, just that he holds his own); and the reference to Karen Allen is even vaguer (she "returns" to the series is enough for the writer). But this would work as a reference for those who already know the series (remember the Communiction Triangle: the writer assumes her audience knows the series; and, if not, will take her word on faith).
    Defintion and evaluation follow: "one-note roles" that "waste" the actors.
    This is not a deep review, but it's acceptable for TV broadcast: It names the film; the main stars; their success in the film; the genre (Indiana Jones genre or series); the musical score (John Williams); the director, the costumes (hat, whip). A more serious review would include editing, cinematography, and some evaluation of the main star, Harrison Ford (the writer says only that it's a "pleasure" to see Ford again, with no serious evaluation of his performance.
    Here's the link to the review; a transcript is below and a sound file attached for easy listening practice.

    FOR NEXT WEEK: Do a similar review of Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959). This is the last week and there's not time for an in-depth review. Besides, you should imitate the style of the model: find a few salient points to make (remember the "rule of three") and link them coherently.
    Since this is the last week, you don't have time to do much research on the film, so here's a few hints.
    Don't worry about plagiarism when it comes to FACTS, only if you're taking phrases from somehwere. So here are the FACTS:
    Marilyn Monroe played Sugar Kane (pun on sugar cane). Monroe remains probably the most discussed star of the 20th century, known as a sexpot.
    Jack Lemmon played Jerry and Daphne. He won two Oscars (Supporting Actor and main Actor) and was adept at both serious and comic roles, though he first made his mark in comedy roles.
    Tony Curtis played Joe (Josephine) and courted Sugar Kane in the film.
    Monroe sang some standards (old songs from the 1920s/30s).
    The movie is called a "black comedy," because it makes fun of serious matters, like killing.
    Tony Curtis' imitation of the millionaire of Shell Oil was an imitation of the era's leading romantic star, Cary Grant (hence the funny line that Jack Lemon speaks about Curtis' accent: "Nobody talks like that!" Audiences laugh at that line because that's exactly how Cary Grant talked in movies!
    So go to IMDB and cook up a review. Speakers should not only learn how to deliver a speech of subtance, but also (and just as useful) a speech of little substance but mainly style. So many of life's situations in fact require this: weddings, funerals, panegyrics (praise of others), etc. So students should learn how to "cook up" a speech quickly the way a good mother knows how to cook up a reasonably healthy and appetizing meal quickly ("nothing fancy").
    Find a topic. Define your point of view. Gather the facts (examples, illustrations, names, etc.). Organize them. Come up with a strong opening and a strong conclusion. That's it. Good luck. About the length of the model speech (without the film clips).

GOOD TO SEE 'INDIE,' BUT 'SKULL' IS A MESS

You see the hat before the hero: that famous fedora, the one that stays put through every tricky situation or physically at arm's length for a hasty getaway.
    And of course he has the whip and the paralyzing fear of snakes // and that catchy John Williams theme song that will surely nod your brains for hours afterwards. //
   Yes Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull dives head first into the icongraphy of the franchise, which will bring a smile to your face and warm you with nostalgia, if only briefly.
   It's admittedly a pleasure to see Harrison Ford back in the role. At 65 he's grizzled and lined but certainly up for the challenge.
    Once we get past the initial re-introduction though, it's obvious that this fourth film in the Indie series really has no idea where to go.
   The fear that the fan boys have long held is justified. That technology that was unavailable during the first three Indie movies, would make this one look slick and fake.
   That's especially true during the film's protracted messy climax. Shia LeBeouf holds his own though as Indie's young sidekick // and Karen Allen returns from Raiders of the Lost Ark as Indie's long-lost love.
   Cate Blanchett and John Hurt and Ray Winstone meanwhile totally go to waste in one-note roles.
    Till next time, from Los Angeles, I'm Christy Lameer, AP movie critic.

Future Assignment

FOR YOUR NEXT assignment (after the job interview) you'll give a public announcement modeled on the one given by Tom Hanks supporting Barack Obama for president (click on image to view). Of course Taiwan elections are over. But you can pretend they're not and support one of the candidates in the last election. Or, you can support a local candidate (mayor, legislator, etc.). If you're from another country, you can support a candidate from your country. The main goal is to model your content and delivery on the Tom Hanks speech. Below is a vocal analysis of Hanks' delivery, with the following key: slower pace, faster pace, / =short pause, //=longer pause, emphasis and (in one instance) -=no pause, where one would expect a pause.
    In terms of content, note Hanks' self-mocking humor, using cause-effect (he's an "official celebrity" and therefore expects his fans to vote for whom he votes).
    Then he uses cause-effect (he wants Barack Obama to be president because). He goes into detail about his reasons (division). Then he compares Obama to other presidents (note he includes a Republican [Reagan] to reach a wider audience of sympathy for his plea.
    Then Hanks uses definition, defining what a president must be ("to embody the America I have been waiting for"). That is, the president should belong to the class of people who embody the best political values.
    Comparison is used again when Hanks compares the upcoming election with the one in 1797.
    Hanks then uses specific examples about the candidates' showy behavior and mistakes. (He's obviously referring to the Reverentd Wright, Mr. Clinton, and other well-known events during the campaign, which American citizens would recognize.)
    Notice the use of "we," linking him, though a special celebrity, with the "ordinary" folk he's speaking to. This is an example of the Communication Triangle.
    He uses the same technique in the next paragraph, referring to "I" (reading history), then linking himself with other Americans. At the same time he assures Americans he's not just an actor, but an intelligent citizen who read "history for pleasure." He also reminds viewers of his acting career ("and sometimes get paid to recreate it"). So he has it both ways: he's both ordinary (like us) but special (we don't get paid to star in historical films).
     In referring to John Adams, Hanks uses an historical example, but also cause-effect (because of that historic election in 1797, new democratic values were established).
    He defines this as a "seismic shift" in political history and argues another one is now needed. This is a comparison: the November election of 2008 will be as important as the election of 1797.
    He then combines definition and cause-effect: the American Republic must be "redefined," he argues, and this will happen when Obama is elected president (cause-effect).
    Cause-effect continues when Hanks argues that America will "live up" to her historical "promise." (Note the emphais Hanks places on the particle, "up," which is usually not stressed.)
    The "promise" is defined as the "grand American idea," and America therefore becomes the example of Hanks' ideals.
    Cause-effect follows when Hanks says, "That's why I'm supporting Barack Obama." But note the Communication Triangle again, when Hank begins his sentence with the self-effacing phrase, "For what it's worth," which makes him sound humble, not arrogant in a way that might offend viewers.
    The Communication Triangle has been at work throughout this speech:
    First Hanks presents good reasons why Obama should be the next president (text).
    Second, he is always amiable, modest, and links himself with ordinary people, and even makes funs of himself at times, especially at the end when he says, "I wrote and approved this message and I'm now going to turn off the camera." In other words, Hanks does not belong to a powerful Hollywood system; he's just "ordinary folk," like you and me, with his small camera, which he uses to record his opinion, "for what it's worth."
    Third, Hanks forces the American listener/viewer to link themselves to a long American history, which they value as much as Hanks says he does. He forces the viewer to believe that if he or she votes for Obama, that vote will be vindicated by the best of American history. The Obama voter will belong to the great American tradition of Washington, Adams, Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Reagan (even Republicans are included in Hanks' audience).
    Hanks' delivery is varied throughout: fast-paced phrases, some of which are almost "thrown away" as if they didn't matter; more deliberate (slower) phrasing; clear diction; and stress when required. Note how well Hanks handles a long sentence, which begins, "This November. . . ." He handles it in the way I suggest in class: like a stepladder, on the steps of which he pauses to catch his breath and allow his audience to digest what he is saying. I don't hear much variety of vocal resonance (timbre). I have marked a few of them in green.

Hello. // I'm Tom Hanks and I want Barach Obama to be the next president of our country. As official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made your mind up for you.
    History with a capital H is going to be made this November no matter who the president-elect is. I want Barack Obama to be president of this country: a country that once said that people of his skin color were only 3/5 of a human being.
    My support for Obama isn't just about breaking boundaries. // It's because of his character / and vision / and the high road he has taken during this campaign. He has the integrity and the inspiration to unify us, // as did FDR and Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy, and even Ronald Reagan when they ran for the job.
    I want the president of my country to embody the America I have been waiting for. One where leaders address challenges with candor // and truth is their basis for policy.
    We now have watched for months as the candidates have pretended to eat cheese steak sandwiches and go bowling. Each has committed gaffes // and each candidate / has had to distance themselves from supporters or relatives / who have gone off half cock.-Still, I support Barack Obama.
    I read history for pleasure and sometimes I get paid to recreate it. This November / we have a chance to witness another moment like in 1797, / when George Washington transferred power to president-elect John Adams // and / for the first time / in recorded human history, / leadership of a great nation was passed from one man / to a non-relative / without death, / rebellion, / or violence being the cause. It was a seismic shift in the political and social fabric of the eighteenth century and here in the third millennium we need another / seismic shift.
    In November / Americans will have redefined our republic / when President George W. Bush watches president-elect Barach Obama swear on the Holy Bible to preserve, / protect, / and defend our constitution.
    Around the world, / to friend and foe alike, / our nation will live up to the great promise once shaped by our Founding Fathers when they came up / with the grand American idea.
    For what it's worth that's why I'm supporting Barack Obama as president in 2008. Be sure to vote. I'm Tom Hanks. I wrote and approved this message and I'm now going to turn off the camera.

from Edgar Allan Poe's
"The Pit and the Pendulum"
Sample reading and vocal analysis

The analysis is keyed to the following symbols: /=pause; //=longer pause;
small font=quicker pace; underline=stress.

Very suddenly there came back to my soul / motion and sound--a tumultuous motion of the heart, and, in my ears, the sound of its beating. // So far, I had not opened my eyes. // I felt that I lay upon my back, // unbound. I reached out my hand, / and it fell heavily upon something damp and hard. There I suffered it to remain for many minutes, / while I strove to imagine where and what I could be. I longed, yet dared not to employ my vision. I dreaded the first glance at objects around me. It was not that I feared to look upon things horrible, but that I grew aghast / lest there should be / nothing to see. At length, with a wild desperation at heart, I quickly unclosed my eyes. // My worst thoughts, then, were confirmed. The blackness of eternal night encompassed me. I struggled for breath. The intensity of the darkness seemed to oppress and stifle me. The atmosphere / was intolerably close. I still lay quietly, // and made effort to exercise / my reason.

ADVISORY SPEECH

Students,
    PREPARE FOR the coming weeks a roughly three-minute speech advising an audience of what not to do, giving reasons, examples, etc.
    To practice the communication triangle (Speaker, Text, Audience) choose your own audience as well as your own topIc.
    For example, you can choose to speak to fifth-grade students about being careful how they cross the street.
    You can talk to convalescent patients (perhaps recuperating from heart surgery) on what not to do, what foods not to eat, etc.
    You can talk to your teenage child about dating.
    You can be a teacher advising Freshman students what not to do.
    Or you can be (as we showed in class) an elder student advising newly admitted Freshman students what not to do at college.
    There are countless other examples, such as speaking to a group of prisoners about to be released from jail; or a church group about to live abroad (like the Mormon missionaries).
    The point of this practice exercise is to focus on the audience as much as on the text. For your text will change with a change in your audience. Obviously you will not use the same vocabulary, tone of voice, pace, etc. if you're speaking to fifth-graders than if you were speaking to young juvenile delinquents. You will use different words; different examples, different cause-effect, etc.
    You will also have to make clear your focus/purpose: what is your purpose in speaking? What is your aim/goal?
    So all points of the communication triangle go together; a change in one point changes the two others too. You may speak in baby talk to a two-year-old child, "Tommy mustn't go there," but differently to a juvenile delinquent on probation, if you're the probation officer: "Listen, Tommy: keep away from gambling houses. You don't want to go into those places. One thing leads to another and before you know it people start taking guns out and you'll be back in here before you know. And next time you'll be facing five years in prison instead of ten days in the jail house. Are you listening to what I'm telling you? I hope so. Because you may not get another chance."
    Next Tuesday we'll go over these issues in more detail in class.

Photomontage for film (Speech Class)

Speech Assignments 2007-1

Jay Leno's Comic Monologue on Paris Hilton

The following analyzes Jay Leno's comic monologue on Paris Hilton in terms of vocal delivery. Different colors show different (thus variation of) vocal timbres. Note the pauses for comic effect; variation of pace is shown in smaller font or larger font. Pauses are shown by slashes (/ or //) and stress by underline. Some native humor doesn't translate well in other countries, partly due to content, partly to references, idiomatic usage, or slang. "Slammer" is slang for "jail." The reference to license plates is that prisoners are usually assigned the task of making license plates as part of their job in prison. A "moving violation" is a traffic violation while the car is actually moving (compared to a parking violation). A "publicist" is someone who handles publicity or relations with the press (newspapers, etc.). The final joke is a reference to celebrities who get away with murder (O. J. Simpson, Robert Blake), while those involved in traffic incidents get jail sentences. To "let it slide" means to ignore something. "Buddy" is a common "vocative," a grammatical form that addresses a person directly, as if in intimacy, as distinct from its use as a noun: "I love my mom" (noun); "I love you, Mom" (vocative). (Note too, "mom" is not capitalized as a common noun but is capitalized as a proper noun: the name of a person, not the kind or class of person (mothers).

I'm sure you know by now: / Paris Hilton got 45 DAYS IN JAIL.
    Yeah, well, I tell you. A lot of, a lot of people are very upset about it. // You know, / they were hoping for the death penalty. So this seems WAY too lenient.
    I guess the trouble started for her when the cops pulled her over in a car // and she didn't have a front or a rear license plate. // Good news: now she can make her own. So
that's . . .
    Well, // did you hear her excuse? I love this. She claims her PUBLICIST / TOLD HER // SHE WAS ALLOWED TO DRIVE TO WORK. // Yeah, which would be great if she had a JOB. She doesn't have a job!
    But you see, I think this arrest sends a clear message to all celebrities: Hey, // you murder your wife, you shoot your girlfriend, okay, we'll let it slide. // But commit a moving violation in LA / YOU ARE GOING TO THE SLAMMER, BUDDY! YOU ARE GOING TO THE SLAMMER!

THE ART OF PERSUASION

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. More generally, it is the act of speaking (now writing). For all speaking (or writing) has a purpose, whether achieved or not.
    Even a child's cry has a purpose. It too is a form of rhetoric, as is a gesture, such as clasping the hands in a plea sign to ask one's mother for permission to see a movie.
    Rhetoric is three-pointed, like a triangle. One point is the speaker. The speaker uses reasons and shared values to convince an audience. The child convinces her mother to pay for an expensive college by showing she shares the same values as her mother: a good education.
    But arguments are also important. They are based on common places where the receiver expects to find them. Thus: "What do you mean by that word?" "Give me an example!" "There's a big difference between killing accidentally and killing in cold blood!" And so on. The good speaker/writer knows common places to improve persuasion and thus prevents those kinds of questions.
    These are called "commonplaces." They include showing how one thing is related to another by comparison or definition: A woman should be treated equal to a man because she belongs to the same class as he. Government should aid its citizens, for a citizen is a part of a government. And so on.
    Contradiction advances an argument by denial: "You say my money for your education is worth it, but look at your grades! You failed half your classes!"
    Division is a form of definition, breaking down a subject into parts, such as the advantages of Taipei over Tainan. Division also uses signs or attributes to make a point. "He must be drunk, since he can't walk, he can't talk, and he can't even stand up right."
    Contraries oppose ideas to show that if one idea is good the other is bad. If lies are bad, truth is good.
    Testimony uses received opinion to convince. "The New York Times recommended the movie."
    Proverbs appeal to received wisdom: "Spare the rod and spoil the child."
    Laws appeal to what can or cannot be done legally: "I would punish him myself, but it's against the law to hit another's child."
    Wordplay suggests relationships by words.
    "Spring is a wonderful season, when life springs from the earth!"
    "A university should be universal, sharing all points of view, not just one." "Where's the muse in his music, which sounds so uninspired?"
    Examples also persuade. Thus, "Nancy went to that university and her grades improved."
    Cause/effect shows where there's a cause an effect follows: "If you get sick, you'll miss work and lose money."
    Antecedent/Consequence is like cause and effect but is only probable. Yet probability can be persuasive: "If you go to the big city, you'll be distracted by the pubs and show places and will not study hard."
    Or, "Too many unemployed in the city will lead to greater crime."
    And, "Education leads to greater harmony in society, since educated people are more likely to cooperate than the less educated."
    Degree argues more or less. If more people like a movie, it's better. Or if more educated people like a movie, it's better than if less educated people like a different movie.
    Comparison advances a thought by similarity and difference. Similarities show a difference: "Taipei and Tainan are great cities. Both have a lot of history. But Tainan has more history than Taipei and has more to teach us about our past."
    An analogy is like a comparison but suggests a similarity despite differences. "We check an automobile before we buy it. Why shouldn't we check our future spouses the same way?" Or, "Our planet has intelligent life on it, so should other planets."
    Thus Rhetoric is not the art of proof (impossible except in mathematics or logic) but the art of persuasion: One finds common places ("commonplaces") to strengthen one's point of view; one controls the emotions of one's audience; one shows oneself as trustworthy. These three points make the Communication Triangle.
    All three work together and only conditionally; that is, depending on other conditions involved. "Spare the rod and spoil the child" (testimony) might be effective if one's audience is a traditional parent but may sound wrong to a child psychologist aware of child abuse. That person would also lose confidence in the speaker/writer. So all three points of the Communication Triangle are affected because all of them are not working together.

      Aristotle's Rhetoric is still among the key texts for all kinds of writing.
    Aristotle divided a speech into five parts, including,
    1. invention (discovery of ideas),
    2. order (of ideas),
    3. vocabulary (diction),
    4. memory (remembering one's speech), and
    5. delivery (acting out the speech, using vocal and body skills taught in this class).
    Invention (discovery) includes the "common places" ("commonplaces" or topics) where one can build one's argument. By transferred (associated) meaning, "commonplaces" now refer to the general method itself rather than to the places.
    To review these, the commonplaces include:
    1. Definition. To define something is to put it in a class in order to show shared values and thus advance one's argument.
    "Jazz is an art form and deserves public funding."
    By placing "jazz" in the class of art form, one advances one's purpose to obtain public funding for jazz.
    Otherwise, Definition remarks what something is: "Jazz is a highly syncopated music, usually improvised, with emphasis on personal intonation of instrumental sound, and often played simultaneously with other players."
    2. Comparison. This works by similarity or difference.
    "Mr. Smith killed a man. There's no question about that. But surely there's a difference between a person killing another in a vehicular accident and a premeditated act of murder, such as a planned killing."
    "Capital punishment is the taking of a human life. Surely there's no difference between this and other forms of killing."
    "I beg to differ with Ms. Chen. Surely she doesn't believe that a state-sanctioned execution, authorized to effect justice in the case of a deliberate act of murder is the same thing as the murder itself, motivated by greed and a wanton disregard of human life."
    3. Degree (more or less). "Surely the life of an adult woman is worth more than the life of an unborn child."
    "I agree, capital punishment may not necessarily be an ideal solution to murder, but it's the best solution we have. Whatever the bad example the state sets by executing criminals, surely this is of less consequence than the good example it sets by establishing principles of justice equal to a crime. For what else is equal to the taking of a life but the taking of a life, provided it is done within due process of law."
    "Surely a public school has an interest in the conduct of its students. At the same time, even that interest should not compromise the basic right of individuals, young or old, to dress as they please, provided it falls within the bounds of public decency as defined by legal statute."
    4. Contrary (antithesis). "If poverty causes crime, it stands to reason that the only way to eliminate crime is to eliminate poverty."
    5. Contradiction. "Mrs. Smith argued that her husband abused her. Yet she has also testified that he was a tender husband, a good father, and a dutiful son to his aged mother."
    6. Example. "Mr. Chen claimed he complied with the court order to keep away from his ex-wife. Yet phone records show he phoned her fifteen times in the last two weeks alone. He also parked outside the place where she worked. On one occasion he was asked to leave by security personnel."
    7. Cause-Effect. "Mr. Chang's personal physician has testified that Mr. Chang's current arm pain could only have been caused by the motorcycle accident he suffered when hit by the city bus."
    "Mr. Chang's spousal abuse has resulted in my client's nervous breakdown. She has been hospitalized ten times since her marriage and attempted suicide once."
    8. Antecedent-Consequence. Like Cause-Effect but probable not proved.
    "Clearly if we allow a video game shop near the university campus this will tempt students away from their studies."
    "Two more fast food businesses in the district are bound to threaten the business of other restaurants in the area, leading to shutdowns and high unemployment in the area."
    9. Division.
    "Tainan may not be a major city like Taipei, but it still has a lot to offer the tourist. In the following report, I'll discuss Tainan from the point of view of its restaurants, temples, parks, concert halls, and famous streets."
    10. Testimony (quotation).
    "The movie doesn't seem to be drawing large crowds and threatens to disappear without a trace. This is unfortunate, since the New York Times hailed the movie as one of the ten best of the year."
    11. Analogy. Comparison based on only partial similarity, such as comparing the government and its citizens to the body and its members (arms, legs, stomach, etc.).
    "Mr. Liu's claim that he and his followers constitute an official church and therefore eligible for tax-exempt status is absurd. If we allow this, then any three people can congregate anywhere and claim tax-exempt status."
    (Number 11 might also fall under the commonplace of "Definition," namely how to define what is a "church" or not and therefore eligible for tax exemption.
    I say this to stress the names are not as important as reasoning. Don't get caught up in what you're doing so much as using these commonplaces to inspire ideas.
    Most argumentation falls under the style of, "If . . . then," such as, "If we agree that a child is a human being, regardless of age, then it follows that no child should be subject to the kind of punishment he suffered from the hands of his parents, since no human being would be subject to such punishment either."
    "If the New York Times ranked it as one of the Ten Best Films, then it follows it's a good movie."
    "If you like good restaurants, good music, and good parks, then it follows that Taipei is a city you should visit."
    And so on. The first sentence would be called argument by Definition, while the second would be called argument by Division, but they both assume the same "If . . . then" form (regardless whether those actual words are used or not:
    "Come visit Taipei this summer. You'll enjoy our good restaurants, good music, and good parks." (Here the "If . . . then" form is only implied.)
    Finally, any method will do if it works. The newspaper 5-W + H method is certainly useful: What, when, where, why, who, and how?
    For example, say there was a motorcycle accident:
    When did it happen? Who were the occupants of the vehicles? What happened? Who caused it? How did it happen? Why did it happen?
    Like all methods, its value depends on how it is used.
    "What?" for example can mean anything: "What happened?" "What caused it to happen?" "What were the consequences?" And so on.
    The method is just a guide to help discovery, not a substitute for discovery, which always involves mental effort. Russian composer, Igor Stravinsky defined inspiration as finding something on the radio after tuning the knobs repeatedly. Inspiration (or "ideas") always come suddenly after a long effort!
    Recently I talked with a student who wanted to know the best English word that phonetically resembled the name of a Chinese business. One idea led to another and then to an even better one in a process of discovery called "heuristics," which is common in all the arts. The best artists create to discover what it is they want to say.
    Think of a painter's palette of greens and yellows. The greens and yellows are a method to help the painter. But finally the painter must exercise some imagination in using those colors.

VOCAL RESONANCE

As I studied your presentations last week, it became apparent that at this stage the greatest weakness among most students is in the area of vocal resonance (also known as vocal timbre or vocal quality). The best analogy is with musical instruments, where a violin obviously has a different acoustic timbre or resonance from, for example, a cello or an oboe. Many of you have developed fairly native intonation, but your vocal resonance is still limited. Despite the limits of trying to notate vocal quality, I have tried to do so in this transcription of Maria Sansone's commercial for her show, The Nine.
All variations of vocal resonance or timbre are shown in red font, with the usual key applying for other areas of vocal variation: smaller font size for faster pace, underline for stress, a slash (/) to indicate a pause, and CAPITALS to show slower pace.

Hey there! I'm Maria Sansone, HOST of the NINE, right here on Yahoo. Monday through Friday, we gather up nine things / you won't want to miss / from all over the web / and package it up into one nifty little show / JUST FOR YOU. We've got you covered / with the hottest viral videos, / coolest websites, and juiciest Hollywood gossip. And if you think we've missed something, / you can let us know about it by going to the Pepsi Tenth down below. Hey, you might even make it on the show. So check out the Nine every weekday at nine / dot Yahoo / dot com.

ORAL B VITALITY SONIC

The timbre (vocal quality) is a lighter male voice, probably chosen to simulate light speed (a heavier vocal quality would sound slower and more serious). Strategic use of pauses and repetition. Most of the style is based on repetition ("fast," "under twenty dollars," the product's name). "Sonic" is repeated five times; "amazing" and "fast" twice. The scientific argument is spoken faster than the key words, because the key words are more important. Key numbers are also important (20,000) and the final word is "dentist," giving authority to the product by analogy ("like a dentist"). Comparison is used ("fast" vs. "sonic fast"). Connotation is used in the word "vitality" (products always use connotation, like "Pepsi," as in "pep" or energy). "Amazing," of course, is a poor adjective judged strictly on literary style (it's a weak and vague word), but for advertising it's suitable, because listeners just hear the positive meaning of the word. Cause-Effect is used in telling the viewer where the brush comes from ("experts at Oral B"). "Expert" itself appeals to "authority," so would fall under "testimony" (quoting authority). Description is used, spoken quickly, to explain how the brush works, so this would fall under "Definition" (defining something by associated traits). A repeat of the word "amazing" drives home this fact by mere repetition. "Go" is used imperatively (as a command) more to the audience than the product (in other words, "Go buy!"). "Under twenty dollars" means nothing specific, of course; the key word is "under," so the audience assumes it's a good buy (the assumption is that it should be more than twenty dollars!). So this would fall into the class of "Definition": that is, the product is defined as something that you can buy more cheaply than it's worth.

There's fast // and then // there's sonic fast. Oral B Vitality Sonic. An amazing brush from the experts at Oral B. Nearly 20,000 sonic vibrations a minute // drive criss-cross bristles deep to send plaque bugs packing. But the most amazing thing of all, // you get all this sonic technology / for under twenty dollars. Go Sonic. // Oral B Vitality Sonic. Under twenty dollars. Brush like a dentist.

Two More Commercials

Key: smaller type=faster pace; larger type=slower pace; /=pause //=longer pause; underline=stress

CLAIROL

Content analysis: Begins on a strong imperative ("[you] forget"). Contradiction (our product is not like the others). Another imperative ("[you] get"). The rule of three ("three tones"). Emphasis on "new" (implied antithesis with "old," common in advertising). Strong adverb ("incredibly") [I mean "strong" in terms of sell, not language, since "incredibly" is otherwise a weak adverb and I discourage its use in good writing]. Appeal to "nature" (and "natural": also common in advertising).The rule of three follows with "highlights, dimension, and shine." Product name gets strong stress as final word.

Forget hair color that looks like one tone. // Get THREE TONES built in // with the new Nice 'n' Easy, / incredibly natural-looking color // with highlights, dimension, and shine / like NEVER BEFORE. / New Nice 'n' Easy // with three tones BUILT IN, // from Clairol.

CREST

Appeal to the present ("now"); appeal to "Nature" (natural) and medical strength ("protective power"). Appeal to "new." Rule of 3 (3 choices). Repetition of nature/natural/twist (the product seems like naturally twisting a fruit). Extracts/expressions also develop this theme as do the extract oils. So if we highlight all references to "natural" using the color red, we get the following color chart, all linked to the theme of Nature. Of course, since Crest is selling Nature in a bottle or tube (that's the real message of the commercial), it is highlighted red too!

Now get a hint of Mother Nature // with the protective power OF CREST. // New Crest Nature's expressions. // Choose between natural peppermint oil, // lemon and mint extracts, // or mint with green tea extracts. // New Nature's expressions. // It's Crest // with a natural twist.

COMMERCIAL SELL

The next commercial begins with incomplete sentences for emphasis: primp [fix yourself up], coif [dress the hair], gussy up [dress up in a fancy way]. All are strong verbs. The commercial uses many unusual and strong pauses, especially before "your insides," for extra stress. Cause-Effect follows ("one hundred percent cilium-infused," etc.); also "actually helps lower cholesterol," and "making your heart look," etc. A penultimate repeat of the product name follows (the first commercial had the name last, this one next-to-last), with a final appeal to Cause-Effect ("beautify your insides"). Note that the first commercial relied more on reasons, however simple and unproved they were. This relies more on rhetoric in the modern sense of using words (and delivery of words) in a fancy way.

2.
PRIMP. COIF. GUSSY UP // YOUR INSIDES // with Madame Newsole. // It's one hundred percent cilium-infused to do more than just cleanse your body. Madame Newsole actually helps LOWER cholesterol, // MAKING YOUR HEART / LOOK // OOH-LA-LA. // Madame Newsole. / Beautify your insides.

COMMERCIAL SELL

For your next assignment, after the midterm exam week, you will sell a product. This assignment will involve both content and delivery. Content as a text is itself divided up into form and content. Below is an analysis of all three parts of your commercial presentation (sell). Bear in mind that I'm not familiar with these products and there may be some misspellings of product names and some product components, but that should not affect the analysis.
As usual, the speaking key includes faster pace, SLOWER PACE, stress, and short / and long // pauses.

    The first example shows the value of referenced objects, referred to by "This." Comparison and contrast follows ("may look like an ordinary white strip"). "This" refers back to the first pronoun use, linking two ideas coherently. Comparison is developed by phrases, "this new strip," "brighter," "more beautiful." But also, "just five minutes" and "every day" implies comparison too (other products don't do that, it's assumed).
    "This" was a cataphoric reference (it's referent was unknonw), adding interest to the commerical. The next paragraph tells us what "this" refers to: New Crest White Strips.
    Division follows next, with the "rule of three": that is, usually only three points are made, no more or less (two are not enough, four are too many). The speaker choose cardinal numbers (One, etc.) insted of ordinal numbers (First, etc.) probably with a purpose. Ordinal numbers sound too technical. Cardinal numbers sound more informal. Also, together they make up a common idiom: "as easy as one, two, three!"
    Finally, the commercial is linked with the common demonstrative pronoun, "this," taking us back to the very beginning: "This is the brightest five minutes of my day," suggesting Cause and Effect ("THIS product leads to THIS result").
    The name of the product concludes the commercial, because the speaker thinks that's the most important thing to remember (it's easier to remember than the 3 points; and once the 3 points (reasons) have been made, they underscore the importance of the main point: the product itself.

1.
This may look like an ordinary white strip. But this new strip / gives you a brighter, / more beautiful smile / in just five minutes // every day.
   New Crest White Strips Daily Multi-hair work in THREE WAYS.
    One, / they remove surface stains.
   Two, / they whiten by deep cleaning.
    Three, / they protect your enamel / from the buildup of everyday stains.
   THIS // is the brightest FIVE MINUTES of my day.
   New Crest White Strips Daily Multicare.

The next commercial begins with incomplete sentences for emphasis: primp [fix yourself up], quaff [drink], gussy up [dress up in a fancy way]. All are strong verbs. The commercial uses many unusual and strong pauses, especially before "your insides," for extra stress. Cause-Effect follows ("one hundred percent cilium-infused," etc.); also "actually helps lower cholesterol," and "making your heart look," etc. A penultimate repeat of the product name follows (the first commercial had the name last, this one next-to-last), with a final appeal to Cause-Effect ("beautify your insides"). Note that the first commercial relied more on reasons, however simple and unproved they were. This relies more on rhetoric in the modern sense of using words (and delivery of words) in a fancy way.

2.
PRIMP. QUAFF. GUSSY UP // YOUR INSIDES // with Madame Newsole. // It's one hundred percent cilium-infused to do more than just cleanse your body. Madame Newsole actually helps LOWER cholesterol, // MAKING YOUR HEART / LOOK // OOH-LA-LA. // Madame Newsole. / Beautify your insides.

Look at this! We're shooting for 50. 49 degrees right now. The wind has picked up a little bit // OUT OF THE WEST, / bringing in SOME HEAT. / It's very nice out there. I see people scrambing around outside soaking up some of that BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE. Look at the temperatures. // Rosoe, 48 degrees. Here we sit at 49. Look at New Haywood. // 50 / ALREADY. IT IS VERY WARM. Still a little below average // for this time of year. I mentioned that 56 is the average high. [We] had some clouds yesterday afternoon, watched them clear out overnight. / That's what high pressure will do and it's keeping the clouds away / and keeping these storms down south still dancing across / NEBRASKA and will affect parts of Iowa. BUT WE WILL BE DRY. Gorgeous weather // for the next several days. Starting with today, / 54 degrees, soak up that sunshine. / THE WIND WILL BACK DOWN // into the nighttime hours. Tonight will be a COOL ONE, falling back to about 29 degrees. Checking the extended forecast. // [It] LOOKS LIKE we're going to go for 60 / on SUNDAY, 62 on Monday and then we stay in the upper 50s to low 60s and really STAY DRY until next Friday. Have a SPECTACULAR weekend.

Weather Report
(Second Male Model)

This is another Weather Report using a male model. The speaking key includes: CAPITALS for SLOWER PACE; smaller font for faster pace; underline for vocal stress; [/] for a pause, and [//] for a longer pause. Bracketed words [ ] indicates omitted, but implied, words, as when someone says, "Nice day!" meaning, "[It's a] nice day!" For those who wish to follow a scroll as you listen to the audio file, the scroll is identical to the transcript below:
Look at this! We're shooting for 50. 49 degrees right now. The wind has picked up a little bit // OUT OF THE WEST, / bringing in SOME HEAT. / It's very nice out there. I see people scrambing around outside soaking up some of that BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE. Look at the temperatures. // Rosoe, 48 degrees. Here we sit at 49. Look at New Haywood. // 50 / ALREADY. IT IS VERY WARM. Still a little below average // for this time of year. I mentioned that 56 is the average high. [We] had some clouds yesterday afternoon, watched them clear out overnight. / That's what high pressure will do and it's keeping the clouds away / and keeping these storms down south still dancing across / NEBRASKA and will affect parts of Iowa. BUT WE WILL BE DRY. Gorgeous weather // for the next several days. Starting with today, / 54 degrees, soak up that sunshine. / THE WIND WILL BACK DOWN // into the nighttime hours. Tonight will be a COOL ONE, falling back to about 29 degrees. Checking the extended forecast. // [It] LOOKS LIKE we're going to go for 60 / on SUNDAY, 62 on Monday and then we stay in the upper 50s to low 60s and really STAY DRY until next Friday. Have a SPECTACULAR weekend.

Newscast for Stress Study

For those who wish to practice both listening and speaking, here's another speech analysis of a newscast. The speaker makes excellent use of pauses (//) and has good variety of pace. Her weakness is in overstressing too many words in a singsong manner, which becomes tiring, especially near the end. Stress should be varied. A good Shakespearean actor doesn't stress every other syllable in a Shakespearen (pentameter) line, because in a few minutes it would sound tiresome and childlike.
Or take Marlowe's famous line, "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?" This should not be spoken as, "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?" but, with more dramatic variety, as, "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?" Of course there would be secondary stresses, but not the primary stresses of the first example.

Gunned down at pointblank range, // Almado Ramirez managed to stagger a few meters after being shot three times in the back. One of Mexico's best-known radio and television reporters // was killed on the edge of Acapulco's Central Plaza // packed at the time with tourists // and churchgoers attending an Easter mass. He was well known in the city, / having covered it for the news network Televisa / for more than twelve years. The killing left relatives in shock. The newspaper headlines reflect the horror felt in a country where violent death is far from unusual. Six hundred people have been murdered in gangland killings so far this year // and journalists are included in the targets. Seven have died since October // while two have disappeared. It's thought drugs gangs are behind the killings. // Conservative president, Felipe Calderon // has vowed to fight the cartels, / sending more than twenty thousand police and soldiers into drug strongholds across the country. There have been many arrests // but the violence shows little sign of abating.

WEATHER REPORT: MALE MODEL

Speech key: (/) pause; (//) longer pause; ( _) stress; .. faster pace;
.. (average pace); .. (slower pace)

This is another model for your weather reports. First, it's a male voice, which may aid male students. Second, it's slower than the other models, showing that pace is not an absolute but only a relative value. This should be studied mainly for its strategic pauses (good use of pauses), its slower pace, it's basic coherence strategies (mostly the simple conjunction, "so"). Above is a key chart, which should be obvious. As usual, this stylistic analysis is not complete, but covers most of the significant differences in pace, vocal shadings, stress, etc. (I've ignored variations of vocal timbre, which I covered in a previous analysis.)

It's 36 in Boston, it's 31 in Worcester right now. / But as we open up the shot, We'll try to find some warm weather in the United States. There really isn't too much. Of course we will take the 74 out in Orlando and / perhaps the 92 and maybe it'll be too hot for you. But / perhaps it's better than / what // we're experiencing right now. 92 out in Phoenix. So the only place it's really warm is in the southwest. A good chunk of the country is really below average. And so our air is going to continue to come out of Canada. / So // there really is no change coming up. So the forecast for tonight, partly to mostly cloudy. Ah, the temperature will fall down in the upper 20s to near 30 degrees. So if it cleared out in some spots it could get down to twenty // because there will be radiation cooling with practically no wind. I'm not looking for any precipitation tonight // but there probably will be some breaking out tomorrow // and overnight. 26, / Chulmsford 25 with that light wind. And going up to 37 tomorrow. Same story in. Chulmsford: 36 degrees. // Looks like a mostly cloudy sky with a few scattered snow showers. // Most of the snow is likely to break out on Cape Cod and the islands // and maybe even a few flakes up in the south / shore, // possibly in Boston, but primarily down in here, // even though the temperature will be in the low to mid 30s, / it is cold enough in all levels of the atmosphere above us, / the whole column, / to create snow / as we're going to get sideswiped by a storm. Now // if it came down harder, and it's possible it could do so for a brief period of time, / then there will be some accumulation, at least the grassy surfaces will start to show white / and perhaps an inch or two. But that / is just about it. As / this storm continues to spin well we're waiting for another storm which is going to form over the ocean tomorrow. / Now // there is so much energy going into this storm that this is really going to really // expand and explode into a very intense storm. I'm not kidding you on this one. However it looks like it should be / steered just offshore to only give us // a little sideswiping or a little brush of snow. On Easter Sunday, // hopefully we'll start sunny. // This crop of low pressure will swing on through / and we may have some afternoon clouds and then we will see // perhaps a flake or two of snow, but mostly up in the mountains. Even the six to ten-day temperature outlook // is for this to continue below normal well into next week. Now / of course below average / this time of the year // it depends what kind of below average it is. It should be around 53, 55, / and / if it's not too far below it's not too bad. But, // you know what, // it's just, / we would like to have it better, right? And we're going to try to make it better as we get in the first part of next week for the home-opener in Fenway Park. // We're going to shoot for a 50 degrees, hopefully there's no curve balls there from Mother Nature to mess things up on us. / But // it looks like later in the week, // Wednesday night or Thursday, // we'll be watching the storm and it'll be either snow or rain. Right on the fence, right on the threshold, / whether it'll be rain here. I suspect it'll be more rain, // again, more snow in the mountains. You want to go skiing, snow boarding this weekend, / it's just an amazing, staggering, amounts of snow which fell in this storm.

Weather Report Model 5 April 2007

Speech Key: Different timbre. Stress. Faster. Slower. /=slight pause; //=longer pause.

With a look at the forecast on this Wednesday, Orlisa Ortez. Looking good. Yes it is. It is looking good indeed. We're going to see some changes though. / Here's a live look outside. Look up at that moon! Just a gorgeous shot there. Soon we're going to see that sunrise just a few minutes away: 6:47, 6:48, So set your alarm clock. //
And then we are going to see some changes over the next couple of days. / I want to show you what we can expect right now as you head out the door. Temperatures around the area in the 40s and 50s. Very nice and cool. //
54 this morning in Stockton, Fairville. You're waking up to 51, 53 in Sacramento // and 52 in Marysville. Cloudy skies this hour. That is a different picture. That's going to be the trend for today. // Today's going to be good, // kind of a transition day. We're going to call it partly cloudy around the area / as we head into the next 24 hours. We're set to see those temperatures dip just a tiny bit, / Just a couple of degrees / really. Here's a look at the situation. We've got a system that brewing out here and slowly making its way into our area. / It's going to split, though, and that's going to cause / a little bit of some uncertainty. /Part of it is going to go to the north. As you see, we're already seeing some showers in northern California. They're going to stay right along the coast. / Also northern portions of the Sierra could also see some showers,// maybe this week/end but // still a couple of days away and the system is really not that strong. // The other portion is / coming to the south / and that's what bringing / those clouds / into / our area. So we'll call it partly cloudy for today, // slightly cooler // but once the system moves right on through and clears out we're gong to see plenty sunshine / and temperatures are going to be on the rise once again, / so we'll start to warm up // back up into the upper 70s, // low 80s. 75 degrees Sacramento, 77 Mackaville, 76 today in Stockton and 68 in in Placidville. Jackson / should top out at 70 today. 72 in Oroville and 74 in Ucca city, 75 again, Sacramento. Light winds later today // but just a very nice, nice way to . . . light breeze. There you go: there's your seven-day plan. Temperatures again warming up as you headed into your Thursday, Friday and into your weekend as we said earlier. Great Easter weather comes your way, I just I just like great barbecue weather because you know how much I love to barbecue.

Students,
Listen to the following audio file of a weather report and answer the fifteen questions below by 9 April 2007. This will require repeated listening. At the same time, the weather report will serve as an additional model, and therefore aid, for your own weather report. It will use vocabulary that you will have to use in your own report, the manner in which geographical locations are used in a weather report, descriptive phrases for weather conditions, etc. In terms of delivery, listen especially to the extremely fast pace of this report. Yet despite the fast pace, a great variety of intonation, pauses, and stress is used throughout, while articulation is always clear. That's something to learn from.

    1. Where is there still some snow?
    2. Where is most of the snow falling?
    3. What word is used to describe the roads?
    4. What have been showing up around Grand Junction?
    5. What is in effect in the red-shaded areas?
    6. How many inches of snow are predicted in Idaho Hills?
    7. Where is the wind advisory still in effect?
    8. How fast are the wind gusts in Boulder?
    9. How many degrees is it in Aurora?
    10. When is another shot of cold air coming in?
    11. What are the termperatures now across the front range?
    12. What is the temperature for tomorrow?
    13. When might they see a little accumulation of snow?
    14. How many degrees are predicted for Friday?
    15. What is the prediction for the weekend?

NOTE: WE WILL WORK ON THIS PROJECT AFTER WE HAVE FINISHED WITH THE CURRENT PROJECT, WHICH MAY LAST FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS
Bono's Speech at NAACP Awards

After our current assignment, which may last a couple of weeks, we'll do a short public speech, with emphasis on content and delivery. The following is an example, by the Rock singer, Bono.
Bono fronts the Irish group, U2 and is known for his social activism. At the NAACP awards ("National Association for the Advancement of Colored People"), Bono gave the following speech. The broadcast conclusion is broken down for analysis of both content and delivery below. An audio file of the speech is attached. For those interested in the video, click here. Though it is part of a longer speech, it can serve as an acceptable model for a short (five-minute) position (policy) speech.

And to those [pause] in the church [pause] who still sit in judgment [pause] on the AIDS "emergency,"[flash pause] let me "climb into the pulpit" [pause] for just one moment. Because whatever thoughts we have about God, who he is, or even if God exists, most would agree [pause] that God has a special place for the poor. The poor are where God lives. [Pause] God is in the slums and the "cardboard boxes" where the poor play house. God is where the "opportunity" is lost and lives are "shattered." God is with the mother who has infected her child with the virus [pause] that will take both their lives. God is under the "rubble" [pause] and the cries we hear duing wartime. God, my "friends," is with the poor [pause] and God is with us if we are with them. [Long pause] This is not a burden, [pause] this is an adventure. Don't let anyone tell you it cannot be done. We can be the generation [pause] that ends [pause] extreme [pause] poverty. Thank you.

Speech Analysis

Delivery: Underlined words show relative stress. Note, these sentences are not short, but Bono uses the staircase model, breaking his speech up into little steps, allowing the listener to climb slowly along. I have not indicated pauses following periods (end of sentence), but Bono uses these too. Variation of pace is shown by smaller type.
    Regarding content, Cause and Effect is used throughout: the effects of war, the effects of poverty, the slums (poor neighborhoods), etc.
    Definition is used to ask, first, who God is or if God even exists; but then to say where God is (with the poor, AIDS victims, etc.). That is, Bono places "God" in a class of people (like "jazz is a type of syncopated music," etc.), thus defining him to make his point.
    Testimony, in the form of proverbs (proverbial wisdom) is also used in the phrase, "most would agree" (that is, this is accepted wisdom). (Testimony may be quoted statements ("Love is blind"), but need not be, if it's "received" wisdom, such as "We all want peace instead of war" or "Everyone loves money," etc.)
    Contrast is common throughout. Thoughts about God versus facts about God (where God lives).
    Antithesis is a contrast that opposes two members of a class, such as hot and cold, rich and poor. "God is with us, if we are with them." Antithesis can also be invented: "This is not a burden, this is an adventure."
    The topic called Division is also common, dividing up where "God lives" into many places (the slums, war zones, etc. These also cover Examples.
Style: Bono makes strong use of the figure known as anaphora (an-AF-fora), repeating the first word or words in successive sentences: "God is with . . ."), as Martin Luther King did in his famous "I have a dream" speech; or as Winston Churchill did in his World War II speech, with the anaphoric words, "We shall fight . . ."
    A vocative ("my friends") is also used by Bono for rhetorical effect, in order to insure solidarity with his audience (that is, "we" rather than "me" versus "you"). By asserting solidarity Bono insures it, invites agreement.
NOTE: The vocative is a special use of a noun as direct address, such as, "I love you, Molly," where Molly is the vocative. Or Shakespeare's "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," where "Friends, Romans, countrymen" are vocatives. Or, "Charlie, don't do that," where "Charlie" is a vocative. Compare, "Charlie graduated," where "Charlie" is a noun, not a vocative.
    Syntactically, note the use of what is called cataphoric reference in the first words, since the pronoun "those" is not defined until later (people "in the church").
    Diction highlights are shown in quotes, like "this." These are well-chosen words, such as the "emergency" (defining AIDS in a special way), metaphor ("climb into the pulpit"), "opportunity" (a socially loaded word in a culture that also speaks of "opportunities"), a strong verb ("shattered"), and concrete nouns ("rubble," "cardboard boxes").

WEATHER REPORT: Model Analysis

Students, after we complete our current assignment, we'll do a model weather report. Emphasis will be on both content and delivery. It's a good exercise to master a limited vocabulary for a subject, whether hunting, weather, wines, etc. A little research will be required too (geographical locations, etc.). In the model report below, stressed words are shown by underline; a quicker pace by smaller font; a slower pace by larger font; and [pauses] are indicated by bracketed signs. The newscaster flubs a line (about snow), but picks up, though to my mind she uses too many pauses too much time on her little joke ("just kidding"). (Air time is very costly and limited.) Apart from specific changes in speaking style, shown in the analysis, the main goal is to study is the variety of speech changes, regardless what they are. Poor speakers speak in a straight monotone (as the pix shows), while good speakers use tricks of variation, whether of pace, pitch, volume, timbre, pauses, stress, etc. Note that the rule of stress is relative; that is, sometimes a lower volume may have more stress than a higher volume, as when the speaker stresses the final words of her report, "cooler temperatures," by quickening her pace and lowering her volume for emphasis.

Good evening everyone. Definitely not a washout this weekend. It will be one of those that we will be in and out of rain showers, and we'll time it out for you.
   Outside right now, [pause] the roads are wet. Looking at Center City, Philadelphia, from our Constitution cam, that is Market Street, of course. But no big wind tonight so it won't be feeling that chilly and temperatures are still in the 50s. Showing the showers moving from west to east.
   We have a frontal boundary sitting over us and it's pretty much serving us like a focus mechanism for these rain showers.
   Philadelphia seeing some showers to the north and west. Periods of rain this evening [pause] to the south and east, more like [pause] a constant shower, especially through Wilmington, even Middletown, Milville, Beechhaven, the shore points. All will be seeing some light rain through the evening.
   Now spring is in the air, but what about winter? If you were wondering how we fared with the snow you may see [pause] that we picked up more than you may have thought this winter.
   This winter so far we could get a little more but it would spring snow. 13.4 inches. Last year we had a [pause] 19.4, which was close to average in Philadelphia. And the year before, 30.4 inches of snow. So it did not pick up [pause] much in the way of snow [pause] this year.
   Now we're on to spring. And feeling like it's with some rain in Philadelphia. 55 degrees. How about 62 in Dover. It was 70 here today and Mount Poconoh. 45 degrees on the cool side [pause] and rain showers.
   The wet weather pattern continues with rain showers moving across the Ohio Valley. If you follow the line of rain, that is where our cold front is and we'll see a few areas of low pressure or disturbances along it that will keep us in and out of the rain.
   It's kind of difficult to time exactly when these areas of low pressure will [pause] cross the region, but we've timed it out pretty good for you and we'll show you [pause] what it looks like [pause] right now.
   Through the evening, [pause] periods of snow, oh, I said periods of snow, periods of rain go across the area, some light showers by midnight. Oops, [pause] wishful thinking. No, I'm just kidding.
   Tomorrow morning, looking at dry conditions. Dry through much of the day tomorrow but then another area of low pressure moves in the from the west late tomorrow into the evening.
    So we start to see more green on the screen tomorrow evening, eight, nine o'clock. Later tomorrow night if you're going out to a movie or to dinner, you need your umbrella because it will be raining by tomorrow night.
   Evening showers, [pause] otherwise mostly cloudy, especially well to the north, 38 to 42. By tomorrow mostly cloudy, a few showers, especially toward the evening. 52 to 54. So basically [pause] a rain-free day.
   Now in the five day forecast, most of the rain is out of here. Sunday's looking good. 54, morning clouds, but increasing sun.
    So [pause] a good deal of sun on Sunday. A good day to get the car washed. Monday, [pause] 62, Tuesday [pause] 68, [pause] a few showers possible Wednesday morning, And next week staying pretty nice in the 60s.
   Now of course the Phils have a home opener on Monday. That's day ten, showing signs of sunshine, but somewhat cooler temperatures.

*Reading Excerpt*

Typography key: smaller type means quicker pace; [pause] means a relatively significant pause; underlined means greater emphasis:

It seemed that she knew my friend too and we all agreed [pause] that of all the places in the world to recognize mutual friends, [pause] a crowded lifeboat afloat in mid ocean [pause] at 2 a.m. 1200 miles from our destination, [pause] was one of the most unexpected. And all the time [pause] as we watched [pause] the Titanic sank lower and lower by the head [pause] and the angle became wider and wider [pause] as the stern porthole lights lifted [pause] and the bowlights sank. And it was evident [pause] she was not to stay afloat [pause] much longer.

Late in the afternoon of a chilly day in February, two gentlemen were sitting alone over their wine, in a well-furnished dining parlor, in the town of P---- (long), in Kentucky . There were no servants present(pause), and the gentlemen, (pause) with chairs closely approaching,(pause) seemed to be discussing some subject with great earnestness.

For convenience sake, we have said, hitherto, two _gentlemen_. One of the parties, however, when critically examined, did not seem, strictly speaking, to come under the species. He was a short, thick-set man, with coarse, commonplace features, and that swaggering air of pretension which marks a low man(down) who is trying to elbow his way upward in the world.

The underlines are stressed words, and the red words are in rising tones.

"I may be dying [pause], but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls. How many people can say that?"

I was astonished by his complete lack of self-pity. Morrie, who could no longer dance, swim, bathe, or walk (quicken pace); Morrie, who could no longer answer his own door, dry himself after a shower, or even roll over in bed (quicken pace). How could he be so accepting? I watched him struggle with his fork, picking at a piece of tomato, missing it the first two times-a pathetic scene, and yet [pause] I could not deny that sitting in his presence was almost magically serene, the same calm breeze that soothed me back [pause] in college.

From °ßa little princess" Frances Hodgson Burnett

"My papa is dead!" [low pitch/speed(sad tone)] she kept whispering to herself. "My papa isdead!" [low pitch/speed]

It was not until long afterward that she realized that her bed had been so[long duration] hard [pause] that she turned over and over in it to find a place to rest, [pause]that the darkness seemed more intense than any she had ever known, and that the wind howled over the roof among the chimneys [loud]like something which wailed aloud.[higher speed/volumn] Then there was something worse[stress]. This was certain scufflings and scratchings and squeakings in the walls and behind the skirting boards.[high speed] She knew what they meant, because Becky had described them.[slower pace] They meant rats and mice [stress]who were either fighting with each other or playing together. Once or twice[low volumn] she even heard sharp-toed feet scurrying across the floor, and she remembered in those after days, when she recalled things, that when first she heard them[pause] she started up in bed and sat trembling, [pause]and when she lay down again covered her head with the bedclothes.

The change in her life did not come about gradually, but was made all at once.

"She must begin as she is to go on," Miss Minchin said to Miss Amelia. "She must be taught at once what she is to expect.''[high pitch and sharpened timbre(a mean woman)]

During the perusal of this letter, which informed Valentine for the first time of the madness of her father [pause] and the death of her brother, she became pale, a heavy sigh escaped from her bosom, [pause] and tears, not the less painful because they were silent, ran down her cheeks; her happiness cost her very dear. Morrel looked around uneasily. "But," he said, "the count's generosity is too overwhelming; Valentine will be satisfied with my humble fortune. Where is the count, friend? Lead me to him." Jacopo pointed towards the horizon. "What do you mean?" asked Valentine. "Where is the count?--where is HaidÈe?"

"Look!" said Jacopo.

The eyes of both were fixed upon the spot indicated by the sailor, [pause] and on the blue line separating the sky from the Mediterranean Sea , they perceived a large white sail. "Gone," said Morrel; "gone!--adieu, my friend [pause] --adieu, my father!"

"Gone," murmured Valentine; "adieu, my sweet HaidÈ e--adieu, [pause] my sister!"

"Who can say whether we shall ever see them again?" said Morrel with tearful eyes.

"Darling," replied Valentine, "has not the count [pause] just told us that all human wisdom is summed up in two words?--'Wait [pause] and hope.'"

The Ruling Party in London controls everything, even people°Øs thinking. Winston, a low-ranking member of the Party, falls in love with his co-worker, Julia. This is the biggest crime to the Party. At last, soldiers seize them. A man of the Party straps a cage full of rats onto Winston°Øs head. Winston snaps, pleading with the man to do it to Julia, not to him. Giving up Julia is what the man wanted from Winston all along. Winston is released to the outside world and meets Julia, but no longer feels anything for her. He has accepted the Party entirely.

Actually, now, we're always under surveillance; cameras watch us wherever we go. In other words, someone watches us even when we are not conscious of it. This is similar with the situation of°∂1984°∑ that the Party watches every move and life of the people through the °Ætelescreen°Ø . Also, someone who makes rumor and fabricates the truth might control our thinking. I think, Orwell warns that we have to open our eyes and see the abuses of invisible power.

This paragragh is from a famous novel "Life of Pi" which is written by Yann Martel:

"The knife was all along in plain view on the bench. We both knew it.[pause] He could have had it in his hands[change a quicker pace ] from the start[slow down]. He was the one who put it there. [pause] I picked it up.[soft tone] [pause] I stabbed him in the stomach. [pause] He grimaced but remained standing. [pause] I pulled the knife out and stabbed him again. Blood was pouring out. Still he didn't fall over.[pace slow down] [pause] Looking me in the eyes, he lifted his head [short pause]ever so slightly.[soft tone] Did he mean something by this? [pause] I took it that he did. [pause]I stabbed him in the throat, next to the Adam's apple. [pause] He dropped like a stone.[pace slow down] [long pause] And died. [turn into a mourning tone]

Analysis of a Weak Broadcast

This is a television report that has several problems, though the first sentence is well spoken with good control over a long sentence. Otherwise, the delivery lacks focus, as if the speaker had not prepared her report and was finding meaning as she went along. (Perhaps the fact that it was a "developing story" allowed little time for preparation.) The speaker stumbles over what to say in the middle of the report, as you can hear. Some stresses seem odd, and some words that deserve stress do not get them (for example, "hospital"). The delivery lacks melody, an orderly intonation, with a beginning, middle, and end. The speaker seems to be speaking one word at a time with no sense of the whole.

We're following a developing story. Part of I-95 is shut down after a man crashes his car while trying to run from police. Cops say they tried to pull the [wrong pause], over the driver of this [wrong pause] black sedan [stumbles over text], dark sedan I should say but [good pause] he did not [wrong stress] stop. In fact, he sped off. Moments later he crashed into a pickup truck and then took off on foot [wrong pause, followed by unfocused delivery, failing to find a correct "melody" for the words up to "ramp"] before collapsing near 130th off-ramp.* That's when police discovered the suspect had been shot. Both the suspect and the driver of the other truck were taken to the [weak stress] hospital. Two southbound lanes are still shut down.
*To be fair, the problem is as much in the writing as in the delivery, since the sentence ends on a weak prepositional clause.

Hey there! I'm Maria Sansone, host of the Nine, right here on Yahoo. Monday through Friday, we gather up nine things [pause] you won't want to miss [pause] from all over the web [pause] and package it up into one nifty little show [pause] just for you. We've got you covered [pause] with the hottest viral videos, coolest websites, and juiciest Hollywood gossip. And if you think we've missed something, [pause] you can let us know about it by going to the Pepsi Tenth down below. Hey, you might even make it on the show. So check out the Nine every weekday at nine [pause] dot Yahoo [pause] dot com.

Epiphany

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Speech Assignments (2005-06); 2008-1

THE BALLAD OF THE HARP-WEAVER

(1922)

Photomontage for film (Speech Class)

Speech Assignments 2007-1

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