CW10B: Advanced Public Speaking
Leadership in Community
This advanced course presumes introductory training in public speaking. Its prerequisite is a passing grade in CW10A. Emphasis is on real-world speaking situations. The course combines theory and practice. It incorporates extensive speaking performance and individualized critiques from instructor and students, plus analysis of advanced-speaking models. The course advances students' ability to deliver polished and informed public speeches adapted to a wide range of audiences and speaking situations. This course aims both to hone your skills and give you the resources and principles to go forward in public speaking confidently. The photo above reminds us that public speaking is a crucial skill, as we saw hundreds rally to demand action on climate change in Sproul Plaza on September 20, 2019.
Now that you've covered the basics of public speaking in the introductory course, you're ready to "take it to the next level." In CW10B, you work towards mastery of the skills you attained in CW10A. Besides a brief review of introductory speeches, audience analysis, and community-building speaking skills, you add to your public-address repertoire advanced impromptu speaking, plein air speeches, group communication skills, and interview skills, among others. The culminating project in the course is a real-world speaking occasion, arranged by you, to be critiqued by the class and the instructor. Regular communication-theory reading and writing assignments focus on, among other topics, body language, interacting with an audience, and overcoming anxiety.
Now that you've covered the basics of public speaking in the introductory course, you're ready to "take it to the next level." In CW10B, you work towards mastery of the skills you attained in CW10A. Besides a brief review of introductory speeches, audience analysis, and community-building speaking skills, you add to your public-address repertoire advanced impromptu speaking, plein air speeches, group communication skills, and interview skills, among others. The culminating project in the course is a real-world speaking occasion, arranged by you, to be critiqued by the class and the instructor. Regular communication-theory reading and writing assignments focus on, among other topics, body language, interacting with an audience, and overcoming anxiety.
Cal Students' Experiences in CW10B
Throughout this semester and also last semester when I took 10A, I have seen a drastic change from when I started. Looking back on the public speaking series,10A was a course that really set the foundation for my public speaking skills while 10B was a course that enabled me to master and perfect the approach to how I craft, practice, and deliver all varieties of speeches. Throughout this semester and the entire year, I continued to improve my public speaking skills to where I now feel confident giving a speech. The skills such as enunciation, projection, eye contact, and hand gestures were obtained through studying and practice which has caused me to grow as a public speaker. Having a supportive audience and community really helped.
I took Carmen’s advanced public speaking class and it was hands-down the best class I took at Cal. She goes above and beyond to make a fun and inclusive classroom setting with her positive attitude and entertaining anecdotes. As an engineering major who was a bit shy and awkward, this class and her encouragement were exactly what I needed to excel in the world of law school and lawyering.
I took Carmen’s class my sophomore spring semester, and it was an unforgettable experience. Despite having some prior experience in public speaking (through speech and debate), I found Carmen curates such a fun, diverse curriculum that challenged me to grow as a speaker and as a person. Although the pandemic unfortunately affected the latter half of the semester, Carmen found a way to make me feel supported. This class taught me so much and helped me gain confidence in myself as a professional, which helped me succeed and thrive as one of the youngest in my MBA class at age 22.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. . . . A standard rule of thumb is that each minute of speaking time requires one to two hours of preparation time—perhaps more, depending on the amount of research needed for the speech. <A 5-star quote>
—Stephen E. Lucas, The Art of Public Speaking, pp. 11-12
We tend to feel a little queasy whenever someone reads a prepared speech—even a very good one—instead of talking directly to us. If you are giving a public talk, it is fine to plan what you might say in order to sharpen your awareness, but when you arrive, throw away your plans and relate, in real time, to the people in the room. <A 5-star quote>
—Steven Nachmanovitch, Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art, p. 20
Active listening is the "Yes." To excel at improvisational listening, you still need to provide the "And." . . . Deep, practiced listening is really a form of meditation. . . . A fundamental principle of improv is listening and accepting any initiation that's made on the stage.
—Kelly Leonard & Tom Yorton, Yes, And, pp. 183, 196
—Stephen E. Lucas, The Art of Public Speaking, pp. 11-12
We tend to feel a little queasy whenever someone reads a prepared speech—even a very good one—instead of talking directly to us. If you are giving a public talk, it is fine to plan what you might say in order to sharpen your awareness, but when you arrive, throw away your plans and relate, in real time, to the people in the room. <A 5-star quote>
—Steven Nachmanovitch, Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art, p. 20
Active listening is the "Yes." To excel at improvisational listening, you still need to provide the "And." . . . Deep, practiced listening is really a form of meditation. . . . A fundamental principle of improv is listening and accepting any initiation that's made on the stage.
—Kelly Leonard & Tom Yorton, Yes, And, pp. 183, 196