Speech and Communications Semester 1 Final

denotative meaning

the literal or dictionary meaning of a word or phrase

connotative meaning

the meaning suggested by the associations or emotions triggered by a word or phrase

thesaurus

a book of synonyms

concrete words

words that refer to tangible objects

abstract words

words that refer to ideas or concepts

clutter

discourse that takes many more words than are necessary to express an idea

imagery

the use of vivid language to create mental images of objects, actions, or ideas

simile

an explicit comparison, introduced with the word "like" or "as", between things that are essentially different yet have something in common

cliche

a trite or overused expression

metaphor

an implicit comparison, not introduced with the word "like" or "as", between two things that are essentially different yet have something in common

rhythm

the pattern of sound in a speech created by the choice and arrangements of words

parallelism

the similar arrangement of a pair or series of related words, phrases, or sentences

repetition

reiteration of the same word or set of words at the beginning or end of successive clauses or sentences

alliteration

repetition of the initial consonant sound of close or adjoining words

antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, usually in parallel structure

inclusive language

language that does not stereotype, demean, or patronize people on the basis of gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or other factors

generic "he"

the use of "he" to refer to both women and men

nonverbal communcation

communication based on a person's use of voice and body, rather than on the use of words

manuscript speech

a speech that is written out word for word and read to the audience

impromptu speech

a speech delivered with little or no immediate preparation

extemporaneous speech

a carefully prepared and rehearsed speech that is presented from a brief set of notes

conversational quality

presenting a speech so it sounds spontaneous no matter how many times it has been rehearsed

volume

the loudness or softness of the speaker's voice

pitch

the highness or lowness of the speaker's voice

inflections

changes in the pitch or tone of a speaker's voice

monotone

a constant pitch or tone of voice

rate

the speed at which a person speaks

pause

a momentary break in the vocal delivery of a speech

vocalized pause

A pause that occurs when a speaker fills the silence between words with vocalizations such as "uh," "er," and "um."

vocal variety

changes in a speaker's rate, pitch, and volume that give the voice variety and expressiveness

pronunciation

the accepted standard of sound and rhythm for words in a given language

articulation

the physical production of particular speech sounds

dialect

a variety of a language distinguished by variations of accent, grammer, or vocab

kinesics

the study of body motions as a systematic mode of communication

gestures

motions of speaker's hands or arms during a speech

eye contact

direct visual contact with the eyes of another person

online speech

a speech that has been created specifically for an audience that will view it online in real time

persuasion

the process of creating, reinforcing, or changing people's beliefs or actions

mental dialogue with the audience

the mental give-and-take between speaker and listener during a persuasive speech

target audience

the portion of the whole audience that the speaker most wants to persuade

question of fact

a questions about the truth or falsity of an assertion

question of value

a question about the worth, rightness, morality, and so forth an idea of action

question of policy

a question about whether a specific course of action should or should not be taken

speech to gain passive agreement

a persuasive speech in which the speaker's goal is to convince the audience that a given policy is desirable without encouraging the audience to take action in support of the policy

speech to gain immediate action

a persuasive speech in which the speaker's goal is to convince the audience to take action in support of a given policy

need

the first basic issue in analyzing a question of policy: Is there a serious problem or need that requires a change from current policy?

burden of proof

the obligation facing a persuasive speaker to prove that a change from current policy is necessary

plan

the second basic issue in analyzing a question of policy: If there is a problem with current policy, does the speaker have a plan to solve the problem?

practicality

the third basic issue in analyzing a question of policy: Will the speaker's plan solve the problem? Will it create new and more serious problems?

problem-solution order

a method of organizing persuasive speeches in which the first main point deals with the existence of a problem and the second main point present a solution to the problem

problem-cause-solution order

a method of organizing persuasive speeches in which the first main point identifies a problem, the second main point analyzes the causes of the problem, and the third main point presents a solution to the problem

comparative advantages order

a method of organizing persuasive speeches in which each main point explains why a speaker's solution to a problem is preferable to other proposed solutions

Monroe's motivated sequence

A method of organizing persuasive speeches that seek immediate action. The five steps of the motivated sequence are attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.

ethos

the name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication refer to as credibility

credibility

the audience's perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic. the two major factors influencing a speaker's credibility are competence and character

initial credibility

the credibility of a speaker before she or he starts to speak

derived credibility

the credibility of a speaker produced by everything she or he says and does during the speech

terminal credibility

the credibility of a speaker at the end of the speech

creating common ground

a technique in which a speaker connects himself or herself with the values, attitudes, or experiences of the audience

evidence

Supporting materials used to prove or disprove something

logos

The name used by Aristotle for the logical appeal of a speaker. The two major elements of logos are evidence and reasoning.

reasoning

the process of drawing a conclusion on the basis of evidence

reasoning from specific instances

reasoning that moves from particular facts to a general conclusion

reasoning from principle

reasoning that moves from a general principle to a specific conclusion

casual reasoning

reasoning that seeks to establish the relationship between causes and effects

analogical reasoning

reasoning in which a speaker compares two similar cases and infers that what is true for the first case is also true for the second

fallacy

an error in reasoning

hasty generalization

a fallacy in which a speaker jumps to a general conclusion on the basis of insufficient evidence

false cause

a fallacy in which a speaker mistakenly assumes that because one event follows another, the first event is the cause of the second

invalid analogy

an analogy in which the two cases being compared are not essentially alike

bandwagon

A fallacy which assumes that because something is popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable.

red herring

A fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion

ad hominem

a fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute

either-or

a fallacy that forces listeners to choose between two alternatives when more than two alternatives exist

slippery slope

a fallacy which assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented

appeal to tradition

a fallacy which assumes that something old is automatically better than something new

appeal to novelity

a fallacy which assumes that something new is automatically better than something old

speech to gain passive agreement

a persuasive speech in which the speaker's goal is to convince the audience that a given policy is desirable without encouraging the audience to take action in support of the policy

pathos

the name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication refer to as emotional appeal