TRANSFORMING PUBLIC SPEAKING THROUGH AN EMPHASIS ON CIVIL PUBLIC DISCOURSE

Barbara Mae Gayle, University of Portland

A PUBLIC SPEAKING COURSE ENHANCED

I use speaking assignments that encourage students to see beyond their own preconceptions, refrain from belittling others' viewpoints and enhance their understanding of the communication strategies needed to establish common ground. They adopt a controversial topic of importance to a deliberative community and use 30 or more resources to construct presentations representing the different perspectives on their topic. Thus, student speakers thoroughly understand one topic broadly enough to articulate an informed viewpoint.

CONTROVERSIAL PRESENTATION ONE

In speech one, students begin the semester by choosing one perspective of their "adopted" controversial topic for presentation. They construct a presentation supporting that stance and maintain the stance throughout the questions asked by their classmates. By constructing an elaborate issue analysis, students learn to confront their own assumptions, explore alternative ways of thinking and maintain an open mind as they encounter views different from their own stance.

CONTROVERSIAL PRESENTATION TWO

For their second presentation, students choose a different perspective to research and support. After the presenting and answering questions about their second perspective, student speakers tell their classmates what beliefs they currently hold and explain how their position evolved over time. This explanation informs the audience members about the speaker's original position, any changes to that stance, and the reasons for the change.

ANALYSIS PRESENTATION

As students explore the possibility that arguments espoused personally and passionately promote conflict rather than promote dialogue, they select a provocative essay that supports one of the perspectives on their "adopted" topic for their third speech. They critique the arguments employed by the author of the essay and determine whether or not the essay increases the likelihood of civil public discourse.

CASE STUDY PRESENTATION

The fourth speaking assignment addresses student's expressed skepticism that a transcendent form of discourse could forge compromises or be a practical option that would allow conflicting parties to work with one another. I provide case studies for each student that point to instances where a public controversy was avoided through a series of consensus-building activities or through carefully structured public dialogue meetings.

TEACHING JOURNAL RESPONSES

I explored my student's progress and my reactions to the process of the course through a teaching journal. Re-reading my impressions helped me frame an average student's journey to civil public discourse. The journal captures my on-going awareness that there is a fine-line between encouraging students to explore alternative or maginalized viewpoints and requiring them to change their beliefs, attitudes or values.