Links to Speech #2

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Rubric for Speech #2

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Speech #2: Deconstructing (and Teaching Us About) a Speech Genre

Here's the prompt for Speech #2: Pick a speech genre and then make a case about how/why it’s a (specific) speech genre.  What are its conventions, and what purpose do they serve?  What are some of the speaker’s “moves”, and why do you think they're effective/ineffective?  In what "rhetorical situation(s)" do we find this speech genre?  (Think: audience, purpose, context, tone, style, etc.)

And, although this isn't necessary, you could also consider this question to heighten the "so what?" aspect of your speech: What’s the value of learning/studying speech genre as a concept?

Remember what we've been working on since Speech #1: we've focused on using the terms genre, conventions, and "moves" to help us understand specific communicative acts. Use these terms to guide your analysis of a speech genre and explain to us how it all works. And don't forget: be as specific as possible! Tell us the nitty-gritty of each convention and why it's there (i.e., what purpose it serves).

Your job is to (1) explain to the class the conventions of a specific speech genre and also (2) bring our attention to some of the speaker's "moves."  You don't necessarily need to "act out" the speech itself -- you don't have to give a wedding toast -- although you could act out specific components to highlight what you've observed in this genre.  Your job is to teach us what the ingredients/components/patterns of speech are involved in a wedding toast (or whatever genre you've chosen).  Have fun with this and be creative!  :)

How to Make a Prezi

Click out this quick'n'dandy "How to Make a Prezi" handout that my former friend/colleague Hannah Yanow and I put together.  For Speech #2, I'd like you to use Powerpoint or Prezi, and I'll give you a +1 bonus if you venture outside your comfort zone and give Prezi a shot.

Invention Exercises for Getting Started

Yo!  These inventions exercises can help you get started on your Speech #2 (and, really, any other form of writing that you'll engage in).  Remember: it's important to utilize first-order thinking.  Be free.  Be weird.  Make mistakes.  Get your ideas down.

Webbing

Drawing Relationships

Outlines

Self-Referential Metagenres!

Check out these metagenres -- genres about themselves.  They each reference their own conventions throughout them, and this might give you some ideas for working through your Speech #2.

Here's an example of a (meta) self-referential genre that you could create for WP3.  It's an advertising/branding video about... advertising/branding videos!

Want another?  Below, you'll find a Nine Inch Nails song (the frontman is named Trent Reznor) about Nine Inch Nails songs.

For reference, here are a couple of original NiN videos.  Note: it's firmly planted on the creepy and profane side -- though I have to admit, I think it's also firmly planted on the super cool side of artsy-fartsy-ness -- but it's one of the best self-referential examples of a genre that I've seen. 

An absolutely awesome former student of mine, Pamela Santos, created this self-referential YouTube video of a "Vlog Update." 

OK, now if you really wanna let loose and get totally wild'n'crazy, click this link to find an APA paper about... APA papers!  (I know, I know -- we're really "going for it!")

Animated Video of a Blogger's Writing Process

Comm 131rs, check out this animated video of a blogger's incredibly awesome and thorough writing process.  We're primarily checking it out because it can help you brainstorm ideas for Speech #2, but before we do, we're also going to examine how it's its own speech genre (with its own conventions).

"Moves"

I.  Love.  This.  Lesson.
#omfg
#truestory

Whether you realized it or not -- and whether I, the writer, realized it or not -- I made some "moves" right there.  I tapped into my pop culture resources and used some informal conventions of the modern "millenial" generation to (1) reach you, my target audience, by writing a somewhat unusual teacher-to-student "hook" in the beginning (2) let you know that I'm honestly juiced up to teach this lesson... perhaps my enthusiasm for this will be contagious, and (3) let my hair down for a change.

Some other moves I made right there?

• put the key buzzword in boldface for added emphasis
• #'d that list so you realized that there were only a few things you had to get through
• #'d that list so that my punctuation (commas) would come across more clearly -- the #s allowed me to separate each "thing" without using commas.  By using #s, I can save my commas within each item/thing so you (probably) wouldn't confuse them as an additional unit/thing
• used the "rule of 3" (a cheap trick that most readers seem to enjoy)
• finished the list with a joke.  If I started that list with my "long hair joke," would it have been as effective?  Probably not -- punchlines usually work best at the end.

OK, so Writing Project #2 is coming up, which requires you to analyze and evaluate what's gained/lost between scholarly and non-academic texts.  To most effectively do this, I'd like you to consider each writer's moves -- what they're doing, how they're doing it, and whether you believe that it was effective.

By studying this, my hope is that you'll be able to detect writers' moves more clearly and, in doing so, consider adapting what you find to be effective.  Think of this as a way to open up your tool kit.

Ever hear of two musicians "jamming out"?  Well, this is essentially what you're doing as a (good) reader.  You're listening to what the writer/musician is trying to communicate, and if you like what they've done, feel free to "borrow that lick."  (But remember: if you're borrowing their ideas/research, you need to attribute that work to them in a citation!)

Blah blah blah.  Here are some videos that can help us start thinking about "moves."

#thisissocool

Click here for the MJ video on Vimeo.

Speech Genres... and How to Deconstruct Them!

Yo, COMM 131rs!  After we've finished reviewing what we covered from last class -- genres, and specifically, textual genres -- we're going to brainstorm a few more textual genres that we're familiar with and the conventions that can, and usually do, make them up.  And remember, whenever I say "conventions," think: recurring patterns, ingredients, threads, features, characteristics.

Before I cut you loose to brainstorm a badass list of speech genres -- along with the conventions that comprise them -- I want us to gain some more practice with how to deconstruct genres.  Let's take a look at one unique genre under the broader umbrella of speech genres: the TedTalk!

Warning: these are all white guys!  Ahhhhh, OMG, the horror!  Hey, listen, I wanted to quickly find some interesting/good ones that we could compare'n'contrast, and these will do the trick.  I'm mostly putting in this qualified claim for any outsiders (i.e., folks not in our class, who don't know us/me) to acknowledge that there's no race privileging here, there's just... digging into TedTalks speeches!  

How to Speak So People Will Want to Listen  - Julian Treasure

     The 7 secrets of the greatest speakers in history - Richard Greene

How to sound smart in your TEDx Talk - Will Stephen

Thinking About Genre (and Conventions) Through Country Music and Horror Movies

The concept of genre -- and the conventions that comprise them -- is going to form the basis of our "Speech 2 Unit" on speech genres.  To activate some schematic connections inside our brains, I want us to work from our prior knowledge about music genres, film genres, and then textual genres so we can dig into speech genres during Wednesday's class.

I wanted to post these videos to help you (re)consider the following questions which can, hopefully, help you to think about the relationship between genres and their conventions:

• what's the "glue" that binds these songs together? 
• what about them makes them fall into the “country music” category?
• at what points do they bend/blend into other genres (such as folk, blues, and bluegrass)?

Country music as a music genre...

"Your Cheating Heart"

Lyrics

"Coal Miner’s Daughter"

Lyrics

"Whiskey River"

Lyrics

"I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow"

Lyrics

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Horror movies as a film genre...

Scenario: all of a sudden, you're sitting in the middle of a movie theater, watching a horror movie.  How do you know you're watching a horror movie?  What features/things about this movie make it a horror movie?

 After you jot down your predictions, let's put our hypotheses to the test!

The Shining

Psycho

It

Paranormal Activity