PUBLIC SPEAKING

The Public Speaking Lab is offered to all students taking lower and upper division courses as part of the cultural program of the Collegio Internazionale of Ca' Foscari. The lab is aimed at enhancing students’ soft skills, and precisely communication and personal interaction skills, to help students become more successful in their personal and professional life by helping them organize and voice their ideas.
The specific objective of the lab is that of providing students with theoretical and practical knowledge about: 1) the verbal and non-verbal components of communication; 2) the dynamics of interaction in different communicative contexts; 3) the structure and delivery of a good speech.

The following skills will be developed:
1. Knowledge and comprehension of the basic components of communication: the difference between what is communicated through language (words, grammar, etc.), through para-language (voice tone and intonation, loudness, speed) and through non-verbal language (gaze, facial expressions, posture, position in space); the role of the audience and contextual factors in communication.
2. Ability to apply the acquired knowledge on communication in speeches delivered in front of an audience.

To be able to attend this lab students should have a B2 level of English.

1. Introduction: Multimodal Communication
Introduction to the elements that characterize oral communication. Emphasis on the role played by non-verbal language in framing the interpretation of meaning for the listener/interactant
2. Voice + speech and body coordination
Modulation of voice and intonation for powerful speech. The importance of pauses in discourse. Good and bad examples of speech by politicians and/or people by the business and media world will be used to exemplify how voice and body language should be coordinated for effective presentations.
3. Speaking for an audience
Tailoring presentations to the audience. Presentation structure. Various types of speech by politicians and/or people by the business and media world will be shown to exemplify the use of different techniques of speaking effectively.

Slides from the class lectures.

The students’ grade will be assessed based on: in class participation; final presentation.
Students’ presentations
The students will have to give a brief presentation at the end of the course applying the techniques discussed in class.

The lab will consist of: lectures by the teacher; analysis of public speakers’ video-recordings (available online); practice drills and speeches by the students.

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development