WLAIP Public Speaking | WLAIP
Students in the Wabash Liberal Arts Immersion Program will enroll in Rhetoric 101, "Public Speaking", during the fall semester of 2024. In Rhetoric 101: students learn and practice the critical speaking and reading skills necessary for success in college courses and beyond. Because speaking and reading are central elements of many college courses ranging from chemistry to economics, we see “Public Speaking” as a necessary building block for all students. Moreover, many employers and business leaders rate the “ability to communicate well” as one of the most important qualifications for potential employees. This class will help you get there.
In Rhetoric 101 students will:
- Understand speaking as a process that involves brainstorming, outlining, revision, and practice;
- Practice speaking and outlining as ways to discover and clarify their own thinking;
- Deliver effective summaries and paraphrases of complex reading assignments;
- Craft good thesis statements and distinguish between stronger and weaker arguments;
- Learn the methods, resources, and rationale for citing sources (including how to avoid plagiarism);
- Modulate their voice and tone as speakers to accommodate various audiences;
- Develop skills and confidence for joining classroom discussions;
- Give and receive individual feedback on speaking
Rhetoric 101 Instructor: Professor Jennifer Abbott
Professor Jennifer Abbott has taught Rhetoric 101 nearly every college semester since she joined the Wabash faculty in 2002. She loves helping students develop the skills and confidence necessary to speak effectively and responsibly. She is particularly interested in the ways speech, citizenship, and democracy can work for (or against) each other.
Professor Abbott is from northern California and moved to Crawfordsville from Pennsylvania after attending graduate school at Penn State. She met and married her husband, Michael, at Wabash College, and they now have a daughter, Zoe. When Professor Abbott is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering in nonprofit community organizations, and catching up on her favorite TV shows.