Speaking Center

 NEWS!

Speaking Center Consultants and Director Present Papers at NACC (National Association of Communication Centers)

Four UMW Speaking Center consultants and Speaking Center director, Esther Yook, presented papers at the National Association of Communication Centers held at UNCG on April 19 – 21.

In particular two consultants, Mariah Young and Danielle DeVille, received the Undergraduate Research Award for their research “Achieving the Unachievable: The Effectiveness of a Communication Center in the Absence of a Communication Department.”  They, along with Tom Pacheco and Russell Michelson, will be presenting at the Undergraduate Research and Creativity Day.

• Open Assistance with Upcoming Events:  Our staff is ready to assist you as you prepare for your important presentations for Psi Chi, Undergraduate Research Day, or any other presentation.  Book early, as our schedule books up fast at the end of the semester!

• Schedule: As all of our staff members are undergraduates who need to study for their own classes, our last day will be on Saturday, April 27th.  If your professor requires you to visit us, please call us early as we tend to fill up and sometimes cannot accommodate students during the last days of classes.

• Our Mission Statement The mission of the Speaking Center is to support the objective of the Speaking Intensive Program, which in turn supports the liberal arts goals of the University of Mary Washington. The center is committed to aiding development of oral communication skills aimed towards effectively communicating a diversity of views. Specifically, our goal is to provide individualized consultation sessions and printed, audio-visual, and web resources to assist the university community in achieving its liberal arts education goals. The Center houses a collection of instructional resources (books, handouts, videotapes and equipment) which address a variety of topics ranging from public speaking anxiety to constructing effective visual aids. Consultants are available to videotape practice presentations and to provide feedback. The Center adheres strictly to the university’s Honor Code: consultants will not compose any portion of a presentation for a student nor will they do research for a student’s presentation. Consultants are also prepared to offer advice on special types of oral communication activities such as speeches, group presentations, debates or interviews.

  Workshop Information

  Tuesday, October 9 SPEECH BASICS Come to this workshop to learn about the basics of public speaking! We will focus on the best ways to gain your audience’s attention, structure your speech and deliver your speech effectively. Thursday, October 18 PRESENTING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE Public speaking is hard enough, but presenting in another language can be extremely difficult. Need to learn some basic skills and strategies to conquer that presentation? Join the Speaking Center staff as we help develop your confidence and skill while presenting in a foreign language. Monday, October 22 PERSUASIVE SPEECH Do you want to be persuasive? Let us persuade you to join the Speaking Center consultants as they let you in on the secrets of influencing others. We will teach you the basics, give pointers, and demonstrate the power of persuasive speech.

   

  All Workshops will be held in Combs 001 at 5:00pm Pizza and Refreshments will be provided! Call x1347 or email spkc@umw.edu to sign up.