Professional Communication Skills

"When we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the 'human essence' - the distinctive qualities of mind that are, so far as we know, unique to man."

- Noam Chomsky

Professional Communication Skills blends written, oral, and graphic communication in a career-based environment. The major aims of this course are to make students a more effective professional communicator, analytical thinker, and critical listener. Throughout the semester students will study the theories and principles of effective communication, practice applying these principles in a variety of assignments, and critique the performances of other speakers. By the end of the course, each student should be able to plan and prepare professional meetings and presentations; deliver a good speech; analyze and adapt to various audiences; and adjust to different speaking situations, purposes, and contexts.

Students in Prof. Comm will cover a wide variety of topics in the discipline of communication studies, including the basics of communication, interpersonal communication, cultural communication, jobs and the workplace, workplace communication, rhetoric and political speech, and group communication. Student learning will be evaluated in a number of ways, such as written assignments, oral presentations, and traditional tests and quizzes. It is important to note that all speeches will be graded based on individual student improvement - there is not an objective "right or wrong" way to present a speech. THE ONLY WAY TO FAIL A SPEECH IS TO NOT GIVE IT. Prof. Comm is not a contest participation-based class. Students that are interested in competitive activities in speech should enroll in the Public Speaking/Debate class or ask Mr. Donaldson about outside practice times.