CSU GE Area A1

In this course, students learn and apply foundational rhetorical theories and techniques of public speaking in a multicultural democratic society. Students discover, develop, and critically analyze ideas in public discourse through research, reasoning, organization, composition, delivery to a live audience and evaluation of various types of speeches, including informative and persuasive speeches.

This course focuses on the development of persuasion in rhetorical perspective, with an emphasis on balancing logic, emotion and credibility in public speaking. The history of classical rhetoric in Ancient Greece and Rome, as well as great speakers in American history, are emphasized.

This course focuses on the identification and analysis of processes and challenges of communication as affected by small group interactions. This course helps students develop competence and confidence as a group member and leader through a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge of small groups in everyday life. The course focuses on the principles of communication theory as they apply to the small group setting with an emphasis on practical application through study and practice in various group activities.

Principles of argumentative discourse applied to contemporary issues are studied in this course. An analysis of the relationship between evidence and the process of reasoning is included.