College Communication IICollege Communication IISeminar 2 Seminar 2

Making the Pitch: How to Win Friends and Influence

Audiences

Choosing a Topic for Your Research Paper

• Look for significant topics that you feel that you can fully analyze within 5-7 pages.

• Avoid topics that are too broad or too limited and without sufficient research information.

• Choose something current and debatable.• Avoid topics that you have a heavy

emotional investment in—you will have a difficult time writing about the opposing views fairly and objectively.

Choosing a Topic

– Watch the TV news or read the newspaper. Topics of current interest can be found in the news.

– “Suggested & Banned Topics” is posted in Doc Sharing.

– There are topic ideas in this unit, also!

Library Search

• Since you will be writing a 5-7 page research paper for this course, learning to research effectively is important.

• For the second part of the discussion question, you will practice researching and will discuss the research that you found for your research question.

Library search

• 1. What was your research question? Be sure to formulate a question instead of simply telling us your topic.

• 2. What specific keywords or phrases did you use to perform the search? 

• 3. How many relevant e-books did you find? Were there too many or too few?

• 4. How many relevant e-articles? • 5. How did you refine and expand your search?

Please be specific (150-200 words for part II of discussion).  

Library Searches

Kaplan Library Resources

• Super Search (search all databases)

• Electronic Articles• Electronic Books• Traditional Books

(interlibrary loan)

• Electronic article databases:• Academic Search Premier

Business Source CompleteBusiness Source Premier ERIC (education)Funk & Wagnalls Encyc. Health Source: ConsumerLexis Nexis MasterFile Premier MAS Ultra - School EditionNewspaper SourceOVID Nursing Collection II*Primary SearchProfessional Development ProQuest Criminal JusticePubMedRegional Business News TOPICSearch FINS Direct (find a full journal—lets you know if the Kaplan library has a particular journal full-text)

Database search tips

Plan your search

• Choose database(s) that cover topics appropriate to your search

• Choose search terms – think of alternate words/phrases that might be used for what you are looking for.

• See presentation on library search tips posted in Doc Sharing!

• The library will help you to find credible, academic sources for your paper

• Should parents give their children the Swine flu vaccine?

• Look in databases:Health sourceNewspaper sourceAcademic Search Premier

• Search terms:Swine flu, vaccine, vaccine AND

reactions

Reading Skills

• Briefly skim article (and abstract if provided) to get a sense of the main point.

• Think of questions that you hope the article will answer.

• READ SLOWLY and if necessary, more than once!

• Read out loud. • Highlight or underline key points.• When you finish, answer the questions you

thought of before starting the article.• Review and recite to retain.

Unit 2 Project: Creating your Pitch

– Due midnight Tuesday– Place in drop box as a Word (doc or

docx) file– See the Unit 2 Project example placed

in DocSharing

Why is knowing your purpose and the audience important? How does this understanding inform the choices you make

as you develop your message?

Audience and Context

• Everything is written (or spoken) to someone for some purpose. The email you send to your sister should be written differently than a proposal you send to a business client, and a speech delivered to a group of second graders would differ from the President speaking to Congress.

• Knowing the audience, purpose, and the context is vitally important to good writing and speaking. Ask yourself: – Why am I writing or saying this? – Who is my audience? – What am I trying to say?

Writing vs. Speaking

• Writing only uses words

• Message must be clearly and correctly written to convey ideas

• Demonstrate competence by using Standard American English

• Speaking uses words, tone, gestures, facial expressions, posture, eye contact

• May be accompanied by visual aids (Power Point, etc.)

• Appearance is important!

Writing in the Digital World

• Writing is very important today because it is possible to have classmates, instructors, and business associates that you never see or talk to, but know only through the written word and e-mail.

• Since 70% of today’s business writing involves e-mail, the words you write give impressions of not just yourself, but also of your company!

What impression does this e-mail give?

WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY WHAT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF SITES THAT WE CHOSE? I THOUGHT THAT I DID THAT WHAT PART OF THE APA FORMAT DID I NOT FOLLOW.

Things to consider. . .

• Mistake filled writing drives people away. – Potential customers look at the writing and ask

themselves: “If the company can not hire people who can write well, can they deliver quality products and services?”

• Effective writing does not come naturally. It requires instruction, practice, and a willingness to learn!

What is Standard American English?

Standard American English

• Standard American English is the common language, spelling, grammar, and punctuation used in the United States. It is the type of speech and writing that is expected in higher education and the workplace.

• What are the benefits to learning Standard American English?

Standard American English

• When you use Standard American English, – People can understand you no matter what

part of the county they come from. – You present yourself as being an educated

person. – You show respect for your audience.– You show a desire for your audience to

relate to you.

When should you use Standard American

English?

Practice!!!!!

• You should use Standard American English most of the time if not all the time. You want to get into the habit of using it.

• When speaking or writing to your friends or family, you are free to use dialect, slang, or any type of English (or other language) that you desire.

• However, in the "real world," the world of work, school, and careers, there are different expectations.

Some people have fallen into bad habits because of email & texting!

• Here's an example of the type of email that I might receive:

–"im not sure how to double space can u help me with this thanks."

• This type of email is inappropriate in a school or business setting.

Practice Professional Writing!

• Get in the habit of using Standard American English in your communications. This includes capital letters, spelling out words, and punctuation. Practicing this will help you to succeed in life.

Resources for improving writing

• Purdue OWL (on-line writing lab) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

• Interactive grammar quizzes http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm

• Writing Center review service and library