The first key element of public speaking I have mastered is organization. Even in my basic public speaking class, my teacher always recognized me from my organization skill, and I have carried this ability with me to this course. Beebe & Beebe (2012) say effective organization can help an audience to “follow, …show more content…
Bumpers (n.d.) explains that “a rhetorical device is a use of language intended to have an effect on its audience.” Examples of rhetorical devices include simile and synecdoche. Prior to taking this class, I considered these oral flourishes superfluous and unnecessary. After listening to my professor talk about them, however, I now realize the degree to which they can improve a speech. Since learning about these, I have strived to include rhetorical devices in other speeches. An example of this comes from my job talk, in which I argued that my skills “will help me find further consumers who will be interested in what I say. And what I say will be knowledgeable because of my background in film and film studies” (Moss, 2015). This shows that I have continued to use rhetorical devices, in this case anadiplosis, in my other speeches, but I can still use more and thus improve my