When Arguments and Sounds of Words Begin to Speak - About Learning rhetorics

Abstract

There has been a growing awareness as to the need of knowledge to improvc public speaking and interpersonal communication. When limiting our consideration to two essential elements contributing to efficient public speakiog, i.e. the strength of argumcntation and voice modulation of the text, one becomes aware of how important argumentation is. It is necessary for a speaker to fonn efficient arguments by taking into account his or her ethical features. Further, there are at least five types of argumentation (deduction, induction, analogous, causative and referential concluding). There is a need, on the other hand, to avoid sly and dishonest argumentation (evasion, dangerous speculations, ... etc.). Nevertheless, the argumentation alone does not suffice. Speakers should develop a feeling enabling them to teli when the speech is good, i e. how to catch attention of the audience, how to conclude efficiently, how to be dramatic, how to order arguments, what language to use. To this purpose three basic elements of persuasion are used: etos, patos and logos. Other elements can help forwarding the message, such as: intonation, language register, colour and intensity of speech, tempo and pronunciation. To enhance public speaking the content and the speech form are to be linked.