This course is part of the Good with Words: Speaking and Presenting Specialization

4.8
stars
16 ratings

Patrick Barry

2,907 already enrolled

Offered By

Good with Words: Speaking and Presenting SpecializationUniversity of Michigan

About this Course

7,227 recent views

This course will teach you how to build persuasive surprises into your presentations, the kind of surprises that will change how your audience sees a particular situation or proposal and then gets them talking—in a good way. It will also identify several techniques you can use to start (and maintain) your own conversations, whether with a big group, a small group, or even just one-one-one.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 3 of 4 in the

Good with Words: Speaking and Presenting Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

What you will learn

How to incorporate a "little bit of mischief" to your presentations in a way that delights and informs your audience
How to use "mirroring" and follow-up questions to establish trust and build rapport
How to connect with people via the "language of common life"
How to reimagine the experience of starting a conversation with a stranger

Skills you will gain

listening
Communication
Networking
Clarity
Ingenuity

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 3 of 4 in the

Good with Words: Speaking and Presenting Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

5/5 (5 Ratings)

Patrick Barry

Clinical Assistant Professor of Law

Michigan Law School

121,380 Learners

12 Courses

Offered by

University of Michigan

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Week 1 | Unexpected: Vocabulary

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 14 min), 14 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

Be Surprising, in a Convincing Way1mE. M. Forster1mUn-Numb the Numbers3mInclude a Little Mischief52sBabble2mRip it Out1mSojourner Truth3m

14 readings

Meet Professor Barry2mTeaching Style and Resources10mSyllabus10mUniversity of Michigan Survey10mCommunity Engagement Rules3mBill Gates—Microsoft, Mosquitos, and Malaria5mSteve Jobs—Apple and Envelopes3mUn-Numb the Numbers (Optional)10mPopcorn3mIce Water (Richard Feynman)10m(Optional) Chapter 5—Unexpected20mSpeaking Stats ("Conversation Geography")10mEdit our Edits10m(Optional) Class Clips5m

2 practice exercises

Low-Stakes Practice8mWeek 1 Review20m

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Week 2 | Unexpected: Speaking Studies and Speaking Exercises

2 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 4 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Week 3 |Conversation: Vocabulary

Those of you who have taken the companion series Good with Words: Writing and Editing may remember the following advice: “Trying to sound smart is a pretty dumb strategy.”

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 14 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Week 4 | Conversation: Speaking Studies and Speaking Exercises

3 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 7 min), 7 readings, 3 quizzes

3 videos

Conversation Styles1mConversation Starters1mMirror Mirror3m

7 readings

Listen Up10mIdeas + Emotions5mSpeaking Exercise ("Follow-up Questions")30mSpeaking Exercise ("Friendly Advice")15mSpeaking Exercise ("Talking to Strangers")30mCourse Feedback10m"Good with Words: Writing and Editing" and Michigan Online1m

3 practice exercises

Low-Stakes Practice8mLow-Stakes Practice ("Listen Up")6mWeek 4 Review20m

Reviews

4.8

4 reviews

5 stars
94.11%
1 star
5.88%

TOP REVIEWS FROM SPEAKING AND PRESENTING: CONVERSATION STARTERS

by GPApr 6, 2022

This is a very helpful course for everybody that wants to improve their skills in speech.

by TSSep 12, 2021

Course was concise, but provided good insight and links to additional materials that helped support the content.

View all reviews

About the Good with Words: Speaking and Presenting Specialization

Suppose you were good with words. Suppose when you decided to speak, the message you delivered—and the way you delivered it—successfully connected with your intended audience. What would that mean for your career prospects? What would that mean for your comfort level in social situations? And perhaps most importantly, what would that mean for your satisfaction with the personal relationships you value the most? This specialization is designed to help you find out. Based on an award-winning course and workshop series at the University of Michigan that has been taken by students training to enter a wide range of fields—law, business, medicine, social work, public policy, design, engineering, and many more—it removes the guesswork from figuring out how to communicate clearly and compellingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Build employee skills, drive business results

Discover Coursera for Business

Speaking and Presenting: Conversation Starters

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain