How do Speech classes work when taking them online?

Simple answer: you can't. Learning to give speeches on-line is like learning to drive a car through listening to tapes: it is a waste of time. Sure you'll learn all the terms: rhetoric, the types of arguments, chiasm... but you will still not improve your ability to do a speech/presentation/toast/euology in real life.

My advice is, take the course if you just want the credit, but if you really want to learn public speaking, either take a course in person or go to Toastmasters.

No, you CAN take the class online!! You just do everything online like you regularly would with another class, but you will have to meet on campus to give your speeches. But besides that, you can do everything else online. (That's how my school does it)

I have never taken a speech class but I think it would be more like public speaking than actual phonetics.

That's an interesting question I hope you'll find reasonable answers

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This is a great question, and one that made me curious for quite a while.