Test Information Guide
Overview and Test Objectives
Field 44: Speech
Test Overview
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) and online proctored test; 100 multiple-choice questions, 2 open-response items |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions |
|
| Time | 4 hours (does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial) |
| Passing Score | 240 |
The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) are designed to measure a candidate's knowledge of the subject matter contained in the test objectives for each field. The MTEL are aligned with the Massachusetts educator licensure regulations and, as applicable, with the standards in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.
The test objectives specify the content to be covered on the test and are organized by major content subareas. The chart below shows the approximate percentage of the total test score derived from each of the subareas.
The test assesses a candidate's proficiency and depth of understanding of the subject at the level required for a baccalaureate major according to Massachusetts standards. Candidates are typically nearing completion of or have completed their undergraduate work when they take the test.
Pie chart of approximate test weighting outlined in the table below.
Test Objectives
| Subareas | Range of Objectives | Approximate Test Weighting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple-Choice | |||
| I | The Role of Public Speech in Democratic Societies | 01–04 | 40% |
| II | Public Speaking | 05–08 | 40% |
| 80% | |||
| Open-Response* | |||
| III | Integration of Knowledge and Understanding | 09 | 20% |
*The open-response items may relate to topics covered in any of the subareas.
Subarea I–The Role of Public Speech in Democratic Societies
Objective 0001: Understand classical, modern, and contemporary theories of rhetoric.
- For example: definitions of rhetoric; purposes and components of rhetorical criticism; major theories and elements of classical, modern, and contemporary rhetoric; application of rhetorical principles (e.g., unity, coherence, emphasis) to produce a desired effect; consideration of subject, purpose, and audience in producing speech communications; analysis of rhetorical techniques; and use of appropriate arrangement and organization (e.g., logical ordering of ideas), style and tone (e.g., lexical choices, cadence), and form of delivery.
Objective 0002: Understand the role of oratory, public argument, and debate in democratic societies.
- For example: the contexts of public discourse and debate from ancient times to the present (e.g., Roman Senate debates, English parliamentary debates); the place of policy and legislative debate in democratic societies; speeches by major figures in world history (e.g., Pericles, Elizabeth the first, Winston Churchill, V�clav Havel, Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandela); analysis of important speeches in terms of purpose, meaning, audience, delivery, rhetorical devices, organization, and relationships among ideas; and parliamentary procedure and other essential elements in conducting meetings.
Objective 0003: Understand the history of public discourse and debate in the United States.
- For example: the purposes, modes, and development of public discourse and debate in U.S. society; individuals, movements, and activities associated with the public lecture circuits of nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century America (e.g., regular speakers at the Lyceum and Chautauqua meetings: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Mary Livermore, Mark Twain, William Jennings Bryant); notable debates in U.S. history (e.g., Constitutional Convention, Webster-Haynes, Lincoln-Douglas, and contemporary political/presidential debates); analysis of important speeches and speeches by major figures in American history (e.g., Jonathan Edwards, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr.) in terms of purpose, meaning, audience, delivery, rhetorical devices, organization, and relationships among ideas.
Objective 0004: Understand ethical and legal decisions related to communication.
- For example: philosophical foundations of freedom of speech; documents and statements related to the evolution of the principle of freedom of expression (e.g., John Milton's "Areopagitica," French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty"); the relationship between free speech and democratic theory; analysis of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on freedom of speech (e.g., Schenck v. United States, Abrams v. United States, New York Times v. Sullivan, Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire); ethical issues associated with communication in democratic societies (e.g., application of ethical standards in the selection of evidence and the evaluation of public communications); examples of unethical communication; laws, principles, and issues related to modern media (e.g., copyright, plagiarism, bias, broadcast, cable television, and Internet regulations); and legal obligations and ethical responsibilities of journalists.
Subarea II–Public Speaking
Objective 0005: Understand the planning, preparation, and organization of public speeches.
- For example: features and strategies associated with different types of speeches (e.g., informative, persuasive, entertaining); guidelines for topic selection; preparation of speech outlines; selection of language strategies; elements of effective introductions and conclusions; use of transitions; preparation and use of notes; techniques for adapting communication strategies to the needs of the situation and setting; procedures for gathering and evaluating the credibility of relevant information and supporting evidence; and characteristics of different types of organizational patterns (e.g., chronological order, comparison and contrast, problem-solution).
Objective 0006: Understand effective speech delivery.
- For example: oral English skills (e.g., voice and diction), structure of oral English, and standard English usage; speech appropriate to different situations; characteristics of different speech delivery methods (e.g., manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous, impromptu); types, characteristics, and functions of nonverbal communication; effects of verbal and nonverbal cues on speech delivery; recognizing the demands of communication in a variety of settings; use of audiovisual communication aids (e.g., microphones, lecterns, transparencies, projectors, computer-generated visuals); rehearsing speeches; strategies for managing fear of public speaking and overcoming communication anxiety; dealing with distractions; responding to listener questions; and critical listening and evaluation of communication styles, strategies, and content.
Objective 0007: Understand the principles of argumentation and debate.
- For example: elements of an argument (e.g., claims, grounds, warrants); rules of evidence governing the presentation of arguments; identification and analysis of logical fallacies; characteristics of various debate formats (e.g., from both school-based and real-world settings); knowledge of debating rules and procedures; evaluating the effectiveness of various types of evidence in supporting a proposition; types and application of reasoning (e.g., deductive, inductive); guidelines for effective refutation and cross-examination; and criteria for judging debates.
Objective 0008: Understand persuasive communication.
For example:- For example: theoretical approaches to persuasion (e.g., cognitive dissonance theory, attribution theory, social judgment theory, information processing theory); models of persuasion (e.g., cognitive, interpersonal, motivated sequence, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs); persuasive strategies and types of persuasive appeals; preparation and organization of persuasive messages and speeches; proper application of evidence and reasoning; use of rhetorical devices; adapting persuasive messages to listener attitudes; establishment of credibility; interview skills and strategies; evaluation of persuasive speeches; and persuasion in negotiation or public advocacy.
Subarea III–Integration of Knowledge and Understanding
Objective 0009: Prepare an organized, developed analysis related to one or both of the following: the role of public speech in democratic societies, and public speaking.
- For example: major theories and elements of classical, modern, and contemporary rhetoric; the historical contexts of public discourse and debate from ancient times to the present; speeches by major figures in American history; the evolution of the principle of freedom of expression; features and strategies associated with different types of speeches; strategies for managing fear of public speaking and overcoming communication anxiety; characteristics of debate formats; and preparation and organization of persuasive messages and speeches.