Assignment:You will critique the speech performance of a famous speaker.

Your analysis should be approximately four double-spaced, typedpages with a Work Cited section (the paper can be longer, but it shouldn’t be substantially shorter).  Visit the following website–www.americanrhetoric.com—to view famous speeches and/or speakers. If you find something better somewhere else, just let me know.  TED Talks, commencement speeches, motivational talks?  Pick one that moves you. You must be able to both hear and see the speech.

Please take your time answering these questions and don’t rush through them.  Your written work should conform to proper MLA format and be free from spelling and grammatical errors.  Your paper must be written in ESSAY format! Please do not answer in one-word responses or type your response next to the questions.  The questions are a prompting guide only.  I will be looking for an insightful, organized, developed, and articulate analysis. Please do not forget to include a proper Work Cited section.  The entire paper should adhere to MLA formatting specifications.  Please answer most of the questions!

In your opinion, who is an effective speaker?  Please support your choice by providing illustrations, examples, facts, and so on, of why this person is an effective speaker.  Remember to provide the who, what, where, when, how, and why…Who is the speaker?  What is the occasion?  When and where was the speech delivered?  Provide that information in the first paragraph.  Assume that your reader has not seen or heard the speech.

Effectiveness:

• Was the speech effective?
• How do you define effective?

Logistics:

• Where did the speech take place?
• Was it a large audience, did the speaker use a podium, stand alone, use a microphone, visual aids?  If so, what kind? Be specific.(more on visuals later…)
• Did the speaker have structure, points, illustrations, a persuasive plan, or sources?

Structure:

INTRO

• Did the speaker open with an introduction? Please describe the opening.
• Was a hook used effectively to draw the audience into the speech? Or did the speaker open with a dry “It’s great to be here today.”
• Did the speech open with a story? A joke? A startling statistic? A controversial statement? A powerful visual?
• Did the speech opening clearly establish the intent of the presentation?
• Was the opening memorable?
• What were the main ideas?
• Were the main ideas previewed?
• Were the main ideas easy to follow and were they summarized?

BODY

• Was the presentation focused? i.e. Did all arguments, stories, anecdotes relate back to the primary objective?
• Were examples or statistics provided to support the arguments?
• Were metaphors or symbolism use to improve understanding?
• Was the speech organized logically? Was it easy to follow?
• Did the speaker bridge smoothly from one part of the presentation to the next?
• Were the main ideas easily identified and supported?  Please provide examples and illustrations.
• Did the speaker develop credibility with the audience?  How?
• Did he/she use effective language, grammar, and so on?  Give examples.
• Was the speaker entertaining, informing, motivating or persuading?  Please select one and elaborate on the purpose.  Provide details.

CONCLUSION

• Was the conclusion concise?
• Was the conclusion memorable?
• If appropriate, was there a call-to-action?

**Remember to give specific examples from the speech—use quotes to exemplify your points!

Message:

• What was the goal of the message?
• Was the message logical and emotional?
• Was the message interesting?
• What is the speaker asking the audience to do?
  
  

Style:

• Did the speaker use a manuscript, notes, cards, teleprompter, or was it memorized?  What was the style of delivery? And was it effective?
• Was it a conversational presentation?

Preparation:

• Did the speaker seem well prepared? 
• What evidence led you to believe this speaker prepared in advance?

Body language, appearance, tone:

• Did the speaker engage his/her audience?
• Did the speaker maintain eye contact through the camera and with the audience?
• Did the speaker use gestures effectively?  Were the gestures appropriately restrained? Were gestures natural, timely, and complementary?

• Was the speaker neat and well groomed in appearance?
• Was the speaker’s attire appropriate? 
• Did the speaker have good posture?  Why or why not? Did the speaker’s posture display confidence and poise?
• Were gestures easy to see?
• Did the speaker look confident?  Why?  Why not?

• Did the speaker use vocal variety?
• Was the rate of speaking appropriate and effective?
• Was the loudness appropriate and effective?
• Was colorful, memorable language utilized?  Please explain.
• Did the speaker have issues with fillers/vocalized pauses?
• Did any part of the delivery distract you?  (example:  distracting mannerisms)

Visuals (if utilized)

• Were they designed effectively?
• Did they complement speech arguments?
• Was the use of visual aids timed well with the speaker’s words?
• Did they add energy to the presentation or remove it?
• Were they simple and easy to understand?
• Were they easy to see? e.g. large enough
• Would an additional visual aid have helped to convey the message?

Audience Orientation:

• How did the audience react?  Was their reaction to the speaker good, bad, fair, excellent, etc.?  Please explain.
• How did you and the audience react to the content itself?  To the speaker?
• Do you believe the impact of the speech would have been different had it been delivered by someone else?  Please explain.
• Has the speech changed your mind in any way? 
• Did the speech impact you enough to incorporate the ideas and plan into your daily living, or provoke you to let others know about it and ideas presented? 

Personal Point of View:

• What was your overall reaction to the speech presentation experience?
• If you were speaking to this particular crowd, what would you have done differently? 
• List at least three strengths of the speaker during the presentation.
• List at least three weaknesses of the speaker during the presentation.
• What about the speech would you have changed, if anything? 
• What about the venue or audience would you have changed, if anything?
• What about the speaker would you have changed, if anything?
• What did you feel about the speech, the venue, and the speaker that was done well?
• In your opinion, is there anything that’s missing that should have been included?
• Would you pay to hear this speaker?  How much?  Why?  Would you listen to this speaker again?
• How did this speech make you feel?
• Did you enjoy the speech?  The speaker?  What was the “take away?”
• What will you do differently when presenting your own speech after deeply analyzing this particular speech?

Your personal overall reflection will end your analysis.  J

Due date:  ______________________