Does the delivery enhance or detract from the content?

In addition to enhancing basic skills of effective oral communication, this class is designed to develop your ability to evaluate public speeches critically. Listening critically to speeches from other sources should make you more aware of both the common problems faced by speakers and effective (or ineffective) ways of handling them.
You may critique a public speech (commencement address, keynote speaker etc.), a prepared lecture or sermon if you wish. Comments presented during the speech should later be organized in a logical, narrative report. Be sure to include the occasion, date, time and place or youtube link. An effective critique will examine elements of delivery and content, and their impact on each other and on the audience. Key questions are:
Does the delivery enhance or detract from the content?
Is the content appropriate for the situation and well handled by the speaker?
Be sure to describe what occurs throughout the speech and offer specific details to support your assessment.
The introduction should detail the specifics of the speaking situation: speaker, occasion/audience, topic, place, date and time. List any constraints or limitations that you see in the situation. Mention the room conditions, acoustics, microphone problems, audience attitude, and arrangement of the speaker’s area if possible. The nature of the introduction of the speaker must also be covered here:
Was it detailed in the speech?
Did it enhance the speaker’s ethos (positive character) and establish credentials?
Did it preview the body of the speech?
Did it gain attention?
The body of the paper should focus on the speaker’s logical presentation of content. You should note the basic message of the speech.
Was it well developed and logically presented?
Could you tell the form of outline?
What kind of support material was used?
What areas could have been improved?
What areas worked well or did not work well?
Was closure evident?
Did the audience know when the speech was over?
How effectively did the speaker use his/her/ voice and body?
How effectively did the speaker employ visual aids?
Did the speaker utilize language meaningfully?
Was there evidence that the speaker had analyzed the audience?
What was the total impression left by the speech?

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