USA: +1(669)289-8683 
Sign in
See the attached instructions.
Speech Analysis
Your task here is to analyze the writing and effectiveness of the following three speeches, and provide a
written critique of each. See guidelines for each kind of speech below. About half a page for each
speech is the appropriate length.
1) Persuasive Speech
I apologize for the image quality in the following video, but upon watching it you will understand why
I wanted to include this persuasive speech anyway. It is Severn Suzuki (David Suzuki’s daughter)
appealing to the United Nations on behalf of all children.
The girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes
2) Informative Speech
3) Entertaining Speech
The Big Three
It is a common understanding that there are three main purposes to give a speech or presentation: to
inform, to persuade, or to entertain. Of course, there are no distinct separations – in order to persuade
you must inform, and lectures can be entertaining and informative at the same time. The key is to ask
what the end ‘purpose’ is. Towards that purpose, different techniques in preparing and speaking can be
employed.
1) Informative Speeches:
Speeches that inform are designed, as the name suggests, to convey information. These include
anything from a voice message saying when and where a meeting will take place, to a university
lecture. Testimonies in court, high school presentations, and YouTube videos on how to do something
are likewise members of this category.
Example of Informative Speech Analysis:
“This is a great example of an informative speech. Let’s look at some of the elements that made it so
effective.
“Her introduction activated the audience’s interest by making them think about what their life would be
like with no hair. She then hooks their interest in the topic by making the subject personal, and taking
off her hair prosthesis. She also tells the audience exactly which aspects of alopecia she will be talking
about.
During the body of the speech, she explains technical terms to make the information accessible to the
audience, and she maintains a friendly tone. She even makes a few jokes, for example, “I don’t wear
makeup for the nose hairs….” She relates the topic to the audience as well by explaining that if they are
worried about losing their hair, they can’t go to a doctor and find out because it’s unpredictable.
She presents her points in a very clear, organized and logical fashion.
Her conclusion sums up the speech, and reiterates what has been discussed. She sums up simply with
“Alopecia makes your hair fall out,” and then explains how the new knowledge the audience just
recieved will/can affect their lives, for if they or someone they know gets it, they now understand that
“It’s not life threatening, just life altering.” Strong finish with a memorable line.
This speech is really an exemplar for any informative speech you may have to do. It follows the classic
structure: intro, body with main points and supporting details, sum up conclusion, and extension.
Classic and very well executed!”
2) Persuasive Speech:
This type of speech is meant to influence the beliefs or actions of those that listen. Commercials,
political speeches, protest cries, sales pitches, and job interviews are all included in this category, along
with many others.
Example of Persuasive Speech (by Obama) Analysis:
“Wow, he’s a powerful speaker – an extremely persuasive one.
This speech was given in Berlin, and was a plea for Europe and the United States to rekindle a historic
relationship and work together towards furthering world security, and common humanity.
Obama right off appeals to ethos, offering a personal family story which legitimizes his claim of being
a “citizen of the world.” He isn’t speaking at home, and he is well aware that many members of the
German public aren’t ‘pro-American.’
He then goes straight for the emotions, appealing to pathos, getting the people of Berlin on his side:
“this city knows the dream of freedom!” Validating your audience’s history and experience is a great
persuasive tool.
Obama also appeals to logos. He presents his ideas in a clear and logical order. He makes the
connections for the audience.
The metaphor of “walls” is a repeated theme throughout the speech, and was very cleverly selected.
Beginning with the Berlin wall, the great symbol of removing devisions and creating unity, he makes
his plea to unify against common challenges by pointing out other, more symbolic walls. In this
moment he also uses the rhetorical device of repetition:
The walls between allies on either side of the Atlantic Ocean cannot stand!
The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least…
…between races, tribes, natives and immigrants, Christians and Jews and Muslims…
These are the walls we must tear down!
He uses repetition in several key areas of the speech for dramatic effect:
History has led us to a new crossroads…a new promise…a new peril…
Obama also increases his persuasiveness by recognizing and respecting the “other side” – those in
Europe that hold the view that America is part of the problem in the modern world.
It is an incredible speech, very inspiring, a call to unity to tackle the woes of the planet.”
3) Entertaining Speeches:
Speeches intended to entertain draw people together to share in an occasion, such as wedding speeches,
toasts, awards ceremonies, convocation speeches, or introducing a speaker or performer at an event.
Example of Entertaining speech analysis:
“This is an entertaining wedding toast speech with personality. First off, she gets the audience’s
attention with a joke “You’re all going to want to be really quiet because my speech is really funny.”
She continues to hook them in with a rather dissonant beginning to a wedding speech. It is unexpected
that she would talk about wishing ill upon her older sister, so it really grabs your attention, and it’s
really funny.
The body of her speech is what you would expect from the sister of the bride – the warm fuzzy lovey
stuff, and it is made all the more effective because of the contrast from the introduction – now she
wishes her sister only happiness, and she thinks she’s found it, etc.
Her delivery is light and converstational, and she is clearly well prepared. She knows where she’s
going, and so she is able to stay converstational, while at the same time emotional where it is
appropriate.
She ends with a toast to the happy couple – the reason for the occasion, and the drawing together of
everyone in the room. Very well done.”
- Speech to Inform by Scott L Tauber (for college speech or public speaking courses)
Awesome Funny High School Graduation Speech
The Big Three
SpeechDelivery Analysis Assignment
Analyze the delivery of the following presentations. Are they or are they not effective? What are the
strong and/or weak points? Pay attention to appropriateness, body language (eye contact, gesturing,
movement), clarity of speech, and vocal strategies (intonation, volume, cadence and rhythm). What
feedback would you give them?
Write about a half page for each presentation, modelled after the examples for effective speech
particulars given below.
1) Marketing Speech
2) Obama: “Just Words?”
3) Vicky: Being a Good Server
4) Human Trafficking
In the analysis, use these guidelines as measures for speech clarity, body language, and voice strategies:
1) Vocal Strategies
A speech is poetry: cadence, rhythm, imagery, sweep! A speech reminds us that words, like children,
have the power to make dance the dullest beanbag of a heart. ~Peggy Noonan
Vocal strategies refer to the ways you can use your voice to enhance the effectiveness of your
presentation. They include cadence and rhythm, volume and inflection. The effective use of these
strategies helps your audience connect with you, increases the rate of comprehension, and generally
makes your speech more enjoyable and interesting to listen to.
Cadence and Rhythm
Cadence and rhythm are the meter, the beat, the pulse of speech – the rhythmic flow of words. Having
good rhythm, and using rhythm changes to emphasize key points, is one of the most powerful tools you
have at your disposal in the creation of an effective speech. To illustrate, watch the following video,
which shows a public speaking expert analyzing the speaking style of one of the world’s best speakers –
Barack Obama.
As speaking guru Patti Wood points out, one of the things that makes Obama’s speeches so captivating
is his play with changing rhythm, which includes the use of pauses. He starts slow, he builds to a
slightly faster delivery, builds excitement, and then he lets the audience have a moment to absorb what
he gave them. He speaks on a beat (and notice that he gestures on the beat aswell! Slow Down!
One common mistake many speakers make is to speak too quickly, mostly due due nervousness, or
because they are excited about the subject matter. The unfortunate result is that the audience has to
work too hard to keep up, and will eventually stop listening. (But, of course, don’t speak tooooo
slooowly, either.) Varying the speed of your delivery within easily comprehensible boundaries adds to
the effectiveness of your speech.
Volume Control
Scale your volume to the room and audience. Make sure the people at the back of the room can hear
you clearly. There is nothing wrong with being straight up and asking your audience if they can hear
you – you are there speaking for them, after all, and right off you will give the impression that you care
about their experience.
One way of using volume to get the attention of your audience is to lower you voice. A drop in volume
sends a signal to the mind’s of your audience “Listen, this is important” This technique is very effective,
especially when you are speaking with exitement, and suddenly pause, lower your voice and say “…”
Inflection
Another very important vocal strategy is inflection (also known as voice modulation or intonation) –
the change in the pitch or tone of the voice. Varying your tone throughout the speech – raising the pitch
of your voice to indicate excitement, or lowering it express sadness or share a personal insight – will
help keep your audience awake and alert.
2) Clarity of Speech
Your speech may be brilliantly written, and you may have the best PowerPoint presentation the world
has ever seen, but if your audience can’t understand what you are saying, it’s all for naught. Clarity of
speech here refers to the physical enunciation of words. It can sometimes be taken to mean the logical
progression of ideas within a text (which we will be discussing in the planning section.)
So, how can you improve the clarity of your speech? To answer this question, let’s first look at some
common issues with English enunciation.
Blending words together
This is a part of normal conversation, so much so that native speakers aren’t even aware they are doing
it. I was an ESL teacher for several years, and I sometimes had students ask me what words like
“dunno” or “wanna” meant (“don’t know” and “want to,” respectively.) I had to explain that in
everyday conversation, these pronunciations are perfectly acceptable and natural, but that in more
formal contexts, properly enunciating the words is the best policy. Other common blends to avoid
during a formal speech: coulda/woulda/shoulda (could have/would have/should have), probly
(probably), cancha (can’t you). The list goes on.
The problem is, if you are used to speaking this way, you may not even realize it, so how can you
correct it? The first step is to become aware of how you sound. With the ubiquity of recording devices
these days, one recommendation is to record yourself during regular conversations in order to hear your
enunciation habits. Make a list of your problem phrases, and practice saying them correctly.
Sometimes the solution is just a matter of slowing down.
Swallowing Plosives
Swallowing what? Plosives! Sounds like /d/, /t/, /b/, /p/, /k/, and /g/. Sounds that, properly enunciated,
are formed by the air being completely blocked in the mouth and then suddenly released. In English all
of these sounds can be found at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. Plosives found at the
beginning of the word don’t usually pose a pronunciation problem, but those in the middle or at the end
are often “swallowed” or dropped.
So how can you improve? As above, I’d suggest recording and listening to yourself first to become
aware of how clearly you speak. Tongue twisters are great for practicing articulation of targeted sounds,
and they are fun.
Practice saying the following lines from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” to work on consonants:
To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock,
awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock, from a cheap and chippy chopper on a big,
black block.
Another (admittedly geeky) suggestion is to try to directly mimic and repeat after/over a speaker with
good enunciation (like Barack Obama, or any CBC broadcaster.) It’s especially fun if you choose
someone with a different accent. My personal favourite is to copy over British correspondents.
There is definitely a range of acceptable articulation, even among broadcasters, so don’t feel like you
need to speak in a way that makes you sound like someone else – be you, but be clear! When you do
your presentation, this will be one of the factors that goes into your mark, so keep it in mind, and
practice your enunciation.
3) Body Language
A) Stance
Before you even open your mouth to utter your first phrase, how you hold presence in the room is
speaking volumes to your audience. Your stance can tell your audience if you are scared, nervous,
confident, or uncomfortable. What do you want to portray? Probably that you are comfortable and
confident in your knowledge and purpose (even if you’re not), so how can you convey that?
A balanced stance with the weight equally distributed on both feet, and leaning very slightly onto the
toes, shows the audience that you are engaged with them, and that you are yourself balanced and
present. If you slump to one side, leaning into one foot and popping the opposite hip out, it can
unwittingly convey that you don’t really care about where you are.
Upright posture conveys confidence. At the best of times, most of us could use a little postural
adjustment (written as I straighten my spine). Try this exercise: Stand tall, with your feet pointing
directly ahead and not quite shoulder–width apart. Your arms should fall relaxed to your side. As you
breathe in, feel your lungs fill and your chest rise, carrying with it your shoulders. Keep this lift in the
shoulders, and gently roll the shoulders back (not with too much force!) On your exhale, keep this
shoulder position while you release any tension. Breathe slowly and deeply, and pay attention to any
tension you feel, and try to release it. Tuck your tailbone slightly towards the floor, and find a head
position that feels balanced directly over the neck. Do this in front of a mirror if you like. You are
standing naturally, even though it may not be what you are used to. Remind yourself now and again in
your everyday life to find this neutral stance, and eventually it may become more automatic.
B) Movement
Some movement during your presentation (if the venue allows – obviously at a press conference one is
generally locked behind a podium) can lend some visual interest, if done correctly. Moving randomly
around, pacing back and forth, or swaying, can distract your audience and take away from your
message. So what is effective movement?
Move slowly, and punctuate that movement with stillness. For example, you can walk slowly from one
side of the stage to the other once or twice during a presentation, to make the whole audience feel
included. You can also use the depth of the stage effectively, walking closer to the audience to
emphasize a point or sharing personal experience, and backing up to the screen or board when you are
presenting technical information.
A few things to keep in mind:
• Keep it simple – don’t move too much. Adding interest can be as simple as turning your body
slightly to face a bit to the left or right.
• Always face your audience, even while at the board or gesturing to the screen, keep your body
turned out
• Be aware of your audience’s need for space. Don’t stand too far back so as to distance yourself,
but don’t stand too close so as to make your audience uncomfortable.
• Don’t move just because you think you need to move. Think about when, where and how to
move as part of your presentation, in order to bolster its effectiveness.
C) Hand Gestures: The hands are powerful tools! They can punctuate, illustrate, and gesture on a beat
to show the importance of your profound statements. Using your hands can vastly improve the
effectiveness of your speech. So, this is another good reason not to tie them up with cue cards, or hide
them in your pockets, or otherwise occupy them with nervous habits like twirling your hair (don’t do
that!)
Use your shoulders. In a larger room, it is more effective to initiate the gesture from the shoulder, as it
makes the gesture bigger, and more visible to your audience. Using more of your body also helps to
make you look more animated and energetic.
Gesture on key points. Gesture to punctuate key points. Don’t feel the need to gesture continuously,
for this can be distracting, and doesn’t help you or your audience highlight key information. We’ve all
seen busy–hand talkers, whose hands lure you into a trance and ensure you don’t remember a word they
said.
D) Facial Expressions/Eye Contact: There are tons and tons of web sites out there about presenting,
offering tips and advice. There are also lots of YouTube videos and examples of both good and bad
speakers. I encourage you to explore a bit, especially in the areas that you feel you could improve.
Below is an article by a very well known public speaking coach and motivational speaker. Her web
site, pattiwood.net, has many links to great articles and examples of effective speaking.
https://www.virtualhighschool.com/content/OSSD-v2/Department/ENG/Courses/ENG4U/ver-l/listening-note-taking/pattiwood.net?_&d2lSessionVal=SmHI03kKYIbFWOZsPDr7A6CBm
