Outside Speaker Report

Watching and critiquing other speakers will help you become a better speaker. Write at least one paragraph to answer each numbered category; more than one paragraph may be needed for some. Type in Times New Roman, 12 point, and double space the report. I will take two points off for every misspelled word, sentence fragment, and grammatical error. The report will also be graded for content.

This report is due to my office exactly two weeks from our final meeting date. If you do not turn it in by 5 p.m. that day, you will receive a zero for this assignment. No late work will be accepted. If I am not in my office, just slide it under my door.

1. Basic Facts

• name of speaker
• occasion for speech
• location of speech; date of speech

2. Purpose

• What was the objective of the event?
• What was the general purpose and specific purpose of the speaker?
• Did s/he fulfill the purpose? How?
• If not, how could the speaker improve?
• What evidence or support did the speaker use to substantiate major points?
• Did the speaker use logical, sound reasoning?

3. Climate

• What was the mood or climate of the event?
• Did the speaker create, enhance, or distract from the climate?
• Specifically how?
• How did the speaker establish credibility?

4. Content and Organization

• What changes would you make in the organization?
• What was the Central Idea?
• Did the speaker have a clear organizational pattern? Could you easily identify his/her main points?
• Did the speaker use transitions and signposting effectively?
• What evidence did the speaker use to support the major points?
• Was this an informative or persuasive speech? How could you tell?
• Include an outline of the speech.

5. Feedback

• How did the audience respond?
• How did the speaker respond to the audience’s reactions?
• Include any environmental and possible psychological distractions.

6. Delivery

• Evaluate the speaker’s verbal (pitch, rate, volume) and nonverbal (eye contact, gestures, facial expressions) communication skills.
• What did s/he do well?
• What advice would you give the speaker for improvement?