Speech Analysis #1: How to Study and Critique a Speech
Studying other speakers is a critical skill, one of the 25 essential skills for a public speaker. The ability to analyze a speech will accelerate the growth of any speaker.
The Speech Analysis Series is a series of articles examining different aspects of presentation analysis. You will learn how to study a speech and how to deliver an effective speech evaluation. Later articles will examine Toastmasters evaluation contests and speech evaluation forms and resources.
- How to Study and Critique a Speech
- The Art of Delivering Evaluations
- Modified Sandwich Technique for Evaluations
- Evaluation Forms, Tools, and Resources
- Toastmasters Evaluation Contests
The first in the series, this article outlines questions to ask yourself when assessing a presentation. Ask these questions whether you attend the presentation, or whether you view a video or read the speech text. These questions also apply when you conduct a self evaluation of your own speeches.
The Most Important Thing to Analyze: The Speech Objectives
Knowing the speaker’s objective is critical to analyzing the speech, and should certainly influence how you study it.
- What is the speaker’s goal? Is it to educate, to motivate, to persuade, or to entertain?
- What is the primary message being delivered?
- Why is this person delivering this speech? Are they the right person?
- Was the objective achieved?
The Audience and Context for the Speech
A speaker will need to use different techniques to connect with an audience of 1500 than they would with an audience of 15. Similarly, different techniques will be applied when communicating with teenagers as opposed to communicating with corporate leaders.
- Where and when is the speech being delivered?
- What are the key demographic features of the audience? Technical? Students? Elderly? Athletes? Business leaders?
- How large is the audience?
- In addition to the live audience, is there an external target audience? (e.g. on the Internet or mass media)
Speech Content and Structure
The content of the speech should be selected and organized to achieve the primary speech objective. Focus is important — extraneous information can weaken an otherwise effective argument.
Before the Speech
- Were there other speakers before this one? Were their messages similar, opposed, or unrelated?
- How was the speaker introduced? Was it appropriate?
- Did the introduction establish why the audience should listen to this speaker with this topic at this time?
- What body language was demonstrated by the speaker as they approached the speaking area? Body language at this moment will often indicate their level of confidence.
The Speech Opening
Due to the primacy effect, words, body language, and visuals in the speech opening are all critical to speaking success.
- 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?
The Speech Body
- Was the presentation focussed? i.e. Did all arguments, stories, anecdotes relate back to the primary objective?
- Were examples or statistics provided to support the arguments?
- Were metaphors and 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?
The Speech Conclusion
Like the opening, the words, body language, and visuals in the speech conclusion are all critical to speaking success. This is due to the recency effect.
- Was the conclusion concise?
- Was the conclusion memorable?
- If appropriate, was there a call-to-action?
Delivery Skills and Techniques
Delivery skills are like a gigantic toolbox — the best speakers know precisely when to use every tool and for what purpose.
Enthusiasm and Connection to the Audience
- Was the speaker enthusiastic? How can you tell?
- Was there audience interaction? Was it effective?
- Was the message you- and we-focussed, or was it I- and me-focussed?
Humor
- Was humor used?
- Was it safe and appropriate given the audience?
- Were appropriate pauses used before and after the punch lines, phrases, or words?
- Was it relevant to the speech?
Visual Aids
- 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 help to convey the message?
Use of Stage Area
- Did the speaker make appropriate use of the speaking area?
Physical – Gestures and Eye Contact
- Did the speaker’s posture display confidence and poise?
- Were gestures natural, timely, and complementary?
- Were gestures easy to see?
- Does the speaker have any distracting mannerisms?
- Was eye contact effective in connecting the speaker to the whole audience?
Vocal Variety
- Was the speaker easy to hear?
- Were loud and soft variations used appropriately?
- Was the pace varied? Was it slow enough overall to be understandable?
- Were pauses used to aid understandability, heighten excitement, or provide drama?
Language
- Was the language appropriate for the audience?
- Did the speaker articulate clearly?
- Were sentences short and easy to understand?
- Was technical jargon or unnecessarily complex language used?
- What rhetorical devices were used? e.g. repetition, alliteration, the rule of three, etc.
Intangibles
Sometimes, a technically sound speech can still miss the mark. Likewise, technical deficiencies can sometimes be overcome to produce a must-see presentation. The intangibles are impossible to list, but here are a few questions to consider:
- How did the speech make you feel?
- Were you convinced?
- Would you want to listen to this speaker again?
- Were there any original ideas or techniques?
- How to Study and Critique a Speech
- The Art of Delivering Evaluations
- Modified Sandwich Technique for Evaluations
- Evaluation Forms, Tools, and Resources
- Toastmasters Evaluation Contests
Next in the Speech Analysis Series
The next article in this series – The Art of Delivering Evaluations – examines how best to utilize speech evaluation skills as a teaching tool.
This is one of many public speaking articles featured on Six Minutes.
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Andreia
Nov 25th, 2008
I absolutely loved this article. It gave me a major idea of what to write on my speech critique. Great information, organized, and detailed!
mostafa mabrouk
Jan 22nd, 2009
according to points you mentioned in breif i can say president obama speech was: not hopeful, uninspired route is long ,to certain extent every thing is difficult, full of impossibilities
LATHA RAMANATHAN
Jun 19th, 2009
Hobby Please…
Every interview has some common questions like “Tell me about yourself”, “What are your dreams” and “What is your hobby”
Hobby…. This question was a night mare to me.
Mr. Toastmaster, Fellow Toastmaster and my dear friends,
During my childhood, my hobby was the same as my friend. She too had trouble. But watching realty shows has given her some inputs. She always picked the one which could not make the opposite person ask questions. However, I could not easily lie. When I was a child, I forcibly collected some stamps and purchased a set from an exhibition. I used that as my hobby. But when people asked as to what is my aim and what did I learn and what I plan to do with it, I did not have an answer.
Sooner, I found that this was not what I wanted to do or get embarrassed with. I conducted a survey on various hobbies.
Some of them were Watching TV, reading book, collecting coins or stamps, eating, roaming, gardening, cycling, dressing, singing, dancing, eating, sleeping, painting, playing cricket based on the thirst. None of the answers satisfied me nor suited me. My problem remained. One day , My aunt came down to my house.
Aunt, what is your hobby?
“Cooking, cleaning house” was her immediate reply. “What do you want?”
“I need a hobby”
The laughter took time to settle.
“Do you know what is a hobby?”
“Aunt, I know. A constant question asked by a person to whom you get introduced.”
“ My aunt took me in her hands and said, What do you do in your free time?”
“I walk behind my mother wherever she goes.”
“ Do you play?”
“No. Not much. I play when my mother is next to me.”
“ Oh.. So, walking behind your mother is your hobby?”
I felt relieved then. Later, when I grew up, I found that my hobby was just whiling away time. i.e. Laziness.
But how do I say that. Nobody will respect me, talk to me. I started playing tennikoit. Thanks to the physical training hour in school. They trained me in wobbling, smashing, serving.. I learnt it thoroughly. However, diminishing eyesight did not allow me to continue. Now I had to say hobby with an excuse. Those days spectacles were made of glass instead of plastic or high index lens.
I was in search of a hobby again. I tried reading books, however, I could not compete with book readers. My confidence started going down and I feared to meet people. Solitude hurt me.
I visited my aunt’s place. I talked continuously, when she said, “Latha, talking is your hobby. “
I was happy to find an unquestionable hobby. Then on I stuck to my hobby. Sooner, people started to analyze what I say. I was in trouble. Accidental gossips led me to trouble. I sooner had suggestions to learn what to talk, where to talk, when to talk and how to talk.
So, finalized hobby was in trouble again. But I was already in danger that if I stop talking, I may end up badly. Unable to catch up with what is required and I started changing my styles based on the listeners.
Sooner, I lost track on patterns. Thanks to age, that my grey cells had no place to store. I was worried. I wandered and bought books after books. My laziness never allowed me to read even a chapter. My mother worried more as it required greater effort to pack while shifting.
I was then in a job by then, safely settled. I had a great relief. If I do not opt to participate in reality shows, I will never be asked that question. I had created an end to a daring question.
Happiness did not lost long. Pavitra my colleague in office met me over coffee. “ How do you spend your time ? What is your hobby?”
Now Back again. The Deadly devil is here again. I quickly thought and said, “Chatting with friends.”
Name your friends was her next question. “ You…” was my immediate reply.
Now I can safely say talking, chatting, working and sleeping as I do all of them regularly. Chatting with my office colleagues on technical issues, working longer hours, talking continuously for 5 mins and sleeping when I do not do the other three.
I now have 4 Hobbies. How many do you have?
Mr. TM
Kenroy Mullings
Jun 23rd, 2009
Its very interesting and informative i would like more information directlyto my email address on public speaking.
Jonathan Speechmastry.com
Sep 22nd, 2009
Great post. I have to say, it was when I started to do exactly what you say that my skills took off.
If anyone wants to go farther, just teach a class on public speaking. You do not need a degree to teach continuing ed. It will help you, as some of my students who went on to teach to improve even more. This is because not only are you observing your students for these points. You are actually teaching them how to attain some of these skills.