Speech Critiques
Why study other speakers?
The Speech Analysis Series
Studying and evaluating the techniques of other speakers is an excellent way to become a better public speaker.
- When a speaker impresses, ask “Why was that impressive?“
- When a speaker bombs, ask “Why didn’t that hit the mark?“
Analyzing other speakers provides an abundant supply of ideas that can be incorporated into our own presentations.
Why use video critiques?
With a growing supply of speech videos readily accessible, video critiques can be especially useful teaching and learning aids.
- Without video, you can say: “Remember that keynote speaker last week? Weren’t her gestures powerful?“
- With video, you can refer directly to precise moments: “The keynote speaker last week was fantastic. Her gestures at 1:27 and 2:38 of her speech were powerful.“
Speech Critique Examples on Six Minutes
- Speaker
- Barack Obama
- Title
- Presidential Inaugural Address
- Venue
- Washington, D.C., January 20, 2009
- Notable Elements
- Inauguration speech delivered to a live crowd estimated at 2 million people and billions around the globe.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Title
- I Have a Dream
- Venue
- March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963
- Notable Elements
- Given to a crowd of 250,000, "I Have a Dream" is considered one of the greatest speeches of all time.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Dalton Sherman
- Title
- Do you believe?
- Venue
- Dallas Independent School District Teachers Conference
- Notable Elements
- 10-year-old 5th grader Dalton Sherman delivers an inspirational speech to 20,000 teachers about the importance of believing in each other.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Randy Pausch
- Title
- The Last Lecture ("Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams")
- Venue
- CMU (Carnegie Mellon University)
- Notable Elements
- Tremendously inspirational, funny, clever use of props and visual aids, a truly memorable speech.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Patrick Henry Winston
- Title
- How to Speak
- Venue
- MIT Annual Lecture (1997)
- Notable Elements
- Dozens of practical public speaking tips; targets speaking to teach or to inform; lecture-style.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Majora Carter
- Title
- Greening the Ghetto
- Venue
- TED 2006
- Notable Elements
- Personal emotion, energy, passion, rapid speaking rate, call-to-action, reading from script.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Hans Rosling
- Title
- Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen
- Venue
- TED 2006
- Notable Elements
- Six simple techniques for presenting data, graphical display, energetic delivery.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- J.A. Gamache
- Title
- Being a Mr. G.
- Venue
- 2007 Toastmasters (Region VI) Speech Contest
- Notable Elements
- Strong writing, powerful body language, speech opening and closing which feature the same prop, callback technique for repetitive humor, emotionally charged writing, and a series of wonderfully choreographed gestures.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Steve Jobs
- Title
- Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
- Venue
- Stanford University Commencement Address 2005
- Notable Elements
- Strong opening; simple classical structure; the Rule of Three; rich figures of speech; and a recurring theme of birth/death/rebirth.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Al Gore
- Title
- 15 ways to avert a climate crisis
- Venue
- TED 2006
- Notable Elements
- Humor; call-to-action; audience awareness; and slide techniques.
- Read the Speech Critique
- Speaker
- Dick Hardt
- Title
- Identity 2.0
- Venue
- OSCON 2005
- Notable Elements
- Lessig method, speech opening, humor, repetition, contrast, analogies.
- Read the Speech Critique
This is one of many public speaking articles featured on Six Minutes.
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