part 3 mpu

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Meaning of Words
Words have two kinds of meanings—denotative and connotative.

Denotative meaning is precise, literal, and objective.
• It describes the object, person, place, idea, or event to which the word refers.
• One way to think of a word’s denotative meaning is as its dictionary definition.
• For example, denotatively, the noun “school” means “a place, institution, or building
where instruction is given.”

Connotative meaning is more variable, figurative, and subjective.
• The connotative meaning of a word is what the word suggests or implies.
• For instance, the connotative meaning of the word “school” includes all the feelings,
associations, and emotions that the word touches off in different people.
• For some people, “school” might connote personal growth, childhood friends, and a
special teacher.
• For others, it might connote frustration, discipline, and boring homework assignments.
• Connotative meaning gives words their intensity and emotional power.
• It arouses in listeners feelings of anger, pity, love, fear, friendship, nostalgia, greed, guilt,
and the like.
• Speakers, like poets, often use connotation to enrich their meaning. For example:

ˈTerrorists neither listen to reason nor engage in reasoning with others.
Their aim is to generate fearˁto frighten people into submission. They measure
success by the magnitude of the fear they generate through brutal, savage acts
of violence.

Terrorists are prepared to kill to further whatever cause they claim to be
pursuing. And the heinousness of these murders is accentuated by the fact that
terrorists murder without passion. They murder with cool deliberation and
deliberate planning. They are utterly amoral.ˉ

The underlined words in this passage have powerful connotations that are almost certain to
produce a strong emotional revulsion to terrorism.

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Using Language Accurately

Using language accurately is as vital to a speaker as using numbers accurately is to an
accountant.
Every word has shades of meaning that distinguish it from every other word.

If you look in a thesaurus, you’ll find the following words given as synonyms:

Education knowledge expertise

All mean roughly the same thing—special grasp of a subject matter or skill. But all these words
have different shades of meaning. See if you can fill in the best word to complete each of the
sentences below:

1. Because he won a scholarship to a top university, Enrique received an excellent
_________________.

2. Sophia acquired her ____________________of Chinese history by reading a number of
books on the subject.

3. Ebony’s _________________as a business consultant comes from having worked with
many clients over the years.

Words are the tools of the speaker’s craft. Good speakers use them accurately and correctly.
They also use language that will be clear, vivid, and appropriate for their listeners.

The best answers for the three statements are:

1. education 2. Knowledge 3. expertise

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Using Language Clearly

Use familiar words

One of the biggest barriers to clear speech is using big, bloated words where short, sharp
ones will do the job better. This is especially true when it comes to technical language that may
be familiar to the speaker but not to the audience.

Yet, if you work at it, you will almost always be able to translate even the most specialized
topic into clear, familiar language.

ˈGive me the right word and the right accent, and I will move the world.ˉ
- Joseph Conrad

Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech
is not ostentation, but to be understood.

- William Penn (1644 - 1718)

The ability to use language effectively is one of the most important skills.

With the right words,
• you can communicate your thoughts, feelings and emotions
• you can teach, entertain, persuade to change attitudes and abide to your bidding.

Words can both help you and hurt you. They can make you happy or miserable; they can inspire
or depress you.

Examples:
In the 1976 Democratic presidential primaries, Governor Jimmy Carter said,

ˈI see nothing wrong with ethnic purity being maintained in the suburbs.ˉ

In the 1968 Republican presidential primaries, the powerful Governor George Romney
said that the White House had ˈbrainwashedˉ him regarding the Vietnam War.

The way you use words will leave an inedible impression on people’s minds.

From your words, people will form opinions about:
• educational background
• intelligence
• character
• economic status
• social status

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Choose concrete words
• Concrete words carry a message more effectively.
ß Pertain to tangible things – objects perceived through 5 senses
ß The more concrete words used, the more your audience understands your
message
ß Leaves little room for personal interpretation
ß E.g. college campus, airplane, traffic jam, flood, desk, woman, gun, etc.

• Abstract words are subjected to various interpretations and arguments
ß It depends on people’s
• backgrounds
• religion
• education
• nationality, etc.
ß When using abstract words, define and explain them to avoid misunderstanding
or misinterpretation
ß Pertain to intangible things, and cannot be perceived through 5 senses such as
• ideas (philosophy, socialism)
• concepts (democracy, justice)
• beliefs (Islam, Hinduism, Scientology)
• attitudes & values (fear, anger, ethics, integrity)

Eliminate Clutter
Clutter - Discourse that takes many more words than are necessary to express an idea
• Keep your language lean and lively.
• Beware of using several words where one or two will do.
• Avoid flabby phrases. Let your ideas emerge sharply and firmly.
• Watch out for redundant adjectives and adverbs. Inexperienced speakers (and writers) tend

to string together two or three synonymous adjectives, such as “a learned and educated
person” or “a hot, steamy, torrid day.”
• Throw away the unnecessary words. Watch for clutter when you write your speech outlines.
Be prepared to revise the outline until your ideas emerge clearly and crisply.
• You can also help eliminate clutter by practicing your speeches with a digital recorder. As
you play the speech back, keep an ear out not just for flabby phrases but for verbal fillers
such as “you know,” “like,” and “really.”
• Practice delivering the speech again, this time making a special effort to trim it of wasted or
distracting words. This will not only make you a better public speaker, but it will also help
you present ideas more effectively in meetings, conversations, and group discussions.

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Use Language Vividly
If you want to move people with your speeches, use vivid, animated language. Although there
are several ways to do this, two of the most important are imagery and rhythm.

Imagery
• The use of vivid language to create mental images of objects, actions, or ideas.
• Speakers can use imagery in much the same way to make their ideas come alive.
• Three ways to generate imagery are by using concrete words, simile, and metaphor.

Concrete Words
• Choosing concrete words over abstract words is one way to enhance the clarity of your

speeches. Concrete words are also the key to effective imagery.

Simile
• An explicit comparison, introduced with the word “like” or “as,” between things that are

essentially different yet have something in common.
• These are bright, fresh similes that clarify and vitalize ideas. Some similes, however, have

become stale through overuse. Here are a few:

fresh as a daisy hungry as a bear fit as a fiddle
busy as a bee strong as an ox happy as a lark

• Such clichés- a trite or overused expression - are fine in everyday conversation, but you
should avoid them in speechmaking. Otherwise, you are likely to be “dull as dishwater”
and to find your audience “sleeping like a log”!

Metaphor
• An implicit comparison, not introduced with the word “like” or “as,” between two things

that are essentially different yet have something in common.
• Unlike simile, metaphor does not contain the words “like” or “as.” For example:

America˅s cities are the windows through which the world looks at American society.
- Henry Cisneros

With globalization, the same sea washes all of humankind. We are all in the same boat.
There are no safe islands.

- Kofi Annan

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Rythms

Language has a rhythm created by the choice and arrangement of words. Speakers like
poets, sometimes seek to exploit the rhythm of language to enhance the impact of their words.

A speech, however, is not a poem. You should never emphasize sound and rhythm at the
expense of meaning. The aim is to think about ways you can use the rhythm and flow of
language to enhance your meaning.

Parallelism

The first device is parallelism—the similar arrangement of a pair or series of related words,
phrases, or sentences. For example:

Rich and poor, intelligent and ignorant, wise and foolish, virtuous and vicious, man and
woman ˁit is ever the same, each soul must depend wholly on itself.

- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Repetition

Repetition means reiterating the same word or set of words at the beginning or end of
successive clauses or sentences. For example:

If not now, when? If not us, who? If not together, how?

- Gordon Brown

We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit.
- Barack Obama

As you can see, repetition usually results in parallelism. In addition to building a strong
cadence, it also unifies a sequence of ideas, emphasizes an idea by stating it more than
once, and helps create a strong emotional effect.

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Alliteration

Repetition of the initial consonant sound of close or adjoining words.
For example:

Peace is essential for progress, but progress is no less essential for peace.
- Liaquat Ali Khan

Nothing great is accomplished without cooperation, compromise, and common cause.
- Ban Ki-moon

By highlighting the sounds of words, alliteration catches the attention of listeners and can
make ideas easier to remember.

Antithesis

Finally, you might try using antithesis—the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, usually in
parallel structure. For example:

Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
- John F. Kennedy
-

Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.
- John F. Kennedy

It nearly always produces a neatly turned phrase. It is a fine way to give your speeches a
special touch of class.
You may be thinking that imagery and rhythm are too fancy for ordinary speeches like
yours. This is not true. Take a look at the following excerpt from one student’s speech
about the Massachusetts 54th:

To join an army that didn˅t believe in you. To fight with an army who didn˅t like you. To
die for an army that didn˅t respect you. This was the Massachusetts 54th. Today they lay
where they died, on the beaches of South Carolina. Colonel Shaw and his men were piled
together in a mass grave, which has since been covered by the shifting tides of the Atlantic.
A small statue stands in Bostonˁa reminder of their sacrifice. Bravery, patriotism, and
sacrifice. These are qualities of the Massachusetts 54th. With the help of their efforts,
along with all the other black regiments that followed them, slavery did eventually come
to an end.

This is vivid, moving language. The imagery is sharp and poignant, the rhythm strong and
insistent. Think of how you can do similar things in your own speeches.

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Use Language Effectively
Appropriateness to the Occasion

Language that is appropriate for some occasions may not be appropriate for others.
As a simple example, a coach might address the football team as “you guys” (or worse!),
whereas the speaker in a more formal situation would begin with “distinguished guests.”
It’s only common sense to adjust your language to different occasions.

Appropriateness to the Audience

Appropriateness also depends on the audience. If you keep this in mind, it will help you
greatly when dealing with technical topics. When addressing an audience of physicians, you
might use the word “parotitis” to refer to a viral disease marked by the swelling of the parotid
glands. Your audience would know just what you meant. But when talking to a nonmedical
audience, such as your classmates, the appropriate word would be “mumps.”

You should be especially careful to avoid language that might offend your audience. Off-
color, humor or profanity might be appropriate in a comedy routine, but most listeners would
find it offensive in a formal public speech.

Remember, speakers are expected to elevate and polish their language when addressing
an audience.

Appropriateness to the Topic

Language should also be appropriate to the topic. You would not use metaphor,
antithesis, and alliteration when explaining how to change a bicycle tire.
But you might use all three in a speech honoring U.S. soldiers who have died in defense of their
country. The first topic calls for straightforward description and explanation. The second calls
for special language skills to evoke emotion, admiration, and appreciation.

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Appropriateness to the Speaker

No matter what the occasion, audience, or topic, language should also be appropriate to
the speaker. Every public speaker develops his or her own language style.
“Terrific,” you may be thinking. “I have my own style too. I feel more comfortable using abstract
words, slang, and technical jargon. That’s my way of speaking.” But to say that language should
be appropriate to the speaker does not justify ignoring the other needs for appropriateness.
There is a difference between one’s everyday style and one’s developed style as a public speaker.
Accomplished speakers have developed their speaking styles over many years of trial, error, and
practice. They have worked at using language effectively.

You can do the same if you become language-conscious. One way to develop this
consciousness is to read and listen to effective speakers. Study their techniques for achieving
accuracy, clarity, and vividness, and try to adapt those techniques to your own speeches. But
do not try to “become” someone else when you speak. Learn from other speakers, blend what
you learn into your own language style, and seek to become the best possible you.

Inclusive Language

• Language that does not stereotype, demean, or patronize people on the basis of gender,
race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or other factors.

• Regardless of the situation, audiences expect public speakers to use inclusive language
that is respectful of the different groups that make up American society. They also expect
speakers to avoid stereotypes based on age, race, gender, disability, and other factors.

ÿ Avoid the generic “he”
ÿ Avoid the Use of “Man” When Referring to Both Men and Women
ÿ Avoid Stereotyping Jobs and Social Roles by Gender
ÿ Use Names That Groups Use to Identify Themselves

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Short, Simple Words Versus Long, Pretentious Words

Read this example. See whether you understand what this person is saying:

ˈWe are in the ambassadorial residence, subject, of course, to some of the
discomfiture as a result of the need for elements of refurbishing and
rehabilitation.ˉ

This is called “gobbledygook”.
He could have said:

ˈWe˅re decorating now so the house is a bit messyˉ.

For the purpose of informing your listeners, simple one- or two-syllable words are usually better.

Showy words Short words
termination end
ameliorate improve
delineate describe
optimum best
modification change
initiate start
conflagration fire
ablution washing

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Loaded Words
ß Words that concern race, religion, and politics
ß Can either infuriate or humiliate people and induce people to commit irrational acts. (The
Rwandan Genocide)
ß Avoid using these loaded words.
ß Examples:
- Race and religion: Whitey, Racist, Nigger, Hebe, Kike, Cockroaches
- Nationality: gringo, Spic, Harp, Wop, Dago, Jap, Polack
- Political Philosophy: Nazi, Anarchist, communist, Skin-Head, Left-Wing

Sexist Language
ß Language that promotes the stereotyping of people on the basis of gender.
ß Avoid from using sexist language because:
- It is a vital part of audience adaptation
- It is a matter of accuracy of speech-making.
- Your audience will consist of both men and women; be considerate to their
feelings.

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The Six C’s of Language Use

1. Clarity
ß If your words are not clear, listeners cannot understand your meaning.
ß You must yourself understand what you want to say.
ß Avoid using jargons.
ß Use simple words, not “gobbledygook”

2. Color
ß Emotional intensity or vividness of language
ß Example:

Six foot two, a hundred fifty-five pounds, smart – Stanford, remember. Clean cut
in his creased khakis, curly hair, and gorgeous teeth. And rich, very rich.

3. Concreteness
ß Avoid using too many abstract words
ß Use more concrete words.
ß The more concrete your language, the more pictorial and precise the information
you convey.

4. Correctness
ß Use correct grammar
Choose your words wisely
ß Avoid malapropisms
i. E.g. A speaker can add interest to his talk with an antidote.
ii. Good language can be reinforced by good gestation.

5. Conciseness
ß Simplicity and directness helps you to be concise.
ß Use the active voice, not passive.
ß Conciseness keeps you from wasting your audience’s time

6. Cultural Sensitivity
ß A lack of cultural sensitivity has negative consequences.
ß Always think before you speak and choose your words carefully.
ß Stay away from racial, ethnic, religious or gender-biased humor and expressions.

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Exercise for Critical Thinking
1. Arrange each of the sequences below in order, from the most abstract word to the most
concrete word.
a. housing complex, building, dining room, structure, apartment
b. Mona Lisa, art, painting, creative activity, portrait
c. automobile, vehicle, Ferrari, transportation, sports car
2. Each of the statements below uses one or more of the following stylistic devices: metaphor,
simile, parallelism, repetition, alliteration, and antithesis. Identify the device (or devices) used
in each statement.
a. ˈWe are a people in a quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future.
We are a people in search of a national community.ˉ (Barbara Jordan)
b. ˈThe vice presidency is the sand trap of American politics. It˅s near the prize, and designed
to be limiting.ˉ (Howard Fineman)
c. ˈPeople the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than
by the example of our power.ˉ (Bill Clinton)
d. ˈAmerica is not like a blanketˁone piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture,
the same size. America is more like a quiltˁmany patches, many sizes, and woven and held
together by a common thread.ˉ (Jesse Jackson)

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SPEECH
PRESENTATION

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How to Dress for a Public Speech?

Your message is always the most important part of a public speech; however, everything else about
your speech will affect how your audience perceives you & your message. Your voice, your gestures,
your grammar, your movements, your mannerisms, your clothes, and your style all create the
impression you leave on the audience & how much of your message they hear and subsequently,
remember.

HOW YOU ARE DRESSED IS A VERY CRUCIAL PART OF THIS EQUATION!

In order to present yourself properly & professionally, here are some tips to be remembered when
preparing for a speech:

Always strive to look presentable through good grooming/hygiene and have an overall tidy
appearance.

o Avoid clothing with holes in it or that is overly casual (hoodies, sweatpants…)
o Avoid clothes that are inappropriately revealing
o Wear clothes that fit you, but are not so tight that they restrict your movement
o Females—Keep makeup natural & simple
o Males—Avoid wearing a hat before giving a presentation (hats are typically inappropriate

during a speech and hat-hair is never professional)

Wear clothing that is appropriate for the occasion, topic, & audience.
o If you are presenting a speech on comic books to a group of college students, nice jeans
and a polo (males) or a nice blouse (females) would be acceptable attire.
o The same clothing, however, would not be appropriate if you were speaking about
comic books to a group of CEO’s for X-Box… In that case, a business suit would be a
better choice.
o Another example would be if you were to present a speech on nursing/health and you
wore scrubs. This would be acceptable since your attire corresponds with your topic.
o Also, if you are in the military, BDU’s are an acceptable and professional option when
presenting a speech.

Females typically have to pay attention to more aspects of their appearance than males and
this is due to the wide variety of clothing styles, colors, and options made available to women.
Remember to:

o Avoid excessive, flashy, or over-sized jewelry and accessories
o Avoid excessive or strong-scented perfume

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What to wear… What NOT to wear…

Dress slacks and khakis Hats
Dress skirts Shorts/short skirts/short dresses
Designer jeans (no holes) Flip flops (dressy sandals are
Shirts with collars acceptable)
Presentable dress shirts/casual shirts Hoodies
Dress capris Sweat pants
Sweaters Tank tops
Dress shoes, athletic footwear in good Shirts containing any logos or phrases
shape that contain potentially offensive words
or anything to do with drugs/alcohol
T-shirts

Adapted from, http://www.uccs.edu/Documents/commcenter

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Keeping Time

Introduction

Restriction is a common feature of most student presentations as well as those in the professional/work
context. You will either be allotted a time for speaking and a time for questions or an overall timeslot for
both. Keeping to time shows respect for your audience and ensures that you deliver a focused
presentation that makes an impact.

What Goes Wrong?

Time limits are frequently exceeded for two main reasons:

the presenter has tried to incorporate too much information for the time allowed;
the process of presenting (e.g. speaking, distributing handouts, using visual aids) has simply
taken more time than the presenter had planned for.

Managing the Content

When planning your presentation, it is important to understand what can be achieved in the allocated
time. Remember that you cannot communicate the same amount of information in a presentation that
you can in a written report or essay.

Planning
It is important to prioritize your information at an early stage in the planning process. When

planning your presentation, put aside your notes and write a simple outline of your talk. This outline
should be based on a series of main points structured in a logical order. Make sure that you can express
each of the key points in a few words or a simple sentence. If you cannot do this it is likely that you
still haven’t found a precise focus for your presentation. Remember that a clear focus enhances the
impact of your talk.

When you have identified your main points, you can move on to illustrate your argument with
appropriate supporting information. Choose the supporting detail for each main point carefully to find
one or two examples that make a real impact and will be remembered. A wealth of less illuminating
detail will be much less effective.

Finally, plan to open and close your presentation with a strong introduction and conclusion.
Although these sections will demand time if they are to be effective, and thus further limit the amount
of information that you can include, they are essential elements of effective presentations and should
not be ignored. More techniques for structuring your presentation are discussed in a separate guide in
this series, structuring a presentation.

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Flexibility
If you have written your presentation as a complete script you will find it hard to adapt and reduce

the content as you deliver your material. However, if you have adopted the planning structure outlined
above, you will be better able to produce a flexible presentation that can be shaped according to the
time that you have available. If you need to reduce the length of your presentation, for whatever reason,
you should be able to shorten the introduction, deliver the main points without some/all of the
supporting detail and deliver a truncated conclusion.

Managing the Performance

Many presenters run out of time because they have not taken all aspects of their performance into
account when planning and rehearsing their presentation. When planning your performance you will
need to include time to:

• get settled in front of your audience in order to prepare your visual aids, notes etc. before
you start talking;

• distribute handouts at the start/during/end of your talk;
• develop points in more detail if it appears that your audience hasn’t understood an area of

your talk;
• accommodate any slight deviations from your script that you might make ‘off; respond to

questions whilst you’re speaking and after you’ve finished;
• work with your visual aids (change slides, annotate images, etc.);
• accommodate any pauses whilst you review your notes / allow your audience time to think

between main points.

The delivery of your presentation will need to be controlled and well-paced to achieve the best impact.
If you have not allowed time for the different elements of your performance, your presentation will
appear rushed and congested.

Planning Your Use of Time

It is important that when you have written the content of your presentation, you map out how it
will be delivered. This should include, for example, a clear plan of when you’ll be giving out handouts,
where you’ll be taking questions and the precise moment at which you’ll be changing visual aids. This
will help make these elements of your presentation appear more purposeful as well as ensuring that
you allocate time for such non-spoken aspects of delivery. Many presenters mark such features on the
script of their presentation so that they are all included in the final performance (much as a play script
includes stage directions to remind the actors what to do and when to do it).

When practicing your presentation, try to replicate the actual delivery as closely as possible.
Simply running through the words in your head is not enough to accommodate all aspects of the
performance. Ideally, try the presentation out in a seminar room or lecture theatre where you can
practice integrating all the elements of your talk, and time the whole thing. If this is impossible, rehearse
out loud, pausing where you would need time for other activities.

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Cutting Time

Even though you may run to time in rehearsal it is still important to leave a few minutes spare
for the actual presentation. The impact of nerves and any interaction with your audience will take up
more time than you’d think. It is safer to plan to be a little under time to make sure you can
accommodate all aspects of your talk and avoid rushing.

If you have followed the above advice about structuring your presentation around main points
and supporting information, it should be fairly easy to reduce the length of your presentation. To save
a small amount of time, cut out some of the supporting detail. To save larger amounts, review your
main points and reduce these in number. Never try speeding up the pace of delivery; this appears
amateurish and seriously affects any impact that you may be trying to make.

Managing the ‘Mental Clock’

Many presenters rely on their own mental awareness of time passing to keep themselves to time.
Unless you are a very experienced presenter, this rarely works in practice (it is not unusual for a
presenter to feel that they’ve only spoken for 5 minutes when in fact they took closer to 15). Always
refer to a clock at the back of the room to keep a track of time. Alternatively, prop your wristwatch up
on the desk in front of you to avoid having to glance down at your wrist. Time your delivery in rehearsal
and make a note on your script where you should have reached in 5, 10, 15 minutes etc. If it looks like
you’re running out of time, pause for a moment to review what you can realistically achieve in the last
moments. Always remember to include a conclusion, no matter how brief. This is where you make a
lasting impression on your audience and is a vital part of your success as a presenter.

Summary
Keeping to time requires that you carefully prioritize information for inclusion in your presentation

and plan each element of your delivery carefully (i.e. the script, your use of visual aids, questions from
the audience). Rehearse your presentation thoroughly so that you have a clear idea of how the different
elements fit together and can gauge how much time you should allocate to each. When delivering your
presentation, keep an eye on the passage of time and be able to adjust your presentation accordingly.
The more experienced you become, the more skilled you will be at determining the amount of
information that can be included in a given time slot. However, even this isn’t fail-proof and you should
always rehearse carefully to ensure that you keep to time.

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CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

Objectives
In writing peer critiques, students should refine their abilities to:

• Critically analyze all aspects of speech composition and delivery
• Distinguish between weak and strong support
• Identify unclear speech arrangement and identify possible solutions
• Diagnose delivery problems and propose remedies

Description
Like a number of other arts, we refine our public speaking abilities through a mixture of instruction,
practice, and imitation. As such, critically examining your peers’ speeches provides you another venue
for thinking about how to adapt to the complexity of different rhetorical situations. Additionally,
individual speakers benefit immensely from articulate feedback from their audiences. Over the course
of the quarter, you will be required to critique your classmates’ speeches. Your peer critique
assignments are listed on the speaker order sheet. You will be required to provide oral criticism
immediately following a peer’s speech, followed by written comments to be handed in to your TA. These
peer critiques, like your self-critiques, will be graded on a √/- system.

In-class Oral Comments
If you are called upon to provide an in-class critique, you should identify at least one strength of the
speech and one area for improvement. Please remember that you will be hindering your classmate’s
future public speaking success by being untruthful, vague, or indirect about opportunities for
improvement. By the same token, you should provide constructive criticism intended to help the speaker
improve. Due to the time constraints of the class, we may not be able to get to everyone’s comments
during the assigned class time. Regardless of whether you deliver an oral critique, you must turn in
written critiques by the beginning of the next discussion section.

Written Constructive Criticism
In contrast to the in-class peer critiques, your written critiques should provide detailed and thorough
feedback to the speaker concerning all aspects of the section you were assigned to critique. Your peer
critiques should not be overly vague or praise the speaker for 90% of the critique. These are not softball
critiques; we are all students of public speaking and can think about the real strengths and shortcomings
of a speech. You are critiquing the speech, which was an act of communication between the speaker
and the audience; you are not critiquing the person as a person. Your peer critiques should be, at
minimum, half a page single-spaced in length (approximately 50-60 words). Peer critiques must be
written in complete sentences and in essay format (no bullet points).

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A peer critique will receive a √ if:
1. the student was in class to deliver an in-class critique
2. the student turns in 2 copies of the peer critique
3. the critique references specific parts of the observed speech
4. the critique identifies both strengths an weaknesses
5. the critique addresses some of the assigned critical questions (see below)
6. the critique is courteous and aimed at helping the speaker improve

A peer critique will receive a - if:
1. the student was not present in class on the day of the speech
2. the student only turns in 1 copy of the peer critique
3. the critique is overly vague
4. the critique only praises the observed speech and ignores its major weaknesses
5. the critique only provides a summary of the observed speech
6. the critique is rude towards the person

What to Critique
When developing your peer critiques you should reference specific parts and passages of the speech.
Avoid critiques that are overly vague (e.g. “Your introduction was good”, “I thought your speech flowed
nicely”) and work on providing specific comments (e.g. “Your call for the replacement of the UW athletic
director needed some testimony from a respected UW source”). Below are some questions you can use
to guide your critique.
NOTE: You do not have to answer each and every question, but you should address a
majority of the questions.
These are simply some questions to guide your analysis and critique of a speech
Impromptu Speech: Critical Focus on Invention and Arrangement

- Did the speaker’s main points clearly support her/his thesis statement? How could this support
have been clearer?

- Were the main points balanced? If not, what seemed out of balance?
- Did the speaker’s evidence clearly support her/his main points? How could this evidence have

been clearer?
- Did the speaker provide concrete and specific evidence? How could this evidence have been

stronger?
- Did the speaker provide a clear preview of her/his main points? How could this have been

clearer?
- Did the speaker provide clear transitions? How could these have been clearer?
- Did the speaker provide a clear conclusion that summarized her/his main points? How could this

have been clearer?

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Persuasive Speech: Critical Focus on Argument
- Did the speaker make her/his arguments clearly? Did you understand what the speaker was
asserting? How could these arguments have been clearer?
- Did the speaker engage the opposing arguments effectively and fairly? Were there other
arguments that the speaker did not address that she/he should have?
- Did the speaker make language choices that were appealing to an oppositional audience?
- Did the speaker provide enough supporting material to justify his/her claims? Where did the
speaker need more supporting material/evidence?
- Was the supporting material appropriate for this speech? Was it credible?
- Was the speech delivered in a persuasive manner? How could the delivery have been more
persuasive?

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Sample Peer Critique
I thought this was a great speech that really spoke to the majority in the audience that was

against the idea of expanding America’s utilization on nuclear energy. The speaker began with a
compelling attention-gaining device, that of the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and the resulting impact
on our nation’s oil supply. This set up a clear problem that called for her argument that we need to
reconsider the benefits and potential costs of nuclear fuel. She also established her ethos well early on,
by being calm, friendly, looking directly at her audience at all times and speaking in a measured, clear
voice that was well-varied and easy to listen to. At the same time, it was clear that she was not simply
reading from her notecard; her delivery was relatively natural although it was obvious she practiced and
knew her material well.

The speaker’s arrangement was good considering her audience—she spoke first about the most
glaring concerns most people have about nuclear power: accidental meltdown, waste storage, and
possible security breaches. She then provided information to the audience that effectively rebutted their
concerns; aka new technology has been designed to address nearly all of these problems. After putting
her audience at ease, she provided several independent advantages of using nuclear energy. Here she
provided excellent reluctant testimony from a founder of Greenpeace that he was in support of nuclear
energy as a source of clean fuel. Considering most of those opposed to nuclear energy are
environmental groups, this was an excellent use of evidence from a source the audience would probably
find credible. I also really liked her airplane analogy that illustrated that we accept some risks in order
to gain higher benefits. In fact, I wish she had developed this further; it felt like it went by quite quickly.
Her conclusion was great in that it provided it reviewed the primary points she was making and re-
visited the purpose of her speech; New Orleans showed us how precarious and dangerous dependence
on traditional fuel sources can be, and we need to consider new ones.

I think there are a few things the speaker can do to improve. While this was an excellent speech,
there were still some areas for improvement. At some points it was a bit unclear as to where she was
getting some of her information—she cited some very specific data and didn’t always tell her audience
where this information came from. For the most part though, her oral citations were quite good. Her
structure was fairly clear, but her signposts were not always reinforcing what that structure was. (E.g.
she used “and” as her only signpost, numbers might have been more helpful). This was a bit of a
problem since there was so much evidence and some of the sub-points were so closely related that I
was unclear at times as to what environmentalist concern she was addressing. In her discussion of
waste storage, she did not discuss current opposition many environmental activists have to the Yucca
Mountain facility—it’s hard to prove waste storage isn’t a problem by using a primary example that many
people consider to be a big problem—if anything it might feed their concerns. While her delivery was
also overall excellent, the speaker had a tendency to look a bit staged at points. While she engaged the
audience frequently, there were moments where voice and gestures seemed unnatural. Her voice was
quite clear and loud enough to be heard at almost all points, however, her volume dropped at points
and it was hard to hear.

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