self critique speech essay

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21 Reflect: Special Occasion Speech Self Critique

Sample special occasion self critique assignment.

(with Sydney’s Sample Answers Embedded)

Description

Start: After you give your speech, ASAP — watch your video one time without stopping it. Then, watch it a second time and answer these questions, rewinding, stopping and playing, etc. as you go. Answer the questions honestly. Remember to use specific examples to support your responses. Remember to quote your online textbook – OR notes online in the Content Area that are relevant to your response — often folks forget and that is the only reason they get poor scores (really!).

Read: look back at the chapters related to this unit.

Practice: review the vide of your speech

Do: Complete this

A nice job here will help bolster your grade…!!!

•  How did you practice for this speech (honestly)? What went well in your preparation and what will you do differently for your next speech? Answer fully below in two short paragraphs:
• [ Sample Reply from Sydney: I had slowly written my speech from the first day of class up until the weekend before I gave it, double and triple checking to make sure my dates, stories, and examples were 100% accurate. I read it out loud as I wrote it and reread it at several points while still writing it. I practiced it to my dog, my mom, my dad, and several of my closest friends. I tried to practiced natural movements, but I doubt any of my movements looked so calm while I presented. In one of the power points, a specific slide taught the 4 types of speech delivery, extemporaneous being the type we would use. I feel like I memorized most of my speech, not all of it, but there were parts that felt over practiced. In my next speech I may not practice as much with the hopes my speech doesn’t sound rehearsed.]
• Describe your emotional, physical and mental responses you experienced when presenting your speech. How did you feel after it?
• [ Sample Reply from Sydney: I was scared to give my speech. I was confident with my words, but I was worried they would upset others. I felt like I was the “white” girl up in front of everyone speaking about oppression. I am Native American, but more Irish; one look at me would scream “white”. That fact made me extremely nervous. I wanted to avoid eye contact, but knew I couldn’t which just made everything worse. I also became very stiff and awkward because I was sure at least one person must have been thinking, “What do you know about oppression?” After the speech I realized that yes, at the start people were probably thinking this has nothing to do with her, but by the end I had opened their minds to a whole new type of oppression. The one focused on Native Americans.]
• Watch your speech carefully. Now describe your greatest strength concerning the CONTENT of your speech (content is “what” you said, delivery is “how” you said it; be c areful not to mix these up).

Also, for this question, include a specific example from your speech to illustrate your response (yes, quote yourself and describe the delivery of that quote); explain why this is a strength and include a quote and citation from the textbook to support your explanation.

• [ Sample Reply from Sydney: My greatest strength in content was my choice of words . a few examples include, “tremendous pain and suffrage”, and “forced me to forgive”. This is a strength because I made the audience feel the deep connotation that went with my words. The textbook states “Delivering a tribute and commemorative speech involves careful attention to language” (17-5). I was very careful when choosing my words so that the audience felt what I felt.]
• Now watch your speech carefully and describe your greatest strengths concerning the DELIVERY of your speech (delivery is “how” you said it, content is “what” you said).

Also, for this question, include a specific example from your speech to illustrate your response (yes, quote yourself and describe the delivery of that quote); explain why this is a strength and include a quote and citation from the textbook to support your explanation .

• [ Sample Reply from Sydney: My greatest strength while delivering was pausing. I tried to pauses after every bit of information that was hard to hear or process. For example, after I told the story about the burning of my great grandmas doll, I paused before stating, “this was all in an attempt to make her white.” I then paused again. The textbook states, “…you will encode and deliver a message which will then be decoded by audience members.” on page 1-10. My pauses were in places that I felt the audience needed a little extra time to decode my message.]
• What is your tentative topic for the Informative Speech? Why did you decide on this topic? Where will you look for research on this topic?
• [ Sample Reply from Sydney: I wish to inform my classmates on the importance of owning a pet and what it can do for your emotional, mental and physical health. I decided on this topic because, first, I love animals and I actually hope to get my vet tech degree and one day become a wildlife rehabilitator, and second, because my pets, even the fish, have done so much for me. I will most likely look online in the library’s Academic Search Premier (or other) database for experiments concerning the correlation between health and being a pet owner.]

The Public Speaking Resource Project Copyright © 2018 by Lori Halverson-Wente and Mark Halverson-Wente is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Critique a Speech

Last Updated: February 13, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham and by wikiHow staff writer, Christopher M. Osborne, PhD . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 195,082 times.

A good speech critique helps build the speaker’s skills by honestly identifying areas for improvement in a constructive, encouraging manner. Offering a good critique can also benefit your own public speaking skills! This article lists several questions you should ask yourself while critiquing a speech’s content and the speaker’s delivery, then provides pointers for effectively sharing your findings.

Does the speech resonate?

• If possible, note audience reactions to the speech. Do they seem to understand it? Are they paying close attention or getting bored?
• Remember to view the speech from the perspective of the target audience, which can be a bit tricky if you’re not actually in the target audience. Use your best judgment.

Is the speech easy to follow?

• Is the introduction effective? Does the speaker make their primary argument apparent within the first few sentences, or does it take awhile before you figure out what they are getting at?
• Is the speech full of distracting tangents that do not relate to the primary topic, or does it build in a logical manner toward the conclusion?
• If you were to summarize the speech to someone else, could you recite all the main points or would you have trouble remembering what it was really about?

Is the speech convincing?

• Listen for clear evidence (like names, dates, statistics, and other data) that backs up the points the speaker is making. Take notes so you can do some fact-checking to make sure the evidence is accurate.
• Once you’ve evaluated the quality of the evidence, make sure it supports the arguments and analysis made in the speech. A truly convincing speech has to hit on both elements—solid evidence and strong analysis.

Is the speech entertaining?

• Does it start with a good hook? Good speeches usually start with a funny or intriguing point that draws the audience in.
• Does it stay engaging the entire time? Well-placed anecdotes and jokes can grab and keep listeners' attention.
• Are the anecdotes and jokes distracting, or do they help build the speaker’s argument?
• Does the speaker use examples judiciously? One really superb, memorable example is better than three that don't stick with the audience.

Does the speech have a strong closing?

• It’s natural for the audience’s focus to lag as the speech carries on, so the closing should regain their attention by being powerful, thoughtful, deep, and concise.
• Both the speech and the speaker should exude confidence during the conclusion. This helps the audience gain confidence in the presentation.

How is the speaker’s vocal delivery?

• A person who is speaking too loudly may seem aggressive, while one who is speaking too quietly may struggle to be heard. See if the person seems to have a good sense of how loudly to speak.
• Many speakers tend to speak too quickly without realizing it. See if the person is speaking at a pace that sounds natural and easy to understand.
• Well-placed and well-timed pauses help the audience digest what’s just been said and prepare for what’s about to be said. Pauses that are too short or non-existent don't give the audience these opportunities, while pauses that are too long are distracting.

How is the speaker’s body language?

• Make easy, natural eye contact with audience members scattered throughout the crowd. This helps every part of the audience feel included.
• Stand up confidently, but not stiffly, and without fidgeting too much.
• Use natural arm and hand gestures from time to time, especially to emphasize key points.
• When appropriate, walk around the stage in a confident but relaxed manner instead of staying behind the podium.

Is the speaker showing high anxiety?

• Note any repeated movements or gestures that take away from the content of the speech; these could be signs of nervousness.
• A shaky voice or tendency to mumble are also signs of nervousness.

Did they read, memorize, or master the speech?

• Mastering the speech allows the speaker to better engage with the audience and make adjustments “on the fly” without wrecking the speech’s flow.

Take notes during and after the speech.

• Instead of a blank notebook, you may instead want to jot down several key questions or areas of focus (like those listed in this article) as a checklist you can refer to during the speech. Make sure to also take notes to flesh out your checklist, though.
• If there are no restrictions against it and you have time, record video or just audio of the speech. Always get the permission of the speaker first. [12] X Research source

Critique the speech’s content first.

• Note which elements of the speech were interesting, which parts were confusing, and which areas need more references to back them up.
• Identify jokes or anecdotes that either really hit the mark or just didn’t work. It’s better to be honest now than to let the person tell the same bad joke twice!
• Note whether you felt the speech was appropriate for the intended audience.

Critique the speaker’s delivery second.

• If, for example, the speaker seemed really nervous, it’s important to point this out as a distracting element that blunted the impact of the speech. You might also constructively point out techniques that help reduce stage fright, like exercising before the speech, laughing before the speech, and practicing in front of a small group of people first.

Offer positive encouragement throughout.

• Try the feedback sandwich technique: give the person a compliment on an element of their speech, tell them what needs improvement, then give them another compliment. For example, tell them they started with a brilliant hook, then explain that the second point was confusing, and finish by noting how the conclusion clarified the main point. [16] X Research source
• As a way to encourage the person to keep learning and improving, you might suggest they watch videos of speeches given by famous speakers. Point out similarities and differences between the speech you’re critiquing and the famous speech.

Expert Q&A

• Use a standardized evaluation form, rating scale, or point system in a classroom setting or competition. This helps you assign a grade to the speech or decide who presented a better speech. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://faculty.washington.edu/mcgarrit/COM220/online%20readings/Peer_Critique_Assignment_Description.pdf
• ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.
• ↑ http://www.uvm.edu/~cals183/spring2017/outside.html
• ↑ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-evaluation-1-how-to-study-critique-speech/
• ↑ https://www.psycom.net/glossophobia-fear-of-public-speaking
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2020/02/dont-just-memorize-your-next-presentation-know-it-cold
• ↑ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-evaluation-2-art-of-delivering-evaluations/
• ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2016/oct2016/evaluation
• ↑ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-evaluation-3-modified-sandwich-technique/

About This Article

To critique a speech, start by evaluating whether or not the speaker made their argument apparent in the first few sentences of their speech. Then, decide if the rest of the speech supported that argument in a smooth, understandable manner. You should also focus on the speaker’s voice inflections, like speaking at a natural pace and knowing when to pause for effect. Additionally, evaluate their body language, which should project confidence with gestures like making eye contact and standing up straight without fidgeting too much. For more advice, including how to give constructive feedback in areas like credibility and emotional intelligence, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Speech Analysis #1: How to Study and Critique a Speech

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 focused ? 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 transition 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-focused , or was it I- and me-focused ?
• 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 speaking pace  varied? Was it slow enough overall to be understandable?
• Were pauses used to aid understanding, heighten excitement, or provide drama?
• 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?

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.

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• Speech Analysis #3: Modified Sandwich Technique for Evaluations
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40 comments.

I absolutely loved this article. It gave me a major idea of what to write on my speech critique. Great information, organized, and detailed!

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.

oh my god….thank you!! i had no idea where to even start my speech analysis!

Excellent article. Will refer members of my club to it.

Dear Eugenia You refer to “members of your club” and I wanted to know an online public speaking club. Does this exist. Regards Berty

Your article is very informative. Hope you post more tips on writing a speech and how to analyse it!! 😎

Thanks for providing this information. I am writing an essay critiquing my own speech in third person. A tough task, but these pointers made it easier. Thank you.

i loved this information very much.now i am preparing for my examination and i think this article will help me to get good mark. thanks

Great summary/overview on basic things to evaluate while listening to a speech. Will be very much helpful when i have to do evaluations for speech class!

Thank you sooooo much for this article!! This is helping me soooo much for my speech analysis!

Thank you so so much! You are awesome and very helpful plus amazing too!

Great job once again! I liked the clarity with which these concepts were explained. Self explanatory and useful for both novice and advanced speakers. Keep it up!

Such a great article, thank you! It truly helped

I have to look at this for a class project and really learned some new tips from this.

This helped immensely; thank you so much!

thank you, you helped me a lot

Best article I found for speech critique and analysis. Definitely a place to come back for speech resource.

Thank you Andrew, great articles and valuable information. I recently joined a Toastmaster’s group and this will really help. Once I figure out how to “tweet” I will be “tweeting” this site to Kwantlen University Students and Alumni.

I absolutely loved this article it gave me a major idea of what to write on my speech critique great information, organized, and detailed!

Fantastic article. For someone that is new to Taostmasters this gives me at least an idea of how I should approach giving an evaluation…frigthening me more than giving a speech!! Thanks!

hi Andrew, this is a great article for someone who is a beginner to evaluate a speech. thanks a lot. -Venkat

very informative article will certainly help me to develop my speech technique.

Thus really helpful…we always read text resurfacely I gained alot from this article. now I know where to start when I want to present information through speech to the public

thank you this helped me vey much.

thanks a lot this just help me with my paper. you explain it better than my teacher

I am a toastmaster who loves to compete. I believe these articles will help me help other to deliver their speeches and both of us can grow.

Hi Andrew Dlugan, i am really happy to come across your site as new trainee in the public speaking and writing profession. i am programmer but i have passion for writing especially poems.Do you have any advice or resources to help me survive in the world of speaking and writing.

Thank You, Best Regards, Lawal Abdulateef Olawle

I came here looking for a speech review but reading this article helped me a lot in my opening speech. I hope many people who are having trouble in analysing there speech they should really open this website. Thank you

This is a helpful source to me. Thanks a lot

Great article. I am preparing to critique a public speaking competition this weekend and I found this article quite helpful Thanks a lot

Hi Andrew, May I use your article in our club newsletter? It is particularly timely as we approach the contest season in Toastmasters. I will source it to your web site and also include a link under the Articles about speaking of our club website.

John Sleigh Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

Amazing breakdown of how to not only analysis a speech but to also push yourself that inch further to get more scope for marks. I really recommend this webpage. Thank you

Thank you for this amazing information, your 6 minutes guide is great and I am learning so much with it.

Really GREAT JOB! thanks so much! Best! Rasha

I really love this and would want more of this

This information was very informative and knowledgeable.Thank you.

Your articles are very thorough. I really enjoyed reading the first one.

Can you give me some examples of relevant puns used in speeches?

One more treasure trove on the internet. Thanks for sharing DLugan.

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Personal Public Speaking Critique Essay

Introduction, speaking characteristics, gestures and fidgeting.

The purpose of this critique is to evaluate the speech I gave during the class, note the strong and weak points as I see them after the fact, and suggest improvements. This variety of self-evaluation is essential to the development of my public speaking abilities, as I can impartially assess the weaknesses of my delivery and associate them with my internal reasons. As a result of the critique, I will be able to evaluate the internal factors that cause external manifestations I want to eliminate and work on addressing them.

During my speech, which was a self-introduction, I did not need to reference any written material and was mostly able to reproduce the contents from memory. However, I stumbled and had to pause several times during the speech as I tried to recall what I wanted to mention next. This tendency gave the address a somewhat disconnected nature, as I usually began talking about a completely different topic after the pause. At several points, I used a verbal tic to fill the silence while I was thinking, which can also be considered an undesirable trait.

When watching the video, I got the impression that my speech was too quiet as, while it was not difficult to distinguish, I had to turn the volume up to bring it to an acceptable level. I also believe that several of my sentences were poorly worded, although that trait may be attributed to the informal manner of the speech and the tension I felt while delivering it. I believe that the primary characteristics I should work on to improve my public speaking skills in the vocal department are confidence and the habit of forming sentences before saying them aloud.

I believe that I displayed my nervousness during the speech prominently in the overall body language. I kept shifting my balance, moving around, and shaking my leg, which are indicators of anxiety. I also kept my hands together in front of me, which was not necessary for the gesticulation I used during the speech. I did it because I had not thought of a use for them during most of the presentation and did not know what I wanted to do with them. In the future, I will try to use hand and arm gestures more during my presentations to avoid such uncomfortable moments.

The gestures I used were mostly appropriate to the context and reasonably easy to understand, but there were some notable outliers. The most significant ones were located in the vicinity of the section where I explained my mother’s profession as well as my own. For the most part, the gestures were excessive and mostly meaningless, only serving to distract attention. The most noteworthy issue was the moment where I showed off the tattoo on my elbow. I have noticed that it is difficult to see the image depicted in the tattoo on the video, and I did not elaborate on the topic, leading to possible confusion. I will try to use more explicit and more relevant gestures in my future speeches.

I think there are various improvements that I need to consider for my speech patterns before I can decide that it is satisfactory. Planning out my sentences in advance would help me deliver a better-flowing narrative. I should also try and become more confident, speaking louder, pausing less, and removing my fidgeting habits. I also want to use more gestures in my speeches, but do not know how, which suggests another area for improvement.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, June 11). Personal Public Speaking Critique. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-public-speaking-critique/

"Personal Public Speaking Critique." IvyPanda , 11 June 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/personal-public-speaking-critique/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Personal Public Speaking Critique'. 11 June.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Personal Public Speaking Critique." June 11, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-public-speaking-critique/.

1. IvyPanda . "Personal Public Speaking Critique." June 11, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-public-speaking-critique/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Personal Public Speaking Critique." June 11, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-public-speaking-critique/.

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Self-critique: persuasive speech.

• Announcements
• Teaching Philosophy--An Evolving Statement
• 1-Public Speaking Course Syllabus
• Speech Assignments: Overview
• Introductory Speech
• Narrative Speech
• Demonstration Speech
• Informative Speech
• Persuasive Speech/Audience Analysis
• Impromptu Speech
• Preparation Outline
• Self-Critique for Narrative Speech
• Self-Critique for Demonstration Speech
• Self-Critique for Informative Speech
• Self-Critique for Persuasive Speech

Persuasive Speech – Self-Critique

Within seven days of presenting your persuasive speech, submit a two-page, typed self-critique of your speech to Turnitin on Canvas. 

This assignment should be in essay format and is worth 10 points.

Late submissions will not be accepted. 

You should cover the following areas in your self-critique: 

• Describe how well you performed delivering this speech. Explain what worked well for you and what you would have done differently. 
• Was your introduction effective? Did you accomplish your purpose? (Attention-getter, startling statement, use of a quotation, arousing curiosity, etc.) 
• Was your persuasive speech effective? 
• Describe your level of confidence while you were delivering this speech. Did you suffer from any speech anxiety? How did you cope with any speech anxiety? 
• Was your conclusion memorable? Did you do any of the following: review the main points of your speech, end with a quotation, and make a dramatic or memorable statement? 
• Discuss the experience of being an advocate for changing a listener’s opinion about an issue that you have compassion and conviction. 
• What did you like about your delivery? What areas of delivery do you need to improve? 

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