Self-Critique – “Speak Out” Assignment

One of the comments students have made in the past is that watching their speeches on videotape is one of the most helpful experiences of the class. This assignment will give you the chance to watch your videotaped speech and do some structured thinking about your performance.

The videotape of the "speak out" assignment is on reserve at Robson Library. You will need to watch the tape and then write a short (1-2 pages) critique of the speech. Write the speech in paragraph form rather than as a list of items. This critique should be typed (double-spaced), and it will be due Friday, September 20.

Some things to consider as you watch the tape are

• Did you include all the important parts of the speech, such as a clear introduction, 2-4 main points, and a conclusion?
• Did you give interesting details to support the main idea of your speech?
• Did you use an extemporaneous delivery style? Did you seem relaxed and as if you were communicating with your audience? Did you make eye contact?
• Did you have any nervous habits, such as fidgeting, swaying, playing with an ink pen, etc.? Did you have good posture as you spoke?
• How would you rate the overall speech performance on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "needs a lot of improvement" and 10 being "completely ready for the next speech"? Why did you rate the speech as you did?