90 5.5 Listening to speeches
- Be realistic. Provide usable information. Provide feedback about aspects of
the presentation that the speaker can improve rather than about things he or she
cannot control. Maybe you have heard this advice: “Never try to teach a pig to
sing. It wastes your time. It doesn’t sound pretty. And it annoys the pig.” Saying
“You’re too short to be seen over the lectern,” “Your lisp doesn’t lend itself to public
speaking,” or “You looked nervous” is not constructive. Comments like these will
just annoy or frustrate the speaker because they refer to things the speaker can’t
do much to change. Concentrate on behaviors over which the speaker has control.
Effective: Taka, I thought your closing quote was effective in sum-
marizing your key ideas, but it didn’t end your speech on
an uplifting note. I can suggest another quote from Khalil
Gibran that would also summarize your key points and
provide a positive affirmation of your message. You may
want to try it if you give this speech again.
Less Effective: Your voice isn’t well suited to public speaking.
As you provide feedback, whether in your public-speaking class or to a
friend who asks you for a reaction to his or her speech, remember that the goal
of feedback is to offer descriptive and specific information that helps a speaker
to build confidence and skill.
Giving Feedback to Yourself
While you are collecting feedback from your instructor, classmates, family, and
friends, keep in mind that you are the most important critic of your speeches. The
goal of public-speaking instruction is to learn principles and skills that enable you
to be your own best critic. As you rehearse your speech, use self-talk to comment
about the choices you make as a speaker. After your speech, take time to reflect on
both the speech’s virtues and the areas for improvement in your speechmaking.
As an audience-centered speaker, you must learn to make changes on your feet,
in the middle of a speech. For example, if you find that your audience just
isn’t interested in the facts and statistics you are sharing, you may want to support
your points with a couple of stories instead. We encourage you to consider the fol-
lowing principles to enhance your own self-critiquing skills.LOOK FOR AND REINFORCE YOUR SKILLS AND SPEAKING ABILITIES
Try to recognize your strengths and skills as a public speaker. Note how your
audience analysis, organization, and delivery were effective in achieving your objec-
tives. Such positive reflection can reinforce the many skills you are learning in this
course. Resist the temptation to be too harsh or critical of your speaking skill.EVALUATE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS ON THE BASIS OF YOUR SPECIFIC
SPEAKING SITUATION AND AUDIENCE Throughout the book, we offer
many suggestions and tips for improving your speaking skill. We also stress,
however, that these prescriptions should be considered in light of your specificM05_BEEB3981_05_SE_C05_065-094.indd 90 07/11/14 11:45 AM