Public Speaking Handbook

CHAPTER 5 stUDY gUiDe 93

5.5 Use criteria to effectively and appropriately evaluate speeches.

A good speech is understandable to the audience and ethically achieves its

intended effect. When offering feedback to yourself or others, be descriptive,

specific, positive, constructive, sensitive, and realistic.

Key Terms

Rhetorical criticism

Rhetoric

Symbols

Rhetorical strategies

Think about These Questions

• For some reason, when Alberto hears the president speak, he just tunes out.
  What are some of the barriers that may be keeping Alberto from focusing
  on the message he is hearing? How might Alberto overcome those barriers?


• One of your instructors does nothing during lectures but read in a mono-
  tone from old notes. What strategies can you use to increase your listening
  effectiveness in this challenging situation?


• As an ethical listener, what can you do to be less distracted by the delivery
  and emotional elements of a speaker’s message and more focused on the
  substance or content of the message? Explain your answer.


• Janice was assigned the task of critiquing one of her classmate’s speeches.
  Although she thought the speech was pretty good, she gave the speaker
  low marks because she strongly disagreed with what the speaker was
  saying. Was this an appropriate evaluation? Why or why not?

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