• Grabs the audience's attention.
• Introduces the topic: Las Vegas
• Establishes Credibility:
  • Verbally: She sites personal experiences, "I have been to Las Vegas 17 times," and sources that say "Las Vegas is a wonderful place."
  • Nonverbally: She makes eye contact with the entire audience.
• Establishes a connection between herself and her audience through the use of questions.
• Previews the main points: "Las Vegas is a wonderful place because of its casinos and restaurants."

• Discusses main points in topical order moving clearly from one main point to the next.
• Transitions:
  • She effectively uses transitions between her introduction and the body of her speech letting the audience know that she is going to talk about the restaurants first: Delmonico's Steak House and Aqua.
  • Within the body of the speech, she makes transitions between the three main topics she is talking about (Delmonico's, Aqua, and the Bellagio) to signal that she is moving on to the next point.
  • Her transitions further add to the flow of the speech.
• Support for Main Points:
  • She provides quotes from critics, descriptions of the restaurants and casinos, as well as examples to support her main points.

• Transition:
  • Good use of a transition signaling the conclusion of the speech.
• Re-establishes a connection with the audience by asking them what they will choose when they go to Las Vegas.
• Ending Statement:
  • She leaves the audience with a statement that ties the speech together by repeating ideas from the introduction: "Whatever you choose I'm sure it will be wonderful. Why? Because Las Vegas is home to some of the most wonderful restaurants and casinos in the world."

• Method of Delivery:
  • The speech is given extemporaneously with the use of note-cards.
  • Note-cards are used sparingly throughout the speech. They could have actually been used less.
• Vocal Quality:
  • Good vocal variety, rate, articulation, and volume.
  • You could hear the excitement in her voice.
• Pauses:
  • She effectively uses pauses throughout the speech to signal that a new point is about to be made.
• Posture:
  • She stood up straight and did not lean on the podium.
  • She appears very confident and relaxed throughout the speech.
• Eye contact:
  • She has good eye contact throughout the speech with the entire audience.
• Gestures:
  • The gestures that were used did not distract from the speech, however, more gestures could have been used.

• Method of Delivery:
  • The speech is being read off the note-cards.
• Vocal Quality:
  • There is a lack of vocal variety in the speech. The speaker's voice is monotone at times or lacks expression.
  • She also reads to the audience directly from the cards with very little fluctuation in her voice.
  • The rate is sporadic - fast at some points and slow at others.
• Eye contact:
  • The speaker does not have much eye contact with audience because of an over-reliance on her note-cards.
• Pauses:
  • Pauses in the beginning of the speech are awkward as the speaker tries to find her place in her notes.
• Posture:
  • The speaker has a nervous habit of swaying back and forth during the speech, which distracts the audience's attention away from the speaker's message.
• Gestures:
  • No gestures were used during the speech, and she had a tendency to play with her note-cards.

• Gains the audience's attention
• Relates the topic to the audience - "All of us need to be physically fit."
• Clearly introduces the topic: People should bicycle as a form moderate exercise to be healthy.
• Establishes credibility nonverbally with eye contact with the audience.
• This introduction could have been a little bit longer.

• Provides evidence for why bicycling is important to our health with quotes from experts.
• Demonstrates the problem:
  • Dependency on the automobile
  • We bicycle less today
• Support for Bicycling:
  • Inexpensive form of exercise
  • Fun for everyone
  • Maintain physical fitness

• Solution described:
  • You can engage in bicycling by riding trails.
• Solution explained:
  • Provides a list of trails bicyclers can use.
• Need and solution logically connected:
  • She connects the need for bicycling with a solution that presents the trails people can take so they can engage in the activity.
• Practicality of solution:
  • Providing trails that people can go to for bicycling seems very practical.
• Objections met:
  • She does not really address any of the objections to her proposed solution.

• Method of Delivery:
  • The speech is given extemporaneously with the use of note-cards.
• Vocal Quality:
  • Good vocal variety, rate, articulation, and volume.
• Pauses:
  • She effectively uses pauses throughout the speech to signal that a new point is about to be made.
• Stature:
  • She is very poised and confident throughout her presentation.
• Eye contact:
  • She has good eye contact throughout the speech with the entire audience.
• Gestures:
  • Gestures were used effectively throughout the speech.

• The visual aid clearly illustrates one point in the speech - bike trails that can be used for bicycling.
• It is shown only during the portion of the speech that it relates to.
• It is held up so the audience can see it.
• The speaker continued to speak to the audience while using the poster.
  
• The poster was also clear, easy to read, and large enough for the entire audience to see.

• When using the visual aid, the speaker was talking to the poster not the audience.
• The speaker broke eye contact with the audience to read directly off of the poster.
• At times, the poster was held in such a way that the audience could not even see it.
• Also, the poster had writing on the back that the audience could see, which was distracting.
• When not used properly, the visual aid can distract the audience's attention away from the speaker's message.

URL: http://www.siue.edu/SPC/SPC_Portfolio/public_speaking.html
Published by: Department of Speech Communication
Last Update: April 3, 2002
Please submit comments/suggestions to Lesa Stern