Search online for a speech by a significant businessperson or well-known political figure. Consider watching the following iconic political speeches, thought to be among the best in the 20th century: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech,
President Kennedy’s inaugural address, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor address. If you prefer business tycoons dispensing advice, search for the best-known commencement speeches; for example, Steve Jobs’ “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” Stanford address, Salman Khan’s “Live Your Life Like It’s Your Second Chance” speech, or Sheryl Sandberg’s “Rocketship” commencement speech at Harvard.
Transcripts of these and other well-known speeches are also available online. Write a memo report or give a short presentation to your class critiquing the speech in terms of the following:
a. Effectiveness of the introduction, body, and conclusion
b. Evidence of effective overall organization
c. Use of verbal signposts to create coherence
d. Emphasis of two to four main points
e. Effectiveness of supporting facts (use of examples, statistics, quotations, and so forth)
f. Focus on audience benefits
g. Enthusiasm for the topic
h. Body language and personal mannerisms