Critique of a Speaker- Diapers Pollute

Critique of a Speaker- Diapers Pollute

Introduction

Diapers Pollute! is a seven-minute video that focuses on enlightening people on the negative impact of diapers on the environment and the advantages of using cloth diapers. The video is among the videos listed on the 1^st volume of the Student Speeches for Analysis on the student portal.

Video Link

https://fod-infobase-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=49187&tScript=0#

Content

The speaker begins by familiarizing herself with the audience by introducing herself as a mother and asking whether there are any mothers in her audience. She then gives a brief overview of her experience with using diapers and how mothers hurry to make the wrong decision to use diapers without knowing the harm they are causing to the environment. She creates rapport with the audience by wishing them the best in their future parenting before proceeding to discuss her topic. I found this to be one of the parts that the speaker did well because it helped portray an image of someone who has had experience in parenting and would, therefore, be familiar with the use of diapers and alternatives that can be used to avoid the pollution caused by disposable diapers. The other part that the speaker did well was discussing statistics on the polluting effect of diapers to depict the magnitude of the issue. This could have played a vital impact in drawing the attention of the audience. According to Barnard (2017), using interesting facts in a speech makes the audience more interested in getting more information hence capturing their attention. Using facts also enhances the credibility of the information provided by the speaker (Dian, 2014). However, the speaker provided less information on the advantages of using cloth diapers because her main emphasis was on the economic benefits of cloth diapers.

Delivery

The speaker’s delivery was great. She was eloquent and kept engaging the audience by asking rhetorical questions and cracking jokes that the audience could associate with. She also used visual representations to elaborate her arguments hence demonstrating a good understanding of what she was talking about. Visual images also make the presentation more interesting and capture the audience’s attention (Stewart & Fulop, 2019). The speaker also kept moving around the stage and using hand gestures. She maintains a flow of information throughout the speech and ends every part with a brief conclusion before proceeding to another part. She also introduces every part and gives the audience an overview of what she will discuss before proceeding to the main discussion. One of the parts of the delivery that was done well was using a bag of diapers to illustrate the packaging of diapers. This laid the foundation of the argument on the impact of diapers on pollution based on the average number of diapers used per household in a day. However, the speaker could have concealed the diaper’s brand to avoid the bad publicity that could arise from misinterpretation of her intentions. This is particularly based on her comments about the carcinogenic raw materials used to manufacture diapers. The second part that was done well was using a visual image to illustrate the economic impact of disposable diapers and cloth diapers.

Conclusion

Generally, the presentation was great and informative, particularly on the magnitude of the issue of pollution arising from disposable diapers. It helped me gain more information on the issue and change my perspective towards the manufacturing and sale of diapers due to the information on the long-term impact they have on the environment and on children. Watching the video also enlightened me on various strategies I can use to maintain my audience’s attention, such as stating interesting facts, asking rhetorical questions, and using visual images to support my arguments.

References

Barnard, D. (2017). Why and how to bring statistics into your speech. VirtualSpeech – Soft Skills Training with VR and Simulations. https://virtualspeech.com/blog/statistics-in-your-speech

Dian, J. (2014). Concept of public speaking: Proper way of delivering speech in public. CreateSpace.

Stewart, J. P., & Fulop, D. (2019). Mastering the art of oral presentations: Winning orals, speeches, and stand-up presentations. Wiley.

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For this assignment, you are going to evaluate the verbal and nonverbal aspects of a speaker’s presentation. An evaluation form is provided below to help guide your assessment of the content (what is being said) and the delivery (how it is said).

You have the option to go out and observe a live event, or you can watch one of the speeches from the Library Video Options provided below. The link will take you to a collection of student speeches. The recordings are classified as informative or persuasive; you are free to choose either type.

Library Video Options: Student Speeches for Analysis Series
Do the following to complete this assignment:

1. Fill out the Speaker Critique Form (attached) and familiarize yourself with the elements of the presentation that you will be assessing.
2. View a presentation, a lecture, a sermon, or some sort of public speaking event. A live event would be great, but one of the Library Video Options (linked below is acceptable.

https://fod-infobase-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/p_Collection.aspx?seriesID=24969

3. During the presentation, complete the Speaker Critique Form; consider including notes to help you remember specific details later.

In 2 pages, address the following:

a. Provide an introduction describing who spoke, what they spoke about, and where you heard the presentation. If you choose to use a library video, be sure to clearly identify its title and provide a link to the specific video within the series.
b. After the introduction, talk about what parts of the content were done well and what the speaker could have done better. Address at least 2 different elements of content.
c. Next, talk about what parts of the delivery were done well and what the speaker could have done better. Address at least 2 different elements of delivery.
d. End with a conclusive paragraph, giving your opinion about whether the speaker was effective or not. Explain your reasoning.