Speech 201 (because there is no form attached I’ll write my own analysis)
My speech (speeches 5)
I am surprised by my own speech, while I was giving the speech I didn’t feel confident and in
the end I thought I screwed it up completely but watching back I see that it went better than I
thought. I made quite a few pronunciation mistakes and stuttered a few times but in general
that didn’t bother me much while listening to the speech. Personally, I believe my speech
was quite effective because it was simple and easy to understand, that’s also what I aimed
for. Looking back I do see I could have done some things differently, like preparing myself
better and using different kinds of words, but that’s a lesson for the next time. Also, it would
be better if I used more gestures.
Bobbie’s / Miliaan Zeelenberg’s speech (speeches 2)
I believe Bobbie’s speech was effective as well. It was really creative by using all the lyrics of
popular pop songs. These lyrics did make the speech a little less serious in the end than in
the beginning but that doesn’t matter. The speech got the point across in a funny, memorable
way. As a point of improvement I would say that Bobbie could also use more gestures and
better intonation to highlight the lyrics just a little more. Also I believe he could have made
the beginning a little more serious before the rest of the speech becomes funny, so people
will also see his serious side. All by all I do see why he has won.
Daniel’s speech (speeches 4)
Daniel’s speech had many good points but came across as a little totalitarian. He was one of
the few people / the only one using a lot of gestures to empathize his point and his speech
was powerful. He used a lot of strong words and persuading techniques to get us to believe
in him. He also ended his speech with a prayer, which was really good. Also an important
point in his speech were the quotes of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama. My positive
criticism would be his way of talking. Some of the sentences he said were broken with too
much silence within the words which creates a weird way of listening. All by all I believe this
was one of the better speeches, because it was entertaining and funny.
Reflection questions.
Why is it important to include this piece in your portfolio?
This piece is important because it doesn’t only teach us to analyse our and others work but it
also teaches us how to improve and get better at giving and writing speeches. By looking
critically at my own speech and that of other candidates I will be able to create a better
speech next time.
Of what are you most proud?
I’m proud on the speech I’ve actually given, because it turned out way better than I thought it
would be. It shows that I might be better in things than I think and that makes me proud.
How does it show that you are ready to enter the next step of your life after middle school?
Being able to give good speeches is an important factor for my studies after middle school. In
the future I shouldn’t be afraid of talking in front of a group whether it’s in Dutch or English,
by giving this speech I’ve conquered a little bit of this natural fear. And learned how to
improve my speeches by analysing those of others.
What would you do differently if you did it again?
I would create a different speech so I could analyse it again. A speech will never be perfect
but by giving different speeches and analysing them all you can create better speeches
along the way.