Presentations are everywhere. We see evidence of speakers addressing audiences to accomplish specific purposes in the media and in real life situations. It is important to understand the factors that make a speaker effective or ineffective, dynamic or a dud. Describe a presentation/speech that you observed in the media or in real life. Give a brief description of the situation and evaluate the effectiveness of the speaker and message based on your observations. Use concepts from the unit reading to support your analysis. Consider the following in your analysis: Was the message clear? Did the audience appear to be engaged? What verbal or nonverbal elements enhanced or detracted from the message? Overall, do you think the message and delivery was impactful? Why or why not? How could it have been improved? Why or why not? Provide examples.


Both enthusiasm and boredom are contagious. What does this mean for you as a presenter? How can you avoid being a boring speaker? Support your viewpoint and provide examples.