Personal Speech Rubric

COM 1010

Goldstein

Introduction and Conclusion / Organization and Transitions / Content / Physical and Vocal Delivery
A / Introduction uses a creative and highly engaging attention-getter, provides strong reason for this specific audience to listen, clearly establishes speaker credibility, conveys the specific purpose of the speech, and provides a clear preview statement.
Conclusion clearly signals the speech is coming to an end, concretely reviews main points, and ends powerfully, avoiding cliché. / The body paragraphs follow a logical progression, with necessary background information conveyed before going into more detail.
Transitions between body paragraphs are clear, and internal transitions are used. Transitions incorporate style (avoiding bland “now let’s talk about such-and-such). / Tells vividly, with enriching details but without unnecessary repetition, about an experience.
Explains with depth and sophistication how this experience changed the speaker’s thinking. / Vocal delivery is well paced, smooth, and expressive, using vocal variety in a natural-sounding manner. Few vocal fillers.
Eye contact is frequent and direct, addressing the whole audience.
A strong stance is used, with engaging gestures, and very few distracting gestures.
Delivery is extemporaneous, with notes used primarily for reference.
Speaker conveys strong energy, conviction, and ownership of the material.
B / Introduction uses a somewhat successful attention-getter, attempts to provide a general reason to listen, establishes credibility but somewhat weakly, conveys specific purpose of the speech, provides at least a general preview statement.
Might not clearly signal end of speech, generally reviews main points, and attempts to use a powerful closing device. / Body paragraphs are mostly logically ordered, with an attempt at conveying relevant background information.
Transition statements are discernible, but might be bland. / Tells about an experience with some detail. There might be some repetitive information or some empty, non-specific descriptions.
Explains generally how the experience changed the speaker’s thinking. / Vocal delivery is well paced, reasonably smooth with some stumbling, unnecessary pauses, or vocal fillers.
Eye contact is frequent, but might ignore some parts of the audience.
Posture is decent, with some fidgeting, a few strong gestures, and some distracting gestures.
Delivery is somewhat extemporaneous, but the speaker reads from the index cards somewhat frequently.
Speaker conveys some energy and partial ownership of the material.
C / Introduction starts abruptly, lacking a clear attention-getter. Does not establish credibility or provide a reason for listening. Conveys a general purpose, and provides a general preview statement.
Conclusion does not clearly signal the end of the speech. Generally reviews main points. Ends abruptly, without a clear closing device. / The logic of body paragraph grouping is unclear, and necessary background information is not conveyed.
Transition statements between body paragraphs are missing or largely indiscernible.
In general, the relationship between ideas in the speech is not clear. / Tells about an experience, but without sufficient detail.
Suggests a general idea of how the experience changed the speaker, but this idea might be overly simplistic or clichéd. / Vocal delivery is hard to follow, with pace or volume problems and a good deal of stumbling or fillers.
Eye contact is infrequent. Speaker is very dependent on notes.
Posture lacks confidence, effective gestures are not used, distracting gestures might be overwhelming.
Little energy is displayed, and the speaker does not seem to “own” the material.
D / Introduction is missing or does not convey the general purpose of the speech. Preview statement is missing.
Conclusion is missing or ends abruptly without reviewing main points. / An organizing pattern is not discernible, and the speech lacks transitions. / Tells with little detail or clarity about an experience.
Does not explain how the experience influenced the speaker’s thinking. / Vocal delivery is ineffective, with major problems with pace, volume, stumbling, fillers, monotone, etc.
Speaker reads entirely from notes, does not speak extemporaneously or make eye contact.
Body language is distracting and lacks energy.
Speaker does not seem to “own” or care about the material.

*In addition to these categories, your grade will take into account the quality of your outline. The outline should:

· Be very thorough, containing all of the information that you plan to include in the speech

· Be written in complete sentences

· Follow an indentation pattern with main points, sub-points and sub-sub-points.

· Use a consistent roman numeral, letter and number system to mark these points.

· Include transition statements, clearly marked “transition:”

· Include a bibliography (not annotated)

· Be proofread