Speaking Criteria - SteveSpence.net

These criteria will be used to evaluate in-class presentations.

Content
Organization
Physical Expression
Delivery
Language

Criterion One: Content

Information Base Appropriate for the Presentation

This criterion assesses the quality and extensiveness of the speaker’s information base from which she or he selects the specific content of the presentation. It is used when the assessor wishes to rate the information base in its own right; that is, the assessor considers the speaker’s understanding of that information which extends beyond the central idea of the presentation to be an essential component of the assignment context. To determine this information base, the assessor uses one or more of the following: inferences drawn by the assessor, responses during a question-answer period following the presentation, accompanying written material such as an outline, a bibliography, research notes, or handouts of additional information.

Excellent:

The speaker demonstrates a thoroughly comprehensive and sophisticated information base.

Good:

The speaker demonstrates a somewhat comprehensive and sophisticated information base.

Marginal:

The speaker demonstrates an information base barely sufficient for accomplishing the assigned task.

Unsatisfactory:

The speaker is unable to demonstrate an acceptable information base for accomplishing the assigned task.

Content Appropriate to Purpose, Listener and Occasion

This criterion evaluates how well the speaker limits the topic and selects, adapts and develops the content of the presentation to achieve the speaker’s purpose for the specific listener(s) involved.

The speaker selects supporting information that is clearly understood, interesting, relevant, reliable, and sufficient given the listener(s)’ frame of reference, i.e. background, level of knowledge, and attitude toward the speaker and topic.

Note: The specific listener(s) should be clarified for each assignment. The expert assessor is NOT considered to be a listener in the context of the Speaking Criteria unless specifically designated as such.

Excellent:

Development of Content: The speaker effectively limits and focuses the topic, selects, adapts and develops the content, i.e., supporting material, to cover the topic in the allotted time. The content is exceptionally appropriate for achieving the speaker’s specific purpose. The content is interesting, clear and selectively appropriate to the frame of reference of the listener. The content is relevant, reliable, and sufficient to provide the listener with a significantly enhanced understanding of the central idea and to establish significant credibility with the listener.
Use of Visual Aids: Appropriate visual aids contribute to the listener’s understanding of the content.

Good:

Development of Content: The speaker sufficiently limits and focuses the topic and selects, adapts and develops the content, i.e., supporting material to adequately cover the topic in the allotted time. The content is interesting, clear and selectively appropriate to the frame of reference of the listener. The content is generally relevant, reliable and sufficient to provide the listener with a clear understanding of the central idea and to establish credibility with the listener.
Use of Visual Aids: Appropriate visual aids contribute to the listener’s understanding of the content.

Marginal:

Development of Content: The student has not appropriately limited and focused the topic, resulting in inadequate development as it relates to the speaker’s purpose. Too few or too many major supporting ideas or details may interfere with the listener’s comprehension. The speaker attempts to provide supporting material appropriate to the specific purpose, occasion and listener, but the material is lacking in either quality, variety, accuracy or relevance.
Use of Visual Aids: Visual aids are either inappropriate or ineffectively used.

Unsatisfactory:

Development of Content: The speaker has inappropriately limited the topic. The content does not help the speaker achieve the specific purpose. The supporting ideas and details are, for the most part, either unclear, irrelevant, unreliable, inadequate, insufficient or clearly inaccurate.

Criterion Two: Organization Appropriate to Purpose, Listener, and Occasion

This criterion evaluates how well the speaker develops an orderly sequence and arrangement of ideas enabling the listener to follow, understand and remember the message.

The Framework of a presentation normally includes three distinct parts: an introduction, a body and a conclusion. The Framework is further demonstrated by a clear main/central idea and logical divisions of material within the introduction, body and conclusion.

Order refers to how the speaker sequences the information within the introduction, within the body, and within the conclusion.

Transition refers to the way the speaker provides connections throughout the presentation.

Excellent:

Framework: In the introduction the speaker comfortably gains favorable attention and establishes a motivation for listening. The speaker also has a clear, effectively placed central idea to focus the material. A strategy of direction for the ideas to be presented is clearly established and highly appropriate for achieving the speaker’s purpose. The body, or the bulk of the presentation, is a clear unit of distinct major supporting ideas with specific details. The conclusion is effectively suited to the speaker’s purpose and to other elements of the presentation.
Order/Sequence: The ordering of the introductory comments and concluding comments is exceptional for the speaker’s purpose. In the body, the order of the major supporting ideas and their developing details is exceptionally effective for achieving the speaker’s purpose.
Transition: The speaker has clear, smooth transitions or movement between elements of the presentation providing the listener with a sense of continuity for the entire presentation.

Good:

Framework: The opening comments reveal a strategy designed to gain favorable attention and establish a motivation for listening. The speaker has a central idea which focuses the material and is appropriately located so as to best accomplish the speaker’s purpose – – the desired response from the audience. A strategy of direction for the ideas to be presented is established and is appropriate for achieving the speaker’s purpose. The body is a distinct unit of major supporting ideas with specific details. The speaker’s concluding comments are appropriately related to the purpose and major ideas discussed, but they are not emphatic.
Order/Sequence: The order of the introductory or concluding comments and the order of the major supporting ideas and their developing details are effective for achieving the speaker’s purpose.
Transition: The speaker provides clear, but sometimes stilted, transitions between elements of the presentation.

Marginal:

Framework: The speaker has difficulty introducing the subject, for the first few comments are somewhat unrelated, weak or unimaginative. The central idea is flawed: either the speaker’s attempt to focus the information reveals the topic but not the central idea, or the central idea should have been better placed so as to more effectively accomplish the speaker’s purpose. The direction for the ideas to be presented is not readily apparent. The listener has difficulty recognizing in the body of the presentation any units of major supporting ideas and specific details. The speaker has difficulty ending the communication, for the concluding comments are inappropriate or inadequate for the listener or the purpose.
Order/Sequence: The order of the introductory or concluding comments is somewhat inappropriate. The order of the major supporting ideas or their developing details is somewhat unclear, inappropriate or difficult to follow.
Transition: As the speaker moves between elements of the presentation, the transitions are either awkward or weak providing little continuity for the listener.

Unsatisfactory:

Framework: The speaker’s opening remarks are either inappropriate to the presentation, or they are unlikely to motivate listening. The speaker either does not have a focusing central idea, or its placement is clearly inappropriate for the purpose of the speech. The body of the presentation lacks major supporting ideas. The speaker fails to provide a closing statement.
Order/Sequence: The introductory or concluding comments and the major supporting ideas and their developing details are ordered in a way that frustrates or confuses the listener.
Transition: The speaker has no clear transitions between elements of the presentation to provide continuity for the listener.

Criterion Three: Physical Expression Appropriate for the Listener and Occasion

This criterion evaluates all aspects of what is commonly known as body language – – facial expression, physical presentation, and eye contact – – and its effectiveness in enhancing the speaker’s communication with the listener.

Excellent:

Facial Expression: The speaker looks genuinely interested in communicating; facial expressions enhance the verbal message and give appropriate emphasis to the content.
Physical Presentation: Body movements, posture and gestures are natural and relaxed to reinforce the message and give emphasis to the content. The speaker’s appearance is tailored to the occasion and the expectations of the listener.
Eye Contact: Eye contact appears to be varied, purposeful, and comfortable.

Good:

Facial Expression: The speaker shows interest; facial expressions are consistent with the speaker’s voice, language, and content of the message.
Physical Presentation: Distracting behaviors or the absence of appropriate behaviors does not interfere with the communication. The speaker’s appearance is appropriate for the occasion and the listener.
Eye Contact: Eye contact with the listener is consistently maintained.

Marginal:

Facial Expression: The speaker has limited facial expressions.
Physical Presentation: Distracting behaviors or the absence of appropriate behaviors is noticeable and occasionally interferes with the communication. The speaker’s appearance does not distract from the message.
Eye Contact: Eye contact with the listener is inconsistent.

Unsatisfactory:

Facial Expressions: The speaker lacks facial expressions.
Physical Presentation: Distracting behaviors or the absence of appropriate behaviors obstructs communication. The speaker’s appearance distracts from the message.
Eye Contact: Lack of eye contact is obstructing to the information exchange.

Criterion Four: Vocal Delivery Appropriate for the Listener and Occasion

This criterion concerns those aspects of the speaker’s voice which either encourage or discourage listening: pitch, rate, volume, articulation, pronunciation, pausing, and general variations of the voice.

Excellent:

Vocal Clarity: Volume is appropriate for the listener and the occasion. Articulation is consistently distinct and clear. Presentation is free of any mispronunciations.
Vocal Energy: The speaker sounds genuinely interested in the topic by using effective vocal variety – – varying the pitch, rate, and volume – – throughout the presentation. Pauses are used to accent and enhance the impact of the message. Notes, if used, are used effectively.
Vocal Fillers: An occasional vocalized pause may occur but is not distracting.

Good:

Vocal Clarity: Volume is generally appropriate for the listener and the occasion. Articulation is distinct and clear, and pronunciation for the most part is correct, but an occasional lapse in one of these characteristics is noticeable.
Vocal Energy: The speaker sounds interested in the topic and shows some vocal variety. Notes may assist but do not interfere with delivery.
Vocal Fillers: Vocalized pauses cause occasional minor distractions.

Marginal:

Vocal Clarity: Volume is generally too loud or too soft for the listener and the occasion. Articulation is hampered by occasional lazy, slurred or chopped enunciation. Mispronunciations interfere with the listener’s understanding of the message.
Vocal Energy: The speaker lacks vocal variety thus having a somewhat monotonous delivery which hampers the listener’s reception of the message. Moments of apparent reciting, reading or referring to notes occasionally interferes with delivery.
Vocal Fillers: Vocalized pauses are distracting.

Unsatisfactory:

Vocal Clarity: Volume is either too loud or too soft for the listener or the occasion. Poor articulation or mispronunciation obstructs communication with the listener.
Vocal Energy: Reciting, reading or constant referral to notes adversely affects the vocal delivery. The speaker sounds uninterested or bored with the message of in communicating successfully with the listener.
Vocal Fillers: Vocalized pauses obstruct communication with the listener.

Criterion Five: Language Appropriate for the Listener and the Occasion

This criterion focuses on two aspects of language: (1) the speaker’s ability to use standard American English, when appropriate and (2) the speaker’s choice of words, phrases, and sentence structure to create an Oral Style that is appropriate for the listener and the occasion.

Excellent:

Use of Standard English: The speaker makes no noticeable grammatical errors which interfere with perceived credibility or with the listener’s understanding of the message. Any deviation from standard spoken English seems to be chosen for an appropriate reason. The speaker’s dialect should not interfere with the communication process.
Oral Style: The speaker chooses language that is clear, direct, concrete, vivid and appropriate. Figurative language and imagery indicate a measure of originality and sophistication in the speaker’s control of language. If used, jargon is appropriate for the listener (defining terms if necessary). The sentence structure is varied creating emphasis and stylistic impact which is appropriate for both the listener and occasion.

Good:

Use of Standard English: The speaker either makes no noticeable grammatical errors or makes only an occasional grammatical error. Occasional errors do not significantly lessen credibility because the speaker demonstrates a general mastery of language standards throughout the communication situation. Deviation from standard spoken English seems to be chosen for an appropriate reason.
Oral Style: The speaker chooses language that is generally clear, direct, concrete and appropriate. The expressions are free of slang, colloquialisms or idioms that are inappropriate for the listener. If used, jargon is appropriate for the listener (defining terms if necessary).

Marginal:

Use of Standard English: The speaker’s grammatical errors are noticeable, sometimes distracting, and at times inappropriate for the language background of the listener.
Oral Style: The speaker’s style sometimes interferes with the listening process: either the speaker uses language that is generally vague, ambiguous or empty or that has awkward syntax, or the speaker uses language that contains expressions and syntax that is more appropriate for written style.

Unsatisfactory:

Use of Standard English: Frequent errors in standard spoken English are noticeably objectionable and make it difficult for the listener to focus on the message. The level of standard English used is consistently inappropriate for the listener.
Oral Style: The speaker’s style interferes with the listening process: either the speaker uses language that is vague, ambiguous or empty or has awkward syntax, or the speaker relies wholly on written style for the presentation of the message.