Verbal communication skills are among the top skills valued most by employers. Being able to effectively communicate ideas in a way that others can effectively understand is valuable personally and professionally.
In everyday life, you will find that individuals use different types of speeches to present information. A speech can be informal or formal and change depending on the purpose, audience, and context of the intended message. Being able to identify and use the components of different types of speeches will help your oral presentation skills in the community and at work.
Completing this worksheet will demonstrate your ability to identify the type, purpose, and audience for various oral presentations.
Watch the following examples of persuasive and informative speeches. Access these videos from your classroom.
• Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech
• ADD/ADHD: What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Now, take what you’ve learned watching the speeches above and complete the below table with the selected speeches from this week’s University Library resources.
Example
Use the following example to help you complete this assignment.
Speech Purpose Audience Type Effectiveness
Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech The purpose of this speech was to get the attention of lawmakers and address the racial inequality as it related to Black Americans in the United States. The President of the United States, the Supreme Court, and other lawmakers in the United States. Persuasive This speech was very effective as it caught the attention of the intended audience and it brought about change that was suggested within the speaker’s message.
“ADD/ADHD: What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?” By Thomas E. Brown The purpose of this speech is to provide a thorough review of ADD/ADHD and what impact it has on those affected by ADD/ADHD. Anyone with ADD/ADHD or people who know someone with ADD/ADHD. Informative This speech is effective as it clears up misconceptions people may have when it comes to ADD/ADHD. The speaker stays on topic with providing the audience with only information. He does not interject opinion.

Your Responses
Speech Purpose
(What is the goal of the speech? How can you tell what the purpose is?) Audience
(For whom is the speech written or to whom will it be delivered? How can you identify the audience?) Type
(Is it informative or persuasive?) Characteristics
(What aspects of this speech help you identify it as informative or persuasive?) Effectiveness
(How well did the speech achieve its purpose? What makes it effective or ineffective?)
TEDTalks: “Greta Thunberg—The Disarming Case to Act Right Now on Climate Change”
“Science, Strings, and Symphonies”
“Aryle Kathcart, School to Prison Pipeline in America”
TEDTalks: “Sonaar Luthra—We Need to Track the World’s Water Like We Track the Weather”
Speech Purpose
(What is the goal of the speech? How can you tell what the purpose is?) Audience
(For whom is the speech written or to whom will it be delivered? How can you identify the audience?) Type
(Is it informative or persuasive?) Characteristics
(What aspects of this speech help you identify it as informative or persuasive?) Effectiveness
(How well did the speech achieve its purpose? What makes it effective or ineffective?)

Sample Solution

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