THE TOOLS NEEDED IN

CRITICAL/CREATIVE
REPORTS
• In today’s day and age, everyone is expected to be able to give
critical and creative reports. This includes lawyers, engineers, and
government employees, not just those who are working in the
fields multimedia and arts. Modern technology has made it easier
for people to complement their reports with arresting visual aids
and helpful videos, and it has helped tremendously in the spread
of all kinds of information. To succeed in one’s academic and
professional life, one should be able to master the report.
INTRODUCTION
• What makes a speech electric?
• What makes a speech so effective it can
make the audience have goosebumps or
make them flush in rage or joy?
• Some speeches can be so effective they trigger adrenaline, while
other speeches, just as effective, trigger a sense of peace and
calm in the midst of the chaos. Great speaker have been called
hypnotic, magnetic, and charismatic, and this not just because
they have a compelling message, but because of the captivating
manner they deliver these speeches, as well.
 PERFORMANCE
• Speeches are performance, and they delivered best when they have the feel
of authenticity and earnestness. People respond when they think that the
one speaking is being honest and sincere, and they respond even more
strongly when they feel that they can relate to the speaker in question.
Because of this, a sense of humour helps break the ice, and strategic shows
of vulnerability and concern can make a audience feel closer to the
speaker.
 PLAN THE SPEECH
• It is important to express one self in an expressive and articulate
manner. It is best to choose one’s words carefully, and to ensure
that one’s speech builds on the foundations of the logos, pathos,
and ethos. To become across as articulate, one most also nurture
speaking style that is effective, this style varies from one person to
another.
 EYE CONTACT
• One way of coming across as authentic is the ability to
make good eye contact with the audience, and to speak in
a manner that touches them.
• It is important to engage the audience, and eye contact
helps in doing that.
 SPEAKING STYLE
• Different people have different speaking style, and one can only find one’s
personal style through constant practice. Some people seem to be more
effective when they come across as calm, trustworthy, and reasonable, and
their hand gestures seem more open and thoughtful. Others, on the other
hand, can get away with bursts of passion and bombast, infecting the
audience with their fervour and enthusiasm.
 HAND GESTURES
• Whatever kind of speaker one may be, it is always best to be more
purposeful when it comes to choosing hand gestures. Hand gestures can
be useful signposts in making a point, such as the usual hand gestures of
enumeration. They can signal inclusiveness such as both when both hands
are stretched towards the audience palm up, or division, such as when
there are sweeping gestures to indicate difference.
 RECORDING THE SPEECH FOR FEEDBACK

• One of the best practices in public speaking is to videotape

speakers, and then have these speakers watch themselves. Some
hands gestures are so exaggerated they look like policeman
directing traffic, and some people prepare their speeches with too
much nervous laughter or fillers like “Umms” and “Uhhhs” in
their speech.
 PEER EVALUATION
• Unfortunately, not all schools have the means to record their students’ speeches. Should
this be the case, it is important to have discerning teachers, coaches, or peers to provide
feedback when it comes to the effectivity of one’s speech. It is not enough to be given a
grade for the speech, or just be accorded high praise. Feedback from the people is
important, and this will be a great a great tool in improving one’s speech and one’s
speaking style in general. Observations can range from the speaker’s posture, one’s
facial expression, and one’s general appearance. This can also be also be done alone
with the speaker rehearsing their speech in front of the mirror.
 APPEARANCE
• When it comes to appearance. It is important to look credible
and worthy of respect. In the real world, this depends a lot in
one’s audience, as the way one’s dresses should match the kind
of audience one wants to impress. Whether one’s audience are
corporate clients or creative directors, this should have an
influence on the appearance one presents.
 CLOTHING
• Traditional audiences often call for more formal clothing. For men, this would mean
donning a suit and tie at the most formal level, or at the very least, the use of long-
sleeved button-down shirts, slacks, and leather shoes. In the Philippines, the use of a
barong and slacks is acceptable. For the women, a pantsuit or a formal coat and skirt
ensemble should suffice. In less formal instances, a dress or blouse and skirt (or slacks)
outfit should do as well.
 GOOD GROOMING
• In addition, good grooming is a must, and that extends to one’s hair to one’s nails. As
long as one looks neat and clean, that should be enough to satisfy most audience’s
requirement. Some audiences, however, may require women to wear more (or less)
make-up, don a hijab, or wear high heels-in these instances, it is always best to know
the cultural expectations of the audience and the venue.
 VISUAL AIDS
• Since we live in a world that is more dependent on information technology, it has
become de rigueur for audiences to expect speeches to be accompanied with visual
aids, such as PowerPoint presentations, video or audio clips, and infographics. Any of
these are acceptable, and in most cases, commendable, as long as they are relevant to
the topic at hand.
 POWERPOINT
PRESENTATIONS
• When it comes to the use of PowerPoint, one should ensure that the font size of the
text is not too small. An acceptable size font would be type 24 or larger, and the text
should be in dark colours for easier reading. The best PowerPoint presentations are
not text-heavy; instead, they are visually oriented, which is why the use of
photographs, illustrations, charts, and the like would better serve one’s use of the
medium. Video clips may or may not be embedded in the presentation, as well as
audio clips and animation.
 HANDOUTS
• It would be best to have handouts ready for one’s audience, so that members of the
audience will not have to scramble when taking notes during the presentation. These
should be written succinctly, and should have appropriate citations.
 FEEDBACK
• Although the speech is a performance, it is also one where its audience can participate,
often by the speaker asking rhetorical or directing actual questions to the audience. It
is always good to read the verbal and non-verbal cues from the audience, such as
whether they agree with what one is saying or whether they are resisting to certain
ideas, mirrored by their use of body language. The speaker is seen as more responsive
and sympathetic to the audience when they modify their speeches to match the
audience’s visual cues.
 CONCLUSION
• In the end, public speaking is a dynamic performance that is meant to disseminate
information, create greater awareness, and evoke emotions in the audience. It is
utilized by teachers, lawyers, politicians, and the like. It has been used effectively to
promote human rights on the street and to create policies in government. Although it
is a performance, the most important speeches in the word have had material effects,
such as the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, and Martin Luther
King, Jr., and these still affect the world today, long after their speakers have already
been long gone.