Performance and communication orientation

The speech teacher James Winans famously said, "A speech is not an essay on its hind legs." Speaking and writing are just different. What is defferent?

Writing is learned and invented, but language and speech are acquired by person naturally. Writing emerged in Sumer (modern day - Iraq) 6000 years ago. 

Writing is not ubiquitous. There have been thousands (maybe ten of thousands) spoken languages in the human history. But only about 106 languages have been written to a degree sufficient to have produced the literature.

Writing involves longer sentences, clauses, punctuation and other such grammatical nuances. It appeals to the eye of the reader and hence needs to contain paragraph breaks, different fonts, and bold and italicized text. On the other hand, oral presentations involve shorter sentences, slightly more colloquialisms (such as, you know, you see etc) and appeal to the ear.

Performance and communication orientation

Performance orientation

Performance orientation tends to be more literary (full manuscript). It's going to be completely read or memorized. It focuses on the show, not the audience. The performer speaks at the audience. The Hamlet performance will be the same for the audience of 10 or 100 people, because it is not an active factor at the stage. It used to be more faster and monotone, than natural speech.

Communication orientation

Communication orientation is mostly oral (minimal outline). It focuses on dynamic interactions with the audience. The audience should be active in participation and creation of the communications. The communicator speaks with the audience.

Analyses of four samples of speeches

Clip #1 Robert Reich

from 08:20 to 10:07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLHfEapD-lAeDIg7Xlx3gvMzSxBzaMR1eL&v=mVJp8VuqSYw#at=500

Undoubtedly, the best speech award if awarded should go to Robert Reich. His speech was placed at the extreme end of  communication orientation continuum. He was interactive, humorous, sauve and raised very important questions about society's shift in position without offending or raising any critique.

Clip #2 Doris Kearns Goodwin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znbiLlb9Xmo&list=PLHfEapD-lAeDIg7Xlx3gvMzSxBzaMR1eL

Doris Kearns Goodwin's speech is towards the extreme end of performance orientation continuum. She uses good historical quotes and examples of from the times of the Greatest American President FDR. While standing on the podium, she speaks communication of the necessity of communication between the President and the nation. However, she fails in key areas:  she does not engage the audience at all, she fails to understand attention span of the audience is very little unless and until something is directly directed towards them; the length of the speech also seems to be problematic. Overall, a good boring speech that loses sheen.

Clip #3 Elizabeth Warren

from 10:28 to 13:18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A&list=PLHfEapD-lAeDIg7Xlx3gvMzSxBzaMR1eL


Slightly tilted towards communication orientation, she had facts and figures well illustrated. She managed to raise a few eye-brows over growing debt and lack of savings. Elizabeth Warren was clearly focused, to the point and very articulate in the manner of her speech delivery. She was able to make a potentially dry topic interesting by delivering her speech with commitment. 

Clip #4 Bobby Jindal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly7oPRMcDrU&list=PLHfEapD-lAeDIg7Xlx3gvMzSxBzaMR1eL

Bobby Jindal's speech is towards performance orientation continuum. I have no obvious political loyalties when it comes to Republicans or Democrats so I believe I can be more objective in analyzing this speech. What works for him is his use of Pronouns like 'You' or 'We'. He tries to inform the Americans that he is one from them, he has had humble beginnings just like average American people. He successfully conveys a message of Empowerment of People - common people instead of increasing taxes; which most of us believe in. His ideas are awesome.
But where he fails is - in convincing people that he actually believes in those ideas. Those words coming out from him seem like a mere Rhetoric. He appears very sharp and shrewd. Lacks empathy for the victims of hurricane Katrina. He makes it sound politically motivated instead of individual concern. His eyeball movements made it obvious that he's reading the teleprompter and unfortunately, he also had a pasted-on smile which made his facial expression off and insincere. Definitely an example of 'what not to do' when delivering a speech. 

If I analyse these videos it will be like this:
Performance <--------------------------> Communication
----------2--------------4-------------3---------------1