Public speaking for me has always been a weakness. Just the thought of everyones eyes on me, judging everything that comes out of my mouth and internally critiquing what Im saying is enough to make be back out. Though it is a big challenge for me, in this public speaking class so far I have learned different ways to cope with the nerves and how to better improve my speaking skills. Just from this first assignment I feel I have learned so much. Everyone did a great job thoroughly explaining their given topics. Stepping into this class was a big challenge, but now even with the short time in this class I can say Im already more confident in myself. I was nervous starting this class but everyone has done a great job at being welcoming. That being said Im excited to continue learning about public speaking and better increase my skills.
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For the first assignment in this class, we had to compose a presentation with your group based on the chapters you were given. Within those slides, you had to write your main topics you will be discussing and based off your knowledge and notes teach those topics to the class. One of the first things we learned was important tricks for a great presentation. This first presentation was my group. We went over the evolving art of public speaking, which for me was very interesting learning about Aristotles Rhetoric and the history of public speaking. We also went over different ways to build your confidence, which is an important factor to public speaking. Some of the different ways were to be resilient, mindful, and to practice your speech. Lastly, we touched on adapting to your audience. I learned how this is very important when presenting a pitch or just speaking on a subject in order to relate to your audience.
The next group was group two and they presented on a crash course on speech. The first thing they talked about was types of speeches.
1. Informative - describe, explain, or demonstrate something
2. Persuasive- reinforce, modify, or change audience belief
3. Special Occasion - connect with audience and appropriately enhance occasion
They also talked about organizing your speech. This was something I was already familiar about, but it was still interesting to here them speak more about it. They went on to talk about parts of speech which include introduction, transitions, and conclusion. Outlining your speech was another topic. I learned about types of outlines which included working, complete sentence, and speaking. One thing they talked about that I really enjoyed was referencing and credit. Plagiarism I feel is very common now, so when preparing your speech giving credit where its due is very important.
This group did a amazing job getting all their points across and using the techniques taught in their presentation. Everything they talked about is all very relevant to public speaking and improving your speeches.
Next group was group three and they presented on delivering your speech. Something I enjoyed from their presentation was their introduction to presentation media. Here I learned why the use of presentation media, understanding the basics of visual design, and using presentation software. All of this I found very informative and great advice when creating a presentation. Simplicity was one of their points and this stuck with me because I have always felt the more simple the better. Yes of course a lot of information is needed but when it comes to visuals you do not want a lot of distractions.
They also talked about delivery method types. The methods they named I was not aware of so learning about them was great.
- impromptu- no preparation
- extemporaneous- planned speech
- manuscript - word for word speech
-memorized- committed to memory
Something I struggle with and I feel like others do too is managing your voice. This group touched on this subject, so learning new ways to control the clarity of my voice was super helpful. Articulating my words along with speaking loud enough and varying my pitch and volume are all things I can work on.
Group four shared the different types of wonderful presentations for us to learn. I learned characteristics of an important speech, organizational patterns, and thesis statements for informative speeches. I also learned about persuasive speaking. It explores how to use evidence and to clearly state what action you want the audience to take. Something else they talked about that I enjoyed was media appearances. They went on to list a guide to help with media appearance. Some that stood out were eye contact, preview questions, and following up. This group did an amazing job being consistent and conveying the information. They were able to emphasize all the important parts in each chapter and I liked how they added a small summary at the end to close out their presentation.
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Overall, everyone did a great job with their presentations. I have learned a lot when it comes to public speaking and I feel I have gained knowledge that I can use next time I have to present a speech. Each presentation was filled with tips and offered insight that has amplified my understanding and skills. From tips for a great presentation to types of wonderful presentations the different approaches have made it an great journey of learning. I feel this had everyone a little nervous to present, but in the end the courage and creativity shown by each person overpowered the nerves. This has encouraged me to have more confidence in myself when presenting and to continue improving my own public speaking abilities.
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