I do not expect to totally rid myself of my "fear" of speaking in public to the point where I will enjoy or look forward to it, but I do hope to become more comfortable with the idea. I tend to psyche myself out before giving a speech/presentation so much so that the anticipation before the speech is the worst part of the whole ordeal. I therefore hope to develop a way of better preparing myself mentally. I also hope to learn how to better prepare my actual speech, as I tend to mostly "wing it"...which definitely doesn't help my nerves. I also use filler words like "um" and "like" too much, probably a combined result of nerves and insufficient preparation, and I would like to break that habit.
Through the above changes, I hope this course will serve as an opportunity for me to develop my speech in a way that reflects a greater sense of rhetoric and is therefore more effective.
I cannot figure out how to add a new post, so I am putting it here as a comment.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Drew's Self-Intro Speech
I was very impressed with Drew's presentation. The first thing I noticed was that his speech was very well-rehearsed. He scanned the room for eye-contact frequently, and thus maintained a sense of connection with the audience--it was clear he was talking to us, not at us. I am still amazed with how well-composed Drew remained, given the emotional subject of his speech: the death of his mother. I remember the positive attitude he had toward the situation (now that he has come to terms, at least), especially the close relationship he now has with his father.
Response to Navaiera's Self-Into Speech
ReplyDeleteNavaiera chose to talk about the death of her grandmother, another emotional speech. Her face revealed her nerves at the beginning of her presentation, and also during transitional moments. What I loved about the speech was how I was able to feel the waves of emotion she felt as she spoke. When she spoke about what she remembered about her grandmother (black magic, Listerine...), she would smile, and I could see the nostalgia she felt in remembering; and this made me smile with her. And when she spoke about the last time she saw her grandmother, the moment when she said that it was, unbeknownst to her, the last time, I could feel her sadness and regret, and truly felt sad with her. It reminded me of a teacher I had growing up whom I never visited after that class, and when I was in college, I planned to see him when I went home one weekend...and he died days before I had the opportunity. Navaiera delivered a powerful speech in being able to stir such a memory in me, despite the nerves I could see in her face.