Round 3 Speeches/Conclusion

Over the course of the year, I completed 5 speeches on topics ranging from a Christmas ornament, to dinosaurs, to cell phone use. I think I showed the most growth and improvement in my Round 3 speech about cell phone usage. I was much more extemporaneous than my other speeches (even though I used filler words such as like and um much more than I thought I had).

For the first few speeches, I would get super nervous beforehand because I was scared that I would freeze up and forget what to say. Over the course of the quarter, I think I really improved in terms of speaking of extemporaneously. To accomplish these goals, I made sure to cut down my outline to bullet points and incomplete sentences. I would then practice my speech in front of my friends with a more conversational tone and visualize myself presenting it well. This made me more confident in speaking in front of people.

For my final speech, I made sure that I didn’t use my aid when I was speaking, and I thought it was more genuine than any of my other speeches. The in – class activity that helped me develop my goals the most was the one where we researched an article and cited and summarized it in front of the class. For future students, I would make the quizzes just a little bit easier because I would prepare a lot for them and still be very confused while taking them. Overall, I had a wonderful time this quarter and learned so much! I now enjoy public speaking instead of dread it! Thank you so much!

Round 3 Feedback:

Link to Video of Round 3:

Group Meeting:

We met and discussed what we were going to try and accomplish for our final speech round!

 

Round 2 Speeches

 

Reflection:

Going into this speech, I was pretty nervous because I had recently changed my topic from music recording techniques to dinosaurs. I thought doing dinosaurs would be a more interesting and captivating and the audience could learn some interesting facts from it. While looking back at my speech, I realized that I did not make nearly as much eye contact as I thought that I had! Although my speaker notes did not have a lot of information on them, I think I kept looking at them because they provided some comfort in my state of nervousness. Interestingly enough, when I watched my speech, I surprisingly don’t think my nerves showed through. I think I handled my technical difficulties well and bounced back to finish my speech, which shows that I need to have more confidence in myself and in my speech giving abilities. Although my speech seemed somewhat scripted, I practiced it many times in a conversational way, which is somewhat confusing to me. Going forward, I am going to practice my speech more casually and take more deep breaths when I get on stage. I’m also going to make sure that I come prepared and double check to ensure that my visual aid is working in order to minimize technical difficulties.

 

Group Meeting:

Our group met after class on Wednesday at Dexter. We talked about our round 3 potential topics for about a half an hour.

Group Meeting

In our first group meeting, we went over what we were supposed to incorporate in our speeches, what we were most nervous for, and what some of our goals were. It was super helpful to talk to my classmates and get their advice.

Speech Round #1

1. First Speech

I wrote the first speech of Round 1 about my family tradition of hanging an ornament on our Christmas tree every year. Leading up to the speech, I was super nervous that I would mess up, freeze, or go on a tangent or something weird, however it went better than expected. Looking back at my speech, I noticed that I did my best to keep a steady flow and made it interesting by using voice inflections and light humor throughout. However my voice did have a very irritating hoarse tone that struck me as pretty distracting. In addition, I think I could’ve transitioned between my topics in a smoother way as my speech seemed somewhat choppy at certain points. In addition, it came across as if I was reading off of the paper, so I will work on speaking in a more extemporaneous fashion.

Feedback for Speech 1:

Link for Speech 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n28DOEqzmig&index=31&list=UUss8lzeg4Lro3ihtlubAf0Q

2. Speech #2

For my second speech, I performed an oral interpretation of a passage from On the Road by Jack Kerouac. While looking back at the video of the speech, I noticed that I was not making as much eye contact as I thought I was during the actual speech. I think I was so focused on saying the right words and delivering them well that I forgot to connect with the audience through eye contact. In addition, I think I could’ve spoken the introduction and conclusion in a more extemporaneous tone to make the change between the introduction and the passage more dramatic. However, I really liked the passage I chose and thought I added the appropriate amount of emotion to it.

Feedback for Speech 2:

Link for Speech 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaDdKdyGrS0&index=12&list=UUss8lzeg4Lro3ihtlubAf0Q

My Goals In Coms 101

 

1. I wish to become more comfortable speaking in a formal setting in front of a group of people.
   1. https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/PublicSpeaking.htm
   2. https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/15-power-up-tips-to-make-you-a-better-presenter.html
2. I would like to improve my speech delivery and organization in order to make a stronger argument.
   1. http://www.publicwords.com/2011/09/06/5-quick-ways-to-organize-a-speech/
   2. https://unclutterer.com/2011/07/18/thirteen-tips-for-giving-a-well-organized-and-informative-speech/
   3. https://www.extension.harvard.edu/professional-development/blog/10-tips-improving-your-public-speaking-skills

 

This quarter, I wish to become more comfortable speaking in a formal setting in front of a group of people. Although I identify as an extrovert in most social situations, I often become nervous and freeze up when I’m giving class presentations or delivering speeches that I haven’t memorized. According to Mindtools.com, using breathing exercises before speaking slows heart rate and gives our body the energy it needs to perform under pressure. In high school, I always used breathing exercises during close volleyball games and before I gave presentations or speeches to my classmates. I will definitely utilize this tool this quarter by practicing deep breathing before I deliver my speeches. In addition, I’m also going to practice visualization before my speeches. According to Inc.com, studies show that utilizing positive visualization before a speech leads to a better speech outcome. During the days leading up to the speech, I will envision myself delivering a strong, authentic and composed speech.

In addition, I would like to improve my speech delivery and organization in order to make a stronger argument. Organization is key in delivering an effective speech. According to Dr. Nick Morgan, one of America’s top public speaking coaches, its important to change the organization of the speech depending upon what the speaker is talking about. For example, if I’m talking about an issue we face as a society, I should introduce that topic first, then discuss its solutions and its pros and cons. However, this would not be an effective organization method if I were explaining a childhood story or delivering a “how-to” speech. When I’m writing my speeches, I will identify the purpose of the speech and build my organization pattern around that. In addition, its important to cater the speech towards the audience’s interests. Unclutterer.com explains that “You’re not trying to impress them, you’re there to help them. You’re a teacher, not a promoter.” Although I am neither a teacher nor a promoter, I will make sure to write about things that hopefully everyone in the class will find interesting or intriguing. By phrasing my purpose statements in a way that relates to everyone, I will hopefully attract the audiences attention. Additionally, in order to truly engage the audience, its important to allow my personality to show. According to Harvard University, speakers “establish better credibility” with the audience if their personalities shine through. In English 134 last quarter, I made a point to incorporate my personality into my writing style. This quarter, I will continue do this by implementing authentic jokes or phrases that show my personality throughout my speeches (when appropriate).