How to Improve Public Speaking - Essay Example

Final reflective diary Introduction My study experience so far has been very insightful and motivating. Before joining the I never imagined that one can have challenges in communication when presenting ideas. In fact, I always thought that presentations are just simple practices that do not require prior preparations. However, after joining the course, I realized that there are various aspects of communication that one has to work on to become a good presenter. Apparently, throughout the semester we have learnt various components of communication and the strategies of developing good presentation skills. One of the major aspects that the teacher has emphasized throughout the semester is the issue of engaging the audience during presentations. It is imperative to identify that a presentation should be designed in such a way that meets the expectations of the audience. It is imperative to point out that the core aim of the course was public speaking and engaging the Fears and worries I had to overcome The major topic that we covered during the second week of the semester was nervousness. Primarily, I am a quiet and soft spoken individual who is not used to interacting with huge crowds of people. Towards the end of the semester, the teacher organized a presentation and everyone was given assigned a topic to present. Before the presentation, the teacher cautioned as that nervousness is a major obstacle to a good presentation. This is when I realized that almost everyone in the class was facing the challenge of nervousness epically on stage performance. Some of my peers confessed that facing a crowd of more than ten people was a big challenge for them. Some said that they had an experience in presentation and stage performance but the problem of being nervous keeps on reoccurring from time to time. In essence, the stories given by peers and the issues pointed out by the teacher made me realize that the challenge of nervousness is quite common among my peers. Generally, before my first presentation, I was anxious to face more than ten people and even to ask questions. However, once the presentation started, I learned so many things that changed my perception about addressing a huge crowd of people. During the presentation, I stammered a lot and also I was not audible enough to the audience seated at the backbench to hear me clearly. Moreover, I struggled so much to engage the audience since I feared facing them. How I improved public speaking Public speaking involves both listening and communication. Basically, when giving a speech or a presentation, one has to communicate efficiently and listen to the audience (Lloyd-Hughes, 2011). Listening to the audience offers an opportunity for the speaker to known whether the topic presented was understood. Moreover, good listening skills aid to address the questions raised by the audience and ensure that the presenter does digress from the subject matter. In essence, to develop good public skills, one must learn to associate with others and appreciate the importance of research. There exist many approaches that one can use to develop good public speaking skills. For instance, one can choose to be reading inspirational books and publication written by great speakers in the world. Essentially, reading inspirational books motivates an individual to become an eloquent and creative speaker. It is worth noting that making an outstanding public speech commands a variety of elements such as charisma, confidence, and presentable dressing code. Actually, an individual might be having a good speech but fail to meet the expectations of the audience due to inappropriate grooming. Personally, I have had issues public speaking since the start of the semester. For instance, the first presentation in the semester was quite a challenging experience. I had never appeared on stage before and, therefore, I had no experience on how to carry myself during a presentation. However, the teacher had taught several strategies that one can use to avoid frustrations during a presentation. Though I used these tips, my first presentation was not outstanding. After the presentation, I received various comments from the teacher and fellow classmates. For instance, my peers told me that I appeared not confidence during the presentation, my audience engagement was poor, the voice was faint, and many others. The comments formed the foundation for developing good public speaking skills. The first step that I took to improve my public speaking skills was to learn various effective ways of engaging the audience. I used different approaches to learning how to engage the audience during a presentation. For instance, I did comprehensive research online research on the various mechanisms of engaging the audience during a presentation. After the research, I realized asking questions was one of the best strategies for engaging the audience. In addition, I learned that teaching the audience some sections of the presentation before the actual presentation is a major step in ensuring full engagement. Fortunately, since then I have been able to apply these concepts, and they work comfortably well. The second step that I took to develop outstanding public speaking skills was learning how to evade nervousness before and during the performance. However, I did this with the help of friends. I usually ensured that I have gathered enough peers once every week and give them a speech. With time, I was able to fight nervousness. As a result, I developed the virtue of confidence and self believe, which gave me the courage to face a huge crowd. Moreover, the virtue of confidence has been a major reinforcement as far as eloquence is concerned. In addition, stammering during presentations has become a thing of the past and, therefore, I can affirm that I have made broad strides as far as efficient public speaking is concerned. Communication Style during the last two weeks of the semester, the teacher taught about the different styles of communication. It is during this period that I realized I used the supporter communication style. The teacher explained the supporter communication style as a communication that I characterized by socialization, making new friends and loving the diversity of language. The promoter communication style facilitates good relationships with the audience and promotes teamwork. Moreover, the style facilitates the development of confidence in a person. Confidence is an integral component of public speaking. For instance, confidence enables the speaker to maintain an eye contact with the audience. In addition, confidence gives an individual courage to ask questions and give appropriate response to the questions raised by the audience. Therefore, it can be identified that confidence stands at the center of developing sound public speaking skills. Conclusion Communication is an important component of business and human development. Studying the various cues of communication throughout the semester has been interesting. In essence, I have learned numerous strategies that can be used to advance public speaking skills. Due to this, I purpose to continue with my search for knowledge and development of communication skills to become a notable public speaker in the community. Apparently, the various presentations that I have done during my studies have opened my mind to see a promising public speaking feature. In summary, I will channel all my efforts towards the development of effective communication skills. Additionally, I will intestate strategies that promote good public relations. My experience throughout the semester has become my major motivational feature and, therefore, I will live by the experience to enhance achievement of my future goals and objectives. Reference: Lloyd-Hughes, S. (2011). How to be brilliant at public speaking: Any audience, any situation. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall Life/Pearson. Read More