Group Presentations

 The importance of public speech is often overlooked. By popular belief, the skills learned in a public speaking class can only be utilized in a setting where an individual needs to give a speech in front of a large group and could not be further from the truth. The majority of the lessons learned throughout a public speaking class apply to almost all aspects of day-to-day life; from school to work to even your personal life. Being able to understand all aspects of speech as well as being able to communicate effectively without any trouble is a skill helpful to anyone. Since I am working in the banking industry a large portion of my job consists of finding the best way to cater to my client's needs and desires therefore the ability to communicate with clients is essential. I am very excited to improve my communication skills and learn tips on how to present to an audience better. 

Over the course of the last few weeks in our public speaking class we have been working and presenting each topic of our iSpeak book in order to better grasp and apply the information of the book in a more restricted time frame. Our group was assigned chapters seven through nine. Our group immediately created a group chat in order to discuss what manner we were going to approach this assignment. After a few complications with organization and coordinating with our group I ended up with the last two topics of chapter seven. Being that I was assigned those topics I was nervous that I was to present near the very beginning but also relieved that I at least had one of my group members kicking off the presentation before my portion. I was very fortunate to have been paired with a group that was excited to learn and work. We each helped each other out and I believe that we did a great job with our presentation.

The first topic I had to present was all about how you can use your body to communicate effectively. This topic in chapter seven was very eye opening to me as it mentioned many things that are all part of effective communication that are often overlooked as they are common practice. One of those being how using eye contact can make a drastic change in an audience's engagement and enjoyment. I used an example that I felt most people would relate to which was how in conversation you might dislike it that a person is not using direct eye contact with you as sometimes it feels as if they are not fully engaged with the conversation that you are attempting to have with them. The opposite applies as well, eye contact can also easily be overused and possibly cause the person you are speaking to to feel uncomfortable. Another part of the body that has the ability to communicate emotion is the face; using your eyes, mouth, eyebrows, and forehead can make a drastic difference in the way you present your information. The facial expressions we present when speaking express the emotions we feel toward the topic we are talking about. The next part of using your body to communicate effectively was utilizing gestures. I went along to say that using gestures can help reinforce the message you are trying to communicate. Furthermore, I explained how gestures were motions of the hands or body used to emphasize our expressions. A very large portion of utilizing gestures in public speaking scenarios that I elaborated on was the formality of the event and the size of the audience. These play a huge role in determining what gestures you should use, as in larger crowds your gestures should be larger and more dramatic as opposed to a smaller group and in informal settings your gestures are close to those you use in conversation as opposed to a formal setting where they would be more minimal and professional. A significant part of your delivery is also your bodily movements, I mostly went over facing the audience and using purposeful and confident body movements to not come off as nervous. Lastly, I wrapped up this subtopic of chapter seven by speaking on how your attire and your physical appearance can better your presentation.

When presenting a speech one of the most important things is your delivery. How you share your information is what helps the audience engage with your speech. When preparing for a speech it is important to create a detailed outline that you can use throughout your presentation. This will help you stay on track with what you are saying. It is also very crucial to practice your speech. You can do this alone or with a partner. When you are practicing with another person, always ask for their feedback. Make sure to apply those tips that they give you in order to better your presentation. It is also helpful to practice in a similar setting to which you will be speaking. I know it might sound silly but when you place yourself in a similar setting you are getting yourself accustomed, this can help with any anxiety you might have before your presentation. Lastly, another helpful practice tip is to record yourself and view it after. When you do this, you get to see what you actually look like presenting. This way you can better your movements, facial expressions, hand gestures, language, etc. Although practice makes perfect, it is best to avoid doing so the day before your speech. Always allow your brain to get a break so that you do not make yourself nervous.  

My group also mentioned the different modes of delivery. Some of them are: Memorized Mode, Extemporaneous Mode, Manuscript Mode, Impromptu Mode, Question and Answer. They also Shared tips on how to use your voice and body effectively when presenting, the importance of language, and the benefits of using sensory aids in your speech. 

In conclusion, I believe that my group did a fantastic job presenting. We all worked together and got to learn from each other. I was also blown away by the other groups' presentations, they all created engaging PowerPoints and shared very important information. I am very excited to continue working on projects similar to this one in this course and looking forward to working with my group again!