Speech evaluation #3 -Final ONE!!

This speech is a culmination of four months of hard work and preparations. From the first vulnerable presentations to the nit picky details and fluidity shown in the final presentations, I did not see just another speech, but I saw an evolution from myself. Throughout this particular speech I tried to keep in mind what I was passionate about. I kept in my mind those people who grew up with a lack of social skills. I gave this speech for them. Overall, I think I did a fair job of presenting my case to our class. It definitely could have been more persuasive. As far as comfort goes, I think I was more nervous about this speech more than any other speech I have done in class. The reason was because there was so much more information that had to be presented and supported by evidence. I had some doubt that I could present my knowledge in a way that could persuade and at the same time was logical in organization. Having been in this situation in the past, I knew how to handle myself. I did go overtime, but I kept my focus on finishing up my points in a concise manner.

In retrospect, there were several aspects of my presentation that could have been clearer. I wish that I had devoted more time to preparing the information and its evidence in a more persuasive manner. For much of the time, I felt like I was just throwing out information that my colleagues had to gobble up. I know that the logic of my argument was clear to me but I’m not sure I conveyed it persuasively enough to my friends. I think that the differences between this speech and last speech were that in my last one, I had too many confusing and complex topics that people had to comprehend. So, I think I did a better job at simplifying my arguments as much as I could. In this speech, I had a bit more control of my body movements and the speed of my voice.

I will admit that the comment I keep on getting from my peers is the lack of control of my hands and arms. A lot of people said that my arms were a big distraction to what I was presenting. I can admit that the reason that I overact these gestures is because I’m nervous. Hopefully, people could see the improvement from speech to speech. I calmed myself down and allowed my arms to relax more than in months past. My eye contact was involuntary this time around. I’m sure I looked at many different people. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate my eye contact a 7 because I didn’t have as much control of it as I would have liked.

I think that I am deserving of a “B” because I think that my speech could have been more polished. I presented great arguments, such as “social skills should be taught in schools so we can limit violence and death due to ignorance and stereotypes.” However, the lack of persuasive value in my delivery, and the fact that my audience was more or less seemed to not be convinced seemed like a downer in my eyes. My presentation was solid, but it did not get people to really believe what I was saying. Each of my last two speeches had good and bad tastes, however I think that this one was a little bit worst because I had trouble keeping within the time frame, and I did a mediocre job of completing my objective which was to persuade the audience. In my informative speech, I was on point, and I really felt I did a great job of informing my audience about NLP.

In my show, I mentioned five sources that backed up my main points. I think the use of sources from a variety of types ranging from newspapers and journals, to the internet really benefited my credibility. Out of all of the speeches, I think I performed my best work on the second speech. I had a comprehensive and complete outline. I had a week to practice the delivery and critique the final product, and I felt like it was a walk in the park. I did not even realize that I had given the speech until the end. I practiced so much that it felt like I was a spectator watching my own performance from a TV.

As a final thought, I want to say that my first speech was the funniest, the second was the best, and the third really taught me a lot on what I can improve on in the future. I know that my biggest problem is to control my frame, my body movements, and delivery. I will continue to improve in those areas. It has been a thrill to hone my skills in front of 25-30 of my friends, and I hope we can all take what we learned and use it to our advantage in our lifetime. Thanks again Carol and my classmates for the criticism and the help.

I'm going to take...

I'm going to take from this class... the fun times, lessons we have learned from mistakes in our speeches, and the spirits of the people who strive to better themselves because of this experience. I am definitely going to miss this class because of all the wonderful people I met. Even though we did not see each other day in and day out, In each one of my classmates eyes I saw human beings. I saw strengths and weaknesses. I give a shout out to all the people that were able to stick around to the end and really commit their time and effort to this class. Through all my speeches and throughout this semester, I noticed a change in my attitude towards life. I feel more confident when I’m with other people. My words and messages that I give off to people are more concise and in sync with what I’m thinking. In my own life I think that the helpful thing that I will take from this class is the tremendous amount of learning, effort, pain, and pleasure of learning a skill. Before this class, I was skeptical about my ability to give a speech, and now I can say that I have definitely made big strides towards conquering my fears of public speaking. Thank you.

Favorite Speech

I think my favorite speech was the first one because I think I really set the tone for the whole class. I loved going up there and speaking what I was passionate about. I absolutely love to entertain people. The demonstrative speech definitely gave me a chance to show my personality, my preparation, and that I am capable of giving a good show. I loved that the audience was so responsive and loving of what I had to say. I sure felt the nerves during that speech, but once all the words came out of my mouth, I felt like I was flying. After, I looked at myself in the video, I saw a new person. I saw a person that was confidence, cocky, and fun to hang around. I saw a person that inspired people with his words, and allowed people to share in his joy.

Concepts helpful in preparing speeches

I thought that the most important concepts I think that I thought was the most helpful were in the initial couple of chapters that stressed the practice and outlining of speeches. By structuring and setting up my speech, I was able to feel a lot more comfortable speaking my presentations. I think what also helped was the tips for calming nerves and anxiety. I really learned how to reframe my thoughts, control my breathing, and calm myself before, during, and even after the show. Definitely, the book outlined many ways in order to make the process easier. I felt when I went up there and prepared myself, the actual presentation was easy. When I properly prepared I felt like I had an out of body experience in that I was actually watching myself speak instead.

Linking claims to evidence.

In your speech you will be using different arguements types in order to prove a solid an specific claim or thesis. In the different speeches presented in chapter 15, each of the speakers weigh on the pros and cons of institutionalized schooling and home schooling. In one of the videos, a girl named Dixie uses claims and reasoning made by other sources including some quotes from these authors to support her thesis that home school is better than regular. In contrast, Robert uses his personal experiences and valued sources to support his claim that home schooling is actually a burden on parents and actually less effective than school institution. He uses the reasoning of current issues and articles to prove that the quality of information cannot be matched by what the typical parent can give to children. Overall, both speakers use sound reasoning to support the main points that each person has set out. They both use a mix of inductive and deductive reasoning to support their thesis's. I would actually believe both of their arguments if they were presenting in front of me. They connected with their audience simply on a logos and ethos level. Their speeches are a prime example of what should be put forth in our final essay.

Discussing Reasoning

So, during a speech or actually any presentation that has to do with the English language, the audience will have to decipher the different types of arguments such as deductive, inductive, causal, and analogical. So, arguements have a basic format. They all have premises with sets the stage for a conclusion. A deductive argument uses logic to unlock arguments. It is often straightforward and doesn't need a lot of support to be valid. A inductive argument is based on personal experiences... it's an argument that cannot be completely fact. It can only use supported evidence in order to make the argument stronger or weaker. Then there is causal which uses events that trigger other events in order to get to a conclusion. Finally, there is analogical which compares and contrasts two scenario and draws similarities in each of them.

Persuading someone about my point of view...

So, I have recently tried to persuade my best friend that it is easier to get a movie recommendation from a stranger by calling someone at their workplace rather than calling a household number. I used a bunch in inductive arguments which tried to support the claim by making it stronger and more probable. So some of the premises that I used were that since night time was getting earlier and earlier, we had fewer chances to call unknown people. I say that more people are inclined to responding to a request from a unfamiliar person if there is sun out and the world is visible rather than at night where it is dark and anything can happen. I also added that when you call some person at a place where people work, he or she is more inclined to answer any question because most workers that answer the phone almost always ask, "how can I help you?". So, for the most part I was able to convince him that it is probably more likely that a person working will give an honest and sincere answer rather than someone in their private space.

Progress on My final speech....

So, My speech topic is on why social skills and effective communication skills should be taught or offered in every school. So, far I've had the chance to brainstorm a lot of intriguing ideas on the subject of social skills and communication. Just think about it, so many people in this world are oblivious in knowing how to convey the messages that they want to convey to the world. A lot of people remain ignorant to signals and cues given off by different humans. This really hurts their chances for replication and survival on this earth. This is the fundamental biological purpose of why we exist, to survive and replicate. Anything that can help us as humans to gather information in order to accomplish this should be taken advantage of. By social skills, I mean the ability to sense social patterns within certain age groups, cultures, and ethicities. I mean the savvy to know what is appropriate and not appropriate when interacting with other human beings. I mean enhancing and improving our communication threads and patterns in order to give off the vibe and message that we want others to know. Without knowing the possibilities and limits of human interactions, then right away those people are at a disadvantage. I'm doing my best to research various books and other sources to help prove my points.

The negative audiences... and persuasive strategies

When giving a persuasive speech, the majority of your target audience may have different views that might affect the effect the effectiveness of some of the strategies that you may have in place. For example, if your audience has a somewhat negative view of the topic that you chose, then you may have to establish your foundation or backbone that you can fall back on. Developing a strong relationship with your audience right away and relating to the majority's experiences and feelings are just some of the strategies that you can implement into your speech to make sure that you can increase the probability that your audience will listen. Also, try to convey your topic in a positive light as much as possible to shadow any negative thoughts that may come up. Another strategy is to anticipate any negative reactions to the argument and be prepared to back up research and your arguments. It may be difficult to persuade, but at least you can give a strong and well prepared fight.

The sea of persuasion and apple

The sea of persuasion I think is a great title to sum up our experiences here in the United States. Consumerism is a massive concept in our society. Businesses underlying principles is persuasion to the customers. A nice example of being immersed in the sea of persuasion would have to be within the apple computer company. Over a period of 20-30 years it has emerged as one of the most powerful industries on this Earth. People are constantly making the case that the consumer needs more. They should get the new iPhone because it has more memory, better features, and can even tell you your future fortune. Whether it is a new Phone, iPod, or MacBook, Apple always sells its product piece by piece, milking the life and possibilities for each one of its products. Somehow, they come up with new innovative ways to make a product better, and somehow many people want that one instead of being satisfied with their older version which is basically the same as the new one except for a couple of adjustments. I give Apple its props because of great products and great business. This is one example how I got swayed in the direction of Apple products. They just persuade people better than really any company I've seen in the past couple of decades.

Presentation outlines

So, in chapter twelve, there was a section that focused solely on the designing and use of presentation outlines. For the purposes of speech, the book presents three specific ways to outline. The first is call the working outline. The working outline serves as a skeleton for the speech. It includes a thesis, the main points and possible subpoints. The Complete Sentence outline organizes all of the thoughts into complete structured language that contains most of the bulk of information included in the speech. The last type as discussed in this chapter is the presentation outline which is basically a watered down version of the complete sentence outline. It takes key words and points from the complete sentence outline and uses them as memory cues for more information to pop out. The presentation outline is often transposed onto note cards and used in practicing and presenting the final product. For many people, presentation outlines can be a useful tool in making sure that their speeches have fluidity and conciseness.

Speech buddies ch.10 and 12

10.1 There are several ways to center and focus on your audience so that people will listen more to the speech. We should use inclusive language so that no one will feel left out. Also including the audience in some scenarios and using humor are two other good ways of including people.

10.2 Choose your words wisely, Make sure that that you are concise in your language and not ambiguious

12.1 Volume, pitch, rate, variety, articulation, and pronunciation are five important areas in delivery. What i want to focus on in the next speech is particularly my rate because it was way too fast last speech. By controling these factors, you can effectively give a speech.

12.2 Body language is key to conveying a message. You want to focus on five specific areas, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, body movement, and appearance. In particular, i feel that i could work on my calming down the gestures that i did in my past 2 speeches. It was kind of distracting to the audience.

12.3 Practicing you speech is one of the most important parts of preping for an upcoming presentation. One tip that they mentioned was practicing in front of a small audience. I feel that because most people get frightened by giving a speech in front of an audience why not gradually desensitize the fear and practice in front of a small group of people.

Sexist language?

So, I read the flickr post on sexist languange and there is a lot of insightful feedback from a lot of the users. Many people seems to say that it doesn't bother them, yet many people look towards the other extreme and even say how dehumanizing some of the tags can be. My response to all of the comments is that it's all about perception. If someone thinks that a particular tag is degrading and undignified then that's his or her problem. I mean if we take all these tags and take them away then you might as use generic language like human or object. This is not what language is designed for. Yes, people think that a lot of the language we use in this day and age is sexist or racist but what the most important thing here is how each individual interprets the language. Yes, there is a certain point where people should draw the line, but if someone is caring about a not so pleasant tag that someone else that they completely do not know put then that's when there is trouble. It's all in the mind.

Discuss part of the reading of chapter 11

I just want to talk about the overall use of presentation media. The way we as humans take in information is through our senses. By speaking, we are affecting one of our various innate senses. If we increase the number of quality stimulus that we expose at any one time, we could possibly increase the effectiveness of the message of our speech. So, presentation media is a great way to indulge the sense of sight for the audience. When using these types of visual aids such as power point, the speaker should keep in mind the main points as well as some attention getters to keep the audience engaged in the show. Each visual aid should have a solid purpose for it to exist; otherwise it would just divert attention from the main topics. Also, these visual aids should be comprised with a variety of stimuli, ranging from words, to pictures, and maybe real life physical examples. Effective presentation media is a critical part to keeping the attention of the audience as well as providing key credibility and support for the speaker and the topic.

Self-evaluation #2

My purpose of this speech was to inform my audience about Neuro-linguistic programming. I thought that using my visual aids along with my voice, I was able to convey to my audience the main ideas of this science. I gave a brief definition, a little bit of the history, and some of the basic principles and techniques. During the speech, I actually felt more confident than my first speech. I had a whole bunch of information that I had to cut down to a period of 5-6 minutes. That was a huge challenge. Again, I was passionate about my topic which made the whole experience a lot less stressful. I said to myself that I was just going to trust my preparation. I got much practice in the delivery and emphasizing of main points. If I had to change some aspect of my presentation, I would stop my hands from moving too much. While I was delivering my speech, I noticed that when I got nervous, I would fidget with my hands. This is something that I have to address next time. I’m still dealing with some of the nerves. I’m striving to find ways to deal with it during the speech.

On another note, my power point had a lot of good information and pictures, but I could have limited the amount of worded information as much as possible. After all, I want my audience to focus on my voice rather than solely the power point. In order to improve the content of my speech, I will use more specific examples and support to supplement my main points. I gave a lot of general information in this speech but I could have used one or two specific examples to enhance the message. I could have used a real life situation in which I could apply some of the techniques of neuro-linguistic programming. As for my delivery, I want to slow down and stop the excessive movement with my hands. My hands were the most distracting part of my speech. It was apparent in my first presentation too. I think that I did not really improve in this area, and it will be something that I will keep in mind as I prepare and delivery my final speech. Compared to my last speech, I was more confident this time around. I used more visual aids, and organized my thoughts a bit better. I think that my first speech had a lot more exciting that pertained to the audience so therefore the second speech was a bit more boring. My eye contact was solid. I would give myself an 8 out of 10 because my eyes were focusing on the computer and the back wall a little more than I would have liked.

Based on my performance, I would give myself between an A and a B. I had a lot of preparation in terms of researching. I was passionate about the subject and I perceived myself as an expert of the subject. Looking back at the video, I looked confident and excited to deliver my speech. I used pictures of each of the books that I had looked at and explained their significance. Overall, I verbally cited all six of the sources that I used. My presentation was not perfect because of several distractions in the delivery; however this does not shadow the fact that I presented pertinent relevant information in a clear and concise fashion.

All in all, I think that my second speech was better than my first because I stuttered a little less and I was more confident that I would give a great show. I was more prepared to back up my main points with the varieties of sources, and I practiced a little more intensely than I did the first time. With a little work on my body language, I can be better prepared to control the gestures I make with my hands. Hopefully, with the third and final speech, I can go out with a BANG and give a performance that everyone can remember for a while.

chapter 11 speech buddies

11.1 I thought that this video had a lot of solid points about the usage of powerpoint and keynote. Over the years, I have seen many countless presentation slides, and what I cannot stand is the use of too many words. If the slide is too complicated, it makes the message more difficult to comprehend and therefore decreasing attention of the audience. The powerpoint should only include diagrams, pictures, and maybe a few key ideas to enhance speech. Each slide should have a purpose, and emphasis points for the speaker. Doing this will not only increase credibility but will also help the people understand what the speaker is trying to say.

11.2 showed an example how what to do and not do in presenting with presentation media. In her presentation, she did show pictures and many key terms. However, her pink template was bad because it did a poor job of contrasting the blue colored words. Also, some of her slides included multiple images which may have been confusing to the audience. Choosing the right template, images, and wording can really enhance the speech if used correctly.

presentation media in speaking presentation...

I think the last time i saw something in the form of presentation media being used in a speech was in a business seminar which i attended a couple of days ago. In the presentation, one of my colleagues uses a white board to his advantage. In the speech he used the white board to point out different aspects of the program and a diagram of all the steps needed to achieve success in this aspect of the audience's lives. He effectively used flow charts to point out the relationships of different sides of the business and how they relate to the individuals. Also, he used the markers to introduce other important speakers, successful people, and important companies related to the program. Another great thing that he did was use the audience's information and feedback to his advantage. By relating to a few members in the audience, he took their dreams and made them believe that it was possible to achieve. Using the white board he made the plans for the next couple of years crystal clear.

Components of an Intro and Conclusion

There are many components that the book mentions of introductions and conclusions. First, i want to talk about conclusions. The book says that the influence of the first impression is called the primary effect and can be greatly enhanced by an attention getter or grabber. Some techniques to consider is managing your time because you do not want your introduction to be too long or short. The authors also say to use your creativity. How can I attract my audience to listen to my speech more? Some more specific techniques include showing a media clip, citing surprising facts, telling a story that relates to the human level emotionally, telling a joke, using the info about the audience, or asking a thought-provoking question. After that, You should also mention your main points and thesis statements

As for the conclusion and providing closure you should end with some emotional effect or thought evoking material. You can use quotations, dramatic statements, referring to different parts of the speech, connecting with the audience, using appreciation. There are many ways to close a speech. By doing this aspect correctly, you will leave a lasting impression and something for the people to munch on after the speech.

Providing Closure

Ending your speech correctly is one of the most valuable skills you can enhance when conveying the correct message towards the audience. The book discusses several methods that you can try when closing. The first one is end with a quotation. This means taking valuable information from a different that will spur thought within the audiences' minds. The second was to close is to make a dramatic statement which will touch upon the emotional circuitry of the listeners. The next type is referring to the introduction which will remind the people of the initial points of the speech and intensify awareness of the main message. Another one is referring to subsequent events which may help strengthen the overall topic's effectiveness. Next, there is the reinforcement of the speaker-audience connection where the speaker relates to the audience at a personal level hopefully increasing credibility within the presenter if the speech went well. Lastly, the book mentions a note on thanking the audience and to show a bit of appreciation. This is always a polite gesture.

Speech Buddies ch. 9 and 13

The chapter nine speech buddies talks about the importance of introductions and conclusions in capturing and keeping the attentions of the audience. If you set the tone right from the start then, the audience will have a positive impression which at the same time increases your credibility. On the same note, conclusions are very important because it gives the listener something to munch on and allows them to remember your speech more effectively. I think that in my last speech i felt that my introduction was solid. It used a little bit of humour to engage the audience and it also brought about a laugh or two.

The chapter thirteen speech buddies gave us a taste of what a successful informative speech will look like. Judging by their organization, i would say that they had adequate attention grabber, good points to cover, and relevant support to keep the audience engaged. Also, it helped them to have positive body language, and great eye contact to supplement. Each of these i will think about when preparing my next speech.

Speech buddies ch. 7 and 8

7.2 talked about evaluating speech credibility. You should outside information to help support the arguments in your speech. When finding sources to use for your presentation, make sure that you use a variety of information ranging from internet, newspapers, and well published books. It is also important to judge the credibility, reliability and relevance.

8.1 talked about organizational patterns of speeches. There are several different patterns which include cause-and-effect, problem-solution, chronological, narrative and more. Each of the patterns specialize in enhancing a certain part of speeches. For example, the narrative organization pattern uses dramatic events in speech that relates and touches on the audiences emotions, allowing the audience to become more involved.

8.2 talked about linking ideas together smoothly through transitions. There are several kinds of transitions such as order, contrasting, chronology, causality, and summary. Each kind of transition helps set down markers in the understanding of the topic. For example. A summary transition could be linked from the main passage by stating the words, "In summery,....(the summary)". A order transition can help progress an order of ideas. So, by using words like "Next, First, Second, Lastly,...(idea)" you can effectively mark down the number and progression of points.

Supporting material...

Chapter seven talked a lot about using supporting material to give substance to the speeches. In the chapter, the authors mention several types of supporting material which are narratives, examples, definitions, testimony, facts, and statistics. Narratives are basically stories. They describe events which appeals to our sense of emotion. They can be effective in allowing others to see what other viewpoints and perspectives that might help them gain a sense of awareness on the topic at hand. Examples are concepts and ideas which are used to clear up a other concept or idea. An apple is an example of a fruit would be one way to describe it. A definition defines a topic or word. It uses other words to clear up the meaning. For example, a bed can be defined as a unit to sleep on. Testimonies are opinions and experiences that we can use to support a claim that we have made. A person could say that a seminar really changed my life or this person influenced my decision. Depending on the audience's viewpoints and beliefs about the person, that is how the audience will judge the credibility of the testimony. Finally, facts and statistics help support arguments and claims made by the speaker by providing informaiton from official sources. These supports strenghten the validity of the statements made and also add to the credibility of the speaker. It can also show that the speaker is well prepared to back up the main points.

Speech facts and statistics...

I think that speech facts are most effective when trying to strengthen an arguement. For example, in my last speech, I was talking about body language and the advantages it has when someone is trying to make a good impressions on someone. There is a statistic out there that says that 80 percent of communication is comprised by the body language. 15 percent accounts for the tone of voice and actually only 5 percent is the actual words itself. Now, this theory actually supports my argument. By showing stats in your presentation, you are increasing your credibility and especially the validity of your claim. Also a great reason why facts and stats can be important is because it actually can change the perception and views of your audience in a way so that the audience can understand your topic better.

One downside of using facs and figures can be that if you use too many, then you might sound like a robot almanac or encyclopedia. This can actually make your speech more annoying and boring in some cases. Also, if you blab off too many facts then there is less of your ideas of the concepts. IK think that facts should serve as a supplement not the main course.

Speech evaluation ONE

Overall, I thought I did a fine job in presenting the information about my topic on “some tips and tricks to have a good time at parties” especially since this was the first time in a long while that I have had to present a speech in front of a formal audience. I had practiced practically twenty times that week and at the same time I tried to turn a ten minute speech into a five minute manifestation. I will admit that no matter how many times I had practiced, there were still shaky nerves all around.

Once I entered the building, I knew in my mind I wanted to go first. I felt that going early in the period that we had actually got me more excited to do it. I felt I had something to prove to my audience. I wanted to show you guys that indeed I had worked hard on this speech. I felt that gaining my composures right before I started helped me out a lot. I took the time to prepare all that I needed. I did a little breathing and stretching exercise to help me get pumped. Then, I decided to just dive in and start.

Yes, I really did feel nervous, however I decided to not let my outer shell exhibit that part of me. My attention grabber was excellent as I turned around with my jester hat and my stunner shades. My introduction and main points sounded not as concise as I wanted them to be mostly due to my emotional state. I really dislike the first two minutes of speeches. Fortunately, as I started hitting the main body of my presentation, I began to settle in. As I expected, talking became easier. The audience participation was a key part and I think that I did an exceptional job at talking and at the same time presenting my example.

Throughout the five minutes, I used three of my sources as visual aids, pointing out various books that would be available if someone wanted to find out more information. I believe I had one more source, but I failed to mention it at all in the speech. That wasn’t all too bad because if I did mention it, then I would’ve broken the five minute time limit. As I finished my speech, I began to get nervous again because I wanted to finish on a great note. My hands got a little shaky and I think I stuttered on one or two words. However, I focused on getting my last point across and as I finished, I saw the five minute marker.

My speech started out as having three topics that actually could be covered each on its own in a five minute speech. As a result of having to cram the three, I rushed my words and some people did not get what I was trying to say at certain points. If I had to do it again, I would've liked to focus on one of the points that I covered such as body language, or relaxation techniques, or specific tricks to have fun at parties. The video and many of my classmates showed me that I was moving around a lot and my gestures could have been a little less frequent. For the next speech, I want to be a little more calm and I want to slow down my talking. My eye contact was excellent. I would rate it as 9/10. That was one of the demonstrations that I had to show so it had to be good. I tried to focus attention to one person's eyes every few seconds.

I think that my speech would merit a “B”. I felt that I did get my message across with sufficient evidence. However, the way that I presented my introduction, main points, and conclusion could have been better delivered and my body movements could be improved so that I do not look like a malfunctioning robot. =)

ch.5 interest

What i found interesting in ch. 5 of the textbook is the section on credibility. On page 119, the book discusses developing credibility with your audience. It said that a speaker's credibility relies on four aspects. These are the people's perception of the speakers trustworthyness, dynamism, socialbility, and competence. So, the first word is trustworthyness. When a speaker is perceived as trust worthy, he or she exhibits traits of sincerity, reliablility, and empathy. Also, the speaker must relate to the audience's needs and wants. The second word is dynamism which refers to the energy and activity level of the speaker. This means that he or she has to look strong, clear, and precise in what they are talking about. The speaker has to have the ability to throw in a dynamic that will make the audience pay attention. The next word is socialbility which means how well the audience connects to the speaker whether it be emotionally, spiritually, or mentally. This also means how well the presenter touches on common ground and ideas that can touch the audience on a personal level. The last word is competence which means the understanding of the topic and information being presented. Competence comes from using supportable evidence that backs up the main points of a topic. Also, it can stem from using knowledge of the audience and environment to benefit the speech.

All in all, I think that knowing your speech and environment, being commited sincerely to your topic, having the energy level to enrich the presentation, and having the ability to connect to your audience at a personal level will tremendous improve your skill set when giving a successful speech.

Audience analysis and adaptation

Finding out information about your audience can significantly improve your presentation. By asking questions through methods such as audience research questionaires, you can find out about the certain aspects of the people you are trying to convey a message to. You can use the information to find out interesting fact and figures to use in your presentation. In addition, you can find out about the dominant values and preferences of a group of people. Also, by knowing more about your audience, you can anticipate possible topics that you might want to cover in more detail. By knowing more about the different people you will be facing, you can better establish connection and rapport with them. What I gained from this is the ability to find out as much information as i can about who im going to be talking to and what they think, so that i can better prepare for my presentation. I can say that this is a vital part when trying to speak to your audience.

In terms of adapting to the audience, by finding out as much as you can, you can anticipate any problems that might arise that might offend or disinterest the audience. Through the questionaires you can find out some of this information. Also, by taking into account the environment in which you present your speech you can plan things to enhance your speech. By knowing as much as you can, you will make sure that you do all you can to be prepared for any disturbances that may show up.

Speech buddy ch.5 and roadmaps!

So, in this speech buddy presentation, there were two speakers mentioned. The first speaker was Matthew Naso who spoke about the dangers of intoxication. He set a clear roadmap on where he was going to direct the audience. He also had a lot of statistics and evidence to support his claims. He put a sense of worry and fear into his audience through all the facts and figures that he mentioned. What i liked the most about his presentation was the visual aids which explained how many beers it takes to incapacitate a person and how the chances of accidents increase immensily with the consumption of a few cans of alcohol beverages. What i didn' t like about his performance, is how boring the tone of his voice was. Even though he had many interesting ideas, I felt like I wanted to sleep in class. Overall, though i was interested in what he had to talk about because of the quality of information he got from his sources.

In the second video, Courtney was giving a presentation of Light Pollution and the effects on Earth. The website featured a very short clip of her presentation. However, what i got from her was the fact that she set a concise road map of the several topics she was going to touch upon in her speech. She made it clear that she wanted to talk about how light pollution affects astronomy, the economy, and our health. I really believe that setting a roadmap is essential because without directing the audience to where you want to go, then how will they be able to keep track of and fully comprehend the information that you are giving them? Good note.

Ch. 6 Speech Researching comment

The most tedious and often most painful part of conjuring up a speech is probably researching and finding sources for your speech. Chapter six gives a huge outline of the different kinds of material that range from the internet to books deep in your public library. It goes in depth with interviewing and how to access internet sources a lot more effectively. I'm going to talk a little more about the certain steps that the book addresses in preparing and conducting a successful interview.

There are six steps in this interview process. The first one is to determine why you want to interview. Will it support your arguments? Does it supplement or go further on any topics you might be covering?? The second step is to select who is going to be interviewed. This is very important. When interviewing about computer technology, you should not ask a farmer. So, select people that you might see as a good fit for your topic. The third is developing questions. By selecting a mix of open/close-ended, neutral and leading questions, you can grab the information you want from the interviewee(s). Next, is to organize the interview. After you set a good time and place to meet, you can proceed to establish some common ground and rapport with the person(s). Then, you can orient them about the interview and proceed to conduct the interview by asking that questions that you have prepared. Make sure that you have gathered the right information and cleared up any vague spots. Allow the interviewee(s) to talk and avoid too many interruptions. After conducting the interview, you can then use the information you've gained to enrich and support your subject in your speech. I believe that interviews are an important part of speech making because it allows your points to be supported by more perspectives other than your own. This will increase your credibility.

My update on my first speech...

Well, so far I've been swamped with a lot of school work (no surprise, really). Trying to keep up with work is tough, but so far I've been able to keep up with this class. For this upcoming speech, my topic is having fun at parties- tips and tricks. Right now, I'm in the process of brainstorming ideas to put in my presentation. There are so many little topics i can cover, but I'm trying to narrow it down to a couple of key points. The truth about this idea is that there are many different kinds of parties that one could go to. They range from the simple house party to major crowd gathering at major concerts or events like on New Year's Eve. So, I was thinking I could cover a little bit of each.

I figured that so many people need to know how to interact in parties to make it an experience worthwhile. So, I say that you can either sit around and relax, or go out there and make yourself an awesome outing. At public parties, more than likely there will most likely be people that you don't know. While I'm at it I could show a couple of little tricks that could impress a bunch of people you are trying to get to know. I say that when you are present in that kind of setting people are trying to accomplish one of two positive actions. The first is they are trying to relax and have some fun. The second part is that people are trying to either meet new people or trying to enhance relationships with people they already know. My focus of the speech will be on those two aspects.

So, that's my update. Right now, It is purely brainstorming ideas and trying to structure and pin point what exactly I can talk about in five minutes of time.

My experience with reasearching via interview...

To be honest, i have not really done many formal interviews but if you are to consider the experience of my entire life, i do remember one interview in 8th grade where i had to interview a teacher on there childhood experiences and where he/she grew up. Well, from what i recall, I set up an appointment with Ms. Coddington about a week in advance. We had a specific time and place to meet. A couple of classmates and I had a date with my 6th grade teacher. She was probably one of the most influential teachers in my grammar school days, and i was very curious in hearing about the days when she was our age. So, on the day we met, i was excited to do this interview. I just couldn't wait. During the interview, i had my pen, paper, and various questions to ask her. I think that our 8th grade teachers gave us the questions but nonetheless it helped us conduct the interview and gave us the information in order to write our papers. My friends and I listened carefully to all the details, and marked down all the important pictures, diagrams, and major events in her life. After we asked her all the questions given to us by our teachers, we asked her other questions pertaining to her lives. She went on to add a ton of information that actually almost put us to sleep. After the interview, we thanked her, and said our goodbyes. Now we had the information to write out our paper.

I think that the inportant factors that helped me conduct the interview was the fact that i was enthused about the experience. I has a certain sense of curiosity that helped me stay focused on the topic at hand. Another inportant step was the method of preparation. We had set a time and place to meet, and we had notes and questions to help us conduct the interview in a concise and effective manner. If I had to improve on anything, it would be the amount of time we spent with Ms. Coddington. I think that we already had all the necessary information, but we stuck around so long that we were asking questions that did not ever pertain to the topic we needed which was only about her childhood to the point where we got sleepy, and couldn't focus on the topic anymore. Hey, we were kids, we had short attention spans!!

Speech buddy...

Managing speaking fears and anxieties has been one of the hardest parts for me to handle. The first video i found to be very helpful as it dictates breathing techniques designed to help you relax in the moments of your speech. As i watched the other videos, using a combination of visualization, breathing, and changing your outlook, i feel these items can greatly improve the effectiveness of speech giving. It will fill you with energy, allow you to collect yourself even if you are feeling the fear. By practicing these skills along with the actual contents of your speech you will find out how to apply them to certain trouble spots during your talk. Talking about a topic that you have a lot of passion for will also help.

Another important part of the speech making process is the actual preparation including researching, structuring, and delivery. The presentations shown by these students in the video could set the standard for how to give a speech properly. By capturing the attention of an audience, and carefully and methodically dishing out researched material, the audience can have a clearer understanding of the topic at hand. I believe that another key to eliminating public speaking anxiety is actually knowing what to say. By practicing over and over until you can say it as easily as you can sing the words to happy birthday, you can effectively shoot down a significant part of the fear.

Building confidence

So, chapter 2 of the textbook describes the parts of the speech making process. I would like to touch upon a very important part in regards to building confidence. Confidence is more than just an attitude that you exude when giving a presentation. Even if you have the necessary energy and attitude, if you are not well prepared for the speech then all of that vibe can go down the drain very quickly. So, some techniques to increase confidence before a speech are to first plan and prepare speeches early. I have had a problem with this in the past, and thus when speech time would come around, I would be so nervous that the words I use would be vague and awkward. This is somethingfor me to work on. Next, you would choose a topic that you care about. I believe that if you choose a topic that you really care about, it will be easier and maybe even fun to talk about. Other techniques include learning all you can about your topic and the audience you are speaking to. By doing this, you can adapt to situations so that your message will be more concise and easier to understand. Last, you should practice, practice, and practice some more. Do not expect to wing a presentation. Not only will it look sloppy, but the audience might not get the message that you are trying to give. That's the most important aspect, getting the people to get what you are saying. So, PRACTICE!!

What's my fear of public speaking?

I think that my biggest fear in regards to public speaking will have to be my fear of being judged by other people. I have taken a lot of critisism in my life, and i have not learned how to turn that into something positive for me to work on or take into account. Instead, I take the comments personally as an attack on my character rather than insights into what i said. I worry that no one will listen to me, or that if i say one wrong phrase, I'm doomed to be thought of as negative and worthless. The reason why I am taking this class is to conquer that fear of being judged, and also at the same time i want to be able to present myself in a confident and sincere way so that people will understand the profound messeges that I put out as a human being.

The second reason why i think that I am apprehensive is due to the fact that i do not prepare my information very well. I am always blanking out or freezing up during important times in the interactions. I have to work on having something to say and presenting it in a timely and methodical manner.

Hi my name is Pat, my friends call me Patty-G

Hi everyone, im so existed to get this class underway. I want to get this part of my life handled. Anyways my name is Pat Gimeno, and currently im a 3rd year student who loves to play basketball, sing, and discover humanity. I'm curious to see what this world has to offer me, and college is another step in my life. I can't wait to meet all of you.