Emily Zapata

May 22, 2023

Emily Zapata 

Prof. Sherri Sinkoff

SPC 2608

First Presentation

This is my first presentation in this class and I was a little nervous about it. I was born here in Miami, but I grew up in Peru, so sometimes I get insecure with my pronunciation or my accent. For me speaking it's hard because there are a lot of people who judge me or can be mean in certain scenarios. I feel this class it's going to help me be more confident about speaking not only in presentations but in daily conversations. Presentations are always kind of scary because a lot of people get nervous and can have a little anxiety about it. I get nervous at the beginning of my presentation, but then I like to go with the flow and I feel able to express myself. I feel that a public speaking class's first presentation can be exciting as well as terrifying. It's a chance to show off your communication abilities, improve your self-confidence, and receive guidance and feedback from others. We can use public speaking as a helpful ability in many kinds of scenarios, including work environments, social occasions, and personal growth.

This first presentation was the best way to start this class because it can help us understand how to present and gives us some tips for it. This presentation was about how to start speaking in public by having constructive feedback, gaining development skills,  the fears we can experience and how to deal with them, and the confidence that we can obtain from it. The chance to get feedback from the other students and instructor is one of the advantages of taking a public speaking class. We can improve our speaking abilities and identify improvement areas with the use of honest criticism. Accepting feedback as a useful tool for learning can help  improve communication skills. In many aspects of life, including school, employment, and social situations, public speaking is a useful skill. We have the chance to improve our capacity to communicate ideas clearly, interact with others, and provide interesting speeches by taking a public speaking class. Having a fear of speaking in front of others affects a lot of people. Taking a public speaking class gives us the opportunity to confront and overcome this anxiety. We will progressively gain more confidence and the ability to deliver great presentations and deal with our fears head-on. Speaking in front of a group of people can be scary especially if you're not used to doing it. But each presentation will give us the chance to move beyond our comfort zone and continue to increase our confidence. We will develop trust and feel comfortable speaking in front of others, gaining practice while receiving feedback.

I am part of group one and we were talking about chapters 1-4. I feel that my group was very helpful and caring about how to develop the presentation and how to divide the information and the PowerPoint. This is something really important because you need to get prepared beforehand to be sure about what you are talking about and to explain your material. I feel that everyone, not only my group, did really well in the first presentation. You noticed that some people were more nervous than others by the way they were speaking or because some of them were forgetting some stuff, but at the end of the day they solved it and handled it. I think that having groups offers opportunities to gain knowledge from learning together. Every person gives their different points of view, experiences, and speech styles to the discussion. You can learn about different presenting tactics, presenting details, and techniques for public speaking by observing and listening to the presentations of your other classmates. I consider that in a class of public speaking, the group is important. It offers an opportunity for receiving information from other people, receiving useful feedback, getting moral support, learn how to work with others, and connect with different points of view. 

What I took away from this book and the presentation is understanding the essential elements of public speaking, including speech organization, belief organization, and communicating a message that is clear and logical. It could give helpful guidance on how to keep the audience's attention, engage them, use good body language, and use vocal changes. The importance of the tactics such as creating engaging content and practicing speeches. It could show how crucial practice is for improvement in general.Storytelling can be a very effective technique. The book show us at the technique of storytelling, demonstrating how it can attract spectators, create feelings, and help readers remember difficult concepts. It can give ideas on how to use storytelling methods in speeches to make them more interesting and engaging.

In conclusion, I learned how to begin public speaking and what it offers. It emphasizes the importance of overcoming anxiety and developing confidence, knowing the basics of speech structure and delivery, and finding originality and personal style. This presentation helps us to accept our unique voices, connect with people more deeply, and leave lasting effects through  presentation with work, focus, and dedication.