Introductory Speech Reflection

While preparing for my speech, I was very confused about the approach that I wanted to take for this speech. This is because, like any other person, there are many things about me and I was having trouble deciding which facet I would like to focus on. In order to prepare for the speech, I thought about things that are unique to me and differentiate me from most other people. This, I thought, would be the best approach as I thought it would allow me to attract the attention of the class. Finally, I decided to talk about out the Buddhist influence in my life and how this prompts me to create content geared to social change. The speech however, did not go as perfectly as I had imagined. For future speeches, I plan to devote more time to preparation so that the ideas that I intend to communicate actually come across the way I plan in the final speech.

While I was giving the speech, I was really nervous. Hopefully, that didn't show much. This also impacted my body language and facial expression. I have often been told that a large part of the communication process revolves around factors beyond the actual words that you use. For this particular speech, I did not devote as much preparation as I would have liked to the non-verbal aspects of my speech delivery. However, I realized its importance by the end of the class, after having seen all the presentations. For future speeches, I hope to pay more attention to the non-verbal cues I communicate through body language and facial expressions. This also includes interacting with the audience and engaging with them in order to draw their attention towards the topic I am speaking about.

Overall, this was a highly educational experience and allowed me to gage my strengths and weaknesses as a public speaker going into this semester. As I learn more things and give more speeches during the course of the semester, I hope to emerge a better and more effective public speaker.

Taking a Step Back

            Last Tuesday night, I sat on my couch and tried to procrastinate writing my Introduction speech. I kept asking myself what my peers would want to know. Would they want to hear about the time I rode my bike into a rose bush or perhaps the time my preschool friend and I gave each other bowl cuts? No, I want something substantial, yet not overly dramatic. After much consideration, I opted to discuss an event that I deem the most influential experience of my life: my close call with a prosthetic foot. With a 90 second time limit, it was important to explain the basics of the story while adding a few central details. To ensure I covered all the information I planned, I wrote a few bullet points on a small index card. Remembering speech techniques from my high school career, I attempted to capture my audience with a funny, yet relatable quote and a follow up question. It felt a bit gimmicky, but I hoped it would be appropriate for the nature of the speech. After telling the light-hearted side of my story, I closed with the same quote from the opening, reminding my audience to “literally, take a step back”, a piece of advice I wish I had followed years ago. In regards to the delivery of the speech, I think I did well. I tried my best to avoid my typical pitfalls: swaying side to side, touching my hair, and speaking too quickly. However, there is still room for improvement. I look forward to hearing some feedback from both my classmates and Cynthia.

           As an audience member, I anticipated some feelings of secondhand embarrassment and anxiety for those with speech apprehension. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I never experienced any of these emotions. Even the most timid student found their confidence when speaking about their passions and hobbies. Shaky voices became strong and clammy hands became tools for gestures. I once dreaded listening to my classmates nervously ramble for 90 seconds but quickly came to realize it wasn’t long enough. These speeches helped me better understand my classmates and future audience. I believe that this exercise will make speaking to the class more relaxed because I now see that we share the same fears and the same intentions. Our class is a safe place where we all deliver the support we crave.

Introduciton Speech Reflection

The first speech.  The anticipation has finally come to an end and now, I realize that I have much to work on.  There are many basic techniques that I do not naturally have such as strong eye contact, strength in voice, stamina, and confident body language.  When thinking back on it and finding these flaws in myself I wonder, what did I even do up there?  Nonetheless, what I can take from this experience is that I really can improve and become the best speaker I can be.

When constructing the introduction speech, I did not pre-make notes to follow and everything was by memory.  After much research and observation outside of class, I found this to be my main mistake.  In order to execute a brilliant speech one must prepare to make a brilliant speech.  Nobody can get away from this idea, not even the toastmasters.  In terms of context, I believe I nailed the three topics that I wanted to share with the class.  I shared bits about where I'm from, and what I like to do in hopes they would be easy things to remember; Calvin Dang, the Asian American dancer who plays games.

Although I do not feel I did not deliver a fantastic speech, I believe that I came in with strong ideas from my past experiences such as telling small stories that show who I am rather than just telling them who I am.  I focused on why each factoid was important in hopes of making the speech more interesting and remember able.  If I had rehearsed more seriously such as practicing out loud or having a physical outline I could adjust, I may have been able to calm my amateur nerves.

Introductory Speech Reflection

            When the introductory speech was assigned I did not think I would have to prepare much because it seemed like an easy enough speech to compose and speaking for  60-90 seconds did not seem excruciatingly difficult. However, with that being said, I'm glad that I decided to start writing and practicing earlier than I had originally planned because it actually helped me present more confidently.
            Interestingly enough I felt the writing process was a tad more difficult than the actual presenting of the speech (granted, I did get a little nervous before and during the presentation). Why was the writing part harder? Well because I felt it was strange to have to sit and think about what to share with the class. I didn't know what information I should share with the class or how to say it. During my writing process, I came up with different ways that I could present this speech to the class and was even contemplating doing a rap in order to make the speech more entertaining!
            Like most of my peers, I also get nervous before having to present in front of a group of people but if I had to choose, I'd rather speak to a larger body of people than a smaller group because the smaller group being more intimate is more nerve wracking. When I was walking up to the front of the class in order to give my speech, I actually wasn't too nervous but weirdly enough, I got more nervous as I started talking. I'm not sure why. I have a history of blanking out and completely forgetting lines (while performing) so maybe it was because I was afraid I was going to forget all that I planned to say. Luckily I didn't forget but I think it was also due to the fact that my peers were pleasantly reacting to what I had to say which made me feel more comfortable.

Introductory Speech Reflection

What do I have in common with the rest of the class? What is an important part of me that the class might want to know? I kept these questions in mind when coming up with what to talk about. I knew that I didn't have much time to speak so that limited much of what I could share. After much thought, I decided I didn't want to have a "this is my background, here are my hobbies" type of speech that sort of just listed a bunch of things. What, then, could I talk about? The answer was simple. What we had in common was that we were all taking this public speaking class for one reason or another.

After jotting down the points I wanted to make, I practiced aloud. After realizing that I was way over the time limit since I struggled to find a fluid way to convey my thoughts, I decided to stop and write down what I planned to say instead. Note cards with the important points are good for when we are presenting, but more was needed for preparation.

In class, I was amazed by how well the rest of my peers were doing during the presentations. Their speeches were very smooth and fun to listen to. Because of that, I was able to calm my nerves a bit before it was my turn. I was nervous and stuttered a bit but overall, it was a good experience and I feel like the atmosphere in our class is very warm and welcoming. I believe that by the end of this class, I will be able to become a stronger speaker.

First Speech Reflection (Post #1)

At first, I came into the speech with a mild confident attitude. Knowing my speech inside and out after rehearsing to my computer camera multiple times (thanks for always saving me MacBook). But, after several speeches, I realized I could be in trouble.
Their structure were fluid. Their word choice was impeccable. Their speeches were amazing. At that moment, I realized their speeches had something that mine didn't have. They were conversational. This is where I realized I made my first mistake. I was not giving a lecture to a crowd in Carnegie Hall; I was giving a lecture to a group of 18-22 year olds, in a small classroom. With this knowledge in mind, when I came up to the podium to present I turned off my theater boy style of memorization and turned on a style associated with the characteristics of an extemporaneous speech. This last minute swap, I believe helped my speech greatly. However, there is room for a lot of improvement.
Within the first 20 seconds or so of my speech, I was nervous as heck. It took a while for me to finally calm down my nerves. In addition, this made me lose focus of the tempo I planned to use throughout the entirety of my speech. I forgot to add verbal signs as to where the direction of my speech was headed, and also forgot to repeat the information.

Comm 204: So I talked about myself...

Autobiographies have always been one of my greatest challenges but at the same time they are an assignment I am guaranteed to have every semester that goes by. It is not that I don't know myself well, it's simply that when I am the subject of matter there is no reference I can go to than myself. To avoid being stuck thinking about how to present myself to the class, I decided I would focus on a reoccurring theme I have had throughout my life. I decided to connect my life experiences to the law of attraction. At the same time, I wanted to introduce this concept to the class hoping others would also identify with this law being present in their lives.

I am satisfied with the details I shared with my peers. Among some of the points I spoke about were my identification with the American and Mexican cultures and my journey as a first generation college student. Throughout the speech, I tried to place my life choices and interests in context of the law of attraction. I do recognize I could have presented my thoughts in a more cohesive way to completely tie my life to this law, but I left a lot of details out as I presented. I had points in mind that I wanted to share but realized I had focused too much time on some points and did not leave enough time for everything else which could be a problem in later speeches. I need to work on pacing myself and mastering where and how I should allocate time in a speech.

My classmates were responsive when I was giving my speech which was reassuring keeping in mind I was talking about myself. My voice is naturally loud, so I did not face a problem with projecting, and I feel comfortable making eye contact which helps when giving my speech. I know I tend to make a lot of hand movements when I communicate, but I tried to not make it a distraction during the speech. Overall it was a comfortable experience, and I look forward to seeing what growth I will have in this course.

Introductory Speech Reflection

Reflecting back on my last week's speech, I personally felt like I could have prepared a bit more. In many ways, the 90-second time limit worked for and against me. I hadn't been too nervous about the assignment. Confession: I had not started brainstorming for the speech until much later because I figured it wouldn't take too long, but when I had actually sat down to plan, I had trouble narrowing down the topics so that I wouldn't go over time. I proceeded to write everything down and from there, decided what I wanted to focus on, which was to talk about my time so far here at USC. I hope I was able to convey everything I had wanted to but know that I stuttered and fumbled with my words during my speech. From this first assignment alone, I've learned the importance in preparing for speeches ahead of time.

This semester, through this class, I really hope I can improve on organizing my thoughts and verbalizing my ideas in a coherent way. I wouldn't really say I'm afraid of speaking in front of people, but because I have trouble "making sense" a lot of the times, I tend to not speak up, when I actually feel like I have a lot to say. So I'd really like to be more confident in not only expressing my ideas but also believing that my words aren't gibberish.

Overall, I enjoyed everyone's speeches and very much look forward to having class with you all!

Brittany Lazar: Introductory Speech Reflection

On Wednesday, I had my first speech for Comm 204 and it turned out to be way less intimidating than I anticipated. Public speaking has always been scary for me, especially being a shy person and often avoiding any chance to speak in front of a large group of people. I decided to take Comm 204 to conquer this fear, and after my introductory speech, I’m so glad I chose this class.

            To prepare for my speech, I tried to think about the most important details that the class might want to know about me, but I found it really difficult to squeeze into 90 seconds. After rehearsing it once with my brother, it was about two and a half minutes, so it took me a while to figure what I should cut out. I figured I should leave out any boring or predictable details and instead include a few quirky and truthful things about me to give the class a better picture of my personality.

            Reflecting on my delivery of the speech, I think that I did a good job of including all of my points, considering I forgot my notecard at home; however I think I need work on my pace and calming my nerves. I’m not sure if my voice came off as shaky, but I felt myself struggling to catch my breath for the majority of the speech. I also noticed that other members of the class chose to structure their speech in unexpected and creative ways, which inspired me to go beyond expectations for my next speech. I guess I was too focused on following the outline in my head instead of being natural and conversant. I really enjoyed hearing all of speeches from my classmates and I feel less nervous to present in front of them now that I have a better sense of who they are.

Eric Pinashin Comm 204 Introduction Speech

Good afternoon,

After presenting my speech, I felt a slight sigh of relief, but then began to contemplate about the details which I left out during my speech. One day on my commute back home on the subway, I thought this would be the perfect time to construct and thoroughly think out my speech. I began by pulling out my crumpled college essay which I carry with me in my backpack. As I began to read my speech, I knew that not only was this over the 90 second limit, but that I was giving a mini autobiography to the class, so I decided to just focus on everything from the 12th grade on.

I could've focused on one topic, such as my pursuit to start my own biotech firm, how I buy and resell cars on Craigslist, how I love my job as a private tutor, or my journey to being a first generation college at USC, but I wanted to give my audience a more broader view on the person that I am, without disclosing too much detail. I feel that I spoke a bit more slowly in my speech than I do with my other speeches, but I know that I can slow it down a bit more in order to articulate and annunciate my words more clearly. I thought I made pretty good eye contact with everybody, and tried to move my eyes throughout the classroom, instead of just staring at the invisible clock at the back of the room. But I need to work on keep my hands within the "box" as Cynthia had mentioned, because I don't want that to become too much of a distraction.

I think the biggest challenge I may face with public speaking, is that I am a person who likes to talk a lot, but if I am timed with my speeches, I need to learn how to cut down a majority of the words and get my message across in a shorter, and more effective means of communication. I also would like to throw in some anecdotes, in order to lighten up the tone a bit in my speeches to not sound too serious.

I didn't get to hear anybody else's speech since I was out that day, but I bet everyone else did a great job, and I am looking forward to hearing people's informative speeches coming up soon.

Thank you,

Eric P

Introduction Speech: Getting Over My Stage Fright

A professor of mine in another class had me carry out a similar assignment. On the first day of classes, he had everyone stand up and say something interesting about themselves. Of course, the catch was that he would have to find it interesting. This ultimately led everyone to tell stories of how they got into trouble with the police or about embarrassing childhood stories. When I first received my introduction speech, I thought it would be easy. I could just tell my class about funny things that have happened to me. While writing my introduction speech, I then realized that this assignment would be a lot harder. Telling embarrassing stories would not cut it. I would have to reflect on who I really am as a person and think about how I would deliver my ideas to the class.

Since I would be working closely with my peers the rest of the semester, I wanted to deliver a speech that was genuine and that would portray me in an accurate manner. To think of things people would find meaningful and also interesting, I made a list of the many qualities and interests that make me who I am. I chose those I deemed were best and started to write my speech. I wanted to make my introduction catchy, but was concerned about starting in a different language. I did not want to make my audience feel left out. I wrote things down, and tried to find a way in which all my qualities were related to each other so that they would flow within my speech.

I was very content with the speech I delivered. I believe I spoke loud enough and tried to speak slowly so that people would understand. Nonetheless, I certainly feel I could have done better. I was not going to hold onto a piece of paper while delivering the speech, and did so anyways. When I began talking, I noticed the paper was shaking, which distracted me significantly. I also felt my voice was shaky. I know I will get over this, though. It was only my first speech and I was nervous. I really appreciated classmates that smiled while I was giving my speech! That really made me feel good about myself and get over the stage fright!

"The fact that I didn't talk about the Honda S2000 for more than 10 seconds is good enough for me" speech

In reference to the above title, I tend to ramble on and on about how the Honda S2000 is, to me the greatest car ever, and I actually was planning on talking about why the car is so important and significant to me, but then I remembered that's not what's actually interesting about me because that's an object which I don't even own and is not necessarily relevant *angrily shakes fist at sky and curses abnormally high insurance rates for my age group*

                                          It really is that good, take my word (or the 10 seconds from my speech) for it. 

The last part of my speech was what I wanted to convey as the most important point. The part where I talked about how part of the reason why I joined Neon Tommy and why I wish to become an Automotive journalist is so I can bring out the automotive enthusiast in the reader. After many years of talking to a wide variety of people about cars, from people who aren't all that interested, to people who have begun to graze the surface, to full on they-totally-understand-my-jargon enthusiasts, I've decided that spreading the message of "Driving is not about getting to point A to point B, it is the point." What I said about music and driving taking you to another dimension of sorts really was true. If music can tantalize the soul and soothe the mind, why can't driving? This is something I firmly believe everyone in the classroom can benefit from. For all my future speeches, the persuasive, informative and visual topics I plan to use automotive related topics that are relevant and useful to the class, and maybe, just maybe everyone in class will be better informed and have a newfound interest and cars and driving. Maybe. 

In preparing for my speech, I mainly learned about time constraints, and that 1 minute and 30 seconds goes by really quickly and that I would have to make some serious adjustments. So I shoehorned in the last part of my speech at literally the last minute, dropped the part where I made a small list of cars I liked that weren't the Honda S2000, dropped me building a PC from scratch and a few other items. I also learned that shoehorning something you originally memorized and planned to talk about for Neon Tommy last week into a speech I was about to give in about 20 seconds was not a very good idea, even though I thought I managed to pull it off. In doing this I also learned to actually prioritize, as I dropped things that I felt weren't as important as others.

KarpasD Comm 204 11:00 am Intro Speech Refelction

The first project in Comm 204 turned out to be a great experience. The best way that I can look back on the fun is by talking about the preparation, the challenges, and the surprises.   

In preparation for my introduction speech, I started by typing every fact I knew about myself. It took about 20 minutes to pick the information I wanted in my speech. While writing the first draft, I decided on dividing my intro speech in background, hobbies, and fun facts. To me this would give an accurate self portrait in the short time that I had. One of my favorite aspects of my speech was its organization. There were, though, many difficulties.

Though making an introduction speech was quite easy, there were certain challenges. The main difficulty I faced was picking what I wanted to say. Having only 90 seconds, I wanted to give to the audience the best idea of me that I could. To do this, I had to leave my life stories at the door and share only the most relevant material. To my astonishment, some classmates did the exact opposite.  

To my surprise, many of the speeches in the class differed from mine. Instead of listing attributes, several students chose to spend their 90 seconds sharing anecdotes. Getting her foot smashed by a car, one girl chose to tell about her life in a different kind of way. This was an approach I thought of doing, but I couldn’t think of a cool enough story.

Like I said this was a fun experience and I’m looking forward to more projects like this one!  

Introduction Speech

Jacqueline Luke

Introduction Speech

Today I had my first speech in my public speaking class. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous beforehand. After doing the reading on speech making there were some takeaways that really stuck to my mind as I was constructing what my 60-90 second speech would be like. I wanted to make sure that the speech was simple and that there were a few mains points. I chose to talk about Newport Beach because it is my hometown and then about a fun fact about myself, my passion for the Lord of the Rings franchise. Using Lord of the Rings I would be able to segue into my career path and how I eventually became a Communications major which led me to taking this class. I felt that having a focus on one distinguishing factor about myself, like Lord of the Rings, would make myself more memorable than generally talking about my interests.
During the speech, I noticed that my legs were crossed and so I uncrossed it. I felt that maybe I was not as open in my posture as I could have been but I also don't really recall how I was standing. I did want to make sure that I was looking at the audience so hopefully I was successfully doing so! It was interesting because I feel as though I started off strong but I felt myself get more nervous actually as I continued talking rather than starting off nervous. I'm not sure why that was. I suppose it might be because I planned the first few words more heavily or that the speech started to change from what I had planned and I became more nervous as I was going into more "unknown" territory.
When listening to other people do their own speeches, I definitely listening and so now I can really identify who someone is in the class with these more key facts that I now know about them. I also noticed the differences between how each person talks- one person talked generally about themselves, one talked more about USC, one started off with a question, one made assumptions that we were making assumptions about him, and one shared just one moment in their life that was memorable.