As we arrive at the conclusion of the 15-week communications
course, I reflect back on the goals I set out to achieve in the beginning,
which is to conquer my fear of public speaking, and to improve my command over
the use of English language.
Although I feel that power
posing may have boosted my self-confidence slightly before presentations, I
believe for the most part that it was the mentality going into a presentation
that really gave me the needed determination to do well in the presentation
itself: I have a message to share with the audience, and whether or not I like
it, time will keep ticking on.
Throughout the course, I have
watched live demonstrations by my classmates, as well as videos of professional
speakers impart their ideas and they have made me more critical on the way I
speak, the words I use, and the gestures I make. It has been a lot to take in
all at once, but one of the major improvements I noticed was me being able to
better pace myself when speaking as compared to before where I just blurted out
lines in an incomprehensible manner. Having kept a steady pace also bestowed me
with more time to formulate my next sentences and articulate clearly which in
turn helped maintain my sanity and composure.
With that, I am glad to have been given the opportunity to
practice communication in the form of formal presentations. The experience is truly
invaluable as it has made me more aware of my flaws in public speaking and at
the same time providing insight on methods of improving upon said flaws. Sadly,
the course has come to an end, but the lessons learnt will stay on to serve as a
stepping stone towards becoming a better communicator overall.
