Liliam Bravo Figueredo - 1 Public Speaking Reflection

 Reflection on Public Speaking

When I first Stated this Public Speaking class, I honestly saw it mostly as a class that I needed to take because it was required for my degree. I did not expect it to be one of the classes that would have a major impact on me. However, after going through the different topics that were presented, I realized that public speaking is not only about standing in fron of a classroom and giving a speech. It involves communication, confidence, organization, listening, adapting to different audiences, and being able to express ideas clearly. These are skills that can be useful in many different situations, including my future career. 

The first group Covered Chapters 1 though 4, wich focused on the fundations of public speaking. Some of the main topics included the evolution of public speaking, building confidence, listening, and developing a purpuse and a topic for a speech. One thing I found Important from these topic was the idea that becoming a better speaker is something that develops with practice. Confidence is not necessarily something that everyone automatically has when speaking in front of others. It can improve through preparation and experience. I also think listening is an important part of communication beacuse publick speaking is not only about talking. Understanding the people you are communicating with is just as important as knowing what you want to say. 

The second group covered Chapter 5 through 8. These chapters focused more on developing and researching a speech. They Included adapting to audience, researching a topic, supporting ideas, and organizing and outlining a speech. I found these topics useful because they showed that a good presentation does not simply happen when someone stands up and starts talking. There is a process behind it. A speaker needs to uderstand who the audience is, research reliable information, decide which information is actually useful, and organize it in a way that makes sense. I also realized that having a lot of information does not autamitacally make a speech better. The information needs to support the main purpose of the presentation and be understandable to the audience. 

The third group covered Chapters 9 through 12, wich focused more on presenting yurself and your ideas. These chapters included beginning and ending a speech, using language effectively, integrating presentation media, and developing and delivering a speech. I think this part of the material connected closely with the actual experience of giving presentations in class. The beginning of a speech is important because it is the first oportunity to get the audience's attention, while the ending gives the audience the final aidea they will remember. I also learned that presentation media should support what the speaker is saying instead of becoming the entire presentation. Slides with too much text can make an audience focus on reading instead of listening to the speaker. Delivery is also important because the way something is said can affect how the audience receives the information.

My group was Group 4, and we covered chapters 13 through 17. These chapters focused of dufferent speking situations, including informative speaking, persiasive speaking, understanding arguments, distance speaking and media appearances, and special occasion speeches. I learned that there are many different types of speeches deppending on the sitiation. For example, a tribute is used to honor someone, a roast uses humor to tease an honoree, and a toast celebrates a person of occasion, and acceptance speech is used when someone receives an award or recognition. The chapter also discussed public testimony and elevator speeches, which are very different from traditional classroom presentations. 

Preparing my part of the previous presentation was challenging because we had to explain an entire chapter using only three slides and stay within a four minute limit. This forces me to think about what information was acctually important and what could be left out. I could not simply put everything from the textbook onto the slides. I had to summarize the information and explain the most important ideas verbally. this helped me understand something that I had not really thought about before. "Being a good speaker is not about saying as much as possible, it is about communicating the right information effectively"

One part of Chapter 17 that I found especially useful was the elevator speech. An elevator speech is a short presentation, usually around 30 to 60 seconds, where you explain who you are, what you do, your experience, or what you would like to accomplish. I think this is something that can actually be useful in real life because opportunities to introduce yoursel can happen unexpectedly. You may meet someone who works in your field, attend a networking event, or have a conversation with someone who cold potentially help with your career. Being able to explain yourself clearly in a short amount of time can make a difference. 

Looking at all four groups together, I noticed that the chapters followed a logical progression. first, we learned about the basic publick speaking and building confidence. then we learned how to develop, research, support, and organize a speech. After that we focused on language, presentation media and delivery. Finally, we learned about different situations in which public speaking can be used. This made me realize that public speaking is a combination of many different skills rather than just one ability. 

Even though I originally viewed yhis class mainly as a requirement, I think I will take some of these skills with me into my future. I am planning to work in healthcare, and communication will be an important part of that carrer. I will need to communicate with patients, families, coworkers, and other healthcare professionals. I may not be giving formal speeches every day, but I will still need to explain information clearly, listen carefully, adapt my communication to different people, and speak confidentialy when necessary. 

Overall, this class changed my perspective somewhat. I still may not consider public speking my favorite thing to do, but I do understand better why it is an important skill. the presentations from the different groups showed me that communication can take many forms and that the way we communicate should depend on our purpose, our audience, and the situation. The biggest lesson I take from the class is tat preparation makes communication easier. Knowing what i want to say, understanding who I am speaking to, and organizing my ideas can help me feel more confident and communicate more effectively.