6_ChenS

Dear Professor Kim,

When it comes to public speaking I don’t get very nervous when speaking in front of an audience because I possess the confidence in myself to deliver the message I’m trying to give. Even though I have confidence in myself to speak in front an audience, it doesn’t necessarily make it me a good public speaker but it is a good element to possess to start becoming a good public speaker. Allow me to elaborate on my communication skills first of all my communication skills primarily comes from being in a fraternity. I am required to communicate with many people at a time within my organization and I meet several new people regularly. I am confident in myself in a public and social setting. I am not afraid to speak in a public setting therefore I am able to get my point across whenever I need to.

Even though I possess the confidence to speak in class, I know there are so many areas for improvement that I need to work on and continue to develop. When it comes to public speaking for me, I sometimes begin rushing when I feel like my speech is starting to sound jaded to the audience. When I start rushing my speech, I sometimes forget to enunciate words and begin to slur which makes the audience not understand what I’m trying to convey. I suppose another area I could improve on when speaking is the tone of my voice because sometimes when I’m just reading from a source it can sound pretty monotonous. Another area I can improve is my non verbal communication skills. Last but not least, another flaw I posses when comes to speaking will have to be my lack of eye contact with the audience.

Let’s be honest, even the best public speakers still have their tiny flaws when it comes to public speaking but these flaws can easily be fixed through simple solutions. For example, I can practice my speeches before hand in front of a mirror or record myself so I know how I’m sounding and the way the presentation is flowing to keep speeches from sounding dreary towards the audience. I should thoroughly research the material and truly try to understand the subject before delivering the speech so I can go in depth instead of scratching the surface of the subject. A good way to not sound dull in my speeches is to know my audience and get them involved so they’re interested in hearing about what I have to say. To prevent myself from not forgetting to enunciate when speaking I can speak clearly and slowly but not too slowly. Things like body gestures and movements can be incorporated in my speeches which can improved my non verbal communication skills and make my speeches more lively and interesting. Improving eye contact with the audience is easy, I don’t need to look straight at the individuals’ eye but look past them so it seems like I’m looking at them. Last but not least, if you’re nervous smile. If you’re smiling, you’re happy and the audience will feel the same way you do.

With more practice and experience I hope to become fully capable of becoming a good public speaker. I know many people rank public speaking as their top fears that they possess but with practice, public speaking can become strength and not a weakness.

Best regards, Steven Chen