My Experience in Speech Class

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My Experience in Speech Class My Experience in Speech Class Before I started this class, if someone would have asked me if I wanted to give a speech in front of a large audience, I would have laughed in their face. But in reflection of my semester in speech class, I would now jump at the chance to talk in front of an audience. True, it is partially because I enjoy making a fool of myself, but it is in large part due to the fact that talking to people in a structured manner, such as a speech does not feel so uncomfortable anymore. I used to be a quiet student in class. However, since the first day of this speech class, I realized that this class had the greatest opportunities for me to improve my public speaking skills just by speaking up in the class. I would be less fearful, because everybody in the class has the same goal as me. All the students in this class were great. We all have a fun time in the class and everyone is so nice. We always had great class discussions that I learn a lot from. I feel like almost everyone is on the same page when it comes to the nervousness. Why is that? Why does public speaking make people become nervous? I feel that many people just don't understand the fundamentals of speaking. First thing first, your speech will go much smoother if your audience finds you credible. The Greek word, ethos, was the name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication refer to as credibility. It is the audience's perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic. The two major factors influencing a speaker's credibility are competence and character. I believe credibility is not only attained through research and study, but life experiences. Next, your delivery is just as important as your material. A nervous speaker with accurate facts is just not believable. Properly delivering your message to your
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