Is Public Speaking an Important Tool ?
Public Speaking is a natural part of everyday life and at some point we all have experienced it in some shape or form. It could be as simple as having a conversation with a stranger and can range to delivering a speech to hundreds, maybe even thousands.
A little about myself: My name is Andrew and I am in my junior yea of college studying accounting at the University of Buffalo. The research topic that I am going to tackle is the skill of public speaking. Now some of you may be thinking, how much public speaking actually goes into the field of accounting. I believe one’s ability to effectively speak and communicate with others is a major key to success, regardless of industry. Public Speaking is important to me because I believe it is not just a simple thing you can be good at. I believe that it is a skill that you begin working at one you learn your first words and continue to work at for the rest of your life. Like many, I find that speaking in front of large groups of people can be daunting and a challenge. Having the right words to say is not enough to be a proficient public speaker. Public Speaking is important to me because it still gives me anxiety, and knowing no matter where I go in life, it will be something I have to do. Therefore I am in pursuit to enhance my public speaking skills, and I believe these blogs will be helpful to anyone who also struggles with speaking in front of large groups.
There are some questions related to public speaking that I would like to find the answers to when completing this project. When preparing to give a speech, is it better to memorize exactly what you are going to say word for word, or is it better to practice your speech and use cue cards? Do professional speakers still get nervous before they present or does it get easier with repetition? What is the best way to recover if you stumble when presenting? These questions are interesting to me because i believe they may be able to help me become a better public speaker.
My goals for the end of this project is to become more comfortable when speaking in front of large groups of people, to have less anxiety about doing presentations and have more confidence about speaking publicly. I will best measure my progress through doing individual and group presentations in school. Each time I present i can record how I feel before, during and after the presentation and ask my teacher and peers for feedback. To get better at presenting and public speaking, I will search out helpful articles, talk to my professors and other individuals who give presentations and experience public speaking on a daily basis, and watch videos of famous speeches given throughout history and observe the unique ways that make the speaker successful.
