Public speaking 101
OLA AMIGOS!
It's been quite some time that I last updated my blog as I'm getting more and more busy with my studies lately :(
So, today I just had my first public speaking class (I registered late for this class >.<)
Firstly, I'm a half banana. Banana means Chinese people that doesn't know how to speak/write in Mandarin. I did not attend Chinese school so that is why but I do learn Mandarin by myself. I know how to speak fluently and write( not very well, though).
So, being a banana also meant that I'm good in another language which is English & Malay. I would proudly say my English is a LITTLE BIT better being compared to the other (such as my badass friend -.-). Hence, I always had been confident in myself for speaking English especially in public or during presentations.
Today for attending my first public speaking class, I was so excited wanting to show off some of my skills in speaking. Coincidentally, the lecturer had us presenting an impromptu speech with any of the topics:
1)True wisdom comes from experience
2) In what situation, white lie is a good idea?
3) If I ruled the world
Guess which topic i chose..
I was so eager and excited when waiting for my turn to unleash my talent...then, I heard my name being called.
Smooth intro checked, eye contact checked, fluency checked, and... my voice started to tremble. WHAT THE HELL as I'm shaking. I never felt so nervous in my life before in doing presentations! I was freaking out and I do not know why. WHAT HAPPENED TO ME??? Is it because I have no presented for some time already? Or did I left my confident at home? Oh god that was horrible. I was so nervous until I had to stop, breath, apologise and repeat my statement.
This is a bad experience.
Despite my failure in today's presentation, I would like to share some presentation tips that I have learnt from my class.
How to give a proper (but not too formal) presentation:
1. YOU MUST BE LOUD ENOUGH for everyone to hear you. You wouldn't want your audience to misheard/being uncertain of what you are talking about cuz they cant hear you. So, be loud but don't shout
2. You must ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCES. Respect your audiences by saying a simple 'Hello! fellow audiences' or 'Good day, mates'
3. NOT TOO FAST, NOT TOO SLOW. Too fast: audiences can't catch up in what you are talking, Too slow: people get bored. At the end, they'll lose interest in what you are talking about.
4. LANGUAGE. Please improve your grammar of the language that you will be presenting in so to get your expressions right. There is always a problem that I realise Chinese people have is that they tend to structure the sentence in Mandarin (in their mind) and they translates it into English. This is a very bad habit that will cause the structure of the sentence to be wrong or error-prone.
5. Your BODY LANGUAGE speaks a thousand words. Stand straight + small hand gestures + proper attire = good first impression.
6. You are PRESENTING, NOT READING. Always, always bear in mind that if you were to take notes with you on to the stage, write only short/ important notes. Do not write sentences because you tend to read from your notes instead of talking to your audiences. Glance at your notes and look up to your audience and present. Your audience are not 3 year old kids needing you to read them a book.
7. Be TIMELY. 2 minutes are sufficient for a intro+3 points+conclusion speech. Speeches that are too long will bore audiences while short speeches will leave audiences confused if your speech are not crafted and presented carefully.
8. DO NOT APOLOGISE when you make a mistake (unless you pronounced a person's name wrongly). I do not know why my lecturer adviced me not to apologise (I did say sorry for being nervous) in case of any mistake. She said that 'sorry' will capture audience's attention and make them focus on your error.
9. INTRODUCTION. If your given time slot is short, go for a short intro but do not go with: 'Today I'll be talking about condoms'. Instead, try 'Malaysia's condom-maker introduced a durian-flavoured, studded condom. Would you like to try one? Do you know what durian smells like?' BANG, you've got some attention there.
10. CONCLUSION. On of the very important element in a presentation to leave a trace in your audiences' mind. You would like your audience to remember (even a tiny bit) of what you have told them and the conclusion is the final yet important bullet for you to ensure your audience leave the hall with something in their mind. Quotes, hypothetical or anecdotes will be fun and catchy to end your speech.
TED talks/ TED conferences provides some of the best speeches in the world and it is really a few clicks. Visit TED > https://www.ted.com/talks you're welcome :)
So, all the best in your presentations guys! Time to brush up some skills here
Adios,
Mich
It's been quite some time that I last updated my blog as I'm getting more and more busy with my studies lately :(
So, today I just had my first public speaking class (I registered late for this class >.<)
Firstly, I'm a half banana. Banana means Chinese people that doesn't know how to speak/write in Mandarin. I did not attend Chinese school so that is why but I do learn Mandarin by myself. I know how to speak fluently and write( not very well, though).
So, being a banana also meant that I'm good in another language which is English & Malay. I would proudly say my English is a LITTLE BIT better being compared to the other (such as my badass friend -.-). Hence, I always had been confident in myself for speaking English especially in public or during presentations.
Today for attending my first public speaking class, I was so excited wanting to show off some of my skills in speaking. Coincidentally, the lecturer had us presenting an impromptu speech with any of the topics:
1)True wisdom comes from experience
2) In what situation, white lie is a good idea?
3) If I ruled the world
Guess which topic i chose..
I was so eager and excited when waiting for my turn to unleash my talent...then, I heard my name being called.
Smooth intro checked, eye contact checked, fluency checked, and... my voice started to tremble. WHAT THE HELL as I'm shaking. I never felt so nervous in my life before in doing presentations! I was freaking out and I do not know why. WHAT HAPPENED TO ME??? Is it because I have no presented for some time already? Or did I left my confident at home? Oh god that was horrible. I was so nervous until I had to stop, breath, apologise and repeat my statement.
This is a bad experience.
Despite my failure in today's presentation, I would like to share some presentation tips that I have learnt from my class.
How to give a proper (but not too formal) presentation:
1. YOU MUST BE LOUD ENOUGH for everyone to hear you. You wouldn't want your audience to misheard/being uncertain of what you are talking about cuz they cant hear you. So, be loud but don't shout
2. You must ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCES. Respect your audiences by saying a simple 'Hello! fellow audiences' or 'Good day, mates'
3. NOT TOO FAST, NOT TOO SLOW. Too fast: audiences can't catch up in what you are talking, Too slow: people get bored. At the end, they'll lose interest in what you are talking about.
4. LANGUAGE. Please improve your grammar of the language that you will be presenting in so to get your expressions right. There is always a problem that I realise Chinese people have is that they tend to structure the sentence in Mandarin (in their mind) and they translates it into English. This is a very bad habit that will cause the structure of the sentence to be wrong or error-prone.
5. Your BODY LANGUAGE speaks a thousand words. Stand straight + small hand gestures + proper attire = good first impression.
6. You are PRESENTING, NOT READING. Always, always bear in mind that if you were to take notes with you on to the stage, write only short/ important notes. Do not write sentences because you tend to read from your notes instead of talking to your audiences. Glance at your notes and look up to your audience and present. Your audience are not 3 year old kids needing you to read them a book.
7. Be TIMELY. 2 minutes are sufficient for a intro+3 points+conclusion speech. Speeches that are too long will bore audiences while short speeches will leave audiences confused if your speech are not crafted and presented carefully.
8. DO NOT APOLOGISE when you make a mistake (unless you pronounced a person's name wrongly). I do not know why my lecturer adviced me not to apologise (I did say sorry for being nervous) in case of any mistake. She said that 'sorry' will capture audience's attention and make them focus on your error.
9. INTRODUCTION. If your given time slot is short, go for a short intro but do not go with: 'Today I'll be talking about condoms'. Instead, try 'Malaysia's condom-maker introduced a durian-flavoured, studded condom. Would you like to try one? Do you know what durian smells like?' BANG, you've got some attention there.
10. CONCLUSION. On of the very important element in a presentation to leave a trace in your audiences' mind. You would like your audience to remember (even a tiny bit) of what you have told them and the conclusion is the final yet important bullet for you to ensure your audience leave the hall with something in their mind. Quotes, hypothetical or anecdotes will be fun and catchy to end your speech.
TED talks/ TED conferences provides some of the best speeches in the world and it is really a few clicks. Visit TED > https://www.ted.com/talks you're welcome :)
So, all the best in your presentations guys! Time to brush up some skills here
Adios,
Mich
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