The Exit Exam

Summer 2004 AnchorSet, 5-5 Essay

Topic: A college course that has taught more than expected. This topic was not selected for the Summer 2004 exam.

Fundamentals of Speech

Fundamentals of Speech is a college course at VCC that has taught me far more than I expected. I am a very shy and quiet person who does not like talking in front of people because it makes me nervous. When I found out that Fundamentals of Speech was a requirement, I was very nervous. I had many reservations about having to stand in front of a classroom full of people and delivering a speech. However, this course has taught me a great deal more than I expected. i am now able to successfully plan, develop, and deliver a speech more easily.

Planning a speech was the first thing that I had to learn. I needed to decide on a topic that would be interesting, not only for myself, but for the audience as well. Once I had decided on a topic, I had to research the topic using many different sources in order to get many viewpoints. After retrieving all of this information, I had to take a stand on the issue, either I agreed or disagreed with the subject. To make the speech more interesting to teh audience, I next had to take a survey to decipher which side the audience agreed with. After collecting all of this information, the next step was to deliver the speech.

During the development stage, I had to gather all of the data that I had collected and arrange it into an outline. The outline had to be very specific and detailed, and it had to include the introduction, body, and conclusion. The most difficult part about deciding on an introduction was choosing an attention-getter. (This is what is used to capture the audience's attention so that they are prepared for the speech.) Another aspect of the development stage was deciding what type of visual aids to use. In my speeches, used charts, pictures, and objects as visual aids to clarify any doubt that the audience might have had about my data collection. When all of these things were organized and put in place, I had to practice my speech. Practicing was one of the most important steps in the whole process. Without practicing, i would not have had the courage to stand up and deliver my speech.

Delivering the speech was a difficult process. Not only did I have to stand up in the front of the classroom and explain the material, I also had to be aware of my audience and their reactions. If they started to look bored, I had to change my words around so that I could regain their attention. If they looked confused, I had to elaborate more. It was a strenuous process but without the eye contact, I could loose their attention and concentration within a few seconds.

Fundamentals of Speech was a course that taught me more than I expected. I taught me how to plan, develop, and deliver a speech that not only was informative to the audience, but to myself as well. I learned that each step in the speech-making process coincides with one another. Topic selection was the key part in planning, research was the key part in developing, and eye contact was the key part in delivery. As a result of taking this class, I am now less shy and quiet. I am able to not only deliver a speech, but interact with others outside of the classroom. It had given me the confidence to share and take part in discussions and conversations. The ultimate reason why Fundamentals of Speech was so helpful was that it has helped me prepare to be a successful teacher in the future. I never would have expected this class to teach me as much as it has.

Comments:

[Score 6-6. (623w) This essay is not perfect, but it is developed clearly and extensively. The writing is honest and shows that not only does the writer actually believe what she or he is writing, but that something was learned; it has a persuasive element in it. There are some grammatical errors, but it is easy to overlook them when the writing is so clear.]