Erika Luo- Week 2 - Speeches as an art form
What are speeches? How important is it to learn how to give a speech? To me, I think it is a necessary life skill to have personally. Learning how to give a proper speech is an academic skill that ties in with social skills as well as theater. When you give a speech, it is typically in front of a large audience. This factor ties in with theater, as you must become comfortable with speaking in front of others without stuttering or mumbling. Your body language also takes place in both instances. In theater, actors must learn not to fidget onstage, as it can be distracting for the audience. The same principle applies to people who are giving a speech. Fidgeting in front of an audience gives them the impression that you are unprofessional, and also diverts their attention onto your subtle movements rather than what you are saying.
To give a speech, one would need to write a speech. This is where academic literacy skills come into play. Learning about how to use “tone” and “attitude” can make your speech stand out to the audience, and allows you to express your opinion without outright saying it.
Speeches are the expression of one’s power in words. An individual speech can be as intricate as the speaker, and can be interpreted in many different ways. They can tell their audience the personality and thoughts of the speaker without outright saying these things. Learning how to write and give one is extremely important for many important people such as the president. One of our recent presidents caused a gigantic wave of xenophobia towards the Pacific Asian community just by one single phrase in one of his speeches. This proves that words can change the world. Since speeches are made of words, speeches can probably do much more than that.
Comments
I thought your post was very insightful. I had never compared speeches to theater class, but after reading your post, I can definitely see the connections. Although I have never participated in plays before, I know that acting requires a lot of emphasis on certain words. I think learning how to do this in speeches is also important because speakers often want to share a certain message and learning how to use one’s tone and hand gestures would allow speakers to emphasize key words and ideas. Like acting, speeches also require a lot of creativity in the presentation of the message such as timing and the specific words and gestures being used.
I agree with the importance of speeches. Speeches can inspire change, and that is one of the most important things in the world. The way you present yourself during a speech is very important because it can be someone's first impression of you. Your body language can hint at whether you are confident or not, and this can heavily impact your credibility. Speeches are sort of like dance in a way: you emphasize the key points and move your audience.
I’m a big fan of theatre productions! It always amazes me how stage actors have the mental capacity to express lines in such a way that seems truly natural and engaging while remembering a copious number of lines in a given scene. In the same light, speeches are dependent on the ability to evoke certain emotions in an audience, which is why they can be so persuasive when done right. When done wrong, however, it’s just a person speaking and not making much impact.
-Angel Susantin
I agree that speeches are a powerful way in delivering what one has to say and most possible ways for people to trust and agree to them. Speeches are also sometimes delivered to greet someone and make a Segway toward the product or idea that you plan to promote. This is also why when choosing presidential candidates many make speeches to know exactly who they are voting for and the changes they hope to bring to the society.
I really REALLY hate giving speeches because I am so scared to make a mistake in front of people. This is the reason why I hate speech and debate because it includes my two worst weaknesses. Your blog post though, made me realize how this skill is very important in real-life and can benefit many of your interactions with others.
Sincerely,
Mrinmayee
Speeches are really important because it is what helps us present our voice and opinion on our ideas. I personally have always struggled with public speaking. I fidget, mumble, stutter. I don’t think I’m built for public speaking, but like you said it’s essential for us to develop good speaking skills to influence listeners and help them understand our ideas or opinions. I also really liked how you connected speeches to theater, it helped me understand more about acting and how you need to develop confidence in order to act in front of others!
Sincerely,
Faith Tong
I’m really glad you brought up the importance of speech. Speeches, especially presentations can really leave an impact on the world, people, and your grade😏. Now that you pointed it out, I think I know why I don’t get great grades when I am giving a presentation to the class. I may be lacking confidence, my tone is off, my information may lack, and my constant saying of “um” and “so yeah.” Your blog made me realize that speech is a very important skill not just in school but in life, but for now I am going to work on my speech skills so I can bag an A, LOLLLL.
Speeches are honestly so scary and just speaking in front of a small or large of group of people just scares me so much. However, I genuinely admire those who are able to really push themselves to speak to anybody and anyone. I remember hosting part of a club meeting and I did struggle to just say stuff because of how nervous I was. Even though I love the thought of doing leadership and being able to voice my opinions, I still am trying to find my confidence.