FREE ESSAY ON SPEECH CLASS

SPEECH CLASS

I am one of those who suffer from butterflies, that uncomfortable feeling in my chest and
stomach, before speaking in public. This is not only a problem for myself, but it is also
a common fear and a concern for many people. My purpose is to denounce a few dynamics I
feel have helped me to become a more effective speaker and to manage my butterflies. I
will prove to you that strong body language makes ideas and feelings more clear, vigorous
and engaging. First, I will show how eye contact unconsciously engages the audience.
Second, I will prove that vocal emphasis is the key to a vigorous speech. Third, I will
confirm that gestures reinforce the ideas of the speech, making the speech clearer to the
audience.
I am able to tell how well my audience is engaging through eye contact. Eye contact is
not achieved by looking out the window, at the ceiling or floor, or at notes too often.
Good eye contact does not mean looking over the heads of people or moving quickly from
face to face, or even picking out and speaking mainly to one member of the audience who
seems interested. Rather, eye contact means looking into the eyes of a member of the
audience and holding the gaze for a moment or two and then looking at other members of
the audience in the same way. Through eye contact a sense of interaction is enhanced. I
have learned through presenting my speeches that eye contact allows me to get to know and
appreciate my audience as individuals, as they are given an opportunity to get to know
and appreciate me. By means of eye contact, I am able to make ideas and feelings more
clear. I am able to determine if I am being understood. I can detect signs of interest or
lack of comprehension. I feel that I must eye the audience to really engage
communication. 
Our voices naturally convey feeling. When we suppress our emotions or exert strong will
power to control our actions, our voice reflects such activity. We may appear calm and
even manage a smile, but there is edginess to our voice that shows the tenseness. An
effective voice reflects the speaker's true feelings about the idea. A voice that
reflects the speaker's personal involvement is generally vigorous. According to Wilbur E.
Gilman, a graduate of Queens College of the City University of New York and author of The
Fundamentals of Speaking, the speaker who develops the skills to control his voice gives
his words richer and fuller meanings, makes his ideas clearer and more emphatic, brings
out contrast in thought, expresses a variety of feelings, heightens his climaxes and
total effect. Hypothetically speaking, a moving object always attracts attention. This
principle is true in public speaking in the sense that a speaker can always count on
moving his vocal emphasis by lowering or raising his voice to help him gain or hold the
audience's attention. Vocal emphasis is valuable for punctuating the speech and providing
variety. I feel that the effective voice is vibrant, forceful, and varied. A voice that
is alive is filled with the excitement and enthusiasm, which the speaker feels. In
Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats, I can see the importance of vocal emphasis.
Roosevelt's speaking on the radio seemed spontaneous and intimate, as though he was in
the living room with his listening audience. Therefore, I feel that through modulating my
voice, I am able to establish the mood I want and my ideas efficiently.
Gestures reinforce the ideas of the speech and as a result add clarity to the speech.
Gestures should be kept simple and natural, so that they add to the speech not detract
from it. Our spontaneous gestures, which are simply a reflection of our inner feelings,
stimulate others to feel as we do. There is an old saying Tie a German's hands and he
cannot speak. I believe this saying is filled with truth when applied not to Germans
alone, but also to speakers in general. Gestures aid in adding description to ideas. For
instance, when the fisherman tells us with the use of his hands that he caught one  so
long, the accompanying gesture classifies our idea of the size of his catch. Also,
gestures, such as the clenched fist and pointed finger, give emphasis to important points
or to the speaker's feelings about certain ideas. If gestures are integrated with what is
being said, they add clarity to the speech.
In conclusion, I have defined good eye contact and I have discussed how this eye contact
helps to engage the audience in communication. I have showed how vocal emphasis naturally
conveys feeling and makes the speech more vigorous. Also, I have proven that when
gestures are use efficiently, they reinforce the ideas of the speech by adding clarity to
what is being said. The key to becoming an efficient speaker is body language. Eye
contact, vocal emphasis, and gestures combined can help a speaker not only to clarify and
emphasize points, to suggest meaning, or to create an appropriate mood, but also to
release tension and make him feel more comfortable while speaking.
Eye Contact, Vocal Emphasis, And Gestures 
Are Necessary For an 
Engaging, Vigorous, And Clear
Speech