5) Reflection on oral presentation

I enrolled in this course with the expectation of learning theory on how to use various skills in communication. So I was kindly surprised that I have to challenge myself and try everything practically. From the beginning it was very difficult for me, not only was it hard to express my ideas meaningfully in front of people, but also I was forced to use English. This complicated the usage of my skills a lot as I had to think about everything I wanted to say, and I was not even sure if I told it right.

Through such activities like the peer teaching or mock interview, activities which I had never experienced before, I was becoming progressively more and more confident in speaking and expressing my ideas. Therefore, during the final project presentation I felt considerably more confident than I usually feel during presentations. Of course, the thorough preparation was the main reason for my confidence. Not only did I know what I was talking about (because we as a group spent a lot of time preparing for it), but also I felt more confident in my usage of English.

I believe our group has done a great job with the final presentation. Because it was my first experience of working in a team intensively, it was very pleasant to learn about it in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. We were thinking of how to demonstrate our topic about Evaluating the effectiveness of non-smoking policy in NUS persuasively and it was even more difficult as we were defending mainly the interests of smokers - and none of us are smokers in reality. During preparation for the presentation each one of us practised his own part many times in front of the other team members, so our confidence increased both individually and as a team. Also we obtained valuable advices after the mock presentation from our classmates.

When the D day came, we met early with our group so we could make the final preparation. To be honest, I have never prepared so much for any presentation in my life, but I really appreciate this experience, because as I am not a person who feels natural while speaking in front of a big group of people. I found out that it was much easier for me to stand in front of the crowd and speak to people, if I just prepare myself beforehand! If I did the same for every presentation, maybe I could have saved myself from many past unpleasant experiences, full of nervousness. When the moment I had to start presenting came, I was very nervous as usual. However, all of a sudden my uncertainty disappeared because I realized that I have presented the same part so many times and I have no actual reason to worry. Even though I still know that there are many things left which I need to improve, as to involve more enthusiasm to the presentation, I feel much more confident now in communication skills and want to continue learning!