Public Speaking Video Critique, Essay Example

I have never been a very confident public speaker, though I can handle myself in groups if I feel comfortable around them and know most or all of them. Watching a video of myself, however, gives me a whole new perspective on public speaking. It reminds of the reasons why I do not necessarily like to do it, but it also shows me what I did right, or at least what I liked about some parts of it. It also makes me realize what I need to do to improve my ability and raise my confidence level.

There were several; things I did not like about my speaking performance. There were moments where I hesitated a bit, or stumbled over some of my words. There were also moments where I filled pauses with sounds like “ah” and “um,” which I know is not a good thing for a public speaker to do. I know that part of the reason I did that was because I was nervous, and part of the reason was because I did not prepare or practice as much as I could have. Watching the video, though, makes me realize that the pauses and stumbles can be fixed if I put more time in. As someone who has not done a lot of public speaking, it is hard for me to know how long I need to practice something. I felt like I had prepared well for this, but I realize now that I should have put a lot more time in. I am sure that if I practice more, I will become a more effective and confident public speaker.