Deliver is (Still) Key

While I still believe that delivery is a key component, I have learned that there is much more to public speaking than that. Delivery represents the end result, or the final product, of a speech, but there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. Before one can focus on delivery, they must follow certain steps to prepare a well, thought out speech that effectively gets a message across to their audience. In my first blog post, I talked about the speech the valedictorian of my high school gave and i explained how i was disappointed that she did not deliver as well as I had hoped. Looking back now, however, I realize that there are other things that the speaker did do really well. For example, the structure of her speech was excellent and I should have given her more credit than i did originally.

As this class comes to a close, I realize that I have learned so much more than simply how to get up in front of people and give a speech. I have learned about how communication works on different levels and I have learned that it takes a lot more to prepare a speech than just throwing a few words together. Communication is a tool that is important in everyday life, and I am sure I will use the techniques I have learned in this class in many different aspects of my life.