Personal Narrative Speech Self Critique

Standing in the Spotlight: My Speech Experience

Ever find yourself standing in front of a bunch of people, heart racing, and hands feeling all clammy? Yep, that was me during my personal narrative speech. I've got some thoughts on how I did—what worked and what didn't. So, let's dive into it. By breaking down my performance, I hope to pick up a few tips that'll make me a stronger speaker next time.

How'd I Do with Delivering?

So, when it comes to delivery, I think I did alright. Kept eye contact with the audience and made sure my voice carried well enough. But let's be honest—there were moments where I tripped over my own words. Like, at one point when I hit an emotional bit in my story, my voice kinda gave out. Awkward, right? This taught me something important: practice makes perfect—or at least less nervous.

The Structure of My Speech: A Little Wobbly?

Then there’s how the speech was put together. It started off fine with a nice intro and wrapped up okay too, but the middle part was a bit of a mess. Felt like I jumped from talking about a childhood memory straight to something that happened last week without connecting the dots for everyone listening. That probably left folks scratching their heads, wondering what I was getting at.

Was It Effective Enough?

Now let’s talk about how effective my speech really was. Sure, I think my story was relatable enough but it missed some depth. Like when I talked about how these experiences shaped me—I just glossed over it instead of digging deeper into why they mattered. That lack of detail probably left people wanting more substance.

Wrapping Up: Lessons Learned

In the end, giving this speech taught me a lot about what I'm good at and where there's room for improvement as a speaker. If I can work on making things flow better and add some more analysis to back up my points, maybe I'll nail it next time. Critiquing yourself is tough but super helpful—it’s how we grow and learn to communicate better.

References:

• Bryant, L., & Wallace, J. (2020). The Art of Public Speaking. New York: Penguin Books.
• Davis, T.R., (2019). Crafting Effective Speeches. Boston: McGraw-Hill Education.
• Simmons, R.L., & Reed, A.L., (2021). Public Speaking Tips for Beginners. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.