Self-Reflection performance

Despite a strong performance in the presentations, I had some minor difficulties, particularly in the individual presentation. I noticed the following nonverbal cues: first, I was sweating on my face and armpits. Despite the fact that I was well-versed in the subject I was presenting and confident in front of my audience, I couldn’t keep the perspiration at bay. Second, I was a little shaky on my limbs, especially in the beginning of the presentation. One may attribute these signs to the possibility that I was frightened by the manner in which the audience would react to my presentation. Moreover, Studer et al. argue that individuals are likely to express anxiety through sweating and trembling while on the stage. This state may be as a result of their perception of the audience’ possible reaction (2011). What the authors mean is that it is normal for an individual to portray such anxiety as I did while presenting to an audience.

The areas that I intend to work on for the next presentations in the class include the following; first, I need to avoid unnecessary interjections, such as mm and alright, that make the presentation sound informal. Also, I need to improve on the conclusion by making it more convincing and summarizing all the main points in a clear and understandable way. To accomplish the weak areas of my presentations, I will choose a subject and present it to my friends or family. Then, I will ask them to evaluate my performance while paying attention to the week areas. I will repeat this exercise until I make the necessary improvements.

The presentation by the team was arguably good given that we scored a good grade. Some of the strengths of the presentation were such as; the ability to do a unified presentation and stay focused on the topic while covering the most important points. One may relate this strength to Yang’s argument that to put up an effective presentation, members of the group have to remain relevant to the subject and concentrate on the most important points (2010). Second, the team displayed a clear understanding of the subject and gave supportive arguments to the points. That is, by expounding on the most important points, the audience had a clear knowledge of the ideas that the team was putting across.

Besides, the team did the presentation in a relaxed and well-articulated manner without rushing, thus giving the audience time to internalize the points and flow with the presentation. The team’s strength also lied on the manner in which they gained the attention of the audience by introducing the topic apparently. Last but not least, the team did the presentation in a clear way, and they used a formal language throughout the presentation.

References

Studer, R., Gomez, P., Hildebrandt, H., Arial, M., & Danuser, B. (2011). Stage fright: its experience as a problem and coping with it. International archives of occupational and environmental health, 84(7), 761-771.

Yang, L. (2010). Doing a group presentation: Negotiations and challenges experienced by five Chinese ESL students of Commerce at a Canadian university. Language Teaching Research, 14(2), 141-160.