New Tech has taught me that “Oral Communication” skills are incredibly important in
the 21st century work environment, particularly in the area of business. This learning outcome
focuses on one’s public speaking aptitude. In my experience, an effective communicator must not
only be informed and clever, but visually appealing and audible. I honed my abilities as an oral
communicator throughout American Studies, Political Studies, and Scientific Studies, where I developed
a distinctively extemporaneous style of presenting projects.
My first example of “Oral Communication” is this speech I wrote for
my Political Studies class. It was written in the following context: I was Ralph Nader,
and I was presenting a speech about youth to the Campus Crusade organization. Although
I did not personally present this speech (our group’s “politician” Karina did), I feel that
this piece reflects a massive development in my skills as a communicator, given the difficult
conditions under which it had to be developed.
Here is my second example- a song that I wrote as a commercial advertising
Karina’s political campaign in Political Studies. It is absurd, tacky, and highly
infectious, with a melody that I improvised on guitar when I presented it and a “cheer”
section at the end. My classmates could be heard humming this song days after I performed
it before the class, making it my most enduring example of Oral Communication.