Overall, I thought this class was pretty interesting and pushed us to sharpen our communication and debate skills in a real-life context. In a classroom setting, it was much more comfortable to perform speeches, try to engage with an audience, and actively argue a position with another live person. I am not particularly good at debates or public speaking, so I wasn’t exactly ecstatic about a course like this but I knew that I could do it. I think that the main things I took away from this course were that practice makes perfect, preparedness is key, and how to act or engage with an audience. For instance, I knew you should try to make eye contact with a person you’re speaking to, but the same applies to multiple people– if you happen to be giving a speech. I tripped over my words several times and left typos in my outlines, but I still thought I did okay at least when it came to my performances. This class reminded me that speaking skills and the ability of articulation are incredibly valuable.
Ambour Leal 