Final Reflection on Learning

I always dread getting out of bed for 10am lessons, but not when it comes to attending ES2007S lessons. This is one of the most interesting and beneficial modules I’ve ever taken in NUS. This module exposes us to job interviews, presentations and peer teaching, which prepares us well for the workplace. After numerous self-practice and dry runs, I have sort of overcome my nervousness and have become more conscious of both my verbal and non-verbal cues when speaking in front of a group of audience. I have also learnt to be more outspoken as we were given opportunities to share our thoughts freely during lessons and I must say that I really enjoyed listening to the different perspectives brought up by my peers, especially on the topic of fostering intercultural behavior. I’m really lucky to be in this class as I have peers from different cultural backgrounds and I am able to hear first hand experiences from them.

Throughout this course, I was also given the opportunity to work with different groups of people. I experienced different working styles and managed to adapt well to them. I have made friends who jitter just like me when giving a presentation and it was really commendable to see how each one of us have improved from the very first dry run up till the last oral presentation. I must say that the most valuable takeaway from this course are the feedbacks I have received from my peers. Sometimes when we are too nervous, we tend to be unaware of the little actions we do or the fillers we add into our presentation. I’m glad that my peers pinpointed out my flaws, so that I can be more aware in future and not make the same mistakes again. However, my biggest fear is that I may not be able to adjust myself to speak well when it comes to speaking in front of a different group of audience.

For all the speeches and presentations I have done for the past few years, one of the greatest challenges I faced was the delivery of contents. Usually, I will make the effort to memorize the script so that I can maintain eye contact with the audience and look more professional. However, I tend to forget my lines when it comes to the actual presentation. I am still trying to overcome this problem by rehearsing in front of the mirror, or by asking my friends to be my audience. This method has aided me in remembering my lines, and at the same time, to speak more confidently. Sometimes, I do record my voice so that I know if I am speaking monotonously or too fast. I hope these are some useful tips for all of you as well.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank Dr. Radhika for her guidance through this course, and for making lessons engaging and enjoyable.