Final Reflections

When I was deciding on what modules to take this semester, my friend told me about ES2007S Professional Communication and I thought to myself it was a module worth taking. I was thinking even if I could not score (like most other electives which I had taken), I might as well learn something which is useful, like how to communicate better with others. Although none of my friends could take the same tutorial slot, I am glad that I walked out of my comfort zone and met a bunch of wonderful classmates!

The manner the class is conducted is very beneficial for learning professional communication. We are encouraged to give comments and share their opinions. Such a system promotes learning as it is often through feedback from others, we will then reflect on ourselves and make changes. For my first presentation, I was reminded that group teamwork could be reflected from the slightest details of a presentation - the background of the slides. As Grace, Lara and I worked on our individual parts, we were too focused on our own contents and did not really pay much attention to the visuals of the presentation.

For the peer teaching, I exceeded the time limit - probably a taboo for professional presentations. While I was practising, I only focused on the contents. Therefore after the peer teaching, I made an effort to time myself when I was preparing for the other presentations of other modules. With the timer, I was constantly revising what contents to speak, where to make pauses, when to breathe etc. Unknowingly, I was refining my content and maximizing my "airtime" during the presentation. This helped me in many other presentations outside the ES2007S module too.

The numerous presentations in the ES2007S class prompted me be more conscious of pacing of my delivery and the non-verbal communication I projected to the audience. In addition, I realise the importance of catering the presentation to the audience and to feel comfortable and confident when presenting. This will grab the attention of the audience and reinforce my confidence in a positive feedback loop. Lastly, the class's feedback were very useful, making me to be more aware of my shortcomings. Furthermore, from listening to other presenters and the feedback they received, I was introduced to different styles of presentation. I am glad I can learn from my friends' strengths and avoid making the same common mistakes too.

Apart from improving my presentation skills, this module enriched me in many other ways. With the application letter peer teaching and assignment, I am more aware of how to write professionally - not with bombastic, fanciful language but clear and concise. I still have much room for improvement, especially for the concise portion, but generally I am more confident with writing now. I become more aware of how to be assertive too in the last lesson, and how to reject people politely. 

It was a wonderful learning experience and good luck with exams everyone!

p.s. I am a rather passive submissive person when it comes to my friends' requests (I bet some of you disagree), therefore I will be more assertive in future!