Required public speaking courses benefit students

With an oral communication course being a requirement for every major at Texas Tech, some students may have to push through their fears of public speaking to understand the importance communication has on their desired future career.

As six courses are available at Tech to complete the oral communication requirement, three of the classes are housed in the College of Media & Communication, including public speaking and business communication.

Julia Heard, the director of advising at the College of Media & Communication, said face-to-face communication is a valuable skill, especially in this generation where people communicate through electronics and social media. Heard she public speaking will be in every student’s future, even if they have a huge fear of it.

“If you are talking about something you are passionate about and believe in the topic, you will do better,” Heard said, “and stilettos help.”

Hailey Schmitt, a junior public relations major from Austin, said she enjoyed her public speaking class and thought it was extremely beneficial for her future.

With her dream job as a politian or an attorney, Schmitt said the course helped with her fear of public speaking because those careers require communication in front of the public frequently.

“It made me more comfortable speaking in front of people and more prepared,” she said. “Be confident in yourself and what you’re saying.”

LeAnne Lagasse, the director of public speaking, said out of the students that take an oral communication course in the College of Media & Communication, at least 70 percent of them approach public speaking with high levels of anxiety.

“These students do not feel equipped and confident to deliver a speech, but they are not alone,” Lagasse said.

Some advice she gives to students experiencing anxiety during public speaking is to prepare and rehearse in front of other people, reframe their thoughts during the speech, and engage in self-monitoring behaviors, including considering feedback and watching their speech on video.

“Focus on the message more than you focus on the audience’s perception of you,” Lagasse said.

Employers are looking for graduates who have oral communication skills and know how to engage in ideas different than their own, since a huge part of any job is sharing communication with others, Lagasse said.

“I don’t think [public speaking] is just important. I think it is crucial,” Lagasse said. “I think it is foundational to our culture, to our society, that we learn how to exchange meaning together.”

A SpeakUp! Competition is hosted at the end of each semester for students from public speaking and business communication courses in the College of Media & Communication to share their oral communication skills.

The best speakers from each section compete through several rounds until they make it to the final contest, SpeakUp! Local communication or public speaking professionals from the community judge the students. The winners will receive cash prizes, and students of the course are offered extra credit for attending.

The SpeakUp! Competition is held on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Allen Theatre.

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