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Showing posts from August 9, 2009

Humor Me: Public speaking nightmares

By MATT WIXON In a recent letter to the editor in The Dallas Morning News , a 14-year-old pointed out that his high school's requirement of one semester of speech should be eliminated. "High school is supposed to help get you ready to go into college and the business world," he wrote. "If someone's career will involve speech, then he or she can take it." The letter was well-written, especially for a 14-year-old. But I think the requirement of a speech class should remain, and here are two reasons why: First, no matter what you do in life, the skill of public speaking is useful if not essential. If you can look someone in the eye and deliver your thoughts with confidence, or at least without throwing up, you'll have a key ingredient to success. And second, and nearly as important, I want other people to go through what I had to go through in high school. That's right, leaders of tomorrow, it's your turn to feel the terror of public speaking today!