Experience

Public Speaking Awards

By Akhila Jambagi, Rijnlands Lyceum, Oegstgeest

The semi-finals of the BBC-GNE public speaking awards were a nerve-racking experience. Once we reached the James Boswell institute there was a quick briefing, a little practice session and then the contest started. Now my oh-so-calm self was overwhelmed by 3 excellent and impressive speeches. However once my name was called my not-quite-so-calm-anymore self stood in front of the audience, and managed to pretend to be feeling casual and relaxed.
It has been said that public speaking is a terrible experience, but to hear the audience smile and laugh at your jokes is an experience I will never call terrible. Scary and intimidating perhaps, but not terrible.
Once my speech was over there was nothing I could do but wait and enjoy the rest of the speeches. The quality of the speakers surprised me, the level was drastically higher than that of the preliminaries and some of the speakers were so intense that my already nervous state was heightened to an almost unbearable condition.
The speeches finished and all the contestants joined their supporters, subtly pleading for reassurance and encouragement. In the preliminary round in Eindhoven, for those of you who were not present, the anxious hostess decided to entertain the audience by playing Celtic music. For those of you familiar with this music type, you can imagine it does not soothe ones nerves. In the semi-finals, they decided a discussion might help break the tension. It worked better than the music at least.
When the winners were called out and I heard my name I could not believe it, I was through to the finals. It means I still have a shot at becoming the winner of the BBCGNE public speaking contest.
The evening was not over; some pictures and an interview were still to come. Overwhelmed I was, I (probably unsuccessfully) feigned calm and intelligence as the cameraman asked me about the importance of English communication and other fundamental things. We’ll see to what extent I embarrassed myself on the 12th of April, when the finals take place. I cannot wait.

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