Introductory speech

How to introduce yourself?

I write some good tips here http://financial-controller.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-introduce-yourself-acca-po-5.html

Under Public Speaking course assignment all participants were asked to record their 1-4 minutes introductory speech that tells us:

• 1. Who they are and where they live.
• 2. Why they enrolled in the course and what types of presentations they want to work on.
• 3. Who do they think is an effective speaker? Give one solid reason for why this person is so effective.

John Kennedy, my favorite public speaker
"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

Hints on doing well

• Practice: Do a few run throughs before you record the speech.
• Speak normally: Don’t adopt an artificial sounding “speech voice.” Such voices often sound disingenuous.
• Don’t rerecord the speech a thousand times: The goal is to get better at avoiding mistakes when we can or navigating our way out of them when we need to.
• Let us see you: Position the camera away from you so that we can see you move and so that you need to practice speech projection.

The videos uploaded in Youtube have 'unlisted' status and available only to people in this class. Nevertheless, some people breach their privacy and post these video for everyone. The aim is to receive as more feedbacks as possible. Some videos  of them:

India, Santha Kumaran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCofG6WONEY

The US, California, Sarah Moluadi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50-UmV_4TfA

India, Upasana Mahajan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXAYkfXykvc&feature=youtu.be

The US, Orisona, Kate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WAvscEIhQA

I have been asked to review 3 other student speeches. First one was from Australia. He likes an American business coach (don't remember his name, sorry). Second one was from the US, Boston. He admires Barak Obama. Finally, third student was from Colombia. His favorite public speaker was Steve Jobs.

My introduction speech video is here: 

http://youtu.be/37wYXF6wvU4

It is unlisted, so please, watch it for studying purpose )) Do not breach my privacy settings.

My video has received 4 points from 4 possible from other students. 
I have two feedbacks from them. Google Analytics show me two regions - Russia and The US (Virginia). So peer 1 is from Russia and peer 4 is from The US.

peer 1 → well done.

peer 4 → It was very interesting to see your video from the Ukraine. I live in Ashburn, Virginia in the United States, just outside of Washington DC. Your introductory speech was very well done, and you also have a very nice speaking voice. Your talk was clear and well-organized. Your reasons for taking the course were clear. Your select of Kennedy as a speaker was interesting, and, quite frankly, not a bad choice at all. I also liked the upbeat conclusion: "Let's take the course together." Areas for improvement. Well, you moved around a bit, and that was a little distracting. It's not a bad thing to move, but it's better to make movement purposeful if you can, i.e. - step to the left and make a point, step to the right and make another point, etc. Overal, well done.

To be honest, I was afraid that my video could be hard to understand due to my accent because I am not native speaker. So, I need to focus on my movement to improve my speaker's skills.

I think my speech is a bit monotone and not humorous. So many work is needed to do it!

Introduction can be funny. I like this introduction speech video of Chinese guy 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOl4zp5Ngco

Enjoy it!

Let me share the forum discussion about Kennedy:

Role Model for Public Speaking - John F. Kennedy

William Tarpai· 15 days ago 
I spent more than an hour today listening to the speeches of the man who was most responsible for motivating me to live the life that I have - President John F. Kennedy.  His Inaugural Address in 1961 is one of my favorite.

He encouraged me to go forth in the world, working for freedom of my fellow men and women, hoping to abolish all forms of poverty, believing in the rights of man.  As a young high school student, I felt he had past me a torch.

I always remembered that while I would try to ride on the back of a tiger, I did not want to end up inside of it.  Being humble in the face of poverty and misfortune was a lesson President Kennedy's words taught me.

I have been given my best efforts to help people to help themselves. Converting good words into good deeds to cast off the chains of poverty has always been a goal I have striven to achieve.

This Coursera class is a new endeavor for a new world that can be secure in peace.   Let us work together for that end.  Let us begin!  
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Tetiana Romanovska· 14 days ago 
Hello William,

John Kennedy is also my favorite public speaker. I like his speech "Ask not what you country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country".

Good luck in your globalisation consulting! Hope it can change the world for the better!
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candice lyon· 12 days ago 
My favorite piece from J.F.K. April 27 1961 addressed to the media. A life risking piece solely to warn the American people of the dangers we faced then and still face to this day. I absolutely recommend anyone and everyone to check it out.
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William Tarpai· 12 days ago 
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/youtubeclip.php?clipid=8352&admin=35
President Kennedy at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 1961.  Free men can not be threatened.  His words have passed down through the decades and remain true today.
   Does anyone remember the Cold War and the craziness that went on between 2 super-powers, especially in countless fragile countries that lacked transparency, that were NOT able to provide timely and predictable assistance to their citizens.
   My first trip to the Soviet Union was in 1977 with 80 other students from various campuses of the California State Universities and the University of California. I have wonderful memories of meeting students every night from every Soviet Republic and its satellites for two weeks.  I also have incredible memories of selling a pair of jeans and a Levi jacket to earn enough money to dine in the finest restaurants in Leningrad (then) and Moscow.
  Coming back to reality, I'm wondering how many more decades need to go by before 1.5 billion people around the globe today affected by conflict and fragile governments will be able to rise up from being part of the 'bottom billion'?