Introduction
In her TED speech, cognitive scientist Maya Shankar discusses the power of change and how it can be leveraged for transformation. Having a rich academic background, Shankar used her expertise in cognitive science to help create public policies and initiatives by working for the United Nations and as a senior advisor to the Obama administration (TED, n.d.). The 2023 Vancouver speech by Shankar to both my personal and academic learning experience since it highlights how change can be used as an inspiration and opportunity. By relying on physical and vocal elements and techniques to connect with the audience, the author expresses credibility and confidence and helps the audience easily absorb the information.
Content
The technique that the audience can observe is attention-grabbing by reflecting on personal experience. According to Joshua Gunn (2020), the opening is usually for the audience’s attention. As an introductory sentence that allows the building of a connection with the audience, Shankar says, “When I was a kid, the violin was the center of my life” (Shankar, 2023, 00:08). The speaker then establishes credibility by emphasizing how she experienced the most significant change that shaped the trajectory of her life.
Aspiring to be a violinist, Shankar permanently damaged tendons in her hand after rigorous practicing, ending her dream (Shankar, 2023). The purpose of her speech is to demonstrate how difficult times of sudden change can spur transformation. The woman mentions, “I share this story because unexpected change happens to all of us” (Shankar, 2023, 1:05). Although the thesis is unclear, it is presumed that change can be used to unlock one’s potential.
Moving forward, the author uses supporting materials as techniques to make the content of her speech more engaging. For example, Shankar uses narrative, such as the story of 24-year-old Christine, who, despite becoming blind due to disease, proceeded with her interest in cooking (Shankar, 2023). Here, the speaker additionally relies on vivid images, accentuating how Christine focused on “the smell and the sizzling sounds in the pan” to determine whether the food was prepared (Shankar, 2023, 4:32).
Finally, the conclusion is effective since the speaker goes back to the introduction and shares how changes affected her and how she manages them, highlighting that she is “still figuring things out,” showing that people should not be deterred from living their lives and exploring (Shankar, 2023, 12:52). Overall, the speech of Shankar was clear, concise, correct, creative, and vivid, despite a lack of use of poetic techniques.
Delivery
Furthermore, there are several vocal and physical elements worthy of attention. According to Joshua Gunn (2020), factors that involve pace, pauses, rhythm, stance, and eye contact help structure one’s speech and influence the audience. In terms of vocal elements, it is noteworthy that the author relies on the pace and rhythm of her voice to create emphasis. Moreover, the audience can observe straightforward pauses to allow the viewers to absorb the information and precise articulation of words to convey the message. As for the physical elements, Shankar maintains eye contact, friendly facial expressions, smiles, and an upright and confident posture to express credibility.
Response
To improve my public speaking abilities, I would incorporate several techniques used by Shankar. First, I would give extra attention to the introduction and involve attention grabber to connect with the audience. I would additionally incorporate physical and vocal elements, such as eye contact, posture, and pace of the speech. In terms of the content of the speech, I learned that change can be a joyous moment in life and offer opportunities, which is why people should not be afraid of it. This is specifically relevant to me since I tend to be anxious, and viewing this issue from a different perspective allows me to focus on my priorities.
Conclusion
In summary, using vocal and physical elements and audience engagement strategies, the author conveys confidence and authority while facilitating the audience’s easy assimilation of the material. Despite no poetic devices, Shankar’s speech was generally accurate, precise, creative, and vivid.
References
Gunn, J. (2020). Speech craft. Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Shankar, M. (2023). Why change is so scary — and how to unlock its potential [Video]. TED. Web.
TED. (n.d.). Maya Shankar. Web.