Possessing excellent communication skills are always on the Top 5 requirements for employers. The ability to communicate effectively is essential, no matter what industry you decide to work in. This is why FEU Tech’s Humanities, Social Sciences, and Communications Department (HSC) decided to launch the I Communicate in English Only program, or ICEO, to encourage young iTamaraws to construct and to express their ideas confidently in English.
Last November 8, 2019, HSC organized an Oratorical Competition to challenge their students to conquer their fears of public speaking and of articulating their beliefs in English by answering one question – “How do I live the FEU/iTAM core values?.”
As tough as this question may be, our iTamaraws grabbed the opportunity and prepared their best pieces to be delivered on stage. An elimination round was held on October 16, 2019 where the ten (10) best speakers were selected to join the final round.
Each competitor had five to seven minutes to deliver their speeches without the aid of a public address system.
iTamaraws from various programs gave their all to this competition – from writing down their thoughts, memorizing their pieces, to repeatedly practicing their speeches even during break time.
One of the public speaking techniques which they kept in mind is to have clear articulation and to modulate vocal tones to avoid a monotonous presentation. Other techniques involved creating an engaging presentation style and coming up with a unique, persuasive point as well.
In the end, four iTamaraws emerged as winners of the competition.
BS Civil Engineering student Princess Perez topped the event with her inspiring message, charming personality, and well-delivered voice intonation. Other winners were Allen Ardaniel from Electrical Engineering, Janyn Ormeo from Information Technology (Digital Arts), and Rafael Icaro from Mechanical Engineering.
In her winning-piece entitled ‘Success Is Who We Really Are’, Perez noted that “success relies on what we can do and who we really are.” She also emphasized the need for persistence, focus, and passion which she equated to the FEU core values of Fortitude, Excellence, and Uprightness.
HSC Director Ms. Ruth Que reiterated as well that ICEO competitions mold the overall holistic growth of students.
“Through competitions such as this, we hope to encourage more students to practice using English more. That even outside the confines of the classroom, they will be confident enough in expressing themselves in English,” Que said. “This is one way to prepare them for the industry and other endeavors which they wish to pursue.”
Read the full speech of the ICEO Oratorical Competition winners here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GvZrrASaoqQ-Tbwxc_26YS0BTBfB47K7