I like writing because I feel that it's the best way for me to express myself clearly. I'm not great with conversation-- especially with talking on the phone-- but I do like public speaking. It's kind of counterintuitive because I'm an introvert and dislike being around a lot of people and getting a lot of attention. But public speaking/performing isn't so daunting to me. Auditions are a completely different matter, for reasons I either have already explained or will in another post, but whenever it came to, say, giving a presentation for class, I just... I just did it. And I liked it. I liked having that specific kind of attention and could handle that sort of pressure, both actual and perceived.
Speaking in front of people isn't just about the words you say but how you say them and the body language that you use, whether it's intentional or not. I found that I gesticulate a lot. I guess it helps me?
One of my peers started an American Sign Language club in high school. Using sign language is as much about the hand gestures as the facial expressions. I don't think there's any symbol for a question mark or exclamation point; rather the inflection is shown using your face. You can show that you're sarcastic if you sign one thing but your face contradicts whatever it is you've signed.
Sometimes I distract/amuse myself by looking at ASL interpretations of pop music. Someone who is deaf or hearing impaired could easily find the lyrics to a song and watch a music video and lip-read or feel the vibrations from the speakers, but there's a certain joy to watching the words "translated" into ASL. This video, for example. The Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps" is pretty silly and nonsensical already, but seeing it interpreted so enthusiastically sort of elevates the song to a new level of ridiculousness and hilarity:
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