Tips to Reduce Public Speaking Fear

Tips to Reduce Public Speaking Fear

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Read the questions

Think about the topic

Pre-Reading Questions

Why do you think that people are afraid of public speaking?

What causes their nervousness?

What are some ways to reduce the fear of speaking in public?

Have you ever felt nervous when speaking in front of others?

What do you do to reduce nervousness in these types of situations?

Read and Pronounce

Read the following excerpt aloud to your tutor.  He or she will listen and correct your pronunciation.

Did you know that according to the Wall Street Journal, public speaking is the number one fear in America?  The fear of death is ranked number two!  That’s right—we seem more afraid of public speaking than we are of physical demise, heights, jumping out of a plane, or dreaded in-laws.

If you think about it, fear of public speaking is also a fear of death—an emotional death.  We feel naked and exposed in front of an audience.  We think people are going to scrutinize everything we say and do.  We pressure ourselves to be perfect, or else our self-worth suffers.  We dread confronting the possibility of rejection.

Now for the good news, most of us can reduce our anxiety of public speaking and increase our confidence by avoiding a few poor habits, while incorporating some helpful tips. The following are five tips to reducing public speaking nervousness.

To see the full article, click here.

Source:  Psychology Today

Author:  Preston Ni

Read the text aloud to your tutor. Your tutor will listen and provide you with feedback.

Speaking Practice

Do you agree with the author’s five tips for reducing nervousness?

If you could offer your own five tips for overcoming fear in public speaking, what would they be?

Ask your partner how he / she copes with anxiety in public speaking.

Roleplay and Discussion

1. Pretend your partner is preparing to give a big presentation tomorrow.

What advice do you have to give him / her?

Role play the situation. Then switch roles.

2. Talk to your partner about a recent presentation you gave.

What did you do well?  What can you improve on?

Talk with your tutor about this topic.

Use the expressions and vocabulary you learned.

Use the related resources below to learn more.

Poor Practice

Look over the list of nervous mannerisms from ESLgold.com.

Do you do any of these when speaking in public?

How do you suggest people overcome these types of mannerisms?

Vocabulary Words and Expressions

adrenaline

anxiety

compound

confess

confront

demise

dread(ed)

equate(-ing)

excerpt(ed)

graceful(ly)

(im)perfection

magnify

mannerism(s)

naked

poised

rejection

self-worth

shrivel (up)

scrutinize