Tuesday 15 October 2013

What You Will Learn From Public Speaking Training

By Sharon R. Upchurch


It's the class college students dread the most; something that makes stomachs a little queasy when looking over a course schedule. It's Public Speaking 101 (or Speech 101, or any other creative, less frightening, name the school may have come up with). It probably didn't make the list of things you were excited about doing this semester. However, it's now a requirement at the majority of schools, so if you want to graduate and move on to the real world, you're going to have to get it done sooner or later.

Because speaking in public opens the opportunity for us to be judged by others in a very personal way more so than any other activity we do in life. And it is this fear of being judged that creates anxiety that can be paralyzing at times. Simply put, many of us have a fear of looking foolish, of being laughed at, of making a mistake, of being vulnerable

"Have realistic expectations. Don't expect to be perfect because we as teachers don't expect that. What we do expect is that you try, practice, research, and come prepared. But we realize that everyone gets nervous and makes mistakes, it's totally normal! It seems like the students think that they have to be perfect during every speech and that stresses them out more." -Professor Gina Herrmann, Bergen Community College

The symptoms of fear of speaking in public are curable specifically at the time you're put in a position to speak in public by taking a doctor-prescribed, safe, inexpensive and non-addictive medication. As I will explain, this medication allows us to control the cause of our symptoms exactly at the time when they are getting out of control. Therefore, what I am going to teach you will help those of us who have to routinely give presentations for our careers, those who need to only give several speeches a lifetime for wedding toasts, funerals, and the like, as well as those in show business who must be relaxed and confident enough to focus on their performance.

Thinking back to my first speech class I wish I had a few tips like these to ease my anxiety. The suggestions above are excellent, and I thank all of the individuals who were kind enough to contribute to this article. I have taken their suggestions and added some of my own thoughts based on my own experiences as both a student and professor. I hope you find them helpful: Pick the Right Professor.Notice this doesn't say pick the "easiest" professor. You want to pick the professor that has a style best suited to your learning ability. Some professors are a little bit more laid back in their approach, but if you know you need more of a push to get things done, then that kind of person probably isn't best for you. If you're anxious and uncomfortable, pick a professor that makes you feel at ease in some way. The first day of the semester is key for deciding if the teacher and environment is a good fit for you; so make sure you pay attention, listen to details about the class and what is expected of you.

Get a feel for the professor's personality; does it match what you're looking for? Also, ask any questions you have after class to see how they respond. I have worked with many different public speaking professors and most of them are very good at what they do-but they are all have different approaches. Don't just pick someone who other students say is an easy grader, because while you might get a good grade, you'll still be an uncomfortable speaker at the end of the semester and beyond. Choose wisely. If you get a bad vibe during the first meeting then try to drop the class, switch sections, or see if the professor will work with your needs.

While the exact content or tone of public speeches may vary, many of the top communication skills and techniques are the same.Students that take courses in public speaking tend to learn the following ten tips and techniques, to help improve their confidence and delivery.Practice your speech in front of an audience. Before the big day, it can be helpful to practice your speaking and presentation skills in front of friends or family members for support and feedback.

People with excessive nerves when it comes to social interactions may also find a classroom setup in a public speaking school quite tough to deal with. Perhaps these people have attempted to speak publicly before yet failed to materialize. Being one with such a case should cause you to remember that trying too much too soon is not wise because should failure become a recurring pattern it is only likely to cause further damage. You can instead try making small speeches and practice them in front of a mirror. By doing this you can better connect with your inner mind in convincing it that you can indeed make a public speech even in a gradual manner.

When you get into a public speaking school it is important you come prepared and it helps to practice the mirror technique. Be sure that you continue with it at home even when initial classroom lessons have progressed for you to benefit from those lessons. Lessons should work to improve speaking techniques along with confronting your need to rid of anxiety and for the best results, both parts of the method in public speaking should work together. In the beginning you may need to work with a variety of speeches to determine your strength. With this, humorous and serious materials are not excluded.

Anticipate your audience. Any information that you can gather ahead of time on your audience will help you tailor your speech to their needs.Videotape or record your presentation. It's remarkable how much you can learn from courses in public speaking and when watching your own speech later. This will help you make adjustments if you are speaking too fast, using pauses inappropriately, or making other mistakes that you might not be aware of at the time.The best courses in public speaking allow students to work at their own pace. This is why speaking courses that are downloadable can be so helpful, as they often include speaking tips and techniques available from public speaking experts.




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