My apprehension about public speaking could be divided by three stages: pre-speech, during the speech, and post-speech.
First, the pre-speech, which is also spending most of my time, is the initial stage of my fear about public speaking because I have always spent a lot of time to selective a proper topic, to widely research the content, and to make the speech content interesting to attract audiences attention; these preparations are really consuming numerous cells from my brain.
Second, it is natural that I have extremely obvious physical symptoms during a presentation, such as shaking, a pounding heart, blushing, and quivering voice. I think this is due to my ability of forgetfulness. Even though I could always bring notes with me, I feel it is not a polite way to look at my note, instead of the audiences. Moreover, I get more nervous when I’m trying to find the next point words.
Finally, the uncertainty about the audience’s questions is my last stage of fear about public speaking. As I mentioned in my blog that English is my major obstacle of communication. I always worry about misunderstanding audience’s questions or giving unclear explanations.
The above factors are all a result of my apprehension about public speaking.
I feel the same way you do about public speaking, I am always nervous and I've been speaking English my whole life. I admire you taking this class and facing your fears. That takes a lot of courage. Learning to speak and write English is a difficult task, let alone putting it to use in a speech class. This class could be encouragement for us all to step out of our shells and gain additional confidence when we speak. You will do fine and can be very proud of yourself when all is said and done. I'm sure after reading everyone's posts that you know you are not alone in how you feel. Good luck and I'll be rooting for you!
ReplyDeletePublic speaking is no easy task for anyone. Adding a language barrier to that makes it even more difficult. Congrats to you for attempting to overcome your fears of public speaking. I am on the same page as you when it comes to the preparation portion of giving speeches. Although I have spoken in front of many audiences, I have not ever had to compile a formal outline for the topic I am going to be speaking on. I anticipate the preparation will be the most challenging for me.
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