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
Realistically, a deep-seeded fear may not be "curable" (in the clinical sense of the word). This is because it is a result of our genetic makeup and our external & internal conditioning which is a result of one or more of those incidents I mentioned that created our feelings of anxiety in the first place. But, as I'll explain in a moment - you do not have to cure your fear; you need only to cure the symptoms of that fear in order to be able to function without fear
"Come in with an open mind. Be ready to feel accomplished after you've finally knocked a speech out of the park!" -Jim Vasil, Student, Rider University,"Keep calm when you're presenting and if you lose your place, just try to talk freehandedly about the info.don't apologize or let the audience know you were lost." -Victoria Perniola, Student, Kean University,"Remember that everybody in class is in the same position, so don't be afraid to speak in front of your peers. Be confident, know your material." -Shane Tonery, Student, Rider University,"Relax, have fun with it! If you take the leap and push past the nerves, you will come out the other side with some valuable skills." -Barbara McNair, Student, Brookdale Community College.
Learning all these from the training in public speaking can help you succeed not only in your career but also gaining your self-confidence which can result in enhancing your personality, relationship with other people and building you a clearer perspective in life. Unfortunately not all people do have the luxury of time in attending public speaking classes or training especially the working people. Therefore, the best way to gain the knowledge in the art of public speaking is hiring a coach or a speech coach for personal speech training purposes.
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.
Read Your Syllabus Carefully.A lot of students go into the first class hoping to get the syllabus and leave early. Some don't even pay attention to what's in it. The syllabus is an important contract between you and your professor. It goes over everything that's expected of you. You can plan ahead for how many speeches you will have to give, and how heavily each will be graded. If you're unsure of something, or an item on the syllabus makes you feel anxious talk to the professor after the first class. Never wait until the end of the semester to bring up concerns that you can address right away.
Try To Have Fun.When you're permitted to select your own topic for a speech choose subjects you enjoy and understand; ones that make you feel comfortable. It's okay to pick something you're already knowledgeable about, but chances are you will still be required to go get outside information. It doesn't make sense to pick a difficult topic to try to impress the professor, only to mispronounce words or get your facts wrong. A lot of professors will also implement activities to get you acclimated to being in front of the class. Many of them can be fun, if you keep an open mind. As to whether or not you'll be thrown into the fire and have to speak during the first meeting, that's up to each individual professor. I wasn't so kind; if you were in my class you were speaking from the first day on.
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.
Get to Know Your Classmates.The whole public speaking process will be easier if you become friendly with the others in your class. You can provide each other with tips and support. And when you know them, it will make the class more fun and take some of the pressure off of you. I've noticed students seem to be more successful in classes where the students mesh well together as a unit.Practice and Prepare.Always practice your speeches before you give them. Whether you find a classmate, parent, brother or sister, or stranger off the street, have them listen to you give the speech a few times. This will allow you to time yourself to be sure you're within the proper time frame. It will also help you identify any areas of the speech that might need to be adjusted.Use Your Resources.Many schools have extra help available for speech classes. Professors usually don't mind taking some time to meet with you during the semester to go over any areas of concern. Also, talking to other students in the class might help clarify something.
[Public Speaking Classes]
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
Realistically, a deep-seeded fear may not be "curable" (in the clinical sense of the word). This is because it is a result of our genetic makeup and our external & internal conditioning which is a result of one or more of those incidents I mentioned that created our feelings of anxiety in the first place. But, as I'll explain in a moment - you do not have to cure your fear; you need only to cure the symptoms of that fear in order to be able to function without fear
"Come in with an open mind. Be ready to feel accomplished after you've finally knocked a speech out of the park!" -Jim Vasil, Student, Rider University,"Keep calm when you're presenting and if you lose your place, just try to talk freehandedly about the info.don't apologize or let the audience know you were lost." -Victoria Perniola, Student, Kean University,"Remember that everybody in class is in the same position, so don't be afraid to speak in front of your peers. Be confident, know your material." -Shane Tonery, Student, Rider University,"Relax, have fun with it! If you take the leap and push past the nerves, you will come out the other side with some valuable skills." -Barbara McNair, Student, Brookdale Community College.
Learning all these from the training in public speaking can help you succeed not only in your career but also gaining your self-confidence which can result in enhancing your personality, relationship with other people and building you a clearer perspective in life. Unfortunately not all people do have the luxury of time in attending public speaking classes or training especially the working people. Therefore, the best way to gain the knowledge in the art of public speaking is hiring a coach or a speech coach for personal speech training purposes.
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.
Read Your Syllabus Carefully.A lot of students go into the first class hoping to get the syllabus and leave early. Some don't even pay attention to what's in it. The syllabus is an important contract between you and your professor. It goes over everything that's expected of you. You can plan ahead for how many speeches you will have to give, and how heavily each will be graded. If you're unsure of something, or an item on the syllabus makes you feel anxious talk to the professor after the first class. Never wait until the end of the semester to bring up concerns that you can address right away.
Try To Have Fun.When you're permitted to select your own topic for a speech choose subjects you enjoy and understand; ones that make you feel comfortable. It's okay to pick something you're already knowledgeable about, but chances are you will still be required to go get outside information. It doesn't make sense to pick a difficult topic to try to impress the professor, only to mispronounce words or get your facts wrong. A lot of professors will also implement activities to get you acclimated to being in front of the class. Many of them can be fun, if you keep an open mind. As to whether or not you'll be thrown into the fire and have to speak during the first meeting, that's up to each individual professor. I wasn't so kind; if you were in my class you were speaking from the first day on.
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.
Get to Know Your Classmates.The whole public speaking process will be easier if you become friendly with the others in your class. You can provide each other with tips and support. And when you know them, it will make the class more fun and take some of the pressure off of you. I've noticed students seem to be more successful in classes where the students mesh well together as a unit.Practice and Prepare.Always practice your speeches before you give them. Whether you find a classmate, parent, brother or sister, or stranger off the street, have them listen to you give the speech a few times. This will allow you to time yourself to be sure you're within the proper time frame. It will also help you identify any areas of the speech that might need to be adjusted.Use Your Resources.Many schools have extra help available for speech classes. Professors usually don't mind taking some time to meet with you during the semester to go over any areas of concern. Also, talking to other students in the class might help clarify something.
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