Public Speaking

[Agon]

Hi. So, I figured most of the people here probably went to high school at one point (or are still going, like me). I was just wondering, how did you deal with speeches or individual reports, where you had to stand up in front of your class and... talk? *le gasp*

We're having mandatory auditions for our class play. We get to pick a few lines to read in front of the whole class, and the teacher will give a grade depending on how well the lines were delivered. And then we have another speech where we're supposed to tell a story we've made ourselves (haha, storytelling in high school) in front of everyone.

I'm not really as scared of the audition as I am of the storytelling thing. :/ I'm so scared of being judged based on whatever mediocre story I can come up with. Because really, the only time I ever talk in class is when I have no choice, so people have no opportunity to even get to know me. And I am really, really awkward when I'm up front.

I hate public speaking. How about you guys?

 

[dottie]

oh i love it! sike

 

[EscapeArtist]

If I were you i'd tell the teacher about your social anxiety, and ask if you can do it in private. I told most of my teachers about my social anxiety (SO HARD TO DO for me) and they were mostly understanding, they exempt me even from the final exams at the end of the year! (despite that I was failing one class! Crazy!!) they are more understanding and willing to help than you think.

if you want to face the fear..that's probably the healthier route. Just remember that they really don't care what you write, they probably don't care even what they write, or they're also just worrying about how stupid they're going to look. Their attention is far from being on you, despite the misleading atmosphere and staring crowd appearance

 

[petrified eyes]

Surprisingly when it's a small group (3 or 4) of people I trust I actually like it. Any more than 5 people, I become a mute.

EDIT: I would like to stress the trust aspect, I must trust the people in the group. If there's 3 people I trust and 1 person I don't, I don't speak very well.

 

[EscapeArtist]

Surprisingly when it's a small group (3 or 4) of people I trust I actually like it. Any more than 5 people, I become a mute.

This is very interesting. That's an odd number to cross... 5.. 2 is too much for me!

 

[petrified eyes]

This is very interesting. That's an odd number to cross... 5.. 2 is too much for me!

I think it's because when I was in school we always did projects in groups of 6. I was okay in the group (even if I was the one doing most of the work while everyone else just chatted) but when it came time to present it in front of the entire class I always got choked up and started mumbling because of anxiety.

 

[BlackPuma]

Ah, yes.. I used to hate it. Still do.

My school wasn't exactly the best school available, so there were no special plays or events that required repeat public speaking. I only had to do 2 presentations during my 4 years there, the first time (in high school) wasn't too bad, because all the people in the class were practically friends, me included. The presentation was about the galaxy.. easy as pie, right? x3

The second time I also lucked out, the newly added people, whom I hated with a passion, were absent and/or sick. One of them was very racist towards Caucasians and almost tried to beat me up once because of my shoes. Yeah. :/ And the other two were brother and sister, they were just disrespectful and condescending in general. I was an easy target, go figure.

Even though only with friends again, I was still VERY nervous. So, instead of concentrating on the presentation, I concentrated on good writing, information and information source. Then when it was written I kept reading it until I could memorize it in my sleep, then at the day of the presentation I just turned my brain off and did it. It was an ordeal, but got a solid 9 for it in the end (which is the equivalent of a B+). :3

I kept it together through pure luck, really. Not sure of how much value this is to you. ^W^;

 

[Feathers]

Well, actually, I sometimes like it.

I fretted before too, often, the key is really good preparation. Knowing what you'll talk about and being passionate about it, or at least finding a funny or interesting aspect. If you don't find it interesting, nobody else will. If YOU find it interesting, chances are others will too. Especially if you use a little bit of humor or ask your audience questions to keep them interested etc. Making people laugh in a good way can be very rewarding.
You can practise your story with your friends or online (or even us here, though maybe it's better to not publish it in public for anonymity? some sites online offer semi-privacy, eg you need to sign up with a password for protected areas, I think this would be good.)

Most kids in high school aren't interested in presentations and most just 'tune out' and don't do it any better either.. So if you can do it interesting, that's a bonus point. If not, just 'survive'... And ideally the teacher would tame any 'loud' guys and say something like 'hey we will listen to you/have listened to you too, so be respectful now.' Cross looks from teachers can sometimes help too.)

Apparently people can listen for about 5 minutes without 'tuning out' so it's good to add a question then. Like if you have numbers in your presentations, 'How many people do you think __ (do this)?' and only then give the right answer. Or if it's imaginary - give them a cliffhanger, like maybe 'He opened the door and - " and wait a bit (you can even say something boring then, when everyone is expecting a fascinating development, to make them laugh) or even ask at some point 'What do you think happened?' (though this may be too open-ended for high school, maybe something that has a definitive answer, like a number or amount of chiuauas a celebrity has or something funny is better.)
There are all sorts of tips to give better presentations online and in books.

Also there are all sorts of tips for writing interesting stories - there needs to be some sort of conflict, mystery and drama about it - think about your favorite stories, books or TV series or films.. Do you like to read or enjoy watching series/films? What keeps you interested, turning the pages or watching the TV?
There are writing sites and forums too, which may be helpful.. You may find prompts helpful too (starting from a sentence or a picture or another short film on youTube or...)

After you've put it together and tested it, maybe speak it out in front of a mirror several times, or just in your room, where noone is watching. You can also tape-record yourself, on the computer or on a cassette.. (This may or may not be helpful, depending on how you feel about it and hearing your voice. Remember it usually sounds MUCH better live than recorded!!) And while it may sound odd at first, it may turn out really good a few attempts later! (Even with the cheapie microphone, if you learn to position it right!)

Good luck with it all!!

 

[RND_CHR]

I used to hate public speaking, but then I decided I wanted to become more socialable. Now, I view it as a challange to overcome, so I kind of enjoy it. Public speaking gets easier with practice. You sound like you're not worried about public speaking, you're more worried about your writing abilities. From your post, you seem like you can write just as good as anyone else. Another person person on this board with unfounded self criticism.

 

[Agon]

Thanks for all the replies!

I think I'm gonna go ahead with it and face my fears. I won't be the best speaker on the planet, but I need to overcome my anxiety somehow. The only way is to speak in public again and again, right? :/ That doesn't sound too palatable. Hopefully I'll be able to form a coherent sentence.

 

[sanitariumcalls]

I still do it, have had a couple classes in college that I had to present. My Spanish Cultural Presentation was ok, I enjoyed the project but was docked points for not making eye contact with the class...

When it comes to group presentations, I politely ask my teammates if I can present a small piece, and they usually oblige me.

Good luck!

 

[Vecis]

My trouble is my speech problems and the fact that I get mighty nervous when I must speak publicly. My speech spoils up and its hard to understand me. Last time when I spoke out in public was when I must defend my bachelors paper. I was nervous and hardly understandable. I got high mark but I still feel quite bad that I so nervous when I got such great success.

 

[colin16]

Thanks for sharing. I like it.

 

[Mendel]

I went back to college a couple of years ago, and on the first day of the first class we were told that we would have to give a presentation, which terrified me and I almost dropped out right there. Now that I have been going for a couple of years though, I have had to give quite a few of them, and they definitely get easier with practice. I still don't like it, but I have gotten used to doing it. I don't know it will help you, but there are a few things that I learned to do to make it easier on me. First, I always tell myself beforehand that no matter how it goes, it will only last a couple of minutes, which really isn't that long when you think about it. I also try to remember that most people don't like to do it, so the other students are mostly going to be too busy worrying about their own to even be listening to me. Finally, I always volunteer to go first. This seems crazy since I have a public speaking fear, but I have found that it is better to get it over with rather than sit around worrying about it while everyone else is doing theirs. It also means that you set the standard, so you don't feel like you have to live up to someone else's performance. Good luck.

 

[kihira]

My schooling from grade 5 was at all-boys schools. At college it was mixed. For English we were supposed to present a book review, I knew I couldn't do it, especially in front of girls, so I never even read the book. Ended up dropping out soon after.

Now I work as a teacher and am in front of a class most days. Worst case of presentation nerves that I've heard of from another teacher is someone who was so anxious they were sick. People should never be pushed anywhere near that point.