Page 92 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 3 Managing Speech Anxiety 59

Exhibit 3.2
“In situations where the weight of the communication relies more and more on me, I
become more nervous about speaking. When the discussion is dependent on more input What Our
from others, I feel less anxious about talking.” Students Say
“The situation doesn’t matter. I think everyone is a little scared of public speaking.”

“I am involved in many group settings where I often enjoy sharing my opinion. I actually
have a tendency to dominate conversations. But when it comes to speaking in front of a
large group of people, I tend to rush through the presentation and leave some information
out.”

“In cheerleading I am able to perform with ease in amphitheaters fi lled with people while
being on television. I see [speechmaking] as very different. In cheerleading we are able
to practice the same routine over and over until it is so drilled in our heads we can do it
without thought. Speaking in front of your peers as well as other people is different.”

“There are moments where I will be so nervous I sweat bullets and others where I do really
well. I would say I am about normal.”
“I do get nervous and show a few nervous habits like moving my hands a lot or saying
‘um’ and ‘and’ too often. It greatly depends on the topic and the audience, naturally.
If the topic is something I know about and understand well (especially if it is something I’m
passionate about), I won’t be nearly as nervous as if it were a topic I didn’t feel completely
knowledgeable on.”

tion and practice, many seem to think that public speaking is different in this
regard. So they put off preparing and practicing their speech until the last mo-
ment. Then they wonder why the act of speaking itself makes them nervous,
prone to making mistakes, and negative about the overall experience.
Minimizing the importance of preparation and practice to the speaking
experience only increases the amount of uncertainty surrounding the upcom-
ing speech. To repeat, this uncertainty is a chief cause of the excessive arousal
and anxiety that students begin to feel in the course of preparing to speak. Fre-
quently, then, the real source of their discomfort when they actually do speak is
a result of their own shortsightedness.
Sometimes students recognize the importance of preparation and practice
but simply cannot confront the public speaking assignment. Much like writ-
er’s block, this aversion to preparing and practicing a speech occurs because
students are afraid of what they’ll feel when getting started. Perhaps they fear
failure, or they just don’t know where to begin. Whatever the reason, procras-
tination only postpones genuine speech anxiety. Procrastination also gives you
less time to prepare. To avoid this vicious cycle, we make the following two
suggestions. First, choose the right topic. You should already know something
about it, and you should be excited about it. This will help motivate you and
keep you in a positive frame of mind. Second, overprepare. Always give your-
self plenty of time to work on your speech. Make a commitment to become an
expert on your topic. Then carry out the commitment with research that in-
forms you. Don’t be satisfi ed with knowing only enough about your topic to “just
get by.”
Practice delivering your speech well in advance of presenting it. Athletes
practice much more than they formally compete. They realize there is a crucial
connection between practice and performance on game day.