How to Become More Comfortable with Public Speaking
Photo by Marcos Luiz Photograph on Unsplash
Whether you’re working an internship, continuing your studies online, or just enjoying a couple of months off, summertime is a great time to focus on improving key skills you’ll need when you eventually return to the classroom.
As you work your way through the Summer, it’s important to take time to reflect on your past year in the classroom to prepare yourself for the upcoming one.
What are some key areas you performed exceptionally well in? What are some areas you found yourself struggling with?
How can you use the free time you have over the course of the next couple months to better position yourself for your return to school?
One area I struggled with, especially during my few years in the U.S., was public speaking.
Whenever I was asked to present in front of my American peers and professors I would find myself experiencing all of the classic reactions of stage fright like shortness of breath, jitters, and clammy palms.
While it wasn’t my favorite thing to do in the world, I took every opportunity I had to practice speaking in public because I knew that if I wanted to do well in the U.S., it would be important to develop this skill.
Many of you may come from a culture where public speaking is not necessarily as emphasized as it is in North America. Add the difficulty of using a foreign language while doing so, it creates quite a daunting task.
Many international students I work with would try their best to avoid speaking in public.
Little do they know that in order to overcome a challenge like this, it’s important to make a plan and take “the opposite action” to gradually feel more comfortable with a new skill they want to develop.
“Public speaking skill is an important skill to develop for international students who want to do well in the U.S. ”
How do you get more comfortable with public speaking? Here are 5 tips to help you get started:
Find low-stakes opportunities:
You don’t have to wait till you’re back in the classroom. If you are doing a summer internship, you might find yourself needing to attend meetings and speak in front of your cohort, managers, or colleagues. You can also find volunteer work where you lead projects and need to regularly speak in front of a group of people. Use low-stakes opportunities like these in your time outside of school to help you become used to speaking in public.
Prepare in advance:
Preparation ahead of time helps organize our thoughts and makes sure we cover necessary content in the actual speaking. Assess where you are in your comfort level and the importance of the occasion, your preparation might vary from very thorough to just jotting down a few talking points and thinking through what you want to cover for each point a few minutes before the actual speaking.
Remember to breathe:
Make sure you remember to breathe when you’re doing the actual talking. That’s right. I often tell my international students that breathing is the most important tool they have to help their body stay calm and anchor their attention to the present moment. The more they can stay in the present, the more likely they will have a clear head to think on the spot and engage their audience. Incorporate this when you prepare for the speaking as well, so all of the things needed to speak comfortably in front of people get practiced.
Get feedback:
Feedback is an important factor when we develop any new skill. It can come from both yourself and people you trust. After each practice and talk, give yourself a “fair” assessment or ask people you trust to comment on things you’ve done well and things that you need to improve. Take feedback from yourself and others to modify the way you speak next time.
Keep practicing:
Ask anyone who’s a master of their craft, repeated and consistent practice is the only way for them to get better and better over time. For sure, it takes determination. You want to be clear why this is an important skill for you to develop or even master, and how relevant it is to your longer-term goals or things you want to accomplish in your life.
Ask yourself these questions to help you get started:
Why is it important for you to develop public speaking skills?
What are some low-stakes opportunities you can find around you?
What’s your takeaway for developing your public speaking skills?
About The Author
Many years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy.D. and I help international students navigate the cross-cultural aspects of their experience in the U.S., so they can succeed academically and socially and build a life and career that they desire!