Speaking Out Loud Can Be Hard to Do

I wouldn’t say that I’m deathly afraid of public speaking, but as a child I was extremely shy; rarely speaking up in class or raising my hand. Overtime I’ve come out of my shell. True when you first meet me I still come off as being shy, quiet and introverted. But once you get to know me I become more talkative. Not to say that I’m the one who is always the center of attention around my closest friends, I’ve always been the listener more than the one who contributes a lot to the conversation.

After reading Lester’s article it made me understand how for some, public speaking can be such a problem. I think everyone can relate to an extent, no one wants to look stupid when they have a huge presentation to give in front of the class, or when you have a speech to give amongst a large crowd. Everyone has the fear of looking flustered or incompetent in front of anyone. Sometimes I think it’s hard to think up a clever answer or rebuttal on the spot. I never really enjoyed debates in high school, for one it made me feel completely self conscious of being on the spot and having all my classmates look at me and two, I was always afraid I wasn’t going to have anything smart to say or be able to argue quickly enough.

Group discussions I enjoyed more. I think topics that I’m interested in make me feel more motivated to be a part of the conversation rather than something I know nothing about or have very little interest in. For those people Lester mentioned who get light headed, red in the face and dizzy at even the thought of speaking in class, I think the most important thing to do is approach your professor like Lester mentioned. If the teacher knows there is a problem, it won’t cause an issue later on or hinder your work performance.

I think children and young adults tend to forget that even adults are petrified of talking in public, face to face or in front of a group. Over the years I’ve become less self-conscious about what other people think or say, most of the time it’s just all in my head. What helps me is to ask questions. This helps me feel more confident about speaking up in class, my teachers know that I care about the course and also know I’m paying attention.

Ever since coming to Uarts I have definitely learned to speak up for myself. Whether it’s asking questions in class, emailing my teachers or calling someone on the phone, it’s important to communicate and keep informed in any type of way. Being able to communicate with people in all sorts of settings is necessary. Public speaking is just one of the many forms of communication that people use in order to get their feelings and messages across. I enjoyed reading Lester’s article, it made me sympathize with those that find it harder to speak in public and helped me realize everyone gets a little nervous.