Why is it that we can remember
“four-score and seven years ago,”
and “I have a dream,” but we
can’t remember what our science teacher talked about in class just yesterday?
Hi, I’m Bianca from the OWL, and today we’re going to talk
about how to improve our public speaking.
This video mainly refers to the task of giving an important speech,
but the general principles here apply to other public speaking situations,
like presentations for school.
Let’s start with a very fundamental concept.
No matter what type of
speech you’re giving, it’s important to know your audience.
Are you giving a presentation to your classmates?
Speaking at a school board meeting?
Delivering a campaign speech for class president?
The differences between these audiences should be reflected in the details of your speech.
For example, if you’re old enough to remember Mister Rogers, from Mister Roger’s Neighborhood,
you’ll know that, despite being a middle-aged man for much of the show’s runtime, he spoke
to the kids in his audience in a way they could understand, using clear, familiar language.
Knowing who you’re speaking to allows you to strike a chord with your audience and helps direct
the content of your speech while you're writing it.
That brings us to our next point: Be confident about your subject!
Don’t just memorize the words of your speech.
Instead try to become a “mini-expert” on your topic.
Anticipate questions from the audience and be prepared to elaborate on your talking points.
Remember those science fair projects from middle school, where you had to learn all about
electromagnetism (or whatever) so that you could talk comfortably with the people who
walked by your board?
Try to prepare for public speaking in a similar way.
Knowing your subject well will help you feel more confident, and that confidence will show.
Now, how do you make sure your
audience doesn’t fall asleep while
you’re talking?
First, you should
try to be brief.
Stick to the main points and avoid getting caught in irrelevant details.
As a general rule, using a single central example or story in most speeches is fine—more
than one can make things tedious.
Another good way to keep your speech’s length under control is to force yourself to begin
and end your presentation with a few points—delivered succinctly and memorably—for your audience
to take with them. “Bookending” your speech by summarizing your content will help
the audience remember your main ideas, and will also help you keep the middle section
of your speech on-topic.
You also shouldn’t shy away from adding a little emotion or personality to the speech.
Don’t be afraid to inject a few humorous or passionate moments here and there.
That emotional human connection between the speaker and the audience
is what makes public speaking so interesting.
Of course, not every emotion is appropriate for every situation.
How would you feel if, right after you turned in an exam you thought you failed, the teacher
joked with the class about how easy it was?
Probably not great.
So don’t be afraid to let your personality show, but be aware of your setting and audience.
You can also consider adding a visual element to
your presentation, like a PowerPoint or a handout that lets people follow along.
But be careful not to overwhelm your audience with too many visuals,
though, or they’ll get distracted from your message.
We’ll talk more about this in another video.
Now, finally, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: stage fright.
Believe it or not, almost 25% of Americans are afraid of public speaking.
Now, that’s roughly 80 million people with the same feelings as you.
So when you get up in front of the crowd, remember that nervousness is normal,
but it’s never as obvious to the audience as you might think.
This is especially true if you’re well- prepared.
If you have time, try to run through your presentation at least three times
(in front of a friend or a mirror) before you give it for real.
This makes you more comfortable with the content and the order in which you need to present it.
Also, remember to speak slower than you normally would.
When we’re nervous, we tend to rush through things, but
slowing down gives us time to breathe
and makes us relax.
Check your posture, too.
We’re going to talk more about this in a future video, but for now,
be careful not to keep your hands in your pockets, or keep your arms crossed,
or slouch.
All these postures make you look less confident.
On the other hand, standing up straight with your chest out and your shoulders back
makes you look full of confidence—even if you’re not.
By now, hopefully you’re a little less
worried about that upcoming speech.
Check back soon for more videos on
public speaking, but for now, remember to know your audience,
be confident in your subject, stand up straight, and rehearse!
With a little practice, your audience will be talking about your speech for years to come.
Or at least they’ll remember it better than your science teacher’s latest magnum opus.
Thanks for watching!