Image by Kevin Gonzalez
Public speaking is when someone speaks in front of a live audience. It could be for a school presentation, business meeting or even when entertaining a group of friends and family at a gathering. These days audiences can also tune in online via platforms such as Zoom.
The thought of public speaking can be intimidating to many. It’s often scary to speak in front of a crowd even in our native language let alone in a second language. However, we’re here to tell you that there are ways to improve your English public speaking skills and increase your confidence.
Why Improve Your English Public Speaking Skills
When we’re trying to get better at something, it’s always helpful to know why we’re doing it so that it keeps us motivated. Therefore, let’s look at why English public speaking skills are important.
Have you ever been asked to present something in front of the class? If you haven’t had the experience yet, you probably would have to at some point whether in school or at university. Besides that, if you’d like to take up leadership positions in clubs and societies, this skill will come in handy as you will need to address society members.
In the working world, people often have to present updates and reports during meetings. Having good public speaking skills means that you’d be able to communicate and engage with people better. It is also a highly valued skill by employers as English is used by many organisations on a local and international level.
Therefore, English public speaking skills will continue to be useful throughout your life. So don’t miss out on our top tips to improve your English public speaking skills below which you could start practising from today!
Tips To Improve Your English Public Speaking Skills
Image by Marcos Luiz Photograph
Tip 1: Preparation is key
Preparation is key to ensuring that your English public speaking experience is as stress-free as it can be. Before preparing or giving a speech, you should also be aware of who your audience is. Knowing your audience helps you tailor your speech and speaking style to make it more engaging to the crowd.
Once you know what you’re going to talk about, spend time outlining the main points that you’ll be covering. Then, practice talking about these points whether it’s in front of the mirror or in front of your family and friends.
It’s ok to refer to your written points during your speech now and then. However, make sure that you’re not just reading from it. Sometimes the urge to just read out a script may be tempting but remember, it’s called public speaking not public reading for a reason!
Tip 2: Try to speak naturally.
When we’re speaking in front of others, we tend to be much more self-conscious. We might also be speaking much quicker than usual although we might not realize it at the moment. Therefore, always make a mental note to pace yourself when speaking and remember, it’s ok to take a pause and breathe.
Besides that, it’s completely fine to speak in a way that is natural to you. As long as you’re speaking clearly and calmly, there’s no need to try to sound a certain way or change any accents you might have. While you should try to use proper grammar and pronunciation, the sentence structure is usually more varied and informal when speaking, similar to how we speak in daily life.
Tip 3: Watch how others do it
Image by Product School
Have you ever heard of a Ted Talk before? If you head over to YouTube, you’ll find a collection of Ted Talks which are videos of experts talking or giving a presentation about a range of topics.
Many good English public speakers have spoken at a Ted Talk so watching these videos is a great way to observe what makes a good speech or presentation and incorporate them the next time you’re doing it. Watching these videos will also help sharpen your English listening skills!
You can also find videos or transcripts of famous speeches given by public figures and leaders from around the world. If you have a teacher or lecturer that you feel is particularly engaging when they’re speaking, think about how they might be different from others.
Tip 4: Practice reciting speeches
You could also try reciting monologues by characters from movies or books. Alternatively, you could also recite a poem This way, you don’t have to worry about preparing the content and can focus on practising the delivery of the text to improve your public speaking skills.
If you feel up for the challenge, try reciting famous English speeches such as Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have A Dream” and Winston Churchill’s ‘We shall fight on the beaches” speech. You don’t have to recite the whole thing, simply pick a few paragraphs to practice on. If you’re a fan of BTS, here’s also your chance to try out RM’s speech at the United Nations!
While practicing, feel free to play around with your speaking style as well as your facial expressions and body language. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Tip 5: Join a drama club
Image by Wei-Cheng Wu
Have a flair for drama and the performing arts? Why not join the drama club at your school? Participating in drama and other similar activities that require you to speak or perform in front of an audience is a good way to get over the all too familiar stage fright. As you do it more often, you’ll be more familiar with the feeling of being in front of others. As for the butterflies in the stomach, even the most seasoned performer gets them! The key is to manage it and not let it stop you from getting up on stage.
The plus point of joining drama activities is that you get to go on stage with others which makes you feel less alone while you build up your confidence.
Tip 6: Get feedback
After you’ve given a speech or presentation, it may be tempting to just think, that’s all done now. However, getting feedback is an essential step to improving your English public speaking skills.
Good feedback can make you aware of your strengths and areas of improvement. So find trusted friends, family members or teachers who can tell you what you did well and offer suggestions on what you can try doing differently the next time.
