GEL 102 – MODULE EIGHT

SPEECH APPREHENSION
CONTENTS

1.0 Background
2.0 Introduction
3.0 Objectives
4.0 Main Content
4.1 Causes of Public Speaking Apprehension
4.2 Handling Speech Apprehension
5.0 Importance of overcoming speech apprehension
6.0 Summary and Conclusion

1.0 Background

Managing speech apprehension is one of the many communication skills that the
public speaking course provides. Most people, irrespective of the age consider
speaking in public a Herculean task. Nearly all the great orators we have in the world
today had to battle with speech apprehension at some points in their acts of public
speaking. One wonders if Abraham Lincoln ever had to struggle with speech anxiety
because of the way he delivered his speeches with great expertise, but, his opening
moments during speech presentations had been characterized with awkwardness, self-
consciousness and even unpleasant struggle with words. Leonardo Dicaprio, an
accomplished speaker was said to be terrified in the early stage of his career by the
prospect of giving a public speech. All these actually portray the normality of speech
anxiety and the fact that it can be overcome. This module focuses on discussing the
methods that will help overcome speech apprehension.

The first 5 minutes will be used to discuss the meaning of speech apprehension, 15
minutes for the causes, 20 minutes on how to handle and 10 minutes for the students
to share their experiences and how they have managed to handle it, and the last 10
minutes will be for questions and answers.

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2.0 Introduction

A lot of students dread speaking in public; just the thought of standing up to speak in
front of an audience would leave some people terrified and worried. Such situations
are often accompanied with series of negative thoughts - ‘I'm going to make a fool of
myself', ‘I wouldn't know what to say', ‘the audience will laugh at me', ‘I'm not good
at speaking in public'. Despite all these, the good news is that it is possible to
overcome speech anxiety and have that wonderful speech delivery you have always
desired.

Students often ask how they can overcome the fear that envelopes them in front of an
audience; the fear that causes them a huge embarrassment and turn their presentations
into their worst nightmares. So then, they ask if it's actually possible to overcome this
menace called stage fright. Let's quickly go down the memory lane to unlearn a
method that was taught on how to handle speech anxiety. While growing up, we were
taught to either look up to the ceiling or at the heads of our audience, as this was a
proffered solution to stage fright. However, avoiding eye contacts with your audience
does not in any way depict self-confidence, in fact, it makes your audience less
enthusiastic about whatever you have to say. You really want to overcome stage
apprehension, face your fears rather than avoid it. In Cargnegie's (1915) words, "cast
out fear...the bravest know fear, but they do not yield to it. Face your audience
pluckily, if your knees quake make them stop."

Handling speech anxiety depends much more on the individual, to list a few, it
requires; building a greater self-confidence, organising your thoughts, staying positive
and even gaining more experience by continually speaking in public. Students are
hereby encouraged to give their maximum attention, ask necessary questions and
participate in the class presentations.

3.0 Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

 Define stage apprehension
 Identify the causes of speech apprehension
 Learn how speech apprehension can be handled.
 Apply the strategies for overcoming speech apprehension

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4.0 Main Content

The number one fear that is common to all and sundry is not even the fear of death,
but the fear of speaking in public (glossophobia). It has been observed that the fear of
speaking in public rates higher than the fear of death in the minds of many people. A
lot of people would confess praying for the ground to open and swallow them, rather
than remain standing in front of an audience to give a speech. Lucas (2010) posits that
stage fright is the anxiety over the prospect of giving a speech in front of an audience.
Coopman and Lull (2011) describes speech apprehension as the feelings of
uneasiness, panic and even dread associated with public speaking. The sudden self-
consciousness, the perspiration that wells up on the face, the sweaty palms, the shaky
voice and increased heartbeat, sum up the nervous feelings experienced by a highly
apprehensive person.

Speech anxiety is known to be a major cause of unsuccessful speeches, but Lucas

(2010) sheds a different light on how these nervous feelings can be controlled and
channeled towards having an excellent speech delivery:
‘Rather than trying to eliminate every trace of stage fright, you
should aim at transforming it from a negative force into what
one expert calls positive nervousness - ‘a zesty, enthusiastic,
lively feeling with a light edge to it…It's still nervousness but it
feels different. You're no longer victimized by it; instead, you're
vitalized by it. You're in control of it'…Don't think of yourself as
having stage fright. Instead, think of it as stage excitement or
stage enthusiasm.'

The aforementioned introduces us to how anxiety can be transformed into a force that
drives one into having a great public speaking experience. By this, we understand that
nervousness could be a positive force just as much as it can be a negative force.
Therefore, it is very important to learn how to channel your speech anxiety towards
fueling your chance of having a wonderful presentation.

4. 1 Causes of Public Speaking Apprehension

According to Coopman and Lull (2011), speech anxiety stems from different sources
of uncertainty: the speaker's role, your speaking abilities, your ideas, the audience's
response, the setting, the technology used and how others will evaluate you. All these
will be discussed as follows:

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1. Uncertainty about your role as a speaker: Most people are not familiar with the
speaker role, and so, because they do not know what to do as a speaker,
anxiety begins to set in. Questions such as; ‘will the audience understand me?'
‘What does the audience expect?' ‘How would I present my speech?' arise in
the early stage of preparation. The less certain you are about your role as the
speaker, the more nervous you will feel about presenting a speech.

2. Uncertainty about your speaking abilities: This has to do with not being sure
about the skills you need to speak effectively, and how you may put your
public speaking skills into good use. This uncertainty may cause you to lack
confidence in your abilities to speak as a public speaker. The less confidence
you have in your public speaking skills, the more apprehension you will feel
about public speaking.

3. Uncertainty about your ideas: It is no doubt that some people are really good
at holding conversations but when it comes to speaking to an audience, it is a
totally different scenario. The audience expects you to have thoroughly
research the topic you want to talk about and give them a masterpiece. The
less sure you are about your knowledge of your topic, the more nervous you
will feel about giving the speech.

4. Uncertainty about the type of audience and their response: This has to do with
being uncertain about the audience's reaction to your speech. You might ask
yourself, will they understand my point? Will they respect me and my ideas?
Will they find my speech interesting or think it's boring? The less you believe
you can predict the audience's response to your speech, the more anxious you
will feel.

5. Uncertainty about the setting: You may have been accustomed to being in a
public setting as an audience member, than you may be as a speaker, therefore,
standing up to speak in front of many people may result into you having
anxiety. The more unfamiliar the setting, the more nervous you may feel about
your speech.

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 6. Uncertainty about technology: Your anxiety level may rise when the laptop
you're using to deliver your speech freezes. Lack of familiarity with technical
equipment and concerns about it working increase the speaker's nervousness.

7. Lack of preparation: Going to speak to an audience without being prepared

may end in a disaster. If you go before an audience without any previous
knowledge of what you want to discuss, your anxiety is sure to rise.

4.2 Handling Speech Apprehension

Learning how to manage speech apprehension is a very important aspect of public

speaking, as this will help you build a greater self-confidence. The following
strategies will help you overcome speech apprehension before and during speech
delivery:

1. Maintain a positive attitude: Research shows that taking a positive attitude

truly helps lessen your speech anxiety, while negative thoughts increase it. If
you believe you will perform well, you will definitely do so, and if you dwell
on doing otherwise, you will fail. Transforming your anxiety into positive
emotions gives you a better chance of delivering a speech that leaves you and
your audience thrilled. If you have a positive attitude towards public speaking,
you look forward to sharing information with your audience.

2. Use the power of visualization: Visualization is closely related to positive

thinking. It has to do with painting a mental picture of yourself successfully
presenting your speech. Visualize yourself standing up and walking to the
podium, facing the audience, making eye contact, smiling, beginning the
speech and ending on a very good note which earns you a standing ovation
from the audience.

3. Prepare and practice your speech: Choose a topic you truly care about and
prepare your speech thoroughly. There is no how you can be caught off guard
when called upon to present a speech you have practiced time and again.
Research effectively the topic you want to present and practice by rehearsing
in front of a few people, doing this will help reduce your anxiety. If you have

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 not dutifully prepared your speech, then you will be subjected to total fear in
front of your audience. Therefore, it is very important for you as a speaker to
have mastery of your speech.

4. Acquire speaking experience: Being in a public speaking class serves as a

training ground for you to develop your public speaking skills, it creates a
platform that gets you accustomed to speaking in front of an audience .You
are hereby advised not to shy away from any class activity, instead, see it as
an opportunity to gain experience in public speaking, so you can become
better at it.

5. Learn all you can about your audience: Getting yourself familiar with your
audience makes it easier to design your speech for them and increases the
possibility of them responding positively to it.

6. Don't expect perfection: There is no such thing as a perfect speech. So when

you stumble on words while presenting a speech or you say something that
doesn't come out exactly as planned, quickly proceed as if nothing happened.
Don't panic, just stay in control and keep the interest of your audience alive.

5.0 Importance of Overcoming Speech Apprehension?

Now is the best time for you to learn how to manage your speech anxiety. You may
think it is not necessary, since you don't plan on becoming an orator in the nearest
future, but this is not a lesson meant for just those who would like to become public
speakers. At various points in one's life, the need to speak to an audience arises. Your
speaking abilities come to play when you need to; present a business proposal,
communicate in a social gathering, defend even your degree project in school and a
lot more. Having learned how to manage your speech apprehension, you will have
little or no problem with speaking confidently.

6.0 Summary and Conclusion

It is already a known fact that public speaking apprehension is normal for a public
speaker, especially a beginner, but the important point to note is how to manage or
overcome it. The fact still remains that you do not know how or what you are capable
of until you practice. There is so much importance in practice. Do not make your fear

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for speaking in public keep you away from unleashing your potential. This module
has extensively discussed the causes and ways of handling this apprehension both
before and during the presentation.

References

Coopman, S.J. & Lull, J. (2011). Public Speaking: The Evolving Art. Boston:
Wadsworth

Carnegie, D. (1915). The art of public speaking. Springfield, Mass: The Home
Correspondence School.

Carnegie, D. (1998). How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public

Speaking. U.K: The Random House Group

Lucas, S. E. (2009). The Art of Public Speaking. New York: McGraw-Hill. 10th
Edition.

Grant-Williams, R. (2002). The Voice of Power. Broadway, New York.