Take a Public Speaking Course and Conquer the Fear

Communication Studies, 2019

Addressing student public speaking anxiety (PSA) through an introductory speaking course is a fundamental pedagogical touchpoint. The current study replicates and extends PSA research by seeking to understand the nature of change in PSA that students experience. Results indicate that students’ fears and anxieties regarding public speaking change before the first speech (Time 1) and after the last speech (Time 2) in the course such that almost half who reported the same fears at Time 1 and Time 2 indicated that the fear had decreased or diminished in intensity. Memory glitches were the most often cited fear at both Time 1 and Time 2. Confirming previous research, student PSA decreased over time. These findings extend previous investigations by highlighting the intensity of change experienced about specific fears identified and establishing a connection between fears and PSA. Training students in an introductory speaking course appears effective (and economical) in reducing levels of PSA. Future research should target the link between specific pedagogical tools and changes in student PSA.

2019

Public speaking is a highly important skill for a graduate to achieve, and despite many students reporting high public speaking anxiety, this is rarely addressed in current undergraduate degree courses. The following paper evaluates the effectiveness of a course aimed at reducing students' levels of public speaking anxiety via a relatively simple and resource minimal approach. Twenty-nine students completed 9 sessions aimed to improve public speaking confidence. Across the sessions, students progressed from conducting informal presentations in front of small numbers of students towards formal presentations of academic content in front of increasingly larger audiences. In a latter session, students were also encouraged to reflect on their experience of the course and to note any skills they had developed. Delivery of the public speaking program resulted in significant reductions in scores on two standardized measures of public speaking anxiety, the Audience Anxiousness Scale and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension. It is suggested that University departments should consider offering courses for students which allow them to practice public speaking.

Communication Education , 2018

This study catalogues student (N = 828) self-described fears related to public speaking. Specifically, this investigation adds to the knowledge of public speaking anxiety through an initial inductive analysis of students’ fears about public speaking and a second analysis (of different data) to authenticate emergent categories. Resulting categories included both internal and external fears about public speaking, providing meaningful implications for teaching and learning within the introductory communication course.

Journal of Education and Educational Development, 2017

Despite being competent in their field of work, professional's worldwide struggle due to lack of good public speaking skills. Their assessments and appraisals are often not depictive of their professional competitiveness; therefore, it is important for students to overcome public speaking anxiety before they transit from academic life to professional life. The purpose of this study is to analyze the reasons behind the anxiety level in undergraduate students of a public speaking class and recommend strategies to overcome this fear. This study was entailed quantitative research paradigm on a sample of 50 students using convenience sampling technique from a reputable private sector business school in Karachi. The findings showed that students who fear public speaking can perform well if they use certain strategies to fight their fears. 75% participants admitted their fear of public speaking and 95% participants agreed that if proper counseling, instruction and coaching is provided, this fear can be overcome. Research revealed that exposure to virtual environment can facilitate student confidence and enables themto face audience irrespective of the size.

Despite being competent in their field of work, professional's worldwide struggle due to lack of good public speaking skills. Their assessments and appraisals are often not depictive of their professional competitiveness; therefore, it is important for students to overcome public speaking anxiety before they transit from academic life to professional life. The purpose of this study is to analyze the reasons behind the anxiety level in undergraduate students of a public speaking class and recommend strategies to overcome this fear. This study was entailed quantitative research paradigm on a sample of 50 students using convenience sampling technique from a reputable private sector business school in Karachi. The findings showed that students who fear public speaking can perform well if they use certain strategies to fight their fears. 75% participants admitted their fear of public speaking and 95% participants agreed that if proper counseling, instruction and coaching is provided, this fear can be overcome. Research revealed that exposure to virtual environment can facilitate student confidence and enables themto face audience irrespective of the size.

International Journal for Current Science Research and Review, 2023

Public speaking is the act of making speeches in public or the art of effective oral communication with an audience. Fear of public speaking is common among students and the general population. The National Institute of Mental Health Report stated that public speaking anxiety is considered a social anxiety disorder (Brewer, 2001). This research aimed to find out the public speaking anxiety among college students of St. Paul University Surigao. It sought to answer the participants' anxiety levels as Trait Anxiety, Context Anxiety, Audience Anxiety, and Situation Anxiety. The data were tested for the significant difference when grouped according to their profile. The researchers utilized the quantitative descriptive survey design using a researcher-made questionnaire that was subjected for validity and reliability checking and was administered to 81 education students. The findings revealed that students experienced very high Audience Anxiety while only high Trait, Context and Situation Anxieties. Furthermore, the findings found no significant difference in the participants' level of anxiety when grouped according to profile. This means that anxiety level remains the same regardless of age, sex, and year level. Hence, it is recommended that public speaking should be offered as a subject to all degree programs at the tertiary level especially for teacher education programs. Also, the school administrators should encourage more public speaking activities in and out of the school where students would participate in such public speaking events to hone skills, thus, minimizing public speaking anxieties.

2017

This pedagogical idea shares our course design as a model for a public speaking course crafted to help students reduce their public speaking anxiety (PSA). This design and the quantitative measurement of its outcomes have been effective in both online and face-to-face course delivery modes, providing our department with assessment data to help communicate the course"s success to our administration. Ключевые слова: волнение при публичном выступлении, боязнь общения, разработка курса, оценка, обучение ассистентов.

2019

Regardless its importance, speaking always becomes a demanding task to teach. It is a complex skill since it requires not only the language ability, but also related to psychological conditions, such as confidence, especially when it comes to public speaking. This paper elaborates what happened in the public speaking training classes conducted by Language Development and Service Centers at University of Muhammadiyah Banjaramasin. This research employs pre-experimental research design to measure the effect of the training on students’ speaking anxiety and skill. It invites 40 students from the writers’ classes to join the research. A Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) questionnaire and speaking test are two main instruments to collect the data. In addition, result observation also becomes additional data collection to enrich the findings. Finally, this research is expected to give a valid statistical data support as well as ideas for teachers who are interested in pla...

Journal of Voice, 2010

In light of infamous levels of fear associated with public speaking, businesses are training staff in communication effectiveness and universities are requiring courses in public speaking. A variety of approaches to individual training are available, but few studies have assessed effectiveness of group instruction, as in academic curricula. The specific purpose of this study was to compare changes in scores on measures of self-perceived confidence, competence, and apprehension associated with public speaking after two types of courses: one focused on knowledge of the vocal mechanism and mastering vocal characteristics (pitch, volume, rate, quality), and one addressing general communication theory and public speaking. Seventy-one undergraduate students enrolled in ''Voice and Diction'' at George Washington University (GWU) and 68 enrolled in ''Fundamental Speech'' at Florida State University completed questionnaires before and after the courses. Scores on Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale, Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker, and Personal Report of Communication Apprehension-24, were compared within subjects (ie, prepost course) and between courses. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found on all measures: students reported less apprehension and more confidence and competence after the courses. No differences were found between the two courses when comparing the mean changes from pre-to postscore. Traditional public speaking curriculum of how to design and deliver a speech and curriculum tailored to the voice and speech mechanism succeeded in reducing public speaking apprehension and increasing feelings of confidence and competency for these undergraduate students.

VISION

The ability to speak is a very important aspect, especially in oral presentations in the learning process. Previously, there was a lot of research evidence showing that many students had a fear of public speaking. For this reason, researchers conducted research using qualitative research methods to find out what problems caused students to experience fear or anxiety in speaking English and also aim to find out what and how the strategies used by students in reducing anxiety when speaking in public. This research was conducted at one of the universities in Medan, by using 6 students of English education as samples taken randomly. This research was conducted by answering questions from the google form that has been provided, so that the samples could describe their answers about common problems faced when speaking in public. The results of this survey identify the causes of students&#39; fear of public speaking and to identify how they can minimize their fear of public speaking.