Glossophobia

As we all know that public speaking is a worldwide problem. Time to time, we all have suffered from it tremendously. In my case, they are literally the gut-wrenching experiences.

I still have a vivid reminiscence of those days, whenever I was on the stages; I used to stand there speechless for a while and shake vigorously. It was simply that I had a stage fright. Despite of my nervousness, I continued taking parts in school’s extra-curriculum activities such as poem recitations, debates, quiz contests, singing & dancing competitions. Deep inside me, I had an urge to think positively and act according to my intuitions. However, when I got to the stages or just in front of the crowd, I would loose all my composure, gradually forming beads of sweat on my forehead and then thought that I would faint in no time.

When I was in class 8, during the Parents’ Day, I was to recite a poem. My name was called on the stage by one of the senior students. Perhaps he knew that I used to become nervous he once suggested me a tip, which was not to look at the crowd, instead to look briefly on the ceiling. I headed to the stage and gave a formal introduction of my poem to the audience. But when I was about to recite, all of a sudden, I did not know what to say, even though I knew my poem from my heart. I could not speak. I stood there frozen, and then suddenly I remembered the tips that Milan, the senior student, offered me. Therefore, I hold the microphone firmly as if I was not nervous, mustered courage and looked at the ceiling. When my eyes caught the ceiling above my head, to make the matter worse, I kind of completely lost the poem that I was about to recite. I began to see and imagine funny pictures that made me smile hysterically. It only hurt my straining eyes. This was not what I wanted. In other words, I completely forgot what I was to utter. Next, I did not know how to begin. I was so angry but having had no choice I had to suppress that anger which was about to engulf me. I did not know what to do, but then I smiled with my head down and looked at the note that I was holding and began to recite a poem in a quivering voice. My instinct told me to act as if nothing just happened and continued reciting the poem. When the audience applauded, I came to realize that my poem recitation was over. Even though sadness tinged on my face, I smiled reluctantly and said “Thank you” and walked away. God, I felt terribly sick to the pit of my stomach. I hated myself for what happened a while ago. With all the failures, at the end, I always sensed some form of achievement.

When I got to the college, the English professor Mr Bajracharya used to call me in front of 40-50 students and requested me to read my essay audibly. History repeated again with another awful experience. From time to time, no matter how much I liked his lectures; I deliberately did not attend his classes.

To my relief, in 2001 my fear of public speaking came to halt, when my classmate Anita and myself had to do the reports together. We performed a power point presentation in front of our fellow students and the lecturer Ms Suzanne. At last, I felt so proud that I was able to overcome the fear that I always had since school. It was due to the fact that I was able to attend different seminars & trainings on the public speaking.
TIPS ON PUBLIC SPEAKING
o Don’t look at people in their eyes.

o Make sure you’re prepared - it will give you more confidence.

o Practice beforehand in front of the mirror, or even better, in front of friends/family. You can ask a friend to watch you rehearse.

o Dress comfortably yet elegantly in something you like wearing or know that looks good on you (then you won’t be conscious/worried about your attire)

o Just keep in mind that people in the audience are not out there to judge you - they’re there to hear what you have to say. When the time comes, remember they are there to listen to you, not to judge how you look. Imagine they all have their eyes shut, don’t shut your eye thou.

o Speak slowly and pronounce each word clearly.

o Sip water if your mouth goes dry.

o Speak clearly and calmly. If you rush, people know you are nervous. Your first attempts may not be perfect, but you get better.

During the early schooling days, it is vital that the students get enough training to overcome glossophobia, which is the fear of public speaking. When I was in the school, I have no memory of training that was given on this crucial subject. I am not blaming schools and teachers for not providing one, but it is a good practice to educate students on good public speaking techniques so that they do not have to stagger with anxiety while standing in front of an audience to deliver the messages.