Public Speaking Fear & Tongue Tied

[enigmalti]

Ok, here's my problem, and I hope someone can shine some light into it. I thought I conquerred my public speaking fear, but just a couple of days ago where I had to give a 30min presentation...I noticed that I didn't change much. I kept on telling myself that there's nothing to fear, but it never work. I prepared for my presentation three days before and wrote out my script; gone over it many times. I rehearshed it w/ my gf and some of close friends couple of times...and I was fine. However, when I was up there in my class, abeit the small size (only around 11-12 ppl), I just couldn't think straight and I got tongue tied. That's actually the worst part, I wasn't extremely nervous, but the inability to pronounce certain words or start a sentence scared me. I admit, I have a very mild case of stuttering, adding to the pressure of public speaking, it was extremely hard for me to pronounce words..even though the words were infront of me, on my script. I'm not sure what my brain was doing to me when I practice vs the real thing. I want to conquer this fear and able to speak in front of large audience, because I know that I need this skill to get far in life...especially for medicine.

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[deleted307836]

I'm just curious... for what did you have to give a 30 minute presentation? That seems really weird for a college class.

But my two cents.... I think experience is one of the best ways of getting over this problem. For me anyway, I've learned how to control the rate of my speech and my overall enunciation better the more I've practiced giving presentations.

Be sure to be aware of your emotions while presenting, and overtime you may be able to inhibit/regulate them more.

 

[enigmalti]

It was on Pharmacogenomics and Genomic Identity Characterizations.

 

[lorenzomicron]

Ok, here's my problem, and I hope someone can shine some light into it. I thought I conquerred my public speaking fear, but just a couple of days ago where I had to give a 30min presentation...I noticed that I didn't change much. I kept on telling myself that there's nothing to fear, but it never work. I prepared for my presentation three days before and wrote out my script; gone over it many times. I rehearshed it w/ my gf and some of close friends couple of times...and I was fine. However, when I was up there in my class, abeit the small size (only around 11-12 ppl), I just couldn't think straight and I got tongue tied. That's actually the worst part, I wasn't extremely nervous, but the inability to pronounce certain words or start a sentence scared me. I admit, I have a very mild case of stuttering, adding to the pressure of public speaking, it was extremely hard for me to pronounce words..even though the words were infront of me, on my script. I'm not sure what my brain was doing to me when I practice vs the real thing. I want to conquer this fear and able to speak in front of large audience, because I know that I need this skill to get far in life...especially for medicine.

As far as that problems goes, its got a lot to do with practice. However, another important part is confidence, gotta try to be confident, also u should look at the audience and look around, making eye contact- this will reassure you and give you confidence that they are listening/care to hear what you have to say.

 

[thesauce]

Ok, here's my problem, and I hope someone can shine some light into it. I thought I conquerred my public speaking fear, but just a couple of days ago where I had to give a 30min presentation...I noticed that I didn't change much. I kept on telling myself that there's nothing to fear, but it never work. I prepared for my presentation three days before and wrote out my script; gone over it many times. I rehearshed it w/ my gf and some of close friends couple of times...and I was fine. However, when I was up there in my class, abeit the small size (only around 11-12 ppl), I just couldn't think straight and I got tongue tied. That's actually the worst part, I wasn't extremely nervous, but the inability to pronounce certain words or start a sentence scared me. I admit, I have a very mild case of stuttering, adding to the pressure of public speaking, it was extremely hard for me to pronounce words..even though the words were infront of me, on my script. I'm not sure what my brain was doing to me when I practice vs the real thing. I want to conquer this fear and able to speak in front of large audience, because I know that I need this skill to get far in life...especially for medicine.

Have you ever looked into Toastmasters (toastmasters.org)? 10k clubs in the US. It works wonders for this problem.

 

[Tots]

Keep doing it. All the time. Every time you have a chance to speak in front of a group, do it! This is something I have always had to deal with so I forced myself to join Mock Trial, I teach discussion groups and do other events. It gets easier! (until you have to present something at a lab meeting to a bunch of old professors who have been arguing your topic longer than you have been alive) Just keep trying.

 

[Morsetlis]

So this is why I took that Public Speaking class in high school!

 

[Practitioner]

Practice. Go to community events or gatherings where people speak in turn and participate. If you're still in college it's perfect because there are plenty of opportunities to speak publicly (introduce speakers, emcee events, etc).

As far as that problems goes, its got a lot to do with practice. However, another important part is confidence, gotta try to be confident, also u should look at the audience and look around, making eye contact- this will reassure you and give you confidence that they are listening/care to hear what you have to say.

 

[Head]

I agree with the poster who recommended toastmasters. I joined a club for a year before getting into med school. I can tell you it helped immensely with my interviewing skills. During residency I was much more confident than my peers giving grand rounds presentations. I recently rejoined a club now that I am done with my training and have more time on my hands. The best part is how cheap it is. Our dues are $13/month and frankly it's better training than Dale Carnegie or any speech class I had in school. They have clubs all over the world so I'm sure there is one near you.

 

[thesauce]

I agree with the poster who recommended toastmasters. I joined a club for a year before getting into med school. I can tell you it helped immensely with my interviewing skills. During residency I was much more confident than my peers giving grand rounds presentations. I recently rejoined a club now that I am done with my training and have more time on my hands. The best part is how cheap it is. Our dues are $13/month and frankly it's better training than Dale Carnegie or any speech class I had in school. They have clubs all over the world so I'm sure there is one near you.

Can't agree more. I actually look forward to giving presentations now.

 

[BlackFrancis33]

Enigmalti,

I feel for you, and I have walked in your shoes. I asked those same questions as a pre-med and med student. I am a lifelong stutterer, probably a bit more severe than you by your description. I hate the words stutter, stammer, and especially when you say 'he has a stutter'. I prefer transiently dysfluent individual (TDI)...J/K! Stutter is the best word we got unfortunately.

I didn't take speech 101 until I was a senior in college due to my fears. A psychiatry resident once asked me if I had Tourette's as I use vocal coping mechanisms at times (clearing my throat) to help coax out the problem word, and admittedly it can sound like a vocal tic. Of course, as a medical student, I was completely mortified at the time. I still have public speaking engagements that don't go as well as I want them to.

I am now an attending neurologist. I have spoken at national and international meetings. I still stutter, and I will always stutter. I have learned to manage it, probably more importantly to accept it.

My advice:
1. Own it, the stuttering that is. I lived in denial for years. Stuttering is a neurological disorder, some of the functional imaging studies are quite fascinating. Looking at these may help you accept your diagnosis. You have to accept it, be comfortable with it, and be able to speak publicly in spite of it. Stuttering makes you feel like you sound stupid, nervous, or at its worst like you don't know what you are talking about. You know that is not true, move on to the next slide, point etc. with confidence.

2. Don't listen to the following advice, 'slow down', 'relax', 'your just nervous'. No s#$8, sherlock! If it were that simple, it wouldn't be a problem. Since your stuttering is not going away, you do have to learn how to manage the anxiety. But you are going to stutter from time to time. You have to be able to move on without becoming more frustrated. It took me a long time to learn how to just say f#$* it when I do stutter and shift focus to what I have to say next.

3. I have to know my presentation and every slide backwards and forwards. This allows me to change words or the order of the slide etc. if I feel stuttering is near. This takes extra practice, but really helps me. I make flash cards of each slide, take them with me everywhere, and look at them over and over to facilitate this.

I generally agree with the advice to seek out public speaking opportunities. But this is not going to make the problem disappear. You have to own it and accept it as a part of who you are. This WILL NOT hold you back. Kick a lot metaphorical ass along the way and don't look back.

Best of luck.

 

[BlackFrancis33]

1 more piece of advice...I'm wordy despite being a TDI.

I need to practice in a similar environment or as close as is possible at home. Standing, facing out, the computer in a similar location in the room etc.

 

[The Enchanter]

I had a very similar problem with getting tongue tied while speaking and feeling like things were moving too fast. The best advice I've ever received regarding public speaking is that you always feel more nervous than your audience can detect. If you flub a sentence, correcting yourself will draw attention to your mistake. Just keep going like it didn't happen and chances are, nobody will notice. I overcame tripping over my words by intentionally slowing down, pretending that I was supremely confident (which I wasn't), and by reminding myself that the audience cannot see the butterflies in my stomach.

 

[FloatOn]

I find that informal public speaking, as in not class presentations or even giving a speech in a speech class, is a really good opportunity to improve. Some suggestions: take up a leadership position in a student organization, lead a study group for one of your classes, be a TA or one-on-one tutor, join a book club/discussion group, or even talking to your professors regularly.

 

[JJMrK]

A couple of things:

1) As others have said, you will get better with practice. I never used to be a great speaker (and still may not be), but I enjoy it now after doing a bunch of research presentations.

2) While you should have some idea of what you are going to say, memorizing a script is sometimes not the best way to go. If you can look at your slide and explain it, you will be confident. If you're relying on memorization, you'll be nervous that you forgot something. Obviously you need to rehearse, but don't feel limited to some exact set of words.

 

[skiddoc]

I think practicing may help people for whom public speaking is not a pathological problem. For example, having Asperger's may make public speaking difficult even if you're comfortable and know all of the people in the room well.