Public Speaking Activities

Do you have this innate fear of speaking in public? Do you always mumble and fumble when asked to speak in front of mass? Don’t be sad, as you aren’t the only one in such a dilemma. Most of the people end up being tongue-tied in such situations. Public speaking is no child’s play. It is an art that requires you to deliver a speech with clarity, conviction and logic in front of a mass of people. You need to be calm, composed and confident while giving the speech. For most people, public speaking is nothing more than a nerve-racking activity. Such people, even after being well prepared and rehearsed for the speech, have jitters running down their spine as soon as they see the stage and the audience. While earlier people avoided confronting themselves to a situation where they would have to render a speech, in the present times this is absolutely not possible as public speaking has, today, become the base for communication and business. To resolve the issue, parents should inculcate public speaking trait in their children from the very beginning itself, so that they do not develop stage fear in future. Public speaking has two basic elements - formation of an effective logical message and delivering it clearly to the particular audience. The initial step to enhance public speaking is to practice it in the comfortable company, and then go for mass. Here are some simple yet effective activities to develop public speaking.

 

Sounds funny? The catch here is to get comfortable with your own self and your voice before marching out and delivering a speech. The simplest and most effective activity to face public, all you need to do is to stand in front of the mirror and introduce yourself. Start your introduction from your name to hobbies and future plans. Once you like the way you look and sound, go out and socialize with people. Introduce yourself the same way as you do in front of mirror. This would help you get comfortable and ease out the tension of facing unknown people.

 

This is an interesting exercise of public speaking. Take a group and ask them to write any funny, tragic, embarrassing, emotional, etc. incident from their life and share it with everyone. Sharing personal details with a group of friends or acquaintances would help you come out of the shell, with you becoming more confident and convinced. Make the group larger and talk on topics that you are comfortable with or those in which you have umpteen knowledge.

 

It is a fun exercise, especially for children. It includes performing a small drama or skit in front of public. Divide the children in groups of three or four and give a topic each to the groups. Ask them to write a small script/story on the topic and demonstrate it to the people present through a drama or play. This small activity enhances the expressiveness of the participants and builds confidence in them. Also, since it is an almost impromptu activity, it would instill in you the assurance of making a cult sometime in future.

 

The art of public speaking cannot be excelled overnight. It builds slowly and steadily. During the initial phase, make sure you participate in various public speaking competitions rather than running away from them. For instance, take part in the extempore competition that is scheduled to take place in your school or college in the next week. These small but significant steps would help you get rid of stage fear.

 

When you have to speak in public, it’s not wise to memorize your speech. A memorized script will sound mechanical. Also, chances of a complete blackout run high, as soon as you forget a line or two. To overcome this situation, it’s better to take note of some keywords or phrases of the topic. During your speech, give emphasis on these keywords. Play with words and deliver your speech in such a way that you cover all the keywords. This can be practiced anytime. All you need to do is just write down the keywords on a piece of paper and speak randomly as much as you can. This particular activity would enhance your ability to speak on any subject without memorizing.

 

These activities, when practiced earnestly, help you develop the art of public speaking. So, next time when you are given the task of speaking in public, just get your facts right, pull up your confidence and get set to deliver the message. You are sure to hit the jackpot. Good Luck!