How to Overcome Fear of Speaking English in Public

Speaking in public can be intimidating, especially speaking in a second language like English. It is not limited to just communicating with people but it also involves the time when you are preparing for a presentation at work, any discussion, or engaging in a conversation. The fear of speaking in English when it comes to communicating in front of many people can seem very overwhelming. It is vital to identify the root causes of your fear, work on those areas, and incorporate a few techniques to boost your confidence. 

This blog will guide you with strategies on How to Overcome Fear of Speaking English in Public which will gradually improve your speaking abilities, making you be more comfortable while speaking the language in public.

Fear Of Speaking English In Public

While speaking in English in front of many people, there could be various reasons which lead to the fear of uttering any word. One of the most common causes would be the fear of making mistakes. Since there are many non-native English speakers, they feel self-conscious while using the language due to  mispronunciations, grammar errors, or using the wrong words. As a result, a lot of people feel that they would be judged or laughed at and their level of English proficiency is constantly being scrutinized. In such situations, one's anxiety might take control over them, making them feel demotivated to speak in English. 

However, it is necessary to recognise the cause of the fear and incorporate various strategies consistently to overcome it. This is crucial not only if you are appearing for an English Language Proficiency Test like TOEFL but it also helps in building confidence to use the language.

Effective Strategies to Overcome Fear of Speaking English in Public

As a non-native speaker in English, it might be very overwhelming while putting forward the emotions in front of people. In order to overcome this fear, you can start your preparation from today by utilising some of the following strategies.

1. Put more focus on communication

People tend to try and speak perfectly which pressurises them, making them become afraid to speak at all. The key factor is to communicate and not perfection as this would increase their fear. As there could be times when individuals might face problems while speaking, like making grammatical mistakes, they could still focus on conveying the information effectively. 

A solution to this is to emphasise on communication rather than worrying about getting every word right. Remember that even native speakers make minute mistakes; similarly, you must acknowledge the mistakes you are making, correct them, and then use the corrected one in your speaking. With time, you will be less conscious about any errors you make in speaking and the fear will gradually diminish.

2. Start with smaller audiences

It could be intimidating when you have to engage in conversations among many people but if you start communicating with only a few individuals, the confidence level will increase. A very easy way to take the first step is to look in the mirror and start speaking in English. Since it will just be you, there will be very minor mistakes as you are comfortable being the only one in the room. Similarly, you can start the conversation with one or two people or join conversation clubs and then gradually start speaking among bigger groups. 

Initially, you can practice before speaking to reduce anxiety. Not only that but you can also work on the structure of the sentences by learning the base and using them in your daily life. In this way, you will become more comfortable with the sentence structure as well and practising everyday will increase your skills.

3. Practice with audio and video

One of the effective ways to overcome as well as improve your fear of speaking English in public is to watch videos, listen, and use subtitles. When you watch a video while listening to the accents, you would enhance your ability to comprehend the information provided. Not only that, you will be able to improve your listening, reading, and speaking skills. You would also be gaining the knowledge of pronunciation as you read the subtitles and also improve speaking by replicating the tones as well. With regular practice, you would focus on clarity and you could articulate your ideas better.

4. Use breathing techniques 

While speaking English in public, a common problem which people face is that they try to speak too fast where they end up stammering. Therefore, it is crucial to calm yourself and practice deep breathing techniques. The main goal should be to control anxiety so that you could have a steady delivery while speaking in public. Along with that try using positive affirmations and self-talk to build confidence

You can practice using a rhythm in the background so that the pace is on point and you avoid speaking either too fast or too slow. Therefore, remember to speak clearly so as to improve your comprehension skills.

5. Create a timetable 

It is advisable to create a timetable for the entire week so that you can focus on individual aspects and target your areas of improvement.

Below is the table which depicts an overview of a week where you can build confidence and overcome your fear of speaking in public.

Level up your preparation and use these strategies to overcome the fear of speaking English in Public. You can also access a few practice test papers to be able to comprehend the structure of the TOEFL test exam when you are planning to give. In this way, you will be prepared and confident on the test day.