It is, a fact of life, that every day, people, young and old, face the prospect of speaking in some type of a public forum. Yet a pervasive fear of public speaking amongst adults worldwide is well documented. Yes, we’ve heard that some people fear public speaking even more and death. Ever wonder where this fear comes from? Is it a fear of speaking or something else?  It appears that this fear is due to lack of training, practice, experience, low confidence, and for many an initial negative experience of speaking in public in childhood, and also factors including perceived skill deficiency, fear of evaluation and audience scrutiny, lack of experience in public speaking situations, poor preparation, introversion, a low level of self-esteem, and “the speaker’s previous public speaking experiences and fear of being in the spotlight,” (Thomas 2007, p.5).

There is a difference between a crippling, limiting fear and nerves. Nerves are a sign that we care. Most proficient public speakers I know are nervous before presentations, but they know and employ strategies to effectively manage nerves.  Fear and nerves affect us physically and mentally. Physically, we notice increased heart rate, shallow breathing and sweaty palms. We may also experience gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea and muscle tension. Mentally we begin to doubt ourselves and may begin to negatively speak to ourselves, convincing ourselves that the audience will judge us negatively. We may be inclined to use nervous behaviours such as swaying back and forth, fidgeting with our hands, mumbling, speaking really fast, lack of eye contact, lack of pause, speech blocks, blurry vision, memory loss and dry mouth and our voice may quiver and / or speak in a monotone. In more extreme cases, this fear can manifest in panic attacks, fainting and unwanted urination.

Serious long-term effects of this fear can include: avoiding certain courses and situations where oral presentations are required, never speaking in class or in front of certain social gatherings even though you might be the most qualified person in the room, limiting career choices or deciding against certain careers because they would require occasional speaking before a group. Young people may have avenues for promotion closed to them, resulting in considerable personal distress, frustration, and depression. People who are very anxious about public speaking may sometimes avoid social events they would like to attend or may not talk to classmates or colleagues they would like to get to know rather than face a feared situation.  The impact of this fear can be very debilitating and long lasting and is of serious social significance. Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) is associated with low income and increased likelihood of unemployment (Stein et al. 1996). Stein et al. (1996) suggest that approximately 10% of those who suffer from fear of public speaking report significant distress which interferes with their life (specifically work, education, and social life).

So, I guess you could say the implications of this fear are pretty serious.   Wouldn’t it be great if we could just wave a magic wand to eradicate this fear? Sorry to say, a quick-fix solution doesn’t exist. However, the good news is that I’ve spoken to some people, very few, who say they don’t fear public speaking but guess what? These are people who have received training and multiple opportunities to practice. So, on a positive note, there is something that we can do about this debilitating fear.

It’s important to distinguish between fear and nerves. Fear reduces when it is faced. We can learn strategies to manage nerves which are a very normal part of life. By recognizing nerves and even fear of public speaking as normal, teachers and parents can use and share techniques to help young people manage feelings of apprehension. We can live our whole lives with some fears and never have to face them but is it wise or even possible to avoid public speaking opportunities forever, with no regrets? Think about what may be lost as a result.

Some say that fear of public speaking is not actually a fear of speaking but rather, a fear of being the “centre of attention”.  Many children are very happy to be the centre of attention. It is said that apprehension associated with speaking in public increases at about age 10. So, what if we started to train our children in public speaking skills before this, in a fun way, of course.  Children often possess an inherent lack of fear when it comes to public speaking. This can be attributed to a variety of factors, including their natural curiosity and eagerness to share their thoughts, ideas and stories with others. Additionally, children have yet to develop the self-consciousness and social anxiety that can come with age, which can make speaking in front of a crowd a daunting prospect for many adults.

Of course, it is important to note that not all children are fearless when it comes to public speaking. Some may be shy or anxious, while others may simply lack confidence in their abilities.  Some may even fear it because they've heard and seen from adults that it is something to be feared.  However, for many children, the prospect of speaking in front of a group is not intimidating, but rather an exciting opportunity to share their ideas uninterrupted and connect with others. Choi (1998) suggests that "most often, students are scared and reluctant to present because they have neither had experience nor learned the rules” (p. 30).  One teacher I spoke to, as part of my studies on this topic, said, “they (children) don’t know it’s something to fear yet” and they actually enjoy it. Another teacher elaborated that “they get the message early that they have something important to say. They are so young they don’t associate it with any fear so I feel strongly that this is the most opportune time to begin. Then they never will have the crippling fear that some of us adults are overcome with until we go and do something about it”.

Facing the fear, learning the skills and how to manage associated nerves can set us on a promising path to overcoming this fear. Let’s not stand by and let our younger generation passively inherit this fear when there is something that we can do about it. Skills training in a safe, supportive environment, is an obvious antidote to fear of public speaking. Let’s not passively pass on this fear to our children.

Let opportunity rather than fear be their inheritance.

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References:

Choi, E. Y. (1998). Through another's eyes: student fear number one - presenting. Gifted Child Today Magazine, 1(4), 30-31.

Stein, M.B., Walker, J.R., & Forde, D.R. (1996). Public-speaking fears in a community sample: Prevalence, impact on functioning, and diagnostic classification. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53(2), 169-174.

Thomas, (2007). Conquering Speech Anxiety. Confidence in Public Speaking. Retrieved September 18 2018 from http://www.roxbury.net/images/pdfs/cps6chape.pdf