Fear of Public Speaking

2 Pages 506 Words

Speech Outline

Attention Grabber:
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” -Elbert Hubbard

Purpose:
How to make your fears of public speaking work for you and not against you, and to show that almost everyone gets nervous.

Introduction:
Everyone is afraid of something. Whether it is spiders, heights, enclosed spaces, or public speaking. When it comes to giving speeches, people tend to let their fears get the best of them. Speech apprehension is a common problem for a lot of people. "About one of every five persons--20 percent of all college students--is communication apprehensive…”{Visual aid,chart} (Pearson & Nelson, An Introduction to Human Communication, p. 224)

Preview of Three Major Points:
1. What is Speech Apprehension?
2. Determining Your Fears.
3. Getting Over Them.

Body of Speech:
1. What is Speech Apprehension?
a. Definition of Speech Apprehension- Fear of speaking to an audience
b. Definition of Communication Apprehension- Fear of communication, no matter what the context
c. Why People are Scared-
Fear of: -Inadequacy- inferiority, incapable
-Unknown- how will everyone react to what I have to say?
-Being Judged- people are sensitive to what others think about them, which can lead to severe anxiety.
-Consequences-Will the audience like or dislike my speech?

2. Determining Your Fears.
a. Causes of Fear- Some people are scared they will forget what they have to say, or that everyone will know that they are nervous and will therefore judge them. Some people are scared that they will be laughed at or that everyone is staring at them.
b. Symptoms-Some symptoms include; Increased heartbeat, stomach knots, Shaking hands, arms or legs, dry mouth, or a lump in the throat.
c. Mental Symptoms- Anxiety is not just a physical problem, it also has a lot to do with how you are thinking. And how you think can also be a helping quality in allevi...