A Student's Fear Speaking In Front Of Their Peers

At some point in a student’s academic career they will be asked to give a presentation in front of their peers. For some, this task seems simple and exciting, but for most this task brings feelings of anxiety and distress. According to Chapman University Survey on American Fears, 28.4 percent of American’s fear speaking in front of a crowd. This fear of speaking can be diminished by giving students the proper format for developing an effective speech. I have nine years of experience with public speaking as I have competed in six oratorical contests, ranking in third place or higher in all; similarly, I was a member of the Student Government Association in high school and as a result I had to speak in front of my peers and members of the faculty. I am currently enrolled in a public speaking course and have taken college level English courses which have taught me

In order to maintain a clear speech structure the main points should be delivered in the same order presented in the introduction. The main point should bring new information to the audience and should be accompanied by at least on citation. A citation should be given from a credible source and it should be relevant to the main point. Avoid any extraneous information that could confuse the audience. Citations help the speaker provide evidence that what they are presenting is accurate and has been extensively tested or discussed by highly qualified individuals. Main points that lack citations cause the audience to contemplate if the facts presented are accurate. After the main points are presented the speaker should then conclude their speech by stating, “in conclusion.” This signals the audience that the speaker is approaching the end of their speech. The main points are then summarized once again in the conclusion to further emphasize to the audience what the purpose of the speech