The difficulties in public speaking skill and methods to overcome for student in university

Third main idea: Students must practice and find methods to improve their public speaking skills, so they can develop themselves better and better... Support: Get support from ppl around

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES — INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOREIGN

LANGUAGE DEPARTMENTS

TERM PAPER

THE DIFFICULTIES IN PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILL AND METHODS TO OVERCOME FOR STUDENT IN

UNIVERSITY

Instructor: Mr Truc Gia Cuong

Name: Le Thi Yen Nhi

Student’s Number: 21DH716251

Class: TA2108

HO CHI MINH CITY, November 4", 2023

Introduction (Thesis Statement)

Body

Conclusion

References

Format

Outline

I Introduction

A Hook

B Background

C Thesis statement: Public speaking not only plays a very importance role in student’s learning process but also in future career; therefore, student need to

practice more to good at this

I First main idea: Student must clearly understand the important of public speaking

to helps them be motivated to practice public speaking more and more

A Support: Boost confidence

1 Example: Improving confidence when standing in front of the crowd

a Research study:

+ “Measuring Public Speaking Anxiety: Self-report, behavioral, and physiological” - Ana Gallego, Louise McHugh, Markku Penttonen, and Raimo Lappalainen (2022)

+ “The Students’ Self-Confidence in Public Speaking”, ELITE

Journal - Nadiah, Arina, and Ikhrom (June 2019)

+ “Improving Students’ Oral Communication Skills in Public Speaking through Individual Presentation Task” - Ahmad Burhanuddin (2021)

B Support: Developing crucial communication skills

1 Example:

+ Improving communication skill + Connecting with people

a Research study:

- “Improving Students’ Oral Communication Skills in Public Speaking through Individual Presentation Task” - Ahmad Burhanuddin (2021)

Ill | Second main idea: Public speaking skills are a very important and necessary skill in academic lives of student and even in the future, but they also encounter many difficulties when facing it

A Support: Glossophobia

1 Example: lack confidence and fear > not being smooth

a Research study:

+ “Glossophobia (Fear of Public Speaking): Are You

Glossophobic?” - Rosemary Black (2019) + “Glossophobia: The Fear of Public Speaking in ESL Students in Ghana” - Solomon Ali Dansieh, Edward Owusu & Gordon Abudu Seidu (2021)

B Support: Objective reasons

1 Example:

+ Timing: not fast or slow, but enough time

+ Audience engagement: audience pay attention > successful presentation

a Research study:

+ “Students perception of factors affecting fluency during speaking in higher education student” — Budi Utomo (2022) + “Importance of Connecting with Audience during Public

Speaking” (2021) Retrieved from https://samploon.com/importance-of-connecting-with-audience- during-public-speaking/

IV Third main idea: Students must practice and find methods to improve their public

speaking skills, so they can develop themselves better and better.

A Support: Self-practice

1 Example:

+ Practicing through entertainment

+ Presenting at home and self-correction

a Study research:

+ “The Confident Speaker: How to Deliver Winning Presentations and Influence Any Audience” - Darren LaCroix (2020)

+ “Speaking Anxiety of Foreign Learners of Turkish in Target Context”

- Aysegiil Takkag Tulgar (2018)

+ “Incorporating Virtual Reality training in an introductory public speaking course” - Kevin Kryston, Henry Goble & Allison Eden (2021)

B Support: Get support from ppl around

Fourth main idea: After students find methods that suit themselves, they must practice by applying them more in practice to help them have effective public speaking skills

A Support: Real-world practice

1 Example:

+ Asking friend to watch n give feedback

+ Joining virtual rooms

+ Joining public speaking groups, seminars & conferences

a Quote from expert:

+ “Incorporating Virtual Reality training in an introductory public speaking course” - Kevin Kryston, Henry Goble , and Allison Eden

(2021)

+ “Chapter 35: Speech Feedback and Evaluation” - University of Saskatchewan (n.d.)

VI Conclusion

A Restate thesis statement

B Summarize main points

C Give opinion/ recommendations/ suggestion

Public speaking is an indispensable skill and holds immense significance in a university student's academic journey and future career This is a key factor

in personal and professional growth Whether students aspire to become educators, entrepreneurs, or scientists, the ability to convey their ideas is a crucial factor for success Nowadays, most universities will give their students a lot of public speaking practice, they give students the opportunity to convey their thoughts, and this also helps students become more and more confident However, when practicing public speaking, students also meet many challenges One of the most pervasive difficulties faced by university students in the realm of public speaking is fear and anxiety In addition, students also encounter another difficulty which is lack of confidence, and this also contributes to growing fear In addition to fear and confidence issues, students often have difficulty with organizing and structuring their soeeches Many students have difficulty organizing their ideas logically and creating smooth transitions between points Another common obstacle is the delivery of the speech itself Effective communication involves more than just words; it includes vocal variety, tone, and body language Students have difficulty adjusting their voices and emphasizing words They also ignore the importance of body language, which also makes presentations boring Time management is yet another hurdle that university students often face It is very difficult when students try to clarify issues in their presentations within the allotted time; therefore, striking the right balance between supplying comprehensive content and staying within the specified time limits can be challenging Difficulties can result in students giving a disjointed presentation that does not engage the audience and convey their message effectively However, these difficulties are not insurmountable Students must find the cause of fear and try to solve it, practice more every day by practicing on their own and asking friends for help In addition, students also need to practice time management skills and logical

presentation arrangement skills to properly distribute the presentation Public speaking not only plays a very important role in student’s learning process but also in their

future career; therefore, students need to practice more to be good at this

Students must clearly understand the importance of public speaking to help them

be motivated to practice public speaking more and more Gallego, et al., (2022) stated

that there was, “Public speaking is an important skill for undergraduate students to

learn and practice as they progress through their education and careers.” Public

speaking is a critical skill that offers numerous benefits, ranging from boosting confidence and enhancing communication skills to fostering meaningful connections with others Public speaking gives students the opportunity to express their ideas and helps them feel more confident about themselves Burhanuddin (2021) found that after giving their first presentation, people will likely find that subsequent presentations are easier and less scary They will also feel more prepared and confident (p 164) When students practice public speaking a lot, it will help them reduce the feeling of fear when having to stand in front of a crowd Adnan, Jafre & Adibin, 1989 argued that

public speaking can help students feel more confident about themselves because it

gives them a chance to practice speaking in front of other people This is a skill that is becoming more and more important in everyday life, especially in school and at work Many students don't realize how helpful public speaking can be, but it can help them become more confident speakers, easily join conversations with others, and express themselves effectively (as cited Nadiah, Arina, and Ikhrom, 2019, p 2) Public speaking not only helps students become more confident but also helps them improve their communication skills Allen, M., Hunter, J E., & Donohue, 1989 argued that

public speaking can be more successful and powerful when the speaker uses correct

body language This includes training participants how to communicate effectively through both verbal and nonverbal channels, how to research and organize their

thoughts, how to outline their ideas, and how to practice their speeches (as cited Burhanuddin, 2021, p 164-165) When students practice public speaking, it means they also train themselves in the ability to connect with people and the ability to connect people with each other From there, the speaker and listener can find common points and it helps these two subjects connect with each other A person who is good

at presenting his or her arguments in front of a crowd will definitely be a person who can control his or her conversation with the listener, so public speaking also helps students develop their crucial communication skills

Public speaking skills are an important and necessary skill in the academic lives

of students and even in the future, but they also encounter many difficulties when facing it The challenges that students encounter when practicing public speaking are fear of speaking in front of a crowd, time constraints, and having to connect with the audience at the same time Students often face the fear of public speaking, and this

fear comes from many reasons Dansieh, Owusu, and Seidu (2021) found that

challenges that affect people's ability to speak English in public include: low self- confidence, lack of regular practice speaking English, lack of knowledge about the topic, fear of making mistakes and being ridiculed, poor preparation and shyness (p 1) All of these fears are combined into one common name: Glossophobia (Fear of Public Speaking) Black (2019) claimed the following:

Glossophobia, or a fear of public speaking, is a very common phobia and one that is believed to affect up to 75% of the population Some individuals may

feel a slight nervousness at the very thought of public speaking, while others experience full-on panic and fear They may try to avoid public speaking situations at all cost or if they must speak in public, they endure shaking hands and a weak, quavering voice (para 1)

In addition to the fear of public speaking, students also encounter time management problems Students must ensure that they completely express their thoughts within the

allotted time Sometimes there are cases where students run out of time before

finishing presenting their ideas and this is also the reason their presentations get low scores Therefore, most students have an invisible fear about time management Utomo (2022) reported that when a student is given a limited amount of time for their speech, they may worry about going over the time limit This is why it is important for them to think about time management strategies, such as pacing themselves and practicing their speech in advance This will help them to avoid using up too much of their allotted time (p 22) In addition, connecting with the audience is also a difficult problem for students when practicing public speaking Connecting with your audience

is the most important part of public speaking When people feel connected to the

speaker, they are more likely to be engaged and interested in the speech They are also

more likely to remember the speaker's message and be motivated to act on it If the

speaker does not connect with the audience, the audience is more likely to become

bored and disengaged They may only take in small pieces of information, or they may stop paying attention altogether Importance of Connecting with Audience during Public Speaking (2021)

Students must practice and find methods to improve their public speaking

skills, so they can develop themselves better and better Self-practice is a common

and effective strategy for reducing public speaking anxiety LaCroix (2020) stated that there was, “self-practice is the key to public speaking mastery The more you practice, the more confident and comfortable you will become And the more

confident and comfortable you are, the more likely you are to deliver a successful

speech” (p 123) Students need to learn more knowledge because additional

knowledge also contributes to creating more confidence for students when speaking

in public Students can practice more vocabulary, correct pronunciation, etc through entertainment such as movies, music or even playing games Akkakoson (2016a) found that listening to music or watching movies in a language people are learning can help them improve their language skills and reduce their speaking anxiety (as cited in Tulgar, 2018, p 327) When learning through entertainment, there will be illustrations, which stimulate the brain, making students learn quickly and remember for a long time In addition, students need to practice speaking more on their own to become confident when practicing speaking public skills Practicing and speaking in front of a mirror then recording and self-correcting is also one the good ways to help students have perfect preparation before practicing public speaking When they practice so much, it somehow makes their presentations smoother, thereby helping to create sympathy with the audience Pearson et al (2006) showed that students who

prepared and practiced their speeches before delivering them received better grades This is because preparation and practice help students to develop a clear and concise message, deliver their speech clearly and confidently, and address any potential

problems that they may encounter (as cited in Kryston, Goble & Eden, 2021, p 135) Sometimes to reduce the feeling of fear when speaking in front of a crowd, students should also ask friends or people around them to sit and listen to their presentation

Students see their loved ones as audiences and they are a real speaker who is

enthusiastic about their performance This helps them reduce fear and become more confident when they have to present in front of a crowd

After students find methods that suit themselves, they must practice by applying them more in practice to help them develop effective public speaking skills Students can ask their friends, teachers, or someone with expertise to listen to their

presentation and ask these people for feedback and advice to improve their

presentation University of Saskatchewan (n.d.) stated the following: