Public Speaking!

[orinincandenza]

This thread is mainly a way for me to not start another "waiting is awful" thread, which believe me I'm inclined to do since I agree with everyone that it truly is like some terrible purgatory.

But here's an attempt at distraction: When we're grad students, lit students, there's going to be a lot of required public speaking -- TAing classes of course, but also presenting papers, oral exams, etc. And then of course later, when we're not grad students and we're professors, it's a career sort of built on speaking.

I wonder if anyone else has their concerns about this. During my undergrad, I would sometimes get so nervous during presentations that I couldn't speak. (Other times, though, I did fine. Not being able to figure out a pattern to this anxiety was the worst part). I'm sort of hoping that once I'm in and have all this stuff thrown at me, I'll be forced to just get over whatever weird mental block I developed that presents me from speaking in front of large groups. Sink or swim, fingers crossed.

Any comments/commiserations/suggestions for how to never get nervous again?

[commoner]

Heh heh. I've always been a big ham for an audience. But, when in class, it is almost painful for me to speak up. I had no problems teaching, though. I think that is because I knew the subject and didn't have any reservations.

You'll notice at your first conference that most people just read the words off the page, with their noses buried. Not so intimidating. It certainly gets easier after the first time. You'll probably get a chance to do some practice presentations with fellow students. That's easier, too.

[socialpsych]

I'm not in lit, but I think this is a topic that's relevant to all fields (certainly other humanities & social science fields).

For me personally, looking for insight into my "mental block" has not been very productive. Here are a few things that do help:

- Practicing in front of other people. For me personally, practicing on my own actually doesn't help all that much. Of course, your friend or significant other may not want to sit through an entire presentation, but even just giving people a short summary of what you will be talking about can help clarify. For me, the anxiety-provoking thing is not knowing what the audience is thinking. If I feel like I know that what I'm saying makes sense, and I even know what points I have to push on a little harder in order to get them across, that can help a lot. Plus, sometimes friends and colleagues have restated things I've said in ways I really like ("I see. So your point is that XYZ?" "Yes, exactly!") and then I can incorporate those formulations into my talk.

- Going to other people's talks and noticing things. There are very different styles of presenting that can all be very effective. Some presenters are soft-spoken but really clear. I appreciate presenters who are aggressive about answering questions, but also people who are more thoughtful and willing to accept criticism without seeming nervous. I like watching speakers take their time explaining something, pause a moment to take a drink or collect their thoughts before answering a question--I always feel weird about taking time when I am speaking and tend to rush, but it is good to be reminded that it's perfectly fine to take time. Also, it's good to notice the audience. People do not always make eye contact with the speaker. Sometimes they look bored or distracted or confused. Sometimes they ask critical questions or need clarification. That doesn't mean the talk isn't going well. I am able to realize that when it's someone else talking, but when it's me, and someone asks that critical question, my head starts going "OH NO OH NO THIS IS TERRIBLE." Realizing that it's not necessarily terrible, by remembering other people's presentations, can help.

- Realizing that the fact that I struggle with this doesn't make me fatally flawed or unfit to become an academic. I know a postdoc at a top program in his field who deals with public speaking anxiety. He deals with it well--I have seen him present and he does a fine job. But it's good to know that this is something a lot of people deal with and that it need not slow me down in my career.

Good luck!

[orinincandenza]

Thanks guys, that's all good stuff. I figure that once I'm accepted somewhere (positive thinking, positive thinking) I can actually relax and spend time casually honing speaking skills. I just want to feel comfortable when I get to school. And SP, I totally agree -- it is comforting to know how many smart, successful, articulate people have this problem. I just wish I wasn't one of them. :|

[hadunc]

I TOTALLY know what you mean. I have a terrible time public speaking sometimes and that has really started to worry me now that the end of my undergrad career is in sight. But I've noticed that sometimes in a class I just really get "in the zone" and I have no fear of saying anything at all. A few times I've even sort of hijacked the class from the professor lol. So I figure over time I'll just learn how to get into that state of mind where I have no problem at all. But I'm not gonna lie, the thought of TAing a class of 100 or more students still scares me!

[YagglesSnaggles]

Tips:

1) Speak slowly if you must. Many people are actually quite skilled articulaters and are very confident in what they are saying, but this does not mean that everything they say is important nor valid. Do not try and emulate peoples style, and if you must, speak slower and more methodical. Try not to think about speaking at all. Although, there are some professors and people quite accomplished in their field that speak slow, and choppy.Remember that articulation does not always translate to skillzzz.

2) Try and avoid thinking about what you are going to say like you are planning a paper. Also try and avoid the same language you would use. Often, people in graduate school think they have to sound extra erudite or their ideas will not fly...

3) try and gesticulate as much as possible. I know this sounds funny but body movement is important.

4) Find someone in the class, or audience, that is giving/or you know will reciprocate your ideas and give you positive feedback and acknowledgment with their eyes and with nods.

5) Most importantly, be confident. I used to think that no one cared about my ideas, but once your in graduate school you realize that we are all their(or most anyways) because we love scholarship, literature, and analyzing stuff; and it is not like undergraduate where only half the class cared.

Oy, I really need to hear some good news on the app front......