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Post by shygirl on Aug 7, 2003 18:36:22 GMT -5
Hello  I am 15 and next year (in around october) I will have to do an english oral speaking for 5 minutes about anything that I want as part of my English GCSE. I know that it is only August and that it is so far away but I have been worrying so much about it, everytime that I think about it I feel sick with nerves. I just dont think I can stand up in front of the class. So I thought that I would prepare myself well and start to think about what to say now, and looking through the forums I thought about maybe doing an english oral on shyness. Does anyone have any ideas on how this would go? Anywhere that I could get any information on or any tips in general on public speaking? Please help because I cant stop thinking about this! |
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Post by glenn miller on Aug 7, 2003 18:47:03 GMT -5
i dont know if i would be of any help. but i was in about the same situation. when i was in college. doing a class for drafting. i had to do a presentation in fromt of the class. i would only be up in front of the class about 1 minute. but just thinking of going in front of them. made me feel sick. like u. when i did go up. i forgot about all i was supposed to say. i was shaking. it was real hard to do. i understand how u feel. and i was 21 at the time.
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Post by Twice-Shy on Aug 8, 2003 5:37:06 GMT -5
That's a great idea for your English Oral. When I did my GCSE English I spoke about how to make Pavlova. maybe you could explain what it means to be shy. Maybe you could point out the miss labels that shy people get labelled with, like being arrogant etc..
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Post by M1chael on Aug 11, 2003 1:42:32 GMT -5
I would suggest thinking about that pretty hard. Do you feel comfortable talking about shyness with your friends or family?.. I dont want to be negative, but i cant see that as a good topic.
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Post by Jarous on Feb 12, 2004 13:50:43 GMT -5
Hi shygirl
Do you still plan on giving the presentation on your shyness? I am seriously considering the same idea. I feel like I'll be leaving this school in about tree months anyway so why not tell them all what I really feel like and try to see things from my point of view. My peers are quite understanding people and I hope they will accept it as it is, the thing I want the least is their pity.
If I do it (plenty of time till October) I'll let you know.
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Post by Nicole on Feb 13, 2004 21:10:48 GMT -5
I could never give a presentation on that! I think the worst thing would be for me to talk about myself. All the best to you, though.
About a week and half from now, I have to give a lecture to 100 students because the professor will be out of town. Yikes! Hyperventilating already.
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Post by badboy on Feb 13, 2004 22:43:04 GMT -5
(This is a copy of a post I made earlier for a person with a similar problem.)
My sister was terrified about a presentation that she had to give and she bought a book called, 'In The Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking.' It is the only book written for people with a phobia about speaking in front of a group. (These are mainly shy people.) My sister is now giving presentations regularly at work and says this book made it possible. It gives you simple exercises to do in your head and on paper. These are designed to help you to keep calm when giving a talk. You can get the book from amazon. I hope you find this useful.
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Post by Boblouie58 on Feb 17, 2004 2:05:54 GMT -5
I think all of "us" one time or another has had to stand up in front of the class and either recite a poem, a math problem by using a pointer on the blackboard, etc. Its not easy of course, but its easier if you know ahead of time what you will be speaking about. Pick someone in the class who u know and knows you and make eye contact with your friend. Have some note cards with info. on them b/c otherwise you may forget your name, it does happen.  I got the class laughing with me by stating "that I was scared to death to stand up and do this" and they laughed with me, as they knew how I felt as they felt the same way. You are not alone in your fears..but you will do just fine, after you start speaking.  Try practicing on your friends with your talk...every time you do it makes it that much easier and you more comfortable. Good Luck! |
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shynessthatiscirminallyvulgar
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Post by shynessthatiscirminallyvulgar on Feb 17, 2004 23:12:25 GMT -5
Hey
I am 22 and I have to give a 10minute presentation in the next 4-10 weeks time. I get to choose what week it is! This is so daunting!
It is worth 10% of my assessment, so I can't avoid it as I have tried doing in the past. I am so scared of this!
Maybe I could also research a topic on shyness.
Wouldn't it be interesting to hear a shy person giving a talk on shyness... I would be so scared of people laughing at me.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thankyou!
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Post by Boblouie58 on Feb 17, 2004 23:40:19 GMT -5
Those of you going to have to deal with these Orals, etc. if you want to contact me by email I may be able to help by relating most of my experiences that I had dealing with these issues. You can email me @ white_shoes_jackson@hotmail.com I'm here to give advice.  |
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Post by Jarous on Feb 18, 2004 13:18:29 GMT -5
Wouldn't it be interesting to hear a shy person giving a talk on shyness... I would be so scared of people laughing at me. Yes, I think others might be interested in the topic (especially given the knowledge we got on it ). Furthermore, they as well may understand your true situation and feelings. Make sure you are dealing with sensitive audience though. You may talk in a light-hearted and jesting way, stressing the funnier parts of our ordeal (I am aware that this sounds easier than it's done). Should they laugh, you will be sure they're not at you, but at the situations you are describing. |
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Post by daffodil on Feb 22, 2004 5:58:56 GMT -5
Sorry folks, but my advice is NOT to give a talk about shyness. The thing I fear most about giving a talk is being laughed at. In any audience, you can almost be sure that there will be someone who has no understanding of shyness and even finds it funny. So I think (I may be wrong) that you will increase your chance of being laughed at and not respected. Also, sharing deeper parts of yourself with one person is hard enough but surely not to a whole audience. I know it would increase my levels of stress unbearably, before a talk. My advice (for what it is worth) is to find a topic that you are enthusiastic about, you know a lot about it, and that will be a topic of interest to most of your audience.
The most important thing you can do is to practise deep breathing excercises, at home, when you are not in a stressful situation so that you can use the deep breathing before a talk to calm you down. You can often find the exercises in books on stress.
I wish you luck.
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Post by Nicole on Feb 23, 2004 11:51:20 GMT -5
*huge sigh of relief*
I'm a teaching assistant at a university and, while the professor is out of town for the next two weeks, I have to give two lectures (on topics I know virtually nothing about). I just did the first one.
And it went well! I was so pleased and surprised. I was a complete wreck last night, though. REALLY bad. Hyperventilating, crying, shaking, vomiting, full-blown panic attack. It was awful. I barely got any sleep last night. I took a beta-blocker before class, though (they're prescribed for public speaking anxiety) and I think I did really well. Very calm and composed - VERY different from last night.
Last night, I felt so sick that I was seriously thinking of skipping town and dropping out of grad school. I know it's unreasonable to get so upset about one little lecture, but my body just reacts that way and I can't stop it, no matter how many breathing exercises or visualization techniques I try. I don't think I'll be as nervous for the next one, though, since I'll be more confident.
Whew.
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Post by Jarous on Feb 23, 2004 12:39:52 GMT -5
I am glad your first presentation went well, Nicole. Don't be so critical about the level of your knowledge. Things are usually way better than we imagine them to be.
I have to admit I never thought teachers (or teaching assistants for that matter) can be anxious about public talks. Buth then, perhaps you'll get over it in time - I suppose this was your first lecture?
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Post by Nicole on Feb 24, 2004 19:05:05 GMT -5
Thanks, Jarous.
I'm actually not critical at all about the level of my knowledge. In fact, it's one of the only things I'm very, very confident about.
It was my first lecture but not my first presentation (far from it). I think for people that are just "shy," the extreme fear/panic feeling may go away after time. For people with social anxiety, it never goes away. It is entirely unreasonable and irrational. I know that I am intelligent, but it still happens. My body just goes into shock almost. My adrenaline was pumping so hard the day before I felt like I on speed. It was so awful that my
girlfriend wanted to take me to the emergency room; I was having a panic attack and couldn't calm down. The propranolol saved my life. You're still lucid, but it just decreases your blood pressure and stops you from shaking. (My voice and my whole body shake uncontrollably when I give presentations.)
It kind of sucks, though, because I know that I'm intelligent enough to get my PhD. My program director wants to send me to one of the top PhD programs in the country. But what can I do with a PhD in my field other than teach? Absolutely nothing. I can't go through this every time I have to talk in front of people or I'll go crazy. I keep hoping that it will get better with time. Otherwise, I have no clue what I'm going to do.
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