Good news, speakers -- others don't know how nervous you are!

If you fear speaking to a an audience, you are not alone. Indeed, "public speaking" is often ranked in surveys as people's number one fear!

Speaking in a second or third language can also make us feel nervous, especially in exam or test contexts. Teachers often advise students to act confidently at such times, even if it's necessary to "fake it". Adopting confident body language actually makes you feel more confident and so helps you to perform better. In turn, your audience responds more positively to you: it's a "win-win" situation.

Here's some other good news for those who fear speaking to a group, in a second language, or both! Research has found that others can't tell how nervous you feel.

"In one study in which people gave extemporaneous speeches, participants were asked to rate their own nervousness (Savitsky & Gilovich, 2003). This was then compared with audience ratings.

The results showed that people tended to over-estimate just how nervous they appeared to others. And this is a consistent finding. We think others can read more from our expressions than they really can."

Read the article here: http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/10/the-illusion-of-transparency.php


Vocabulary

to fake (something) - to pretend

a "win-win" situation - a situation in which everyone benefits

extemporaneous (adj.) - unprepared, improvised

Do you feel nervous when speaking a second language or to a group? What strategies do you use to overcome your nerves?

What would you list as your "number one fear"?