If there’s one thing that globally competitive Filipinos have in common, it’s how they have seemingly mastered the art of speaking in front of a live audience to share their story. However, like many others – they had to start somewhere.
Here are several tips to help you drive up and muster the courage to speak up when it’s your time to shine:
Start with your friends. You may begin by gathering your group of trusted friends or perhaps together with your family so they can help pinpoint your strengths and areas of improvement. Numbers don’t matter in this case – as long as you just explain the circumstance, get out there in front of them and speak!
Do prepare… but avoid just memorizing the words. Most public speakers often fall into the trap of focusing too much on the words, that they fail to convey the message of their speeches from their hearts. Learn the key points of your message by heart, improvise when needed and everything will follow.
Envision positivity. Reduce your stress by thinking ahead that everything’s going to be alright. Thinking and expecting the worst before you even hit the stage will definitely have an adverse effect. This is why you should keep calm, collect your thoughts, and exude confidence from the moment when your voice is first heard on the stage.
Find someone to focus on. If you’ll be speaking in front of an audience, for sure there will be someone – a friend, a family member, a mentor or someone you really trust whom you can take glances at to help take your nervousness aside.
Engage with your audience. Focusing too much on your Power point presentation or your rigid hand movements might bore the audience – ask questions, seek the participation of the audience and think ahead of keywords that would make your audience think.
Start them young. If you’re a parent of a kid who seems to be struggling with self-confidence issues, you can definitely help them by being their number one fan and by guiding them through teaching them what you have learned through the years.
Opportunities for public speaking may be available at the school that you child goes to – or perhaps at events similar to the upcoming Interschool Debate spearheaded by The Filipino Times in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates, with LBC Express Inc. as a proud sponsor of the inaugural event.
Representatives from Al Alfiah Filipino Private School, New Filipino Private School, The Philippine School Dubai, United International Private School, as well as two campuses of Far Eastern Private School will compete and showcase their intellectual prowess through public speaking on May 3, 2019 at the Skyline University College at Sharjah.
Themed “Now’s the Time for the Youth to be Heard”, the Interschool Debate is a 2-part event which will begin with an Extemporaneous Speech competition on April 27 during the second day of Middle East’s largest Philippine property exhibition, Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition (PPIE).
