Public speaking is like weightlifting: you start with light reps, each one challenging but manageable. Over time, as you build strength and confidence, you increase the weight, and what once felt difficult becomes second nature.
For many of us, the notion of being either extroverts or introverts is deeply ingrained. However, this binary view doesn’t fully capture the complexity of human personality—there are many nuances and gradients in between. Regardless of how timid or outgoing you consider yourself to be, you can master the art of public speaking through practice.
Start by practicing public speaking skills in smaller settings and move toward bigger ones. For example, become comfortable with one-on-one conversations before moving on to more intimidating discussions in a group or in a classroom.
“When people think about public speaking, they think about standing on a stage in front of an audience, but that’s not (the only setting in which) public speaking occurs,” said Brendon Bankey, director of the UT debate team and assistant professor of instruction at the Moody College of Communication. “Public speaking is also your ability to participate in a classroom conversation. You can lead a meeting and organize other team members.”
As a junior, I feel very confident with the public speaking skills I’ve developed in college. I had to learn this behavior during my first year of college. I wasn’t as comfortable speaking up in class, approaching my professors one-on-one, participating in study groups or speaking to my peers. However, these are all things I’ve mastered by stepping outside of my comfort zone.
“Practice improves the process and yields better outcomes,” Bankey said. “What I suggest is that you build up that practice in small group settings so that you feel comfortable approaching larger audiences.”
As I began to embrace the awkwardness and nervousness of public speaking, my verbal proficiency sharpened. I progressively started participating more in class, forced myself to go to office hours with a list of questions and possible topics to discuss and engaged in small talk with my peers. Feeling prepared before speaking helped a lot. Doing the readings for class and knowing what I wanted to talk about during office hours beforehand eliminated a lot of the nerves.
My first step involved taking the initiative to improve my public speaking. My second step consisted of planning ways to achieve this, and my third step focused on practicing. Public speaking went from being effortful and intimidating to something that feels like second nature.
It’s important to take small steps and goals until you feel confident. There’s no better way to approach public speaking than speaking in public. It’s initially intimidating and overwhelming, but it gets easier the more you do it.
“The best way to get into (public speaking) is to build yourself up to it,” anthropology sophomore Rocket Catalano said. “Public speaking is a skill. It’s not a talent. It’s not something anyone is born with.”
Also, having the right mindset is essential to gaining enough confidence to take those first steps. Recognize that what you have to say is valid and valuable. Whether in the classroom, at a meeting, talking with a stranger or somewhere else, you have a unique perspective in every situation. Your thoughts and ideas are worthy of being voiced. Stand up for yourself and remove the barrier of anxiety or insecurity that you’ve created inside your head.
If you’re willing to lift that first weight, you’ll be surprised at how strong your public speaking can become. The more you practice, the more your skills will develop, and what once felt intimidating will soon feel effortless.
Mendoza is a philosophy junior from El Paso, Texas.
