(for
the first two parts, see the preceding article on this blog)
Let
us move on to more specific techniques and strategies.
Focusing
on your audience’s needs
Many
view the situation of speaking in public as a test for their linguistic
abilities. In the ideal case, everybody is so impressed with your language
skills. “I didn’t know you where that good in German, French, Spanish, etc.!” “I
want to be able to speak like you”. The main motive is egotistical. We want to
be praised, envied and talked about. That is also the root cause for our fears.
We become anxious of the judgments of others.
What
about making your presentation all about your audience? The people listening to
you are sacrificing their time sitting there in front of you. Why not try to
serve them the best you can, to give them information that improves their own
or their relevant others’ lives?
Just
imagine the following situation: a speaker shares with his audience secrets
about how to easily reverse diabetes, while citing scientific proof for his
method, as well as case studies about happy families. Do you think anybody will
care if he or she was nervous on stage, had speech defects, blushed or even
spilled over a glass of water? Most certainly, no. Those in the audience that will
put the advice into practice will be eternally grateful and will recommend the
speaker for other events, too.
Most
of us never think about public speaking like this. We only worry about how we
look like. And much of the coaching for public presentations focuses on how to
look better and create a good impression, thus potentially intensifying our
fear of making mistakes even more.
Before
speaking in front of an audience, think about what they already know, what
their interests are, and how you could give them at least one bit of
information that they do not know and that will potentially improve their
personal and professional life. As long as you focus on delivering that, most
of your fear will likely fade away. Your role is not of being an actor on
stage, but a “public” servant.
The GO Method
“I have been living in Germany for years.
I have gone through all the levels and sustained the necessary exams.
Nonetheless, I still make too many mistakes as to get a serious employment in
my profession.”
It is easy to start a foreign language. It
takes only practice and living abroad to get fluent. To learn the last (!) 5%
and to speak without mistakes, however, you will need completely different
approach.
The GO Method helps you get rid of your
chronic grammar and pronunciation mistakes by applying psychology and
principles of quality management.
We offer corrective courses for some
languages, as well a general system for improving your use of any language. We
support companies in improving the language proficiency of key employees.
Gerhard J. Ohrband
Psychologist and polyglot from Hamburg
/Germany (*1979). Married, one son. MA in psychology from the University of
Hamburg. More than 15 years of experience as a university lecturer in psychology
as well as a consultant for UNICEF, Terre des Hommes, IOM, the EU and private
companies. Coordinator of the GO Method network, with representatives in more
than 90 countries worldwide.
Contact
Send us an
e-mail: Gerhard.j.ohrband@gmail.com
If you want to save time in learning a
foreign language without a teacher, please check out my book “The GO Method”
on Amazon.
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