How To Say It?

Speaking with confidence isn’t easy. Whether you’re a primary student doing ‘Show and Tell’, an O-Level oral exam candidate or an adult giving a presentation at work, the basic challenges are the same. Jamie Gibbings, centre manager of the British Council at Marsiling, shares some useful ideas to share with your child.

Having a good command of the language is not enough. You also need to organise your thoughts, control your voice and, in many cases, overcome your fears. This takes practice, and some of us will always struggle. However, there are some steps we can all take.


Firstly, if you are a nervous speaker, acknowledge this fact but recognise that you can also change it. Remind yourself that you have something valuable to say and that the listener or audience is unlikely to be hostile towards you. Think about what you’re going to say and the effect you want it to have. Visualise a positive reaction and try to
project confidence, even if you have internal doubts.

Voice

Your volume must be loud enough for everyone to hear you, but not so loud that it overpowers them. Pace of speech is also important.  If you are too slow, you will sound boring. If you are too fast, you might not be understood. You can at times pause to draw attention to what you are saying, or change your pitch or stress to highlight key points. Make sure your voice doesn’t drop at the end of sentences. Some people let the last few words trail off and they become difficult to hear.  Pronounce your words clearly and with precision. Speak distinctly but naturally.

Body Language

We generally distrust people who hide their hands or eyes from us. Don’t fold your arms or put your hands in your pockets when you are speaking. Try to breathe naturally, use gestures and appropriate facial expressions. Don’t shift your weight from side to side or lean forwards.

Content

Be selective: include only ideas that are essential and be aware of time constraints. Begin with an attention-seeking statement or question, and end with a clear conclusion. Present your content in a logical order and avoid unnecessary repetition. Don’t be too wordy and avoid technical terms or acronyms that might not be understood. When changing topic, try to provide a link between ideas and avoid ‘stopping 
cold’.

Organisation

If you are making a speech or presentation, make sure you start strong and end strong. A strong introduction will propel you through the rest of your speech, and wipe out any fear you begin with. Ending strong will also counteract a shaky beginning due to nervousness. Greet the audience at the start and then thank them for their attention at the end.

Preparation

Rehearsing a presentation can be useful but don’t try to memorise the exact words you will use. You may want to refer to prompt cards, but don’t spend your time staring down at these. If your mind goes blank, repeat what you just said. This will help you remember what comes next. Putting all of this into practice takes time and patience. Don’t be too hard on yourself, but identify your weaknesses and try to work on them. Consider filming yourself to help analyse your speech. You might be surprised by what you hear and see! Talking to camera can be a useful exercise and can help you focus on these areas.