Let’s begin with a question. Do you know what glossophobia is?

It is a fear of public speaking or even speaking in general. Probably you all have observed or even experienced feelings of fear due to the request to speak up and present findings. There are between 7 and 13 per cent of adults and adolescents who experience social anxiety due to the necessity to communicate with smaller or larger audiences, network and so on.

In the next lessons, you can find tips and resources to be inspired in developing public speaking skills amongst your students. make them aware on how to prepare and deliver a public speech on a research object and share expertise with confidence and impact to the audience.

It is important to consider that STEM subjects often involve complex concepts and technical jargon that may be challenging for students to understand. So, well-developed public speaking skills enable STEM educators to communicate these concepts clearly and effectively, breaking them down into digestible chunks and using relatable examples or analogies to aid comprehension. Additionally, STEM educators often advocate for the importance of STEM education and literacy both inside and outside the university. Through presentations at various meetings, community events, or professional conferences, educators can raise awareness about the relevance of STEM subjects, promote STEM initiatives, and inspire future generations of STEM professionals.

Public speaking could be described as an act of delivering a speech or presentation to a live audience. This definition emphasizes the act of verbally communicating information, ideas, or messages to a group of people in a public setting. This way of understanding public speaking could manifest in various forms, including speeches, lectures, debates, panel discussions, and presentations, and is often accompanied by non-verbal cues such as gestures, facial expressions, and visual aids.

Additionally, public speaking could be perceived as an art of effective oral communication. This way, we highlight the skilful use of language, voice, and delivery techniques to engage, inform, persuade, or entertain an audience. Public speaking involves not only conveying information clearly and coherently but also connecting emotionally with listeners, adapting to their reactions and feedback, and achieving the desired communicative goals through strategic communication strategies.

Furthermore, public speaking could be a practice of sharing ideas or messages with a diverse audience. Here, we emphasize the inclusive nature of public speaking, which involves reaching out to diverse audiences with different backgrounds, perspectives, and interests. Public speaking requires speakers to tailor their messages to the needs and expectations of their audience, taking into account factors such as cultural norms, language proficiency, and audience demographics to ensure effective communication and audience engagement.

So, what do you think public speaking is? The act? The art? Or the practice? Or maybe all the above?

Depending on what you emphasize as a public speaking definition, it could explain why public speaking is important for any person and any professional in particular. Impactful public speaking could help you to present information well.

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