It is not uncommon for people to feel intimidated by English public speaking as many are not native speakers. If you are giving a corporate presentation, taking part in a competition, delivering a speech, or any other setting that requires public speaking, you should realize that the mastery of that skill goes well above being a fluent English speaker. You have to be able to hold their interest, articulate thoughts properly and be self-assured, with the added difficulty of facing an audience.

Here is how you can practice and improve your public speaking skills in English, which will inevitably enhance the way you speak.

Grasp the Expectations and Attentiveness of the Audience

The first aspect that one has to master to be able to give a speech in English correctly is the audience. Understanding the demographics of the audience can help decide what type of language, tone, or style to use. For instance, if you are speaking to a group of colleagues, and everyone speaks in English, it could be helpful to emphasize slow speech but clarity in language.

The moment you start drafting your speech, always pose the following questions:

• Who is the target audience?
• How much English would the audience be able to understand?
• What would you be attempting to teach or bring to their attention?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you can adapt your way of conveying the message according to their requirements and preferences.

Select a Language Which is Not Very Complex

Use simple vocabulary when talking in the English language, and it is very crucial for a person who speaks it as a second language. Even if the person's English is quite good, and even fluent, the chances are that complex phrases, idioms, and jargon will only lead to unnecessary confusion for the audience. Use the simplest language that is possible because the more complex the language you use, the more difficult it would be for your listeners to comprehend the ideas you are trying to communicate.

When we say speak like a novice, we are not necessarily meaning that; we refer to communicating clearly. It is possible to communicate clearly without being simple, and here is how:

• Write short sentences that express only one idea.
• Do not use complex phrases which need further elaboration.
• Deconstruct complex concepts into smaller concepts.

This method benefits the audience by enhancing their comprehension of the speaker, and it also benefits the speaker by enhancing their confidence since the speaker is using partial phrases which make the speaker feel comfortable.

Organize the Content of the Speech

An efficient public speech should have an appropriate organization of ideas. That's why, when there is no structure, even the most captivating speech can fail to hold the attention of the audience. The sequence is almost essential in these English speeches: introduction, body, and conclusion, although you will probably not have the conclusion in this course.

1. Introduction:

Draw the audience's interest and state the theme of the presentation.

2. Body:

Begin with your key arguments in a coherent sequence. Emphasize that all the arguments are interrelated.

3. Summary/Final Remarks:

This course ignores conclusions, but in the case of a public speech, this is where most people put their ideas and the audience's consideration into a focus.

Transitional phrases can also assist your audience in remaining focused on the speech by saying phrases such as 'First, I'd like to talk about…" or "Next, let us focus on...".

The Development of Pronunciation and Stress Patterns

Good pronunciation and intonation as well as conveyance of the presentation as a whole is vital for any speaker in public. And if someone has a weak pronunciation the speaker's audience may not comprehend what is being said which is frustrating for both the speaker and listeners. Moreover, intonation is the rising and falling of the voice which is an important factor in the delivery of the speech. However, dull or plain intonation makes it harder for them throughout the entire duration.

In order to develop articulation and volume:

• Try speaking your opinion on a recording device and later evaluating what pronunciation mistakes you might have.
• Make it a point of concern to emphasize key words and phrases and adopt a natural flow to help articulate your points.
• Work out the tune of your speech. Learn what intonation should go up when posing a question and what goes down when making a strong statement.

If a person makes it a habit to practice delivery with pronunciation and intonation correctly, then the delivery will be more fluid and self-assured.

The Rate At Which You Speak

A fluent and confident presentation goes hand in hand with the correct pace of the speech or presentation. Unfamiliar and nonnative speakers are prone to losing track of what is being spoken, especially if there is an overuse of speaking without any breaks in between. However, caution also needs to be exercised as an extremely slow speech pattern may also bore the audience resulting in loss of concentration. This middle ground between two extremes is possibly the most crucial aspect of any presentation.

This can be done by:

• Pausing: These have a chronological order in a presentation so that the listeners could contemplate over what has just been said and what is about to be presented. For instance, an audience is often given time to pause, after the presentation of key ideas and ranges.
• Breathing: Breathing deeply and at regular intervals does not only ease your nerves but also helps control the pace.
• Emphasizing key points: An effective strategy of ensuring the audience listens carefully is slightly slowing the pace during important points and emphasizing on the critical words.

Getting in front of a mirror or practicing with a friend for speed and the overall flow of speech is ideal. But in the absence of any assistance, taking a slower approach is always preferred as it provides room for the listener to understand and catch up with the speaker.

Manage Your Nerves

Everyone gets scared when speaking publicly, unnaturally so when the foreign language is involved, including experienced speakers…, however, with the respect, appropriate amount of fear is warranted and must be controlled properly. Nervousness usually ends up in people stumbling through the speech and speaking too fast terms or forgetting what they want to say.

The following strategies can be used in the management of nerves:

• Practice, practice, practice: The more you prepare for your presentation, the more confident you will be, and as a result, you will be calm.
• Do positive visualization: Before giving a speech, see yourself giving the speech in a confident and successful way. This visualization of the first step can help reduce anxiety and enhance your performance when it is time to give the speech.
• Think of the transcript: This time, rather than being preoccupied with how they will come out, I want to shift their focus on the presentation they are going to give. Always remember their intention is to relay the information to the audience and not to win their praise.

Nervousness is also about a point of view and being ready. The more ready an individual is, the more confidence the person will have when he or she is supposed to be addressing a huge crowd.

Timeout! It's Your Show Now:

The work of a public speaker is not just handing out information, it is about communicating with your audience as well. When an English speaker speaks, there is a general tendency of trying to include as many people as possible in the discussion, maintaining the viewers' focus throughout the speech.

It is not necessary that involvement always assumes aggressive action. Below are some suggestions that might help in establishing a rapport with the listeners:

• Eye Contact: Eyes allow to share emotion and interestingly enough, attention span as well. Even when feeling nervous, you should try to make quick eye contact with various audience members:
• Rhetorical Questions: Questions such as "Did you ever wonder why …?" call the viewer's attention to aspects that do not need a spoken response.
• Gesticulation: Additive hand movements can enhance salient features and give more action to the presentation.

Relating to the audience can help you feel empowered since your speech is no longer a speech, but a dialogue instead.

Speaking Situations: Soft Skills Done Right

English speaking in public for the first time is quite a daunting task, although, there is a good amount of situations that focus and understand the differences. This will allow you to be more decisive when in the speaking space.

Give us an example of this:

• Presentations in a work environment: Readers should expect order and orderliness. Provide jargons as little as possible and put the main ideas in simple and easy to follow sentences.
• Informal conversations: The pitch may be informal, but there should be a sensible order in the words used.
• Presentations in an academic setting: In this case, there would be a need to be formal and also have the justifications for the claims made while ensuring the structure allows for the audience to stay interested.

Demonstrating an ability to use varying styles and registers of English in different situations will assist you in making a good impression as a speaker.