7 Tips for Boosting Confidence While Speaking English

Speaking in front of people is a common fear among new English speakers. Our family members, friends, and relatives ask for odd translations as we start to learn English as a spoken language. Since we are in the first cycle of acquiring the English language, we struggle to make those tough translations. This is how most of our confidence level goes down. Being in a developing nation, it is usual to find some people who’ll always pull our legs to de-motivate us. We also find some supporting people who encourage us to move ahead.

This fear of speaking in front of people is dangerous to our careers. We as individuals carry good ideas, inputs and solutions to ongoing problems. If we don’t speak up or remain in doubt, our growth in the office/business may be compromised.

Speaking during an official gathering or during business-related conversations not only keeps us engaged but also solves problems and helps to advance in our career. All of us know that no one is perfect. It’s just a matter of starting slowly, with simple statements or questions around our topic, and then it just starts as fire for comfortable conversations.

If you are one of the speakers who hesitate to share your own point of view, then the below tips are for you. It will take time to change your old habits. However, to make it faster we have come up with a few tips below which you can follow at your own pace:

Warm-Up before Delivering a Speech

This might seem to be an odd suggestion but we should always warm up our tongue before we deliver any speech. The warm-up practice is very simple. Practice making vowel sounds of A, E, I, O, and U. Then speak in front of someone you are comfortable with to find if there is an error in your tone. This will help you to participate in conversation seamlessly.

Practice in an Increasingly Competitive Environment

Try to find out some opportunities to get out of your comfort zone. Look for people or conditions that are lower in risk, or at a place where you have a strong support system for trying new styles of speaking. Connect with your colleagues and ask them to observe and share feedback to help you build confidence and fluency. Set up a level for yourself and keep increasing the level as and when required. It is suggested to increase the level as soon as you get comfortable on a certain level of speaking and pronunciation.

Talk to Yourself

 

This sounds crazy, right? I also thought like this when I heard it for the first time. Now, I have realized that starting a conversation with yourself can bring positive changes. Talk to yourself before you start any speech in official settings to practice and revise the topics you are going to cover.

Ask yourself two questions while preparing to speak:

• Why am I speaking?
• What will I speak to achieve my desired outcome?

Start Instead Of Waiting to Be Perfect

We have struggled with the hesitation issue at various stages of our life. The mistake we make is believing that we have to feel confident in order to speak with confidence. It is different. Confidence comes from starting to take action. No one is perfect from birth, perfection is achieved by continuous practice. Just give your conversation a kick start without thinking too much about the results and people around.

Start Statements with ‘I Think’ or ‘In My Opinion’

Whenever we are asked to share our opinion, we tend to hesitate. This happens because we are unsure or doubtful about the perfect answer. I will suggest not to look for a perfect answer. Just start your statement with ‘I think…’ or ‘In my opinion…’ to personalize your view and deliver what you are confident with. This little start will keep you going and set the right expectation for listeners. This shows that you are open to feedback.

Focus On Logic, Not On Lame Emotions

In the initial stage of delivering a speech or sharing opinions, some people flow with feelings rather than logic. To avoid it, make sure that you speak logically with facts and not emotions. Following this practice, you’ll gain more knowledge base to enhance confidence.

Allow Others to Speak

Allow other members to speak. If possible, highlight the members who are looking for a chance to speak. You can be their advocate. This will boost confidence indirectly. You will also get more chances to add on your point of view.

These tips will surely help you be more confident when you speak in front of someone. Speaking is not only about the content but also about the way you deliver it. Do not think of the outcomes while you are delivering the content, just try to deliver your best and leave the rest. One thing that people do not consider is body language and tone, these two factors can help you speak with more confidence. Good body language adds a good appearance and tone makes your speech soothing for listeners. This ultimately makes your presence stronger and lets you feel more confident. I hope this will help you as it has helped others.