1. Speaking Contests as a Tool to Promote Language Proficiency
Tatyana Neronova
Associate Professor
DLIFLC-ATFL-UEL

2. Fear of Public Speaking
“There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” Mark Twain

3. Fear of Public Speaking
“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re
better off in the casket than
doing the eulogy.”
Jerry Seinfeld, Comedian

4. Fear of Public Speaking
Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking or of speaking in general.
Glossophobia is remarkably common. In fact, some experts estimate that as much as 75% of the population has some level of anxiety regarding public speaking.

5. Young Adults and Communication
Facebooking, tweeting and texting are the preferred forms of communication for young adults.
Social media interaction dominates both online and offline conversations.
Young people are more likely to speak to friends and family through electronic devices than face-to-face.

6. Why bother with speaking?
We learn:
•10% of what we read
•20% of what we hear
•30% of what we see
•50% of what we see and hear
•70% of what we say
•90% of what we say and do
Bobbi DiPorter's 'Quantum Learning'

7. Why bother with speaking?
Receptive vs. Productive skills
Engagement of vocabulary, listening, and critical thinking skills
Increase in automaticity of language
Echoic and episodic memory

8. Public Speaking Contest Scoring
Name: 5 4 3
Lexical Control, Vocabulary Use
Grammar Control
Overall Presentation, Confidence Level
Question:

9. Use of Technology
Sakai

10. Public Speaking Questionnaire

11. Speaking Contest Analysis
The contests served many purposes:
Was an activity wherein students practiced speaking the foreign language they were studying.
Helped to promote students’ overall language proficiency, fluency and accuracy.
Promoted students’ confidence in speaking, not only in the foreign language but in public speaking in general.

12. Speaking Contest Motivation
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

13. Speaking Contest Motivation
a. Start with a strong and persistent desire.
b. Prepare.
Act confident.
Practice.
Dale Carnegie “How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking”

14. Conclusion
Public Speaking is still crucial to human interaction despite it being the #1 fear of most and the growing use of technology by younger generations.
Speaking is the key to active production of the foreign language.
Speaking Contest is a tool that boosts students’ confidence in speaking in both the foreign language and public speaking in general.

15. Q&A Session
QUESTIONS?

16. Works Consulted
Carnegie, Dale. How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking. New York: Pocket Books, 1991.
Cole, Cecil. Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking. Bookpubber,
Fowlkes, Jasmine. “Viewpoint: Why Social Media is Destroying our Social Skills.” USA Today, October 11, College, Voices from Campus,
Jones, Graham. Stop Public Speaking Fear. London: Graham Jones, Accessed October 31,
Kitchen, Roy. Phobia: Five Keys to Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2005.
Shaw, Peter. “Project-Based Learning and Foreign Language Education.” (Presentation given at the Defense Language Institute – Foreign Language Center, Monterey, California, September 29, 2014.
Thomas, L. Todd. Face the Fear: Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety. Manassas Park, VA: Impact Publications, 2009.
Van Spijck, Benjamin. Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking. van Spijck E-marketing B.V. and Amazon Digital Services, Inc., Kindle Edition.