How to Overcome Fear of Speaking English

Do professional opportunities to speak in English leave you sweaty and flustered? Do you have great ideas for your office but don’t know how to express them well?

Look, I get it!

As a communications coach, I receive numerous queries from skilled professionals (like you) on this common concern. If you’re struggling to get words out of your mouth, this article is for you.

4 Common Business English Communication Issues SOLVED 

“I’m afraid of being judged for my poor communication skills.” 

While coaching hundreds of professionals, I’ve come across all kinds of problems! Here’s what they claim to struggle with, the most: 

Most professionals feel the pressure to maintain a competent image at their workplace. They believe that you can’t make mistakes or fail at work. So, they end up avoiding uncomfortable situations simply because they fear making mistakes. Taking on leadership roles, talking to stakeholders, and showcasing business English communication skills are some of the most uncomfortable situations for professionals. So, they avoid taking risks altogether and stagnate in their careers. 

Solution 

“I’m afraid of repeating my communication failures from the past.” 
Solution 
“I don’t feel my communication skills are good enough.” 
Solution 
“I’m afraid of forgetting what I need to say while speaking English.” 
Solution 
Final Remarks 

To solve self-consciousness issues that hamper effective communication, here’s what I recommend: 

·         Practice speaking English in smaller groups to gain confidence and fluency. You might have colleagues or friends who face the same issue. Team up with them and use lunch breaks to converse in English. 

·         Give small impromptu speeches in front of a mirror daily to develop fluency and build confidence. Talk for 1 to 2 minutes on a topics you like such as the latest sports update, your favorite movie, or present day’s work schedule. 

·         Captivate and engage the audience using videos, images, and questions. If you think communication skills are all about talking, you’re wrong! It’s about getting across your point in the best way possible. If other material helps you, so be it! Plus, you’ll get the time to calm yourself and not speak for a while during the presentation. It’s a win for everyone! 

·         Have the heart of a teacher. Think of the audience as your juniors who know little or nothing about your presentation topic. This way, you can breakdown complex topics and explain the details without worrying about your image. 

As humans, we’re always inclined to avoid failures or be fearful of them. It’s our natural and evolutionary response to disasters and conflicts. However, this instinct works against us when we try to venture out of our comfort zone professionally. The thought of failing and getting embarrassed again makes even the most seasoned speakers shake in their boots. 

To overcome this mindset block and try again, here’s what we recommend:

·         Accept your flaws and your goof-ups during the interaction. Instead of fixating on your mistakes, accept and correct them on the spot, and move on to your next point. Let’s assume you said, ‘Our company did X percent profit this year’ and it was incorrect. In this case, just correct yourself by saying ‘I’m sorry, I meant Y percent profit.’ 

·         Note where and how much you paused, how you can spruce up your presentation, and what actions you can take. Focus on how you can improve instead of what went wrong. 

·         Avoid comparing your skills with someone else’s capabilities. Remember, everyone has a different journey and process. 

A famous Henry Ford quote says, ‘Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.’ It’s true! Mindset plays a huge role in determining if you’ll be successful or not. So, when you feel your workplace communication skills are subpar, your brain automatically admits defeat before fighting the battle. To win the battle, you need to have a ‘try-me’ mindset instead of a ‘why-me’ mindset. 

Here’s how you can develop a mindset that’s conducive to self-improvement and elevate your skills:

·         Gain confidence by practicing your workplace communication skills often. I believe real confidence comes from competence. That’s why working on your skills is the best way to defeat your inner self-critical demon. At LearnEd, we help young talented minds like you communicate well and achieve professional success. Check our free course on how to write better email subject lines to start compelling work conversations. 

·         Record yourself on video during your practice communication sessions. Then, use this video to review your performance and note your improvement areas. 

·         Read TEDx transcripts and watch TED talks to understand how different people communicate. Observe their words and body language and imbibe their best qualities. For starters, you can check out Celeste Headlee’s TED Talk on 10 ways to have a better conversation. 

Most professionals dread the horrors of going completely blank in a work situation. That’s why they resort to memorizing their speech/presentation as a defense mechanism. However, forgetting your speech has nothing to do with memory and everything to do with nervousness and lack of preparation. 

We need to tackle two problems at once here. To solve the forgetfulness issue, here’s what we recommend: 

·         Structure your presentation in a sensible way. This way, even if you forget the speech, your mind can easily connect the dots and get on track quickly. You could use mind maps or notebooks to do so. 

·         Note the key aspects of your speech/presentation. Don’t simply rely on your brain to remember everything for you. 

·     Rehearse your presentation multiple times before the D-day. There’s simply no alternative to practicing your skills. 

·    To calm your nervousness, take 6 to 7 deep breaths and affirm yourself with a simple “I can do this”. Sometimes, all you need is good old-fashioned self-love. 

Did you know that ineffective communication costed 400 companies an average loss of $62.4 million per year? At LearnEd, we help businesses and professionals empower their workforce into the future of business English communication. If you’re interested in developing your workforce’s abilities to be well articulated with clear communication, contact us.