Maranatha Christian Academy

of Dau Mabalacat Pampanga, Inc.

11651 Dau North Expressway, Dau, Mabalacat City

Workshop No.: 5

in English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Concept Paper
“Subtitle”

Submitted By:
Angelica Ronquillo

Submitted To:
Engr. Isaiah Mark S. Valdez, REE, LPT

Date:
March 11, 2020
 Introduction
Public speaking anxiety is the fear of speaking before an audience. Anyone who
performs on a stage in front of many people, mostly are students are prone in this fear.
Even the professional ones has a potential to experience public speaking anxiety. It can
be extremely difficult for the people who are not comfortable in performing with a wide
range of audience so as a result the speaker may feel distress.

According to National Social Anxiety Center (2016) that the fear of public speaking is
the most common phobia ahead of death, spiders, or heights. The National Institute of
Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety affects about 73% of the population.
The underlying fear is judgment or negative evaluation by others. Public speaking
anxiety is considered a social anxiety disorder.

As stated by Del Villar, C. (2010) that there are factors are in public speaking
anxiety. The following eight (8) factors of anxiety on public speaking: expectation,
training and experience, audience, self-worth, rejection, verbal fluency, preparation and
previous unpleasant experience. These are the reasons why Filipino students fears are
that they foresee themselves experiencing these factors when they go up on the stage.
The researcher came up with an idea on ways how speakers overcome their anxiety,
beginning speakers believed that the most important remedies were practice and
preparation.

Octaviano, R. J. (2014) insisted that depression and anxiety are the most common
mental disorder. One form of anxiety is phobia which is continuous, irrational fear of a
specific object, activity or situation that results in a compelling desire to avoid it. One
example of phobia is glossophia which is the fear of public speaking that tends a person
to freeze when the speaker stand in front of people, even if they are just two persons.
Some of the symptoms may include sweating, nausea, and panicking when a person is
about to perform on a stage with a wide range of people who are going to listen to the
speaker and watch the speaker’s every movement.

Therefore the researcher concluded that the public speaking anxiety is indeed a
serious matter that everyone need to pay attention. The causes of public speaking
anxiety are because a person is not well prepared for the performance, and afraid of the
response of the audience, and past unpleasant stage performance are also one of the
causes. For a person experiencing public speaking anxiety there are some ways to
overcome it such as be prepared, practice, and read some education books, article, or
even journal for other references how a speaker can surpass this kind of fear.
 REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE
In today’s generation good speaking skill is needed because it will help them to
improve their communication skill and speaking ability. This chapter includes different
related studies about public speaking.
Sawchuk, C. (2017) defines that public speaking anxiety is the most common type of
anxiety that can triggers nervousness, shaky hands, quavering voice, and panic attack.
A person experience this kind of anxiety they avoid speaking in front of many people as
much as possible. But with proper preparation and persistence, they can surpass their
fear.
In line with what Fritscher, L. (2019) has mentioned that this anxiety can be called
glossophobia. This anxiety begins before and during the performance and can be worst.
Cold sweats, body shaking, vomiting, and diarrhea are one of the common symptoms of
public speaking anxiety. 517
Based from Nikita, A. (2011) mentioned that stage fright and anxiety is not only the
reason why some people fear talking on stage in front of the crowd it’s also about the
audience’s reaction on their performance. Which has a relation in social interaction that
causes anxiety when it comes to speaking.
In addition Black, R. (2019) added that fear of public speaking, is a very common
phobia and one that is believed to affect up to 75% of the population. The researcher
also mentioned the causes of glossophobia, it because of bad experience of a person
during speaking in public can be repeat when attempting to speak in public and can be
treated by exercise in speaking, exposure-based treatment and the best treatment is
therapy.
According to Saneholtz, A. (2019) mentioned that the fear of discrimination, fear of
feedback of others, bad experiences from the past, low self-esteem, lack of preparation,
negative thoughts about their abilities and fear of failure are some of the causes that
triggers them to fear public speaking anxiety that made them uncomfortable when they
have to perform public speech.
Gershman, S. (2019) has described that public speaking anxiety is what a person
experience public speaking as an attack. A person thinks audience as a threatening
enemy. Many people with this anxiety has a physical effects while speaking like
shortness of breath, redness of face, and body shaking which are the effects of fear in
public speaking. Public speaking anxiety is an anxiety that can be cause someone to
death especially when the anxiety is severe and didn’t undergo therapy or medications.
It has physical symptoms of shortness of breath, redness of face, and body shaking are
the effects of public speaking anxiety.
Also Iqbal, A. et al. (2017) said that high levels of anxiety while speaking both in
educational and social contexts has effects to a person’s learning and become
unmotivated which is a horrible feeling that can be a factor why a person with this kind
of anxiety performs poorly. Severe anxiety in public speaking can make someone feel
unmotivated and not qualified to do something like performing a speech is a horrible
feeling that can make a person fear it more and be traumatize.
Grossman, J. (2017) stated that there are tips on how to be not nervous when a
speaker is about to present. Beforehand of the presentation a speaker should have a
good sleep for them to feel relax, prepare and rehearse what a speaker will be going to
say and also wear a comfortable but formal so that a speaker is free to move and not
think how they dress. And of course during the presentation, speak clearly and slowly
so that the audience can easily understand, breathe regularly when speaking to keep a
speaker relax, and don’t forget to eye contact to the audience. Preparing and rehearsing
is a really the key of overcoming the public speaking anxiety.
Being prepared and practiced their speech are a must to overcome public speaking
anxiety and confidently present their speech. Wear comfortable but appropriate attire,
breathe regularly and speak clear and slowly so that the audience understand the
speech, as well as eye contact to look more confident.
In addition Pott, K. (2018) has explained that even veterans when it comes to
speaking in public are also experiencing the fear of public speaking. The researcher
formulated a remedies to get over the fear of public speaking by practicing the speech
in front of the mirror so that a speaker can see the subtle distraction actions are.
Practice the speech while facing the wall will help a speaker to find the parts of the
speech that they can’t gracefully convey to their audience, practice with a friend, do dry
run, and record the speech. Practicing is the solution to have a good speech and good
delivery of the speaker. 12

Even the experts in public speaking are also experience anxiety but due to practicing
in front of the mirror for them to see all the wrong gestures that can also be a
distraction. Practicing also with a friend and other people is good so that they can say
their opinions about the lackings and if your speech is already good. Practice is the key
for a good speech and delivery of the speaker.

In additional Harding, N. (2008) has said that public speaking is challenging task but
at the same time it’s also a very rewarding opportunity. A speaker should know who
their audience are, visualize their talk, practice a lot, choose appropriate clothes, be
yourself, avoid being perfectionist, engage to the audience and leave them wanting for
more. It is very rewarding if a speaker did a great job presenting.
Everything is difficult especially when you are not prepared. Public speaking is a
nerve wracking task but also an opportunity to inspire and share some knowledge to
others. Practicing and they should know who his/her audience are. Also wear attire that
is appropriate, and avoid being perfectionist. But the most important is, just be yourself.
 Public speaking anxiety is a very common phobia because everyone had experience
it, it may be the mild or the severe anxiety in public speaking. Truly the causes of it was
because of the bad experience of the speaker in previous public presentation and the
social reaction from his/her performance. That’s why other researchers have formulated
how to conquer it. It can be by practicing, treatment, or by therapy.

Speaking in front of many people is really not easy it requires confidence and
readiness to face others. A person with public speaking anxiety experience before and
during the performance such as drying of mouth, dilated pupils, nausea,
hyperventilating, excessive sweating, increased of blood pleasure, rapic heart beats,
and trembling body even their voices. This study revealed that females are the one who
most likely to experience the fear of public speaking anxiety it may because of their past
mistakes that’s why they have a trauma on speaking publicly. Public speaking anxiety is
cause by when a person has past mistakes, uncomfortable with their body movement,
dissatisfied with their performance, not prepared, comparing themselves to others,
concerned that others may judged them, scared of being nervous, and has a fear of
standing in front of the public, difficulty in mastering their materials, confidence,
nervousness, and panic. Other than that it maybe because of they are thinking the
audience reaction, they preffered their audience is a stranger because they are worried
that they might realize their mistakes if the audience knew them, and according to the
other research that speakers are more anxious in front of an audience with low interest
compared with high interest and also when an audience is highly unresponsive to the
speaker arouses much more anxiety than does an audience that is responsive.

By the hardwork of the researchers they had formulated a treatment for a person who
experience public speaking anxiety so that they can manage it. Exposure therapy, one-
month exposure treatment where there are 13 activities they need to do, and group
practice also are recommended by the researchers and therapist because it can be a
way to be comfortable speaking on other people by starting on a small amount of
audience. Its okay to make mistakes but it can be a way to learn from your mistakes. If
you failed today, workhard and practice makes it perfect. Face your fear, don’t let it be a
hinder to your growth and affects your socialization. Face everyone with confidence and
fearlessness.