Program and Event

Speechifying 101: How to get over your nerves and speak in public

Mrs. Amy Archibald, Public Affairs Officer, encourages a student who volunteered tospeak in front of the audience.

On November 8, more than 30 students from the Lao-American College attended a workshop on public speaking led by Amy Archibald, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy.

In preparation for a speech contest later in the month, the workshop was designed to provide students with some hints and tips on how to organize a speech, prepare to get up in front of an audience, and look confident…even when they are not. Noting that few things instill fear in people like the prospect of giving a speech, Mrs. Archibald reminded students that few people are “born” with the ability to speak in front of an audience with style and confidence. However, there are many techniques and frameworks to help learn how to prepare and deliver remarks in front of an audience, whether that audience is one job interviewer or a thousand strangers. During the workshop, Mrs. Amy provided different examples of dos and don’ts, listed ways to prepare before the delivery, and showed how to recover if you make a mistake. Students also had the opportunity to practice short speeches in front of the group.