<p>I was just wondering if someone here has any suggestions on how to get over the fear of public speaking and self-consciousness about one's accent. I go to OSU and my freshman english class is designed so every student is selected to speak in front of the class pretty frequently. In HS, I was always the quiet one and never volunteered to answer questions or to argue a point. If the teacher called on me, I was kept my response as short as hummanly possible and even said that I "did not know" and "didn't have any opinion" just to escape the spotlight. Also, this behavior on my part is nothing new; even when I was in my country(Spain), I remember stumbling repeatedly and being shy to the point where I would never participate in class and be horribly anxious/insecure during class presentations.</p>
<p>However, this was never an impediment there as it would not stop me from presenting a project or reading something aloud if I was called on or if it was part of the grade. But since I moved to the US 2 years ago, I have found that my accent and muffled voice have further intesnsified the problem. Like I said, it is bad enough that I am that quiet shy kid and have a blurred speech( even my family has a hard time understanding me in my native language sometimes), but being the only student in the class with an accent is beginning to prevent me from doing my best.</p>
<p>During senior year of high school,for example, I remember cutting on days when class debates were scheduled or when my group was supposed to present, and even saying that my throat was sore or that i was sick as an excuse not to recite a poem or read something aloud. I guess my self steem is pretty low when it comes to public speaking because I know I will mispronounce many words and sound shaky when speaking. I wish I could control this, but whenever I am put in these situations, I just get awfully nervous, my hands start sweating, and I start fearing that people will disregard me or be uncomfortable because of my foreign accent.</p>
<p>So, has anyone gone through this or have any advice?
Thank you.</p>
<p>Oh man i totally understand your problem. In fact, I have a similar problem as you too...i don't talk American, but i dont' have a clear distinct accent either...its more of a neutral accent. Still, whenever i present in class I feel a bit awkward coz i'm the only one talking a little differently and i get these weird looks from people. That does stop me from doing my best. </p>
<p>However, to overcome this problem, I just say to myself "f*** you all. I'm unique and can speak better than anyone else."</p>
<p>Yeah, the main thing is that I can't help but stut-stutter whenever I am nervous or speaking in public, which makes me very apprehensive. It might be the other way around, though.</p>
<p>Most of the time, when my spanish accent doesn't kick in, I also have that neutral tone you talk about.</p>
<p>Hey, I wouldn't be worried about your accent. My grandmother came over to America from Italy, and has a heavy Sicilian accent. She dislikes answering the phone/leaving messages...but the thing is...her accent is awesome, and everybody thinks it's kinda cool. Most Americans actually like accents and think people with accents are interesting. In any case, nobody would think less of you because you mispronounce words or don't speak English perfectly...after all...most people in America came from someplace else, and they admire people who can pick up such a tough language, be in a new country, etc. and still excell.</p>
<p>Also, the more you practice public speaking, the more comfortable you'll feel. It doesn't help to skip every opportunity you can to talk. You will just get worse and worse at it. Force yourself to speak up more often and you'll become more comfortable with yourself.</p>
<p>Don't worry! Even us natives get nervous when it comes time to stand in front of the group and start giving a public speech! I'm noted for being surprisingly comfortable giving presentations, yet I'm usually a tempest of raging butterflies, flitting to and fro, on the inside; it's quite normal to be nervous.</p>
<p>Practice your speech beforehand. Give it to a tape recorder, and then go back and listen for words you think need to be worked on. Practice delivering the same line, over and over. Some of the best public speakers overcame speech impairments!</p>
<p>And as far as the accent goes, who cares? We all have an accent! Yours is just different from some classmates. And if someone impugns you over your accent, then they're an idiot and you wouldn't want to be their friend anyway. ;)</p>
<p>Well, I think I can improve my oral skills but my accent will never quite go away. I know there is medication available for anxiety, maybe I should contact a doctor about that. Also, I don't think the presentation you gave was for speakers of that language. And even if you did, there is something very intimidating about being an immigrant in american and in a room full of white people, especially when you look different and sound incompetent.</p>
<p>Like I said, if you are already a shy person, this can be an extra obstacle.</p>
<p>My presentation was made in Japan in front of Japanese speakers. Trust me, I know how it feels.</p>
<p>I realize that you're already shy, but what else do you want us to say? The only way to overcome this obstacle is to practice and do your best. Nobody is going to think that you're incompetent or care about what you look like. White people does not necessarily mean bigoted.</p>
<p>my dad came to this country by himself when he was 19, and could only speak the english that he learned in high school in brazil which was practically nothing. he learned to speak by going to night classes and such and taking english lit courses, but even after 35 years here he still has a substantial accent. yes, some people do look at my dad weird when he talks and he makes grammar and pronunciation errors occationally. but he always told me that if you never try something hard, you cant get better at it so just try speaking to yourself in front of the mirror, or just to groups of friends/family and you will get better.</p>
<p>i have a similar problem, i am almost fluent in both portuguese and spanish, yet i freeze up whenever i talk to my family just because i feel like im saying everything wrong. having an american accent while speaking those languages just sounds horrible, so i know what you mean.</p>
<p>but heres a funny story that relates to this topic. right when my dad moved here, he got a basic job in a small city near me. everyday him and his friend would go to get lunch at the same place and everyday he ordered a bologna sandwich because for some reason he knew that was a common american thing to eat and its one of the only foods he knew how to say. but one day he saw a specials board that said they had a pastrami sandwich, so he wanted to try it even though he didnt know what it was. he tried to order it, but after murdering the word pastrami three or four times without being understood, he just threw up his hands and ordered a bologna sandwich</p>
<p>A standard accent will not elicit giggling. A really horrid accent will elicit, probably, a sense of amused-horror on the part of the audience. When I was hearing a professor speak, and he had a stutter every 5 minutes, I felt embarased for his sake, perhaps.</p>
<p>Man, I totally understand you. I am literally haunted by fear of public speaking all the time. Sometimes, even an informal conversation with friends would be a hard struggle for me. I have an accent too. It's probably not as strong as yours. But I have something that's even worse than a funny foreign accent: I stutter.
And what really makes my life more difficult is that most people, almost every one, except for my family, have no idea that I am a stutterer. I stutter when I get nervous and on a lot of words that start with d, b, p, k... Ever since high school, I have tried to cover up my stuttering during every public speaking occasion and conversations with other people. Basically, the more people there are around listening to my speech, the worse I stutter. But as I said, most all of my classmates and even close friends in high school never found out that I stutter. I strategize a lot, really a lot, when I speak. Sometimes, before I opened up my mouth, if I knew that the stuff I was about to say required a lot of those d, b, p, k sounds, I would simply give up on saying what I wanted to say at all. When I do not back off or simply cannot due to the circumstances, I rely on the tactics that I have adapted to after so many years. In the middle of my talking, if I come across a word that I am pretty sure that I would stutter on, I substitute it with another word that’s easier for me to say. Because of this, I have to think ahead when I speak all the time and have to be ready to clear those, what I call, “land mines” while making the efforts look as natural and smooth as possible. When I was in elementary school and middle school, everyone in my class and the teachers knew that I stutter. That was actually better off for me. I wasn’t as afraid of speaking in front of people back then as I have been in the past four years. Because I had nothing to be afraid of: People knew my secret already and made fun of me, which I soon got used to. But it seems like the older I get, the better I am at hiding my stuttering. And the more hiding, covering up, I do, the heavier the burden I have to bear. Some of the people around me now probably are aware that I have "a few" problems here or there with certain words . But few would guess that I actually stutter. Fewer would know the efforts I put into every day to make myself sound and look like a normal speaker as much as possible. Ironically, I actually seem like a guy with a great sense of humor and someone who has a lot to say to many people. They have no idea of what I am going through when I speak. How could they know that I am preparing a bank of words to substitute for the imminent possibility that I might encounter a roadblock? How could they know that I stay shut when I am in my “stuttering crest” (interestingly enough, my stuttering goes through cycles, from max to min) even if I know I would have a lot to contribute? I have no idea how many opportunities I had to miss for the fear of my stuttering being exposed. So yeah, we all have our fears and I share you pain.</p>
<p>beanieboo, I understand what your dad feels and have been in similar situations before. The real issue is not that I have an accent, for I understand it is too late for me to sound american anyway. The disheartening part is when you make a mispronounce a word or get so anxious about being judged by the audience, that you stutter and sound weak. For example, sometimes, I will read something aloud in class and the other students look at each other in surprise that I don't sound like them as if saying, "what is he saying?", to one another. Other times, when the professor calls on you to answer a question or something, your accent will inevitably kick in, and then everyone in the class will turn back to look at you in some sort of startled response.</p>
<p>--This indian girl in my chemistry class decided to ask a question one day, and she started off in a neutral accent, but right at the end of the question, when she was pointing to the chapter number, she failed to maintain her "composure" in speech and pronounced the seven in a very thick indian accent. At that point, everyone instantly turned their heads and kept starring at her as if she were some kind of freak show attraction on the circus.-- That is what I am talking about. I wouldn't mind having a charming english or french accent, but these little moments really take a toll on my self esteem.</p>
<p>You are not alone! The fear of public speaking frequently eclipses the fear of dying in many polls. The accent problem just makes the fear that much stronger. See if your University has a Toastmasters organization on campus. You will be forced to speak but should be given non-judgemental feedback. You could even find someone who had the same problem and has learned to cope with it through the organization to act as a mentor. If there is no college chapter, see if either the International Office or one of the other offices on campus can tell you how to contact one in your city. </p>
<p>Good Luck. This problem can be overwhelming but it can get better with work.</p>
<p>Remember it takes time for everyone. Don't expect too much. I saw a famous Senator speak not too long ago in Washington. I commented how to the point and eloquent she was. Someone who had worked with her a long time in politics told me she had really improved from when she was a local official, that her public speaking used to be painful to listen to. I would find a means of practicing (aren't there clubs or something or Toastmasters for this?).</p>