ESL? Why public speaking isn’t something to fear

Your English doesn’t need to be perfect to give a great speech. Here’s why. 

It can be daunting to speak in front of other people, particularly if English isn’t your first language and you don’t feel confident in your skills. But there are lots of good reasons why you shouldn’t let the language barrier stop you. And trust me on this - I’ve been in the events business for 20+ years and worked with a lot of English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers as a coach, booker and interviewer. 

Here are three reasons why you should grab opportunities to speak in public - and being an ESL speaker has nothing to do with them: 

1. Enhance your career Speaking in front of other people is an act of leadership. If you want to go far, you need to demonstrate that this is something you can do. 
2. Personal Growth Public speaking can help you overcome fear, build confidence and develop your interpersonal skills.
3. Influence and Persuasion Effective public speaking allows you to influence others' thoughts, beliefs and behaviours. If you believe in something, you need to advocate for it!

Here are some specific things that you should know as an ESL speaker. 

1.The audience wants you to do well

The idea that audiences enjoy seeing a speaker having a hard time is a fallacy. When you speak, you have an unwritten contract with the audience - that is, you will give them what they are there for. If you are an expert in AI, for example, and you are speaking at an AI conference, the audience is there to learn something from you about AI. All else is less important. If you delivered a perfect speech in flawless English about ancient Chinese pottery, the audience will quickly go off you. So to prepare: find out what the audience wants from you and give it to them. Native English audiences (who, don’t forget, are terrible at speaking other languages) will give you kudos and forgiveness for speaking in a language other than your own.

2. Vocabulary and grammar matter less than you think

Speaking as a British person, the English-speaking world is notoriously bad at learning foreign languages. We are, however, brilliant at understanding English, even when it is pretty far from “standard” English or heavily accented. This is something that other nations do not tolerate nearly as well as we do. When you speak to an audience, you don’t need to have an extensive vocabulary, and I would go further: limiting your vocabulary is a very good habit for native English speakers to get into. You also don’t need to worry too much about your accent, though honest feedback is helpful here. Bear in mind that some regional English accents can be hard to understand by native English speakers who are not used to hearing them. If you have properly understood what the audience is in the room for, you should be able to equip yourself with the vocabulary you need to get your point across. Remember: the words you speak are only a small part of the tools you have at your disposal to communicate ideas. Be conscious of your tone, gestures and eye contact. People need to be able to follow you, but they can do so without getting every single word.

Tricky accent? Try these tips: Some accents are just more difficult for English speakers to understand. You can make yourself more easily understood by:

A. Slowing down - this gives people time to process your words. Pause between points and you'll be perceived as wise, in command and thoughtful.

B. Relax your mouth - this gives each word a more distinctive sound. If you end the speech with a tired mouth - good!

C. Go for clarity, even if it’s wrong - native English speakers will often understand a word even if the vowel sound isn’t exactly right. Honestly, it’s our superpower.

3. Visual aids can be helpful

The advantage of speaking in public is that you will often have access to enhancements for your speech. If you have an image or graph that speaks for itself, let it do so and give yourself a break. The usual rules apply when preparing slides: less is more, don’t simply read text on the slide and don’t let the slides take over from you as the main focus of the speech. They are there to help you, not steal the show.  

4. Be aware of unexpected laughter

English is full of nuance: I can walk to the shops, but I can also amble, hike, march, stroll or wander to the shops. Each has a slightly different meaning, often one that’s hard to express exactly. I occasionally see ESL speakers use a word that’s not quite right and it gets a laugh from the audience. The speaker looks bemused: it’s not the reaction they were expecting. My advice: remember point 2 - use the broadest vocabulary possible. If you get an unexpected laugh, let people have their moment, enjoy it with them and find out afterwards what happened that got the reaction. If you can make it look intentional, fine. If not, it’s minor - but I’m a believer in following up after a speech what went well / areas for improvement, and those unexpected laughs tell you something important about your communication.

5. Never, ever apologise for your English skills or accent

I’ve seen too many ESL speakers start a speech with an apology for their English skills. This is a bad idea: you should never open with an apology, because it undermines your authority onstage. Neither should you apologise for an accent that you cannot change or that language skills you have worked hard to acquire are not “good enough” for the audience. If you invite them to judge you, they will. If you thank them for inviting you, it sets a tone of gratitude. By which I mean they should be grateful YOU have come to THEM to speak. My favourite comeback from an ESL speaker when an audience member shouted that they could not hear them: 

“I’ve travelled 6,000 miles to be here today, could you move 5 metres closer to the stage?”

Being a good speaker is about more than the words you use. it's about connecting with other people and we do that in a hundred invisible ways. Your heritage is your asset: we achieve amazing things when we work with people from different backgrounds and allow them to bring their strengths to the table.

I hope that if you’ve ever turned down an opportunity to speak because you don’t think your English is “good enough”, this article has given you the confidence, next time you are asked to say a big oui, ja, si, sim, Да, 是, はい, نعم, हाँ, 네…

If you have to speak as part of your job, you owe it to your audience and yourself to do it with confidence, authority and without crippling nerves. I help people give their best performance - with over 20 years experience in the business, CPD accreditation and a passion for seeing people achieving their ambitions. If you could use some of that, let's have a conversation! Visit: www.mr-hawkins.com/training for more information.