Why Your Knees Shake When You Speak
An informative text that explains why many people fear speaking in front of an audience and suggests ways to control the fear.
Tap any word to hear it · dotted words have a definition in the glossary
🎧 Listen
1Your teacher calls your name. You walk to the front of the class, look at thirty faces and suddenly your heart is , your hands are wet and your mouth feels dry. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Fear of public speaking is one of the most common fears there is, and it affects students, workers and even famous performers.
2Why does this happen? When we feel , the body reacts automatically, as if we were in danger. It prepares to fight or run away: the heart beats faster, breathing becomes quicker and extra blood goes to the . These reactions are very useful when you meet a wild animal, but they are not much help when you are presenting a history project. The problem is that the body cannot always tell the difference between a real danger and a class full of listeners.
3Another reason is that we worry about what others think. Many speakers are sure that the can see exactly how they are. In fact, listeners usually notice much less than the speaker imagines. A shaking voice that feels terrible to you may sound almost normal to them.
4The good news is that this fear can be controlled. First, prepare well. Knowing your material gives you , so practise your talk out loud several times, not just in your head. Second, breathe slowly before you begin; slow breathing tells your body that there is no real danger. Third, focus on your message instead of on yourself. Remember that the came to hear your ideas, not to your .
5Finally, look for chances to speak in front of others, even in small ways, like asking a question in class. Every experience makes the next one a little easier.
6Many good speakers still feel before they begin. The difference is that they have learned to speak .
📘 Glossary
- racing - going very fast
- threatened - feeling that you are in danger
- muscles - the parts of the body that help you move
- audience - the people who watch or listen
- nervous - a little scared or worried
- confidence - a strong feeling that you can do something well
- judge - to form an opinion about someone or something
- appearance - the way someone looks
- anyway - in spite of something
Questions
Finding details
1. According to paragraph 1, who suffers from fear of public speaking?Finding details
2. Give TWO things that happen in the body when it prepares to fight or run away (paragraph 2).Making inferences
3. Why are the body's reactions 'not much help' when you present a project in class?Reference words
4. What does the word 'them' in the sentence 'may sound almost normal to them' (paragraph 3) refer to?Finding details
5. According to the text, how does slow breathing help?Finding details
6. Complete the sentence: The writer advises practising your talk ____, not just in your head.Word meaning
7. The word 'judge' in paragraph 4 means ____.Purpose and structure
8. What is the purpose of paragraph 4?Making inferences
9. According to the last paragraph, what is the difference between good speakers and other people?
✍️ Writing task
A friend of yours has to give a presentation in class next week and is very nervous about it. Write a short message to your friend with advice. Use at least TWO ideas from the text and one idea of your own.
80–100 words
0 words
Answer every question to get a score (0/9)