On March 5, 2026, an online meeting of the English-Speaking Club took place, titled “Public Speaking: Overcoming Fear & Winning Your Audience.”
The moderator of the event was Yuliia Lushchyk, PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages.
During the meeting, participants discussed one of the most common communicative problems – the fear of public speaking. Students learned about the phenomenon of “glossophobia” (the fear of public speaking), analyzed typical emotions that people feel before a presentation, and discussed how body language and a speaker’s behavior influence audience perception.
During interactive tasks, participants performed exercises to identify common myths and facts about public speaking, analyzed the behavior of speakers in photographs, learned to describe emotional states during a speech, and practiced useful linguistic structures for arguing their own opinions. They also watched and discussed a thematic video with tips for a confident presentation, specifically emphasizing the importance of eye contact, smiling, gestures, and posture.
During the discussion part, students addressed the following questions:
- Are you afraid of public speaking? Why? Why not?
- When was the last time you spoke in front of an audience? What happened?
- What do you usually feel before speaking in public?
- Do you think public speaking is a natural talent or a skill you can learn? Why?
- If you could give ONE piece of advice to a nervous speaker, what would it be?
The meeting contributed to the development of English-language speaking skills, the ability to argue one’s opinion, and the confidence to speak before an audience. Students actively shared their own experiences of public speaking and formulated practical tips on how to overcome the fear of public speaking and interact effectively with the audience.
Overall, the event fostered a friendly and inspiring environment for practicing English.
