Public Speaking: 5 Exercises to Build Real Confidence

Formal speaking moments are often dreaded. Does your next oral assessment, whether it is an IB oral, a class presentation or a professional pitch, fill you with anxiety? Does presenting to twenty people you know make you fear being laughed at? Do product demos or research presentations throw you off balance? Fear becomes something you wear, and it can even block your voice entirely. You may feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, even foolish.

Yet turning these dreaded moments into occasions of genuine enjoyment and personal accomplishment takes nothing more than a little boldness. You can transform that fear at any point. Follow this guide: you will find 5 keys to speaking better in public.

1. Decide to unpack your habits so you can correct them

Whatever your age, and whatever the stakes of the speech you dread, boldness is the first card to play when facing your difficulties. Leaping into the void without falling and without failing is possible. It rests on one simple pact: follow the guide to the end. Believe in your progress to the end. Refusing to try for fear of looking silly means giving up the chance to improve through your own efforts. All it takes is unpacking your habits: take a moment to name your difficulties honestly (people cannot hear me, I cannot find my words), use the tools already at your disposal (your phone, the attention of your parents or friends), and act. The moment of action is where the magic happens: once you have dared to film yourself, you will know exactly what to work on. You will then have the power to change the way you speak.

2. Practise in front of yourself

In front of a mirror, or in front of your phone: you are your own best ally when it comes to improving. Your repetitions, hesitations and verbal tics will fade as you become aware of them. Video is a powerful refinement tool for this. To make real progress, keep your early recordings, flaws and all, so that a few attempts later you can see how far you have come and how much more polished your delivery has become.

3. Structure your argument

Speaking well, and actually having something to say, becomes possible through structure. Knowing your subject inside out is essential, because the message you want to convey is the foundation of everything. Just like a story that carries the spoken word, you need to define the core of what you are going to say.

The exercise begins with settling on an opening line and a closing line. Your talk is then framed from the start, which will both help and reassure you. Think of it like a race course: there is a start line and a finish line.

Next comes the work on your outline. It is your route map, so you do not get lost and so your listeners can follow you on the journey. For example, if you want to convince someone that your idea is the best one, a three-part structure works perfectly. First, the current situation, unsatisfactory and going nowhere. Then, your idea itself, with all its ins and outs. Finally, the benefits bring up the rear, leaving in your listener’s mind the sweet aftertaste of a strawberry candy. This is exactly the kind of framework examiners reward in IB orals and assessed presentations: a clear opening, a signposted argument, a memorable close.

4. Take the drama out of the stakes with your imagination

The ordeal is not so terrible if you picture your examiner in cosy pyjamas: suddenly they seem rather more human, do they not? The teacher, examiner or person across from you is not there to be your opponent. The exchange will be nothing more than a conversation. As if you were sitting on a sofa or at a café table: all you have to do is change the scenery in your head.

Then, to let go of the tension, open up your chest and let the air out slowly through your mouth. It is remarkably simple to stand taller and relax at the same time.

Finally, to eliminate fillers like “um”, “like”, “actually” and “you know”, visualise a red buzzer with a dreadful sound going off every time one slips out.

5. Practise every day

Making peace with public speaking is possible. It is simply a matter of seizing every opportunity in everyday life to practise, and this is a skill that pays off far beyond the classroom: in debating, in university interviews, in every meeting you will ever lead.

To master your fear, two tools are at your disposal: your imagination and your breathing. First, before your oral, picture the dreaded moment in advance. Having visualised the scene once means you have, in a sense, already lived it. You are no longer in unknown territory, so you can move forward with more composure. Second, even in the simple moments of daily life, pay attention to your breathing. Breathe and slow down. The benefit is twofold: you calm a heart that may be racing, and you give your audience a reason to listen more closely. When the person who is supposed to be speaking falls silent, ears prick up and attention sharpens. Mastering the art of the pause makes all the difference. Your speech gains rhythm, avoids monotony, and can capture full attention at exactly the moments that matter.

Remember the old coyote cartoons: he would run to the edge of the cliff, sail past it, and keep running on thin air. He only fell the moment he looked down into the void. But what if he never looked down? Would the air have stayed solid under his feet? The fear of speaking in front of others makes us look down, and panic takes over. What if we did not lower our eyes? What if we trusted our own words? It is a risk, yes. And a risk you are willing to own becomes a little less of a risk.

In the end, daring to trust yourself is the whole of the boldness that lets you act and improve. You can overcome the uncertainty inside you and turn it into a speaking strength. All it takes is being demanding and kind with yourself at the same time: pushing yourself to give your best without being too harsh in your self-judgement.

How Axiom Academic can help

Public speaking is one of the most valued skills in international education, from IB orals and assessed presentations to debating clubs and university interviews. At Axiom Academic, our tutors help students build these skills alongside their academic subjects: structuring an argument, rehearsing delivery, and turning exam-day nerves into confidence. Every engagement starts with a first lesson covered by our money-back guarantee, so families can begin with complete peace of mind. To find the right tutor for your child, get in touch with our team.