Let’s Talk: Preparing Students for Speaking and Listening in the Workplace

Most of us are familiar with the polls representing the fear of public speaking. The Book of Lists ranks it the number one fear of Americans, ahead of dying itself, which ranks sixth, evoking the Jerry Seinfeld routine about how people would rather be the subject of a eulogy rather than be the eulogist (Rolls, 1998; Samson, 2000). And in response to those findings, researchers, scholars, and physicians seek ways to deal with the fears. Those responses to speaking anxiety offered by self-help and collegiate texts cover the gamut: think of the audience naked, find a friendly face in the crowd, visualize a positive engagement. In cases of severe phobias, medical personnel are now testing, in conjunction with the virtual reality sessions, drugs that play upon brain proteins and promise to help patients unlearn particular fears. The

OUTCOME: Students will be able to speak and listen in small,

informal group settings and collaborate effectively when

presenting material.