Stress of English as a Second Language - Essay Example

Together with my group mates, I was forced to present our final project in class. When it was my turn to speak, I felt so nervous. My heart started to beat so fast. Because of my nervousness, I failed to deliver my speech the way I planned to. It also made me forget important facts I was supposed to inform my classmates. Eventually, the only thing that mattered to me is that the presentation ended so soon. In another class, I was also required to summarize a book chapter in front of my classmates.

Since I was so eager to improve my speaking abilities, I decided to spend a few hours a day practicing what I had to say in front of my classmates. To remove my nervousness in front of so many people, I asked some of my friends to be my audience. I also listened to what my friends would say about the way I speak and act during the presentation. Sometimes, I record my own voice and stand in front of the mirror to check the way I pronounce each word and how I was sending out some non-verbal cues to other people.

Since then, I was able to ease and control my anxiety. Gradually, I felt so much confidence when being asked to speak in public. Personally, I consider my zone of optimal functioning as the low zone. When having low levels of anxiety, I tend to become less stressed. Basically, low levels of anxiety and nervousness made me perform better. Each time I experience high levels of stress, I tend to perform badly.