Tongue-Tied America

From: With Good Reason
Series: With Good Reason news features
Length: 02:27

Two law professors say oral advocacy is key to a healthy democracy. And, they say, anyone can do it. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Tongue-Tied America
From: With Good Reason

Public-speaking_small
The fear of public speaking can be debilitating. For some, it’s the stuff of nightmares. And so rather than stumble through a speech, many people avoid doing it altogether. But two law professors say oral advocacy is key to a healthy democracy. Effective speeches can even change the course of history. And, they say, anyone can do it.

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Piece Description

The fear of public speaking can be debilitating. For some, it’s the stuff of nightmares. And so rather than stumble through a speech, many people avoid doing it altogether. But two law professors say oral advocacy is key to a healthy democracy. Effective speeches can even change the course of history. And, they say, anyone can do it.

Transcript

[clip—Winston Churchill: We shall fight, with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall fight on the beaches… ]

Some people were born with the gift of oratory. But, not everyone’s a Winston Churchill. In fact, most people have at least a touch of what’s called Glossophobia—the fear of public speaking.

Bob: “80 percent of us fear speaking, and it’s the biggest fear of all.”

That’s Robert Sayler, a law professor at the University of Virginia. Bob and colleague, Molly Bishop Shadel, have coauthored a book that aims to quell the fear. It’s called “Tongue-Tied America: Reviving the Art of Verbal Persuasion.”

Molly: “We’ve worked with a lot of people that are really frightened of the whole public speaking exercise, and every single one of them has gotten better and better and ultimately been able to do it.

“Tongue-tied America” includes some pointed advice, like...
Read the full transcript