lecturer n.someone who teaches at a college or university
He became a popular university lecturer and teacher.
impress v.to cause someone to feel admiration or respect
The way he spoke really impressed me.
admit v.to agree that something is true, especially unwillingly
I admit it makes no sense but it sounded good at the moment.
motivate v.to make someone want to do something well
Teaching is all about motivating people to learn.
creative a.describing or explaining things in unusual ways
They used rather creative methods to encourage us to talk.
effective a.successful or achieving the results that you want
She's a very effective teacher.
monopolize v.to have or take complete control of something so that others are prevented from sharing it
She has a habit of monopolizing the conversation.
anxiety a.a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease
Most people experience some level of speech anxiety when they have to speak in front of a group.
nearly adv.very close to; almost
Nearly everyone gets nervous when they have to give a speech or a presentation, even experienced speakers.
utmost a.greatest; most extreme
Public speaking has always been one of the utmost challenges for anyone, especially those lacking practices.
enhance v.to improve the quality, amount, or strength of something
The speakers have simply learned how to handle their anxiety and use it to enhance their performance.
captivating a.taking all your attention; very attractive and interesting
Her voice was absolutely captivating.
suffer v.to experience physical or mental pain
Presenters may suffer from the pressure of perfecting every detail.
judgmental a.judging people and criticizing them too quickly
You must try not to be so judgmental about people.
aspersion n.an attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something
People are judgmental creatures and sometimes can cast aspersions on almost everything.
devote v.give all or a large part of one's time or resources to
Some people will not devote time to improving their public speaking skills as they think this is a natural skill.
prepare v.make (something) ready for use or consideration
The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.
material n.facts, information, or ideas for use in creating a book or other work
Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot.
critique v.to give an opinion or judgment about a piece of work, book, film, etc.
Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.
intend v.to have as a plan or purpose
Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for.
audience n.the group of people together in one place to watch or listen to a play, film, someone speaking, etc.
Your speech is about your audience, not you.
grab v.to take hold of something or someone suddenly and roughly
Make sure to grab the audience's attention in the first 30 seconds.
maintain v.cause or enable to continue
By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message.
entirely adv.completely
You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.
ignoring v.to give no attention to something or someone
The mayor ignored the hecklers and went on with her speech.
pretend v.speak and act to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not
I closed my eyes and pretended I was asleep.
attentive a.paying close attention to something
The vast majority of the attentive audience applauded these sentiments.
empathic a.showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another
The main component to being an empathic listener is identifying with the other person's emotional experience.
emotionally adv.in a way that relates to the emotions
If someone is sharing something emotionally important with you, it's likely because they trust your judgment and experience.
rephrase v.to say or write something again in a different and usually clearer way
Rephrase the statement so that it is clear.
reflect v.to think carefully
She felt she needed time to reflect on what to do next.
mimic v.to copy the way someone speaks and moves
She was mimicking the various people in our office.