# My accent, anxity and fear of public speaking help!!!



## Leeman (Feb 1, 2014)

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum, well not 'new' new, but first time posting new. 

Anyway to tell you a bit about myself, I am 15 years old and I'm Chinese. I came to Australia about 7 years ago when I was 8 and I could speak fluent English, until when two years ago when I grew extremely self conscious about my accent. Whenever I deliver a speech I worry about people judging me or laughing on the inside. I initially am a pretty introverted and anxious person but I became even more socially anxious than before after I started worrying about my accent, I would avoid talking to a stranger at all costs and whenever a teacher goes around the room to read something out loud I become extremely anxious and would often get panic attacks. I would now stutter whenever I talk to strangers all because I'm scared that they would judge the way I talk. It gets even worse I get caught off guard when someone suddenly talks to me, I would find it very difficult to find words to carry on the conversation.

My accent is quite light according to most of the people I asked, It's way lighter than the typical Asian accent you hear in movies but It's still pretty evident. I would at times catch people laughing at my accent when presenting an oral presentation which would make me even more less confident.

I have 2 oral presentations coming up next week, I am nervous as hell and to be honest, in the past two weeks every morning I would get panic attacks because I fear the upcoming presentations in which I have to present, just today when I woke up I was shivering in bed. I hate my accent, without it I would be much more confident.

Please help!!! I'm about to mentally break down!!! :afr


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## masterridley (Jan 20, 2007)

There will always be that one person who laughs at a different accent. You can't do anything about it. Still, the vast majority of people are mature enough not to consider that funny in any way, especially if you're fluent in english and your accent is as light as you say.

You could post in the "post a recording of your voice" thread if you want a confirmation, but I think outside confirmation is not going to help you any anyway. You just have to realize yourself that the few people who will laugh at your accent are not worth bothering about and they are childish even for 15 years of age.


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## SoberCaligula (Apr 12, 2014)

My friends like to make fun of my accent at times...however, strangers seem to like it. i'm sure that your classmates like your accent too

I am from Greenland but I also speak danish, spanish and russian so my accent is weird as hell. Try imagining mixing all those languages into an accent when one speaks english, haha.

Honestly, people that are mature enough would never make fun of your accent. The fact that you speak english fluently and that you just have a light accent shouldn't be a problem.
If you want, why not record yourself speaking, and then maybe practice not speaking like that if it worries you that much. I don't think you need to be invested in this, really.

Good luck on presentation!


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