Live course

Public speaking is a skill that many people find challenging. It is an important generic skill used regularly in an academic environment as a student, clinician, academic, public contributor or researcher.

During this two hour in person course you will learn:

• To identify the issues and fears associated with oral presentations and public speaking
• To understand the authentic approach and strategies that may help manage a fear of oral presentations and public speaking
• The importance of non-verbal techniques
• Effective practice ideas
• To review the benefits of public speaking as a transferrable life skill

This course is based on the book Stand Up and Be Heard: Taking the Fear Out of Public Speaking at University (Grieve, 2019).

About the trainer

This short course is led by Dr Rob Grieve, Training and Capacity Building Theme Co-Lead at NIHR ARC West.

Rob was a senior lecturer in physiotherapy at the University of the West of England, Bristol for 20 years until January 2023. He has extensive experience in teaching and learning and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has experience in quantitative health research output, peer reviewing and research supervision at an undergraduate and postgraduate level.

As a person with a mild stammer, he has found that his many years of teaching have been hugely beneficial in the successful self-management of his speech dysfluency and public speaking fear. The authenticity approach advocated in this workshop is central to his learning and teaching practice.

He has presented nationally at learning and teaching conferences and at other universities to support students and people with a fear of public speaking.