“Always do what you are afraid to do.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wintertime is my favorite season in Taiwan... if I don’t think about all the
mosquitoes, of course. From April until November, the non-stop scorching
humid weather drains all of my energy and makes my air conditioner my
best friend. But with the winter comes cool breezes, 5 p.m. sunsets, and
the chance to wear something other than tank tops and sandals. On this
particular winter day, I had carefully chosen a nice blouse and comfortable
pants, seeing as I was going to be nervous giving my first speech in a foreign
language.
I was about to deliver a presentation in Mandarin at a Toastmasters club
where all of the members were Taiwanese locals. The more I thought about
what I was doing, the more worried I got. “Girl, even though you hate it
sometimes,” I reminded myself, “you are a challenge junkie!” Since I was a
child, I’ve forced myself to do things that I was afraid to do because I wanted
to be better, stronger, different from others.
I kept scratching the sides of my legs even though they weren’t itching. My
stomach felt like I had eaten french fries slathered in tons of grease. My heart
was pounding so fast I thought I would have a heart attack. But before I had
a chance to convince myself that this all was a crazy idea and make a run for
the exit, the last speaker finished. All eyes were now on me like searchlights
in the dark.
I got out of my chair and peered at my audience before I went to the front
of the room. I hadn’t been this nervous since I lost my virginity. My stomach
rumbled like it was full of rocks while the Toastmaster (the master of
ceremonies for the evening) introduced me. I was one of the first foreigners
to join their club in over 15 years. Fifteen years? I realized at that moment
that I was not a smart person.
I had spent the past two weeks practicing my short, four-minute speech with
my Taiwanese roommate and my tutor. To be prepared, I thought it would
be great if I wrote out my speech on four small pieces of poorly designed
Snoopy paper. It was blue, adorned with graph lines that went all the way out
to the edges of each sheet.
After I wrote the speech in English, I wrote it out in pinyin (Mandarin written
in the Roman alphabet). While I practiced giving the speech, I soon became
aware that I couldn’t read pinyin that well. My sentences were simple, but my
pronunciation and tones sounded like I was singing a horrible heavy metal
song rather than a flowing Chinese opera. For the past two weeks, I had
done nothing but practice my speech. I had tried to get my voice to climb
high like a soprano, to stay high and flat on that mountaintop, to charge
down quickly into a deep pit, to roll up and down like a roller coaster... But
still, my erratic pauses caused me to stumble over phrases and skip parts
of the speech. In short, even though I had practiced non-stop for two weeks,
my delivery still sucked, and I knew it. Between the ridiculous papers I had
clutched in my hands and my poor Mandarin reading skills, I felt certain that
my speech was doomed.
I looked around the room. It was small enough to make me visible to
everyone, but large enough that only the people sitting in the first few rows
would be able to see my hands shake and my lips quiver. I began speaking,
my eyes focused on a black spot I saw on the ceiling towards the back of
the room — probably a roach. I figured that if I centered on that roach, then I
wouldn’t see the faces of my audience, and I wouldn’t lose my place on my
graph-lined Snoopy paper and wind up suddenly stopping. Becoming a silent
statue would be the worst-case scenario. Yes, looking at something that
normally grosses me out was definitely a good idea, I decided.
At the end of my speech, I finally mustered the courage to look at my
audience. I couldn’t believe it. All eyes were on me. Not a single person
was looking at their watch or their cell phone. That was when I realized
that Toastmasters clubs provide the perfect atmosphere for people to
practice foreign language public speaking. Even if you deliver an almost
incomprehensible speech, like I did, your listeners will be patient and
attentive because none of them want to appear rude or, worse yet, miss out
on something.
Those were the longest four minutes of my life... And then the silent pause
after my speech was deafening. I guess my audience needed time to
process my speech just as much I needed time to process the fact that I had
completed my first speech in Mandarin. I thought to myself, “Finally, Diana,
after two-and-a-half years of countless hours of study and practice, you can
make a speech that locals can understand.” Then, to my surprise, everyone
stood up and clapped. I wanted to cry. Perhaps I did cry. I can’t remember
what I did exactly, but I do remember that I didn’t die from a heart attack like I
thought I would. Instead, I scanned the faces around the room and saw only
smiles and applause.
That speech — my first one delivered in a language other than English — was
over a decade ago. Ever since then, I’ve been digging my shovel into the earth
of foreign language public speaking. I’ve become a Speaking Seed.
Introduction
“Always start with why.”
— Simon Sinek
Acclaimed author and public speaker Simon Sinek argues that although
we might not always care about what we do, it is human nature to want to
understand why. Since you’ve picked up this book, I assume you believe
in the importance of language learning and public speaking. Perhaps you
even want to explore how to incorporate public speaking into your language
learning journey.
Most professionals find public speaking essential in today’s global economy.
And with over 7,000 languages spoken in the world, if each of us chooses
to learn one of those languages and to marry that language with public
speaking — to share who we are, what we do, and why we believe in what we
do — just imagine how many seeds we can spread.
Today more and more foreign language public speakers are in the spotlight.
For example, there are more TED Talks with non-native English speakers
who take the global stage, and there are more non-native speakers who have
become Toastmasters World Champions. “But,” you might be saying, “we
now have subtitles for TED Talks, live interpretation at conferences, and our
wonderful friend Google at our fingertips. Why do we need foreign language
public speaking?”
Imagine you are up for a promotion at work. Many people want the position
because it pays 20% more. There is less drudge work to do, and there will be
more opportunities to travel to Seoul, South Korea. Your boss says the person
who will get this manager position must be confident, professional, and have
excellent communication skills. But only people with good presentation skills
who can communicate with clients in Korean will be considered. Could you
apply for that job?
Let’s say someone in your family marries someone whose relatives are
from Greece. Most, but not all, of the members of their family speak English.
Weddings in this culture are a special time for celebrating two families joining
together. You come up with the bright idea to give a toast in Greek at the
wedding reception. By doing this, you know it would be a wonderful gesture
to the family that starts off with trust and respect. Could you give that toast?
In today’s global environment, you could easily find yourself in any of these
situations, but are you ready to be?
The common thread throughout all of these scenarios is that foreign language
and public speaking equal great opportunities to learn, connect, and share, so
that you can better pursue your personal and professional goals.
To get an idea of how you can maximize your foreign language abilities and
your public speaking skills, let’s look at a short list of possible Speaking
Seed careers:
The list is impressive, isn’t it? And there are many other careers that will
need Speaking Seeds in the future. If you are interested in learning foreign
language public speaking, you may be wondering what kinds of traits make
successful Speaking Seeds. Here are a few:
Determination
Confidence
Storytelling skills
A hardworking attitude
A sense of humor
A flair for the dramatic
A willingness to take risks
Not all Speaking Seeds possess these traits at the beginning. Some take time
to cultivate. The most important trait to develop though, is determination.
To be determined to do something you need to know why you are doing
it. So what is your “why”? Is it a job you want? An organization you want to
belong to? Is your community or hot love life encouraging you to embark
upon a Speaking Seed adventure? Foreign language public speaking is no
joke! It’s a tough journey, so you want to make sure that your “why” will be
strong enough to push you through all of the hard work. Granted, the hard
work isn’t necessarily fun, but there are so many cool parts. You’ll be able
to communicate with people who speak another language. You’ll be able to
expresses your ideas with less fear. You’ll make yourself more marketable,
and you’ll increase your self-confidence.
My Speaking Seed Journey
In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell writes about how a
person’s success is not only determined by hard work but also timing and
the willingness to take advantage of the opportunities that can lead to
success. Reading Outliers, I began thinking about how my life experiences
have led me down my own path and why I’ve had success with foreign
language public speaking:
My Personality
I was born with a loud, charismatic nature. In the 1970s, a new movement in
parenting encouraged adults to be more patient with children and allow them to be
who they were without punishment. That was lucky for me!
Childhood
I grew up at a time when children played outside all day. I was able to cultivate my
independence and develop my street smarts. This gave me the courage to travel to
other countries and feel comfortable engaging with different people. The positive
results of the Civil Rights Movement, in the 1960s, led to the American education
system opening more non-segregated schools, which became an opportunity for
me to interact with all kinds of people my age.
My Sister
My sister, who is seven years older than me, received the same benefits of this
educational system. It helped her, too, in developing a love of foreign countries,
languages, and cultures. While I was growing up, she helped foster these interests in me.
African-American Storytelling
Since slaves were forbidden to read, they developed an art of telling amazing
stories. When I was a kid, it was common for me to spend my Saturday afternoons
listening to one of my grandmothers tell stories or my friends’ parents lecture
us on life. From the most embarrassing moments of their lives, to the stupidest
moments, the proudest moments, and the saddest moments, they shared it all.
Blacks — mainly black women — made me comfortable with being vulnerable
and real in front of an audience.
Code-switching
Since I attended a diverse school system, I was accustomed to changing the way
I talked to fit in with my environment. Later, I used this ability to develop my
unique style of public speaking, which blends a professional approach with a downto-
earth style.
My Parents
I was fortunate to have parents who possessed a strong work ethic. My parents were
children in the 1960s and became the first generation in their families to earn a
good income and push their kids to go to university. I didn’t miss school, and they
didn’t miss work. After high school, my only option was to attend university. They
could afford it, so I was able to go.
A Golden Time to Study Abroad
U.S. universities were starting to collaborate more and more with schools overseas,
so much so that some universities began to make studying abroad a requirement for
students in certain degree programs. This opened a window of opportunity for kids
of conservative (or fearful) parents like mine to study overseas, and it was finally
financially possible. I was one of those exchange students.
Work Overseas
I found employment at an international school in Indonesia when diversity had
become an unspoken requirement for a school’s accreditation. I can say with some
certainty that I got that teaching job for two reasons: After the 2002 Bali bombings,
fewer people wanted to go to Indonesia, and the school needed a black face on their
teaching staff so that they could renew their accreditation.
My Appearance
I have a medium-brown complexion which has provided enough clarity for people
to see that I am black, yet enough ambiguity so that I’m able to blend in everywhere
I live. If I had been lighter or darker, my experiences of traveling and living in
France, Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Taiwan might have been very different. At a
quick glance, people are never sure whether I am a local or not. I have the benefit of
the doubt (as opposed to people making assumptions) once I’m acclimated to my
surroundings and figure out how to fit in.
The Obama Craze
Prior to Barack Obama’s presidency, everywhere I traveled, I would have to share
history lessons about the U.S. and explain how not every American is white
with blond hair and blue eyes. After Obama became president, the need for the
30-second history lessons stopped. I benefitted from this greater international
awareness, and more opportunities for non-white expats flourished.
Chinese Language and Culture
I arrived in Taiwan just when everyone was getting excited about the Beijing
Olympics in 2008. Consequently, many people wanted to learn Mandarin but few
had the ambition or the resources. I had both.
Toastmasters
In the past, only the educated, elite, and mature members of Taiwanese society
belonged to Toastmasters clubs, but as the number of clubs grew, the less exclusive
they became. Along with the economic recession of 2008, these scenarios paved
the way for me to step into leadership roles and shine at speaking competitions.
Support
My mentor encouraged me to be the president of my Toastmasters club. Leaders
saw my potential and pushed me to participate in speech contests. A national
Toastmasters leader in Taiwan noticed my skill and interest in public speaking and
became my coach, helping me to win numerous awards.
Today I have achieved success as a speaker and leader in Toastmasters,
lived in four countries, and founded a foreign language public speaking
business. Was it hard work? Hell, yes! But I can’t deny that Malcolm
Gladwell’s argument supports the path my life has taken to this point. I was
fortunate to attend a non-segregated school with teachers who told me that I
could do and be anything I wanted even though I was black. That experience
was not the experience my parents had in school. Whereas in the 1980s,
international schools hired few if any black teachers because they didn’t fit
the “international school” image, I had the opportunity to go abroad, and I
leaped at the chance to teach at an international school.
Throughout this book, I will show you how my life trajectory made me
the right Speaking Seed to guide you on this lifelong process of personal
fulfillment and growth. I wrote The Speaking Seed: Secrets to Successful
Foreign Language Public Speaking to share how I’ve achieved success in
foreign language public speaking and how I’ve coached others along their
own Speaking Seed journeys.
Part of my success stems from me taking advantage of coincidences, both
the good ones and the bad ones. I guard my life stories and struggles like
medals of honor because they’ve made me into a courageous person, a
relatable storyteller, and a confident trainer. And that’s what public speaking
is all about: sharing, teaching, and influencing. It all begins when you reflect
on how your life experiences have shaped who you are today and think about
how you can share these experiences with others.
I promise that if you embark on the Speaking Seed journey, you’ll be able to:
Discover who you are
Have pride about where you came from
Feel confident about sharing your ideas and opinions
Help people from other cultures realize that you aren’t so weird
Persuade people to listen to your point of view
Be an ambassador for your country (if you want)
Decrease the level of madness in the world
And that list represents only a few of the many benefits of being a Speaking
Seed.
You may already have someone acting as your coach. It may be your
instructor, your boss, or even yourself. All Speaking Seeds are language
lovers at heart who eventually give speeches as a means of sharing their
ideas with others. This book might not be a bible for presentation skills or
language learning, but it is a resource that you can utilize to help you along
the way, a guide that can remind you that you’re not alone.
