Remember Your Speech Faster
I am sure you would all agree that trying to learn something off by heart on a deadline is a very stressful experience. Whether it be a speech for work, a wedding or any other social event, having your speech learned can dramatically reduce your nerves. The real issue that comes up when trying to actively learn off a speech is that stress and nerves can dramatically affect your memory. Have you ever been caught off guard or been so nervous when being asked to speak that your mind goes completely blank? You are not alone! This is something that is extremely common and should not stop you from putting yourself out there to speak in future.
So, how can we make it easier and faster to learn off a speech? The first thing of course is preparation. The earlier you can start preparing for this speech, the less nerves and stress you will have as you try to learn it. However, this is not always possible, I like many of you have been given 1 or 2-days notice for an important speech or presentation. The technique I am going to go over is something I have used for many years when learning a script or a speech but I have also used it when studying for an exam.
What I realised early on was how many song lyrics I knew off by heart without ever trying to learn them. Instead of actively sitting and reading the lyrics over and over again I had somehow passively picked them up, and this was even true for new songs! This passive learning is what I took from these lyrics and applied it to everything else. Now, I know what you are thinking and don’t worry this will not require you to do any
singing.….unless you want to!
Here are the steps you can take to learn your speech:
1. Write your speech
2. Record yourself reading your speech on your phone in a monotone way (This will allow you to focus on the actual words)
3. Record yourself reading your speech on your phone using the energy and emphasis you would like to use during your speech
4. Listen to your first recording on repeat while you are doing other activities (working, cooking, driving, etc.)
5. As you do this occasionally play the second recording to help you also remember how you want to speech to sound.
If you do this for a number of hours you will feel yourself knowing the speech very quickly as it is being read to you and you should start to be able to say your speech without the recording. I would also suggest playing the recording on your journey to the venue or prior to your speech. Also, if you are finding it difficult to listen to your own voice on repeat, you can have friends or family record themselves reading the speech as well for you to listen to.
If you would like to learn more about memory techniques please connect with me on Instagram – @davidpeacemagic
