Let’s be honest: Public speaking can be a horrifying experience. It makes and breaks people, especially when you’re expected to speak in front of not just your friends but also strangers.
You might be working already, and you’re asked to talk about your ideas in front of people from the lowest ranks to the topmost. Stage fright is absolutely normal and the very prospect of having to present your own words to a crowd can make most people uncomfortable.
Where do you begin formulating your speech? Are you using the right words? How do you look like when you’re talking on stage? How do you dress?
We’ve come to your rescue, and we’ve put together a list of some of the best apps for public speakers. We’ll guide you through making your speech to presenting it, and all you’ll need is the help of your Android device.
What’s the first step in making a speech? Being inspired, of course, and what could be more inspiring than listening to some of the most interesting people on earth share their ideas. Listen to prominent figures like Positive Psychology’s Martin Seligman discuss his latest ideas or Mythbuster’s Adam Savage talk about obsession. You can even listen to Bill Gates talk about how state budgets are breaking schools or learn more about the Egyptian revolution with Wael Ghonim.
There’s no end to inspiration with TED Air on your Android device. Using TED Air’s fast and powerful search engine, browse for videos by their tags or look them up by themes. You can enjoy subtitles in over 80 languages with auto-translation or you can opt to have them shown in English by default.
Keeping in the spirit of TED’s tagline, if you find an idea worth spreading, you can easily share a video with friends so they can be inspired, too. You can also save on data fees by downloading the videos you want straight to your device or bookmarking them in TED Air. Be inspired with TED Air on your Android device; download it for free from the Google Play Store.
Now that you’re sufficiently inspired, it’s time to get cracking. But, unless you’re a practiced speech writer, your speech is going to start manifesting itself in small bits and pieces.
Not all of us can stay at home or stay attached to our laptops until all the words are out of us. It’s for this reason some people carry notebooks, but others who prefer to travel lighter use Evernote.
You’ve probably heard of Evernote before; it’s one of the most used apps by Android users. For the unfamiliar, Evernote makes note sharing and synchronizing among your different devices a dream.
Say you start on your speech on your desktop but you need to go to school or to the office. Instead of e-mailing yourself your speech, you can pick it right back up on the Evernote app on your Android device.
You’ll need Evernote’s desktop counterpart to be able to sync your notes, of course, but that’s no problem. Evernote is also available for iOS so you’ll never be without your notes wherever you go. Relocate to a quiet coffee shop to finish your speech or even work at it in class.
A little humor won’t kill you and sprinkling a little humor on your speech is definitely going to keep your audience’s attention. If you’re talking about serious, heavy stuff, it won’t take long for your audience’s brain to shut itself off.
Insert a well-timed joke or a relevant humorous fact and your audience will definitely stay awake. If you’re worried that your jokes may be overplayed or your audience won’t get your punchline, alter tactics a little and throw in funny facts.
With Funny Facts Free 8000+ on your Android device, you will have no shortage of things to spice up your speech. Look up facts in categories like the human body, nature, science, celebrities, world records, strange laws and of course, sex. Just make sure that the jokes you inject into your speech are not just context-relevant but also age-appropriate.
If you’ve found a fact that you like, bookmark it so you can easily access it next time you’re sitting down and working on your speech.
Does it seem that, suddenly, there are not enough words in the English language? Are the words appearing on your virtual page familiar but you can’t quite remember what they mean? Make sure that you’re using the right words in the way you intend with Dictionary.com.
Developed by Dictionary.com, LLC, this app gives you dictionary and thesaurus content right on your Android device. You’ll have access to 375,000 words and definitions. If you feel like you’re repeating the same words, look up over 300,000 synonyms and antonyms.
Not sure if you’re using the word in the right way? Dictionary.com also provides you with example sentences, and if you’re still looking for fun facts, you can even look up word origins and their history.
When you’re reading the speech aloud to yourself, you can make sure that you’re pronouncing the words correctly by using Dictionary.com’s audio and phonetic pronunciation aids.
Want to hang on to a word in case you can somehow wiggle it into a conversation in the future? Tap on the star and favorite that word. You can access all your favorite words right from the app’s homescreen.
This is an important step because you’re never going to get those words to stick to your brain if you don’t test yourself. But, since recalling a huge wall of words can be difficult, use ColorNote Notepad Notes as your guide. You can write down the key points of your speech to guide you through each transition.
ColorNote Notepad Notes can do more than just that. With a built-in calendar, you can add notes to important days. Don’t forget that your big day is coming up soon. You can also mark by which days you should achieve a certain mastery level.
You can also use ColorNote Notepad Notes to remind you if there’s anything you need to pick up or purchase. To make sure you’ll never forget, assign each note its own color. If you’re having trouble finding a note, ColorNote Notepad Notes allows you to sort by Modified Time, Created Time, Alphabetically, by Color, and by Reminder Time.
You’ll hear it time and time again. Practice in front of a mirror. People think that this piece of advice is ridiculous but on the contrary, it’s perhaps one of the most important bits of advice you could ask for. How could you expect to speak in front of a crowd when you can’t even face your own reflection?
Mirrors help speakers to get used to being watched, even if it’s by themselves. Eventually, when you’ve shaken off that initial discomfort of seeing someone else in front of you, you can start tailoring your expressions, your posture, and your gestures to be more inviting.
You’ll be able to see if you look too stiff or too silly, flapping your arms around and adjusting your body language accordingly.
But, what if you’re away from home and you want to practice in front of a mirror? Why, turn your Android device into a mirror of course! Mirror lets you check how you look or helps you put on a contact lens, but it also packs features like zoom and exposure controls and awesome image visibility.
Practice wherever you go with Mirror on your Android device. It’s free on the Google Play Store.
So, you’re confident with how you might look in front of an audience. Great! We’re almost ready for your big day, but we’re still not quite ready yet. It’s one thing to actually speak in front of a mirror, but have you tried hearing yourself speak? Have you been slurring your words, eating them sometimes, or just plain talking too fast?
The mirror might have helped out your posture, but nothing quite gives the same feedback as recording your voice. Use Tape-a-Talk Voice Recorder next time you’re practicing your speech.
Tap on that red button to start recording and if someone interrupts you while you’re in the middle of your speech, pick it right back up by pausing and starting again when you’re in private. It’s a great way to tell if you’re going too fast or if you’re not actually enunciating enough.
Catch those fillers, like “ah” and “um,” before it’s too late. If you need a second opinion, save your recording and share it with your friends via Dropbox and FTP clients.
The key to an effective speech is brevity. If you ramble on for too long, not only will your audience lose focus and get bored but you’ll also lose your own focus. Now that you’ve corrected your speed and pronunciation and you’re confident in your body language, it’s time to reel in your words and get them under a specific amount of time.
TED talks generally last less than 20 minutes, but speakers can cover a whole range of topics. Some speakers need to get their whole message out of their mouths and to their audience in less than 15 minutes. A handful need to get their messages in even less. It’s not impossible but it’s a matter of pacing.
Make sure that you’ll always get your message out in under the right time with StopWatch & Timer. This app is clean, simple, and reliable, helping you keep track of time. Set it to your desired time and the app will tick down. Now, start speaking.
You’ve got your speech memorized, you’ve injected it with just the right amount of humor and you’ve nailed your speech in less than 10 minutes. What are we missing here? As the days are ticking down to your big day, it’s time to focus on things that also matter. Like your clothes.
If you’re trying to sell an idea in front of a crowd, you’re going to need to look credible. People who dress well inspire confidence in their audience, and also draw away attention from your clothes and instead focus attention on your words.
Clothing is an Android app focused on men, packing different categories like hairstyle, suits, shirts, pants and jeans, jackets, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and sport shoes. You’ll be covered in all aspects of your wardrobe. Check pictures of male models and gather inspiration for your big day’s stylish look.
This app prides itself in being the ultimate style planner and shopping app, taking into account the clothes in your closet and the clothes you’d love to have. On the app’s homescreen, you can easily access Wardrobe, Outfits, Wish Bag for the clothes you want to have, Suitcase, the Best Deals, your Calendar so you can plot your looks for the month, the Shopping Mall and the Fashion Lounge for the latest looks and trends in fashion.
Featured in a number of fashion blogs, you’ll get a better idea of how to mix and match your clothes. You can catalog your closet and wish items, so you can carry your whole wardrobe right on your Android device.
Check celebrity looks for the latest styles this season and get the hottest news from fashion blogs and magazines. If fashion inspiration strikes you while you’re commuting, have no fear. Take your Android device out, launch Stylish Girl and put together outfits virtually. Share your fashion ideas with your friends through Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail.
Now that you’re ready for your big day, take a deep breath and walk out on that stage proudly! You’ve managed to compose your speech, shake off that stage fright and dress to impress with the help of a handful of applications and your Android device. Good luck!