Still Nervous at My Age?

Even after decades of experience, giving a presentation at an international conference can still be nerve-racking. My slides and script are ready, but speaking English without notes is another matter. Watching a Nobel Prize winner read from a prepared script made me feel a little better. Perhaps relying on a script is not something to be embarrassed about, after all. Still, I cannot help wondering why I continue to get nervous before a presentation, even at my age.

An international conference is just around the corner, my first in quite some time, and I'm feeling a little nervous.

My slides and script are ready, so all that's left is to give the presentation.

Ideally, I'd like to speak without looking at my notes, but I just can't seem to memorize what I want to say.

In the end, it looks as though I'll have to read from my script.

I was thinking to myself, somewhat self-deprecatingly, that we Japanese really aren't very good at English.

But then, while watching the news coverage of the Nobel Prizes, I noticed someone reading from a prepared script.

Perhaps English wasn't their native language, and they had prepared a script just to be on the safe side.

That's what I decided to tell myself to put my mind at ease.

Still, getting nervous before a conference presentation, even at my age, is rather frustrating—or perhaps a little embarrassing.

Perhaps getting nervous simply means that I still care about doing my best.

 

・・・

just around the corner	目前に迫っている。日常会話でもよく使う表現
nerve-racking	神経がすり減るような、緊張する
speak without looking at my notes	原稿を見ずに話す
can't seem to memorize	どうしても覚えられない。can't memorize より少し柔らかい
read from my script	用意した原稿を読む。学会発表でも自然な表現
self-deprecatingly	自嘲気味に、自分を少し卑下して
just to be on the safe side	念のため、万全を期して
put my mind at ease	気持ちを楽にする、安心する
rather frustrating	何とももどかしい、困ったものだ

#InternationalConference #AcademicPresentation #PublicSpeaking #EnglishPresentation #NobelPrize #PresentationAnxiety #LifelongLearning #NeverTooOldToLearn #国際学会 #英語発表 #学会発表 #緊張 #生涯学習