Adults · Confidence · Presentations · Pera & Kadıköy
SPEAKING UP IN ENGLISH
Speaking in front of people is hard. Doing it in a language that is not your first one adds another layer. English Drama Lab works on both through theatre: voice, body, eye contact and answering the unexpected, every week, in front of a small group.
Why it is harder in a second language
Language anxiety is linked to lower performance (a meta-analysis found a moderate negative correlation, r = −.36; Teimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019). In English-language presentations, anxiety shows up most in delivery: voice, eye contact, posture (Ding et al., 2024). So we work on delivery, not only on words.
What we do
Breath and posture, carrying a line without shouting, keeping your eyes on people. Then improvisation: an unexpected question, answered without preparation, in English. Our advice is simple: prepare and rehearse your opening, do not memorise the rest. A memorised text breaks at the first question; someone who has practised reacting keeps going.
Honest about the evidence
Fear of public speaking responds well to structured psychological interventions (meta-analysis of 30 trials, g = 0.74; Ebrahimi et al., 2019). Improv training improved presentation skills in a controlled study, but modestly, and showed no direct short-term effect on presentation stress (Casteleyn, 2019). Our workshop is theatre practice, not therapy, and we do not claim numbers we have not measured.
sources
read more
- Public Speaking in a Second Language: Why It's HarderWhy speaking in public in a language that isn't yours feels harder, what the research says about anxiety, and where rehearsal, improv and Toastmasters fit.
- Improv in English in Istanbul: What Exists in 2026A practical guide to English-language improv in Istanbul for expats and Turkish speakers: what exists, what improv does and doesn't do, and how to start.
programmes
WHAT YOU CAN JOIN
questions
BEFORE YOU ASK
Is this a presentation coaching service?
No, it is a group theatre workshop. What you practise there (voice, body, unprepared answers) carries into your presentations. Companies can ask about our separate corporate programme.
What level of English do I need?
Around B1: you can hold an everyday conversation. If you are earlier than that, see our beginner group, coming soon.
How is this different from Toastmasters?
Toastmasters focuses on prepared speeches and evaluation. We focus on the body and the unprepared moment. They complement each other.
Questions in English are welcome. Tell us what you are looking for and we will point you to the right group.