Awareness training reduces college students' speech disfluencies in public speaking

Montes et al. (2019) worked with college students who packed their speeches with um, like, and you know.

The team used awareness training. Students watched their own video, counted disfluencies, and said a cue word when they slipped.

No extra booster sessions. No competing response. Just noticing and counting.

Every student dropped filler sounds after one training round.

The gains stuck for weeks without extra practice.

Montes et al. (2021) later showed the best order: live practice first, then video self-review. This two-step beats either part alone.

Perrin et al. (2024) moved the same idea online. Students still cut disfluencies without a coach in the room.

Laske et al. (2024) add a yardstick: keep fillers under five per minute or listeners tune out.

You can run awareness training in a single class period. Show a short clip, have students tally their own um's, and set a five-per-minute goal. No need for lengthy booster meetings or competing responses. Try it next time you teach public-speaking skills or fluency goals.