Unit – 3
Oral Communication
Conversations are a tool and a vehicle for expressing ideas, feelings and experiences are very important. It's a great sight and a blessing and is one of the most important ways of preserving and expanding knowledge. One can better reveal one's mind, intentions, ideas, purpose and personality through word of mouth or speech. The man is known by his words and expressions. Speech expresses the inner man’s personality, thoughts and feelings.
Conversation is also participation, cooperation and communication. These are the best ways to communicate with a talk and the oldest and richest. Our oldest and most important religious and spiritual activities have been through oral communication, discussions and discussions. The promotion of information is vital to success, social interaction, business, learning and education. In a broad and general sense, the discussion is very comprehensive and includes speech, talk and public discourse. In conversation a talk is put on three-to-three people but in an interview or lecture it reaches a lot of people who make up a large audience.
In addition, talking is more or less an option. While conversation is about intimacy, education, equal participation, warmth, respect, etc. Good and pleasant conversation is an art in which the heart and mind are completely involved. It is respectful, fun, smart, endearing and intimate. Conversational art is crucial to influencing people to make friends, increase following and achieve success. It can be cultivated and developed. It is a great way to be caught by training, practice, patience and persistence.
The Four Types of Conversations: Debate, Dialogue, Discourse, and Diatribe:
When you talk to someone, it helps to know what kind of conversation you are having. You can do that depending on the direction of the communication (a one-way street or two) tone / purpose (competition or collaboration).
When you talk to one, you talk to somebody, rather than to somebody. When in a two-way conversation, participants listen and speak. In a competitive discussion, people are more concerned about their opinion, and in collaborative discussions participants are more inclined to view everyone involved.
Based on understanding and voice, I have organized the discussion into four types: debate, dialogue, speech and diatribe.
- Debate is a competitive, two-way conversation. The goal is to win an argument or to convince someone, such as a participant or a sidekick.
- Dialogue is a collaborative, two-way conversation. The role of the participants is to exchange information and build relationships with others.
- Discourse is a collaborative, harmonious conversation. The purpose is to bring information from the speaker / author to the audience / readers.
- Diatribe is a competitive and one-way conversation. The goal is to express feelings, to attack those who disagree with you, and / or to include those with the same opinion.
To highlight the differences between these types of conversations, let's use politics as an example:
Debate: two family members from opposite sides of the political spectrum argue for politics.
Dialogue: In the voting the two voters talk to each other about who they will vote for.
Discourse: a professor who gives lectures on international affairs.
Diatribe: An unassuming voter who goes public with the election results.
It is important to know what kind of conversation you are in, because that is what determines the purpose of the conversation. If you can see the purpose, you can better speak to the heart of that conversation. However, if you do not see the conversation clearly, you can fall into the traps of change.
Role Play Scenarios and Strategies:
Teaching a discussion section always sounds like a breeze. Why do you need to prepare for a discussion class? All you have to do is talk, right? Sure, but it's not as easy as it sounds. You might be able to complete the first few classes with random banter about family and the weather, but where do you go from here? To teach an effective discussion class you must do a little planning. That is why we have put together this list of fun and informative activities for the discussion class.
Have a Debate:
Conversations are about talking. It's about making positive points in a conversation. Teach your students how to do this in class debate. Choose a suitable topic and topic and divide the class into "sides". If you teach a single class of discussion, allow your student to choose his or her position and you can argue on the opposing side. Give your students time to prepare their opening arguments. After introducing and listening to the opposition, each side should give an answer.
Telephone Calls:
Telephone conversations can be more difficult than in-person conversations. On the phone, you can't read the person's body language or collect many leads in this situation. Instead, you should only rely on the spoken word. Get your students to practice “talking on the phone” by placing chairs in the back or by observing two learners' eyes. Teach them how to answer the phone, what to say during a conversation and how to end the call. You can hide it from another student and select another student to start speaking. A blinded student should guess who is "firing".
Celebrity Interviews:
Students of all ages love to “practice faith”. Help your learners expand their discussion skills by interviewing them. Get your learners in pairs. One student should be a reporter and the other should be an interviewer. After the first interview is done, allow your students to switch roles.
Favorite Scenes:
Tell your learners to form groups. Each group should select a scene from one of their favorite movies. Each team member should say who the other character is in the film. Now, the students have to re-rate the event, wrapping up the discussion. After the practice cycle, students can make a class for me.
Situational Learning
Conversations take place anywhere and everywhere; your students should be prepared to speak in many situations. Help your students by giving them new experiences. Create a new environment for your classroom. For example, Transform your class into an airport. Assign one student to work at the check-in counter, one to the immigration officer and the other to the traveler. Now, get your students to have a proper discussion about their situation. If you teach a discussion class, you can be a ticket taker and your student can be a traveler. After that, you can switch roles. You can create instances like: "bank", "school", "shopping", "day", and many more.
These are some of the fun activities to do with your discussion section. Almost all of these activities can be organized by either a whole class or a one-on-one session. When teaching a discussion class to your language students, you simply have to remember to participate and it is appropriate. While discussion classes do not take that arrangement, it is still a good idea to get to your classroom with an idea or two in mind.
Informal Situation 1:
Conversations about 2 people meeting and starting a conversation
Michael: That test was long! Four hours! I really don't understand why we should take this test. Are our grade point averages (GPAs) grade not good enough for college?
Charlotte: That test seemed a long way off, didn't it? But since the curriculum of one high school is slightly different from another high school, the SAT exam allows colleges to consider each student equally. Although one student may have taken different classes from another student, all high school students take the same SAT exam.
Michael: I think that's reasonable. Either way, I really hope I don't have to test that again!
Charlotte: It's the same here. Well, we'll just have to wait and see. Schools will be out in a few weeks. Anyway, have you received your letters of recommendation?
Michael: I've already asked Mrs. Smith, and I'm thinking about asking Mr. Johnson. I loved both of their classes and I think they know me better than my other teachers, so hopefully the letters will be well written. What about you?
Charlotte: I asked Mrs. Smith to write me a letter. You know Mr. Lawson? I would like to receive a letter of recommendation from him. I hope he remembers me as I haven't had a study with him since last year. I'm not sure who else I asked.
Michael: At least, we each have at least one book. Mrs. Smith is the best, isn't she? I wish I had another class with her, but this is our last polygamy, and after that we graduated!
Charlotte: I agree. Mrs Smith really enjoys teaching, and that helps her students enjoy learning.
Michael: What colleges are you thinking of applying to? Have you visited other campuses?
Charlotte: I'm still wondering if I should stay close to home or go to adult school. I touched the Stanford campus and the people there were very kind. I visited Notre Dame, the University of Indiana. What about you? Have you learned any other campuses?
Michael: I want to live closer to home so I hope to attend California State University or the University of California.
Charlotte: Which one? There are probably one or the other in major cities.
Michael: Probably UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles or CSULB, California State University, Long Beach. But I'm not too worried about getting into college right now. I'm really worried about this SAT exam right now!
Charlotte: I understand how you feel. However, we will still consider what should be done next. It will be worse if we fall behind and can't make it to college next fall. Have you decided what you should read? I tend to think in English myself.
Michael: English is definitely possible. I was thinking of becoming an English teacher like Mrs. Smith. But I was also looking forward to Biological Science.
Charlotte: Why not? Science and Biological Science are two different fields of study. What can you do with a degree in Biological Science?
Michael: I also wonder if I should follow the drug. It may not be too early to decide, but if I want to become a doctor, the classes I will take as a student of Biological Science can fill many medical school needs. But like I said, it's still too early to find out what it is now. I just hope I get into college!
Charlotte: I don't think you have to worry about getting into college. Anyway, let's keep trying our best!
Situation 2:
A dialogue between the new comers on the college campus
Sujon: Hi, I think you're a new partner.
Salim: You're right. I am Salim. Please, your name?
Sujon: I'm Sujon. I'm a new character too.
Salim: Nice to meet you. How are you?
Sujon: Am I alive?
Salim: I'm fine too. May I talk to you about our news?
Sujon: Absolutely! Why not?
Isalima: Why did they choose this college?
Sujon: You know, so far, the college of commerce is concerned that this college should be the best college in our country.
Salim: You're right. In addition, the college program of study is very close, I think.
Sujon: Exactly! I have chosen to get approved for this college for this reason only.
Isalima: All right. Do I know why you chose commerce instead of science?
Sujon: My plan for the future is to study for an MBA. And what about you?
Salim: Good purpose in life. Anyway, I want to study CA. Can you help me find a class process?
Sujon: Well, let's go there.
Salim: Thank you
Formal Communication at Workplace
Good communication is an important tool in achieving productivity and in maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of the organization. Employers who invest in the power and ability to establish clear lines of communication will build trust among employees, which will result in increased productivity, output and overall morale. In the meantime, well-connected employees and colleagues, managers and customers remain the assets of the organization and it is a skill that often separates people from their competitions when applying for jobs.
Poor communication at work will inevitably lead to uneducated employees who may begin to question their confidence in their skills and of course in the organization. The importance of strong communication runs within the business.
Below are the reasons why good communication is important in any formal situation:
Team building – Creating/ Building effective teams actually means how those team members interact and interact with each other. By using effective strategies to increase communication you will go a long way in building effective teams. This, in turn, will improve the morale and satisfaction of employees.
Gives everyone a voice - As mentioned above, employees' satisfaction can depend a great deal on whether they have a voice and are listened to, whether it depends on the mood they have or about the complaint they need to make. Well-designed communication lines should be able to afford everyone, regardless of size, ability to communicate freely with their peers, colleagues, and managers.
Innovation - When employees are empowered to communicate publicly without fear of ridicule or refund, they are more likely to bring their own ideas to the table. Innovation relies heavily on this and for an organization that promotes communication to be innovative.
Growth - Communication can be viewed internally and externally. By being internally integrated and having strong lines of communication you make sure the message you send out is consistent. Any growth activity relies on strong communication with all stakeholders, whether internal or external, and at the same wavelength.
Strong Management - The more managers communicate, the better able they are to manage their teams. Assignment, conflict management, promotion and relationship building (all the responsibilities of any manager) are all very easy if you are a strong speaker. Strong communication is not just the ability to talk to people but to empower them to talk to one another - to make communication channels stronger.
How can we improve communication in a formal setting?
- Define goals and expectations - Managers need to provide clear and achievable goals for both teams and individuals, specify exactly what is required for any given project, and ensure that all employees are aware of the project, department and organization goals as fully as possible.
- Clearly deliver your message - Make sure your message is clear and accessible to your target audience. To do this it is important that you speak openly and humbly - to get your message clearly without confusion or offense.
3. Choose your medium carefully - Once you've created your message you need to make sure it is sent in the best format. Although face-to-face communication is an excellent way to build trust with employees, that's not always an option. Take the time to decide whether the information presented in printed copy will work better than email or if a regular memo will suffice.
4. Keep everyone involved - Make sure the lines of communication are always open. Actively seek out and encourage project progress reports and updates. This is especially important when working with remote employees.
5. Listen and show empathy - Communication is a two-way process and neither the company nor the individual will last long if they disobey and encourage communication with the other party. Listening shows respect and allows you to learn about any key issues you may need to address as an employer
Ways to Have Effective Conversations in the Workplace:
- Open Meeting:
It's easy to communicate your interest and how you feel in your group through open meetings. In this kind of forum, they will not only hear what you have to say, they will see and hear. This approach remains one of the best ways to communicate effectively with a team.
2. Emails:
In formal settings, email communication remains strong. It will help you forward messages to your team members without removing them from their workplaces.
3. One on One:
Experts have been able to prove that some people understand better when you take them aside and talk to them in person. Make sure you are eye-catching with them for the message.
4. Create a Welcome Atmosphere:
To effectively communicate with your team, you need to create a welcoming atmosphere. Avoid harsh situations at all costs because when you talk too much, the message you are trying to share may be misunderstood or stored.
5. Communication through Training:
Your training should be related to communicating specific information to your team members. Most employees take the training seriously, especially when it is part of their recommendation.
6. Demonstrate Confidence and seriousness:
Make sure that you show confidence and that you are confident that you will not be taken lightly. When your team members become aware of any uncertainty and lack of seriousness in your communication, they may treat the information with disdain or dis-respect it.
7. Use Simple Words:
The fact is that everyone cannot be on the same page when it comes to vocabulary. Therefore, to be more effective in communicating with your team members, use words that can be easily understood. When strange words are used, you may be misunderstood and / or spend valuable time explaining them.
8. Use Visuals:
Put visuals in useful places around your team's workspace. Not only should they hear the message, they should also see it. This provides an opportunity for a better understanding.
9. Listen to Your Team Members:
Communication is meant to be a two-way street. Don’t just talk because you are a leader without listening to anyone else. Encourage them to be open so you can be guided in future conversations. You have two ears and one mouth - so you have to listen more than talk.
10. Use Body Language:
Your body language will convey your message faster and better. Make good use of body language when communicating with your team. Stand / sit up straight, use smiles, handshakes and eye contact.
11. Create Your Message:
Someone once said, "Tell me what you want me to do and not forget, but do it in front of me and I will never forget." Creating your message is a powerful way to communicate with your team. Let them see you do what you want them to do, and watch their excuses disappear.
12. Use the correct Voice Tone:
One word can mean something different when it means in a different voice. Make sure you use the appropriate tone of voice to send your message to your team so that you don't misunderstand and discourage or discourage members or make them completely shut out of fear.
13. Avoid unnecessary Revenge:
If you want your team members to take you seriously, never sound like a broken record and don't beat a dead horse. Tell your team members what you want them to know or do and ask them if they are clear about this. If they are not, then you will only repeat what you have said.
14. Use the Introduction:
Some people easily handle messages when pictures and sounds are involved. Using presentations such as Microsoft PowerPoint to communicate with your team will give them the opportunity to go back to them if they are not clear about certain things.
15. Be Funny:
Using friendly jokes when interacting with your team members will help convey your message in a more relaxed way. This form of communication has proven to be the most effective way of throwing the tension. When the atmosphere is warm and fuzzy, humour is a trick. If you have to use humour, please don't use it. Remember, you're not a stand-up comedian.
16. Become a Subject:
Communication is a skill that everyone should learn, especially if you want to lead any group of people. Being clear when interacting with your team members makes it easy for them to understand your message.
17. Avoid Celebrating:
Your team members should be able to hear you well. When you do communicate with them, try to be as specific as possible and tactful. When you mute words or speak too fast, you can swear they are clear on the subject. But the truth is, they may not. It shows your lack of confidence.
18. Encourage Feedback:
Don't talk and go, conversations is a two way process in any given situation. Provide feedback space so you can measure the effectiveness of your communication style. It will also give you the right to know if your message is well understood.
19. Use Gestures:
Use your hands to show your message. Make hand signals and signs to clarify the seriousness of your case when talking to your team members. This shows that you understand what you are trying to convey. Just don't let your body movements be too much and too much.
20. Introduce:
After every interaction, whichever way you decide, remember to thank your audience for their time. It will cost you nothing and it is a simple offering.
Remember that the point of working as a team is to share ideas and grow the product. When effective communication at work is disrupted, it can disrupt all effort.
You have to work hard on these communication strategies and build some basic rules to keep everyone up to date, which helps to avoid confusion and to ensure project completion easily.
An impromptu presentation is type of speech which you have to give in public without any preparation whatsoever. It is a presentation that one can be asked to provide with no prior notice. It can be one of the most terrifying speeches you’ll ever do; standing up in front of a crowd and having to speak for a few minutes without preparation is daunting even for the most seasons speakers. It’s not likely to happen often, however when it does, you don’t want to be caught completely off-guard.
Here are a few things to bear in mind if you’re asked to speak at short notice.
Make some quick notes
The first thing you should do when asked to speak, is to grab a pen and a piece of paper. Write down a few key words or phrases that can be used as ideas to expand upon during the presentation. If you don’t write anything else, make sure you’ve written down your starting and ending sentences as these are the most important.
Decide on the tone
Next, think about what tone to speak in. This will depend on the type of event you’re at. For example, at a wedding you would speak informally and you can have fun with the speech, whereas at a business conference you would speak more formally and stick to a professional tone.
Giving an impromptu talk to a group of people
Impromptu speech frameworks
This is when it gets easy. Below are some frameworks that will serve as structures to your presentation, pick any one of these whichever feels most convenient to you. They’re easy to remember so you won’t have to write them down, and instead can just write down keywords for each point.
1. The 5 Ws
If speaking about a particular person or a specific event, the 5 Ws framework could be helpful.
Following the 5 Ws provides instant structure to your speech and you’ll be able to organise your thoughts in an easy-to-follow way. You don’t even need to change the order - starting with ‘who’ gives context to the speech and ending with ‘why’ leaves the audience with the most important, relatable point.
Who - who is involved in the event or who is attending
What - what event are you at and what are the common goals?
Where - where is the event, how did the initiative the event revolves around start?
When - is the timing of the event important? What does the future hold?
Why - why is everyone there? Why are you there?
For example, if you have to give a presentation on a great scientific discovery, you can elaborate on when it was made, who were the key people involved in it, how has it affected modern life what are its future prospects.
2. Diplomatic framework
This framework is especially useful in formal setting such as business conventions or company meetings.
For this impromptu presentation, start by giving a one- or two-line introduction of the topic, then talk about the pros and cons of the subject and finally end with an appropriate conclusion. This framework provides you with more material to talk about then the 5 Ws all the while making your content more informative.
Silence is a key feature in this framework which can be used to your advantage. Given that there is less room for creativity, you may find you need to pause to think about what you’re going to say next. The time you spend thinking can be used to make the audience think you are letting your point settle, to do this walk a little on the stage, ask if there are any questions, or ask for a glass of water. These techniques all buy you more time if your mind goes blank and save you (and your audience) from feeling awkward about a prolonged silence.
3. Storytelling
Although this framework is more useful for informal events such as product launches and weddings, it can also be used in formal settings to make a point.
Storytelling is a powerful method of relating with the audience. When having to present when you aren’t prepared, you can start speaking in a story format with a small beginning and a larger than life conclusion. This process basically involves starting a topic from your own perspective and then extending it to global levels.
For example, if you’re asked to give a speech at a wedding, you could start from the time you first met the groom/bride and how they became a couple and your experiences with them (small), what their relationship and marriage means to the other people present and their families (medium), and end with the importance of matrimony and love (Big).
Being able to deliver an impromptu presentation is an important skill to possess and will help you get rid of last-minute panic when you're asked to speak without prior notice. It is essential to practice impromptu speeches on a variety of topics in order to nurture the mind to learn quick thinking and how to organise ideas.
Extempore
Extempore is a type of impromptu speech given without any prior preparation. It is a format of public speaking where the speaker is given a topic and he/she has to speak on that topic there and then with no pre-meditation whatsoever.
In some cases, the speaker is given a few minutes to organize his thoughts before speaking but in most cases the speaker has to speak on the topic as soon as it is allotted to him.
Extempore tests the knowledge of the speaker as well as their ability to express themselves articulately in a limited amount of time.
Extempore tests the following abilities of a speaker:
- How quickly one can think of relevant information.
- How one analyses the topic and identifies the issue that is to be addressed.
- How prudent one is in generating ideas.
- Logical Thinking – organizing and prioritizing ideas sequentially.
- Ability to connect with the audience.
- Speaking communication skills such as choice of words, tone and vocal stops.
- Presentation skills such as body language, composure, posture, confidence etc.
To be an articulate speaker, one must practice their vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar as much as he can.
Guidelines of practicing extempore speech:
- Logical Thinking: Organizing and Forming Ideas
Extempore speeches give little to no time to the speaker to prepare, therefore one needs to be fast in forming ideas and thoughts around a given topic. To be good at logical thinking, one should practice writing down about various topics with perfect speed and accuracy.
2. Keeping The Audience in Mind:
It is necessary to know one’s audience while delivering an extempore speech. The speaker should formulate his thoughts in such a way that his audience understands each and every idea and can relate to them. The language, background, type of setting (formal or informal) all should be kept in mind while speaking.
3. Being Truthful With The Audience:
If one is asked to give an impromptu speech, he can acknowledge that he has not prepared a speech in advance. This will help relieve tension between the speaker and the audience and create a friendly environment. It should be done in a professional manner not to garner sympathy but to put the audience and oneself at ease.
4. Practicing for a Minute:
The speaker usually gets a few minutes before presenting which should always be used to practice. When one has finished organising his thoughts, he should practice speaking in a low voice for a minute or two. This will help build confidence and get a grasp on the subject matter.
5. Hijacking the Topic:
Since the conversation is one-sided during an extempore speech, the speaker is in complete control. It depends on the speaker what path the flow of the speech will take. Keeping this in mind the speaker can relax and speak with confidence.
6. Introduction, The Main Subject and The Conclusion:
The speech should consist of an introductory sentence which will let the audience know how the rest of the speech will follow. The middle should consist of the main theme of the topic with as many relevant points as possible. The conclusion should summarize all that was spoken before it in a clear and concise manner.
7. Keeping it Short and Sweet:
Extempore speeches are not expected to be long. The speaker should use this to his advantage and keep the speech short and sweet and to the point. No extraneous digressions must be entertained.
8. Being Aware of Oneself:
While speaking, one should always be aware of one’s tone, diction and body language. He should also be aware of how the audience is reacting to his speech. One should not say anything that might hurt the audience’s sentiments or make them lose interest.
Extemporaneous Presentation
The extemporaneous presentation is a type of presentation which is prepared, but not memorized. In an extemporaneous presentation, you do not write down
Your whole presentation word for word but instead use bullet points, key words and key phrases to trigger the next thought. . Note cards or sheets of paper encased in plastic covers are the most efficient methods of delivering this presentation.
In this type of presentation, the contact with the audience is the maximum. The content and length of the presentation can be altered even while the presentation is in progress. Even though you are carefully prepared, you should not sound memorized or that you are reading your notes to the audience during an extemporaneous presentation.
Here are some steps you can take to assure you that you are preparing an extemporaneous presentation.
Step 1. The first step is to think about the topic, not writing, just thinking. The topic should be pondered upon and ideas surrounding the topic should be focused on. Writing can be perilous at this point as it will slow down the thinking process.
Step 2. Once you have spent a few hours thinking about the topic, write notes down on paper. The organisation or structure of these thoughts don't matter at this stage. You should write in bullet points instead of complete sentences as it will help you trigger new thoughts instead of formulating a full speech.
Step 3. Now all the ideas and thoughts written down earlier should be organised so as to form a rough outline, again, you should only group together similar thoughts instead of writing a complete speech. Based on this organisation, mark key ideas and jot down supporting ideas for these central ones. Which part would be the best way to start and where are you going to place the strongest argument?
Step 4. After writing down all your thoughts regarding the subject, you are now prepared to practice your speech. Don't think about articulation or organisation of ideas while speaking. Practicing will provide you the best ways to transition between ideas, which words you should use for key concepts and when to use non-verbal cues.
Step 5. Practice aloud in front of friends or family members as they can provide you with appropriate feedback. While practicing use the notes you are going to use in the actual presentation.
Step 6. To increase comfort level and build confidence on the day of the presentation, look through the points you wrote and practice elaborating one of those points, such as one of your stories and the introductory points.
