Unit 4
Developing Oral Skills
Language involves both the ability to comprehend spoken and written words and to create communication in real time when we speak or write. Most languages are oral, generated through speaking. Speaking involves a variety of complex cognitive, social, and biological processes including operation of the vocal cords, and the coordination of breath with movements of the throat, mouth, and tongue.
The use of language changes considerably depending upon the channel of communication. For example, it is easier to use multiple independent and subordinate clauses along with complicated vocabulary while writing but it becomes difficult to do the same while speaking. When speaking one tends to use a simpler form of the language.
There are certain elements of a language which only come into play while speaking such as pronunciation, intonation, word stress and accent. If one is already familiar with a certain language, learning the proper spoken form of another language can be a difficult task as it would involve re-structuring one’s whole biological structure of speaking.
For non-native English speakers, the influence of their first language can be a very big problem when it comes to pronunciation. If up to later age, the sole language we speak is our mother tongue, tons of the speech patterns get set in the human brain. Each language has peculiar sounds and combinations of consonants and vowels. If we start speaking multiple languages from infancy, we easily retain the pliability of uttering sounds from different language systems. Our brains can be easily trained for various sounds from different languages. But if we don't receive that training in our childhood, our brains get familiar with the sounds on just one language and at a later stage it becomes very difficult to coach the brain for a completely different audio system needed for the second language.
Spoken language usually involves of more use of personal pronouns, shorter thought units than written language that are easier to follow, more repetition of words and phrases to emphasise ideas, use of colloquial words and contractions to create a lively conversational tone, use of familiar vocabulary to ensure that the listener understands what the speaker is saying and fewer references to previously stated information.
Importance of Spoken Language
The most effective way to communicate is through the medium of speech. Thus, spoken language is a vitally important method of communication.
The four language skills include listening, speaking, reading, and writing which are all equally important and interconnected. Proficiency in each skill is an essential requirement to become a well-rounded communicator, but the capability to speak in a language skilfully, provides the speaker with several distinct advantages. The capacity articulate words together in an exceedingly meaningful way to reflect thoughts, opinions, and feelings provides the speaker with these important advantages:
Ability to inform, persuade, and direct. Business managers, educators, military leaders, lawyers, and politicians, among others, look for master communicators who have a certain command over the spoken language. Speaking clearly and confidently can gain the eye of an audience, providing the golden opportunity for the speaker to make the message known. An effective speaker gains and holds the attention of an audience, with well-chosen words during a well-delivered presentation, forming a message that's effective, informative, and understood.
Ability to stand out from the rest. When one thinks of speaking skills, one tends to consider it as a standard skill. The ability to stand before others and speak effectively isn't a commonly possessed ability. Many people are deathly terrified of public speaking; others have little ability to formulate thoughts into sentences and then deliver those words in a believable way. At any given moment the globe has precious few with the speaking talents of, say, Churchill or John F. Kennedy. A speaker whose skills are honed and developed with constant application and diligence can stand out.
Ability to benefit derivatively. Well-developed verbal skills can increase one’s negotiation skills. Self-confidence is improved. A growing sense of comfort comes from speaking in front of larger and bigger audiences. A reputation for excellence in speaking can accrue over time, thereby imparting a definite credibility to the speaker.
Career enhancement. Employers have always valued the power to talk well. It is, and always will be, a vital skill, and well worth the effort in fully developing.
Personal satisfaction. Speakers who have experienced a connection with an appreciative audience through a well-composed and well-delivered presentation often find a deep level of fulfilment that's seldom achieved in other forms of communication. The normal sense of nervous tension can give way to feelings of accomplishment and exuberance when an audience expresses its outward appreciation to a speaker. It’s a reward, of sorts, for all the toil and preparation that goes into honing your skills.
Spoken language is important for career success, but under no circumstances limited to one’s professional aspirations. Spoken language can enhance one’s personal life and thereby bring forth the well-rounded growth that one must always all seek.
Techniques for Effective Speaking
Below are some guidelines to learn how to properly employ spoken language in communication:
- Staying True to Oneself:
Watching other efficient speakers is a good way to learn and practice but everybody is different. That means that there aren't any rules for what makes an efficient orator. Part of being an authentic orator is knowing the way to be yourself when underneath the spotlight. Acting like yourself instead of trying to imitate somebody else allows you to behave more organically, which may be a boon when attempting to connect with an audience.
2. Knowing the Purpose of Speaking:
One should always know whether they want to influence, educate or inspire the audience and depending upon that one should decide how to formulate their speech.
3. Expanding Knowledge Base and Vocabulary:
Reading about various topics is a great way to expand one’s horizons. ‘Always keep learning’ should be the motto of every speaker. The speaker should be updated with current affairs and should have a vast vocabulary to incorporate within his speeches.
4. Playing to One’s Strengths:
Some people are good at storytelling others are good at using information to influence people. One should find out his strengths and practice them time and time again. The most efficient speakers are ready to effectively identify their strengths and use those strengths as tools to make a presence that's authentic and relatable.
5. Improvisation:
While speaking it is rare that things go exactly as planned. Therefore, one should practice how to improvise when he fumbles or goes blank. Sometimes a listener may ask a question that the speaker is not prepared to answer or the speaker may simply forget one of their points, in situations like these, improvisation helps to get back on track and prevents the audience from losing interest.
6. Audience is the Center
The speaker is not the focus of the event, the audience is. All good orates cares more about the audience than themselves. This can be difficult if one has speech anxiety, which tends to fill them with bursts of anxiety and self-consciousness. However, focusing fully on the audience lifts a tremendous burden from your shoulders in terms of worrying about your performance.
One should practice taking the audience’s reactions into notice.
7. Using Body Language and Gestures:
Body language and gestures say as much as the words themselves. One should practice employing gestures as much as possible while speaking. Smiling and being active in general is useful for keeping the attention of the audience on the speaker.
8. Recording and Reviewing:
One of the most effective speaking practice techniques is to record oneself while speaking, preferably video recording. Although few people like their own voice, the audience’s viewpoint is more important. Are you gesturing with your hands too much? Is the intro too long? Should you include a story in the middle, so you hold the audience’s attention? All of these questions are important to answer, and it can be easiest to do so by seeing yourself.
9. Practicing in front of Friends and Family:
Asking family or friends to be practice audience members is a good way to know where one is going right or going wrong. In most cases, these two groups of people know you better than anyone else in your life. That means that, although you may not want to hear it, they know your bad habits better than anyone.
In addition to your bad habits, your family and friends will also be able to tell you if you don’t quite sound like yourself.
Impromptu Speech
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.
Meetings
Business meetings are an integral element of working life. They are conducted to develop ideas, exchange concerns, present information and make decisions. But meetings also tend to possess a reputation for going astray, dragging on unnecessarily or boring attendees to distraction.
Knowing the way to communicate well in meetings – especially if you're chairing the meeting – is significant for making them efficient and productive. Below are some techniques for good conduct in meetings:
1. Be on time
Nothing says that a meeting isn't important than turning up late for it. Not sticking to the allocated time schedule during a meeting also shows an absence of respect for other people’s time.
Be aware of the message that you are sending.
2. Stay on topic
An agenda should be driven by action and sent to attendees beforehand. If an item comes up for discussion that's not on the agenda make a note to debate it during General Business or schedule it in for another meeting.
3. Voice of success
The energy in your voice can give clues to the message that you are sending.
- Are you delivering your point with confidence?
- Does your message sound positive or negative?
- How you may use your voice inflections to stress your point?
- What feeling is your tone of voice reflecting?
4. Word choice
Your choice of words and language in a meeting can sometimes persuade opinions to travel in your favour or do the reverse. Be mindful when choosing your words and avoid language that produces assumptions or discriminates.
5. Watch your body language
Body language is just as important as verbal communication. It provides clues to your attitude and state of mind – be aware of the message that you’re sending along with your non-verbal communication cues such as gestures and body language.
- Are you slouching in your chair?
- Are you using eye contact to include everyone?
- Are your arms crossed defensively?
6. Listen
When you aren't speaking make certain that you are practicing good listening skills. Communication is a two-way process. Actively being attentive to your colleagues can assist you to better understand and communicate with them.
7. Avoid distractions
Following the agenda and staying within the timeframe of every action point will assist you to remain focused. Have water at hand to stay hydrated and put your phone away to avoid external distractions.
Good meetings require good participants and good leaders. All attendees should be prepared and ready to speak effectively so as to make the meeting as productive and constructive as possible.
Elocution
An elocution is a manner of delivering formal speech which focuses on the various elements of speaking such as pronunciation, articulation, vocabulary, accent, emphasis, inflections and gestures along with the subject matter of the speech.
Elocution tests the speaking skills of the orator and allows him to understand his faults providing him with room for improvement.
There are 6 key principles of elocution that must be learnt and mastered in order to have clear and precise speech. These principles are:
1. Articulation- This is defined as the ability to put thoughts into effective words, in order to phrase and enunciate words to deliver a proper speech.
2. Inflections- This is the ability to modulate the tone of speech so as to express a grammatical attribute of the word, such as tone, mood, gender etc.
3. Accent and Emphasis- The social surrounding of a speaker greatly influences how they speak. Learning to emphasise on the right syllables in order to pronounce words correctly, greatly improves an individual’s overall communication and understanding skills.
4. The Voice- The effectiveness of speech can be impacted by the tone and pitch of how words are pronounced. Modulating the voice while speaking helps avoid a monotonous tone and greatly improves the impact of the speech.
5. Gesture- The movement of hands, body language, and overall facial features while speaking greatly aid in the effectiveness of speech. Learning to control facial expressions for appropriate situations enables one to become a better, considerate speaker.
6. Instructions for Reading Verse- Effective reading enables one to learn proper stress on words in order to deliver an impactful speech. Phonetics also play a crucial role in helping develop correct speaking skills and reading a passage where one can identify the key areas to make an emphasis on.
Below are some methods by which one can develop and improve their elocution skills:
1. Drink sufficiently - Drinking sufficient amounts of water helps relax the vocal chords which are essential for speaking clearly and concisely
2. Posture - Standing straight with the spinal cord making an angle of 90 degrees with the ground gives your vocal chords more volume when speaking and also a creates a good impression on the listeners.
3. Inhale-Exhale - Inhaling deep breaths and exhaling before speeches calms the mind and allows one you to speak longer sentences without inhaling in between.
4. Lower Register - As the lower registers are more pleasant to the ear, keeping a low register of the tone of your voice will help the audience understand better and will keep them interested.
5. Record the speech - Video recording can be helpful as you can hear the tone of your voice and pronunciation and also can see your posture and body language. Here you can find out where you are going wrong and focus on ways to improve.
6. Speaking slowly - One often tends to forget or fumble while speaking fast. Speaking slowly will allow you to be calm and will give you time to properly pronounce each word making it easy for the audience to understand.
7. Confidence is key - It is extremely essential to be confident while speaking in front of an audience. If one has stage fright they can practice their speech in front of family and friends to boost confidence.
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.
Manuscript
A manuscript presentation is type of speech given by reading directly, word for word, from a previously prepared written message. This type of presentation involves verbatim reading of a speech and is most commonly used when there are no time constraints or the speech may be telecast.
An advantage to manuscript presentation is familiarity as one has to repeat the exact same words they see before them. However, one major downside is that it can be quite mechanical and monotonous and therefore uninteresting to the audience.
In your career you will probably deliver fewer than 20% of your presentations using a manuscript. These presentations will require you to be well prepared in advance. These speeches will usually be presented to large audiences in a meeting room or auditorium type facility and will be delivered from a lectern.
Below are some techniques that may be useful while presenting a manuscript presentation:
1. The manuscript is still a speech. Sight and sound are still the media. This is not to be confused with an essay standing on two legs. You are not a talking head.
2. Maintain your energy. It is very easy to become lethargic and thereby come off as dull and boring to your audience. Your passion for your presentation must come through by maintaining your energy at a high level.
Try this: Record yourself re-iterating an article from a newspaper or magazine out loud. Then, summarize the article in your own words, with as much passion and energy as you would do during an actual presentation. Notice the difference. You can quickly see the real challenges to maintaining your energy level so that you are able to support, and are not overpowered by, the multi-media presentation.
3. Use your own wording if possible. If at all possible, you should use your own words and phrases. This will happen, of course, if you write your own speech.
On the other hand, if your speech will be written for you, be sure to read it out loud several times before presenting it to make sure the words and phrases come easily to you. If they do not, examine ways to change the wording to suit your style.
4. Use spoken rather than written language. Try to avoid writing the speech out longhand or on your computer. Instead, dictate your speech into a tape recorder and have it transcribed.
You will find it is much easier to speak the spoken word than it is to speak the written word.
5. Use short, simple sentences. When delivering a manuscript speech, it is important to avoid using convoluted phrases and dependent clauses that may blur the clarity of your thoughts. Short, simple sentences will give you an opportunity to pause, look at your audience, and comfortably return to your presentation.
6. Prepare the manuscript in large print using both upper and lower case. The large print on the page should be triple spaced with wide margins. Divide the paper from top to bottom in thirds. Your prepared speech will then look like this: one-third left margin, one-third text, one-third right margin.
Be sure to divide this speech up into paragraphs and use bold letters to set up each of your key points.
7. "Score" the speech. Scoring the speech means underlining the keywords and phrases that are to be emphasized during the presentation. You also may draw arrows at particular areas where you may wish to raise or lower your voice. Avoid using a yellow highlighter . . . In many situations the lectern lighting will cause the highlighted sentences to blend in with the rest of the presentation.
In places where you think a natural pause or inflection would occur, insert a single slash. Use this to remember where to pause while reading that sentence.
Double slash at the end of a sentence and a triple slash at the end of a paragraph are a must.
8. Practice the speech. Practicing the speech is important but should not be done to such an extent that you start sounding monotonous. Practice glancing down and picking up the words and phrases you wish to use and then looking at your listeners to deliver them.
There is no more powerful way to emphasize your passion and to drive your points home than by pausing at the end of a strong paragraph or section. This must be rehearsed in order that you will be able to look in the eyes of your listeners as you deliver those last 12 - 15 words. Pause for a three or four count, then look down, grasp your next point, look at your listeners, and continue your speech.
9. Pace yourself. Do not read the presentation too quickly or you may find yourself wandering during the speech. Slow down if you feel you are going too fast.
If you tend to deliver a manuscript speech too rapidly. To help yourself remember to speak slower, you can write the word "slow" in the upper right hand corner of each page. Then as you turn each page you will be continually reminded to slow down.
10. Maintain eye contact. The typical representation of a manuscript presentation goes as follows. The speaker reads the speech, occasionally glances up for a brief second, and then comes back to the page. Several seconds later, when the speaker feels the need to give more eye contact, once again the quick glance is given.
Actually, the speaker sees nothing but the speech and is largely ineffective. While it is very difficult in a manuscript speech, try to look down to read and up to talk.
Since your speech is scored such that you only use the centre one-third of the page, it is therefore not necessary for your eyes to go from one side to the other.
You should be able to glance at your thought quickly by looking down, and then look at your audience. See people in the audience, look to the front, the sides, the back, and let people know you care about them and are willing to show it by giving them good eye contact.
Public Speaking
Public speaking can be defined as a presentation which is given in front of a live audience. It is a performance-based art. The goal of public speaking may be to educate, influence or entertain the audience.
Public speakers often implement visual aids such as power-point presentations; relevant objects etc. to get their content across more easily.
Public speaking is different to an online presentation is the sense that an online presentation is made as per the viewer’s discretion whereas public speaking is performed at a specific time and place.
Public speaking consists of five main elements:
- The source of the message – The speaker
- The content or information to be delivered – The message
- To whom the message is addressed – The audience
- The medium of the message – Speaking
- The reaction of the audience – The Effect
It is significant to note that one of the most important rules of public speaking is to know one’s audience. In other words, the speaker must know how to talk to and influence his audience, to know which words will carry more effect, how his audience will react to a certain idea, what is the knowledge base or background of his audience etc.
Below are some reasons why the skill of public speaking is important and should be incorporated in one’s skillset:
- It is a self-confidence booster. By speaking publicly one can overcome their fear of inferiority.
- Public speaking improves speaking skills in general allowing one to be comfortable around others.
- It can help one make an impression and win over crowds in both formal and informal settings.
- Influential public speaking can motivate others to change or grow.
- Didactic public speaking can help inform people about various topics and ideas they were previously unfamiliar with.
- It is one of the most effective ways to get one’s message across large audiences.
- One is required to speak publicly at some point in their lives. Therefore it is advisable to hone one’s skill beforehand.
- It allows one to demonstrate their knowledge and introduce radical ideas.
- Public speaking helps one garner people’s admiration which can be helpful in one’s career and social life as well.
- Public speaking can help advance one’s career and social life.
Unit 4
Developing Oral Skills
Language involves both the ability to comprehend spoken and written words and to create communication in real time when we speak or write. Most languages are oral, generated through speaking. Speaking involves a variety of complex cognitive, social, and biological processes including operation of the vocal cords, and the coordination of breath with movements of the throat, mouth, and tongue.
The use of language changes considerably depending upon the channel of communication. For example, it is easier to use multiple independent and subordinate clauses along with complicated vocabulary while writing but it becomes difficult to do the same while speaking. When speaking one tends to use a simpler form of the language.
There are certain elements of a language which only come into play while speaking such as pronunciation, intonation, word stress and accent. If one is already familiar with a certain language, learning the proper spoken form of another language can be a difficult task as it would involve re-structuring one’s whole biological structure of speaking.
For non-native English speakers, the influence of their first language can be a very big problem when it comes to pronunciation. If up to later age, the sole language we speak is our mother tongue, tons of the speech patterns get set in the human brain. Each language has peculiar sounds and combinations of consonants and vowels. If we start speaking multiple languages from infancy, we easily retain the pliability of uttering sounds from different language systems. Our brains can be easily trained for various sounds from different languages. But if we don't receive that training in our childhood, our brains get familiar with the sounds on just one language and at a later stage it becomes very difficult to coach the brain for a completely different audio system needed for the second language.
Spoken language usually involves of more use of personal pronouns, shorter thought units than written language that are easier to follow, more repetition of words and phrases to emphasise ideas, use of colloquial words and contractions to create a lively conversational tone, use of familiar vocabulary to ensure that the listener understands what the speaker is saying and fewer references to previously stated information.
Importance of Spoken Language
The most effective way to communicate is through the medium of speech. Thus, spoken language is a vitally important method of communication.
The four language skills include listening, speaking, reading, and writing which are all equally important and interconnected. Proficiency in each skill is an essential requirement to become a well-rounded communicator, but the capability to speak in a language skilfully, provides the speaker with several distinct advantages. The capacity articulate words together in an exceedingly meaningful way to reflect thoughts, opinions, and feelings provides the speaker with these important advantages:
Ability to inform, persuade, and direct. Business managers, educators, military leaders, lawyers, and politicians, among others, look for master communicators who have a certain command over the spoken language. Speaking clearly and confidently can gain the eye of an audience, providing the golden opportunity for the speaker to make the message known. An effective speaker gains and holds the attention of an audience, with well-chosen words during a well-delivered presentation, forming a message that's effective, informative, and understood.
Ability to stand out from the rest. When one thinks of speaking skills, one tends to consider it as a standard skill. The ability to stand before others and speak effectively isn't a commonly possessed ability. Many people are deathly terrified of public speaking; others have little ability to formulate thoughts into sentences and then deliver those words in a believable way. At any given moment the globe has precious few with the speaking talents of, say, Churchill or John F. Kennedy. A speaker whose skills are honed and developed with constant application and diligence can stand out.
Ability to benefit derivatively. Well-developed verbal skills can increase one’s negotiation skills. Self-confidence is improved. A growing sense of comfort comes from speaking in front of larger and bigger audiences. A reputation for excellence in speaking can accrue over time, thereby imparting a definite credibility to the speaker.
Career enhancement. Employers have always valued the power to talk well. It is, and always will be, a vital skill, and well worth the effort in fully developing.
Personal satisfaction. Speakers who have experienced a connection with an appreciative audience through a well-composed and well-delivered presentation often find a deep level of fulfilment that's seldom achieved in other forms of communication. The normal sense of nervous tension can give way to feelings of accomplishment and exuberance when an audience expresses its outward appreciation to a speaker. It’s a reward, of sorts, for all the toil and preparation that goes into honing your skills.
Spoken language is important for career success, but under no circumstances limited to one’s professional aspirations. Spoken language can enhance one’s personal life and thereby bring forth the well-rounded growth that one must always all seek.
Techniques for Effective Speaking
Below are some guidelines to learn how to properly employ spoken language in communication:
- Staying True to Oneself:
Watching other efficient speakers is a good way to learn and practice but everybody is different. That means that there aren't any rules for what makes an efficient orator. Part of being an authentic orator is knowing the way to be yourself when underneath the spotlight. Acting like yourself instead of trying to imitate somebody else allows you to behave more organically, which may be a boon when attempting to connect with an audience.
2. Knowing the Purpose of Speaking:
One should always know whether they want to influence, educate or inspire the audience and depending upon that one should decide how to formulate their speech.
3. Expanding Knowledge Base and Vocabulary:
Reading about various topics is a great way to expand one’s horizons. ‘Always keep learning’ should be the motto of every speaker. The speaker should be updated with current affairs and should have a vast vocabulary to incorporate within his speeches.
4. Playing to One’s Strengths:
Some people are good at storytelling others are good at using information to influence people. One should find out his strengths and practice them time and time again. The most efficient speakers are ready to effectively identify their strengths and use those strengths as tools to make a presence that's authentic and relatable.
5. Improvisation:
While speaking it is rare that things go exactly as planned. Therefore, one should practice how to improvise when he fumbles or goes blank. Sometimes a listener may ask a question that the speaker is not prepared to answer or the speaker may simply forget one of their points, in situations like these, improvisation helps to get back on track and prevents the audience from losing interest.
6. Audience is the Center
The speaker is not the focus of the event, the audience is. All good orates cares more about the audience than themselves. This can be difficult if one has speech anxiety, which tends to fill them with bursts of anxiety and self-consciousness. However, focusing fully on the audience lifts a tremendous burden from your shoulders in terms of worrying about your performance.
One should practice taking the audience’s reactions into notice.
7. Using Body Language and Gestures:
Body language and gestures say as much as the words themselves. One should practice employing gestures as much as possible while speaking. Smiling and being active in general is useful for keeping the attention of the audience on the speaker.
8. Recording and Reviewing:
One of the most effective speaking practice techniques is to record oneself while speaking, preferably video recording. Although few people like their own voice, the audience’s viewpoint is more important. Are you gesturing with your hands too much? Is the intro too long? Should you include a story in the middle, so you hold the audience’s attention? All of these questions are important to answer, and it can be easiest to do so by seeing yourself.
9. Practicing in front of Friends and Family:
Asking family or friends to be practice audience members is a good way to know where one is going right or going wrong. In most cases, these two groups of people know you better than anyone else in your life. That means that, although you may not want to hear it, they know your bad habits better than anyone.
In addition to your bad habits, your family and friends will also be able to tell you if you don’t quite sound like yourself.
Impromptu Speech
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.
Meetings
Business meetings are an integral element of working life. They are conducted to develop ideas, exchange concerns, present information and make decisions. But meetings also tend to possess a reputation for going astray, dragging on unnecessarily or boring attendees to distraction.
Knowing the way to communicate well in meetings – especially if you're chairing the meeting – is significant for making them efficient and productive. Below are some techniques for good conduct in meetings:
1. Be on time
Nothing says that a meeting isn't important than turning up late for it. Not sticking to the allocated time schedule during a meeting also shows an absence of respect for other people’s time.
Be aware of the message that you are sending.
2. Stay on topic
An agenda should be driven by action and sent to attendees beforehand. If an item comes up for discussion that's not on the agenda make a note to debate it during General Business or schedule it in for another meeting.
3. Voice of success
The energy in your voice can give clues to the message that you are sending.
- Are you delivering your point with confidence?
- Does your message sound positive or negative?
- How you may use your voice inflections to stress your point?
- What feeling is your tone of voice reflecting?
4. Word choice
Your choice of words and language in a meeting can sometimes persuade opinions to travel in your favour or do the reverse. Be mindful when choosing your words and avoid language that produces assumptions or discriminates.
5. Watch your body language
Body language is just as important as verbal communication. It provides clues to your attitude and state of mind – be aware of the message that you’re sending along with your non-verbal communication cues such as gestures and body language.
- Are you slouching in your chair?
- Are you using eye contact to include everyone?
- Are your arms crossed defensively?
6. Listen
When you aren't speaking make certain that you are practicing good listening skills. Communication is a two-way process. Actively being attentive to your colleagues can assist you to better understand and communicate with them.
7. Avoid distractions
Following the agenda and staying within the timeframe of every action point will assist you to remain focused. Have water at hand to stay hydrated and put your phone away to avoid external distractions.
Good meetings require good participants and good leaders. All attendees should be prepared and ready to speak effectively so as to make the meeting as productive and constructive as possible.
Elocution
An elocution is a manner of delivering formal speech which focuses on the various elements of speaking such as pronunciation, articulation, vocabulary, accent, emphasis, inflections and gestures along with the subject matter of the speech.
Elocution tests the speaking skills of the orator and allows him to understand his faults providing him with room for improvement.
There are 6 key principles of elocution that must be learnt and mastered in order to have clear and precise speech. These principles are:
1. Articulation- This is defined as the ability to put thoughts into effective words, in order to phrase and enunciate words to deliver a proper speech.
2. Inflections- This is the ability to modulate the tone of speech so as to express a grammatical attribute of the word, such as tone, mood, gender etc.
3. Accent and Emphasis- The social surrounding of a speaker greatly influences how they speak. Learning to emphasise on the right syllables in order to pronounce words correctly, greatly improves an individual’s overall communication and understanding skills.
4. The Voice- The effectiveness of speech can be impacted by the tone and pitch of how words are pronounced. Modulating the voice while speaking helps avoid a monotonous tone and greatly improves the impact of the speech.
5. Gesture- The movement of hands, body language, and overall facial features while speaking greatly aid in the effectiveness of speech. Learning to control facial expressions for appropriate situations enables one to become a better, considerate speaker.
6. Instructions for Reading Verse- Effective reading enables one to learn proper stress on words in order to deliver an impactful speech. Phonetics also play a crucial role in helping develop correct speaking skills and reading a passage where one can identify the key areas to make an emphasis on.
Below are some methods by which one can develop and improve their elocution skills:
1. Drink sufficiently - Drinking sufficient amounts of water helps relax the vocal chords which are essential for speaking clearly and concisely
2. Posture - Standing straight with the spinal cord making an angle of 90 degrees with the ground gives your vocal chords more volume when speaking and also a creates a good impression on the listeners.
3. Inhale-Exhale - Inhaling deep breaths and exhaling before speeches calms the mind and allows one you to speak longer sentences without inhaling in between.
4. Lower Register - As the lower registers are more pleasant to the ear, keeping a low register of the tone of your voice will help the audience understand better and will keep them interested.
5. Record the speech - Video recording can be helpful as you can hear the tone of your voice and pronunciation and also can see your posture and body language. Here you can find out where you are going wrong and focus on ways to improve.
6. Speaking slowly - One often tends to forget or fumble while speaking fast. Speaking slowly will allow you to be calm and will give you time to properly pronounce each word making it easy for the audience to understand.
7. Confidence is key - It is extremely essential to be confident while speaking in front of an audience. If one has stage fright they can practice their speech in front of family and friends to boost confidence.
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.
Manuscript
A manuscript presentation is type of speech given by reading directly, word for word, from a previously prepared written message. This type of presentation involves verbatim reading of a speech and is most commonly used when there are no time constraints or the speech may be telecast.
An advantage to manuscript presentation is familiarity as one has to repeat the exact same words they see before them. However, one major downside is that it can be quite mechanical and monotonous and therefore uninteresting to the audience.
In your career you will probably deliver fewer than 20% of your presentations using a manuscript. These presentations will require you to be well prepared in advance. These speeches will usually be presented to large audiences in a meeting room or auditorium type facility and will be delivered from a lectern.
Below are some techniques that may be useful while presenting a manuscript presentation:
1. The manuscript is still a speech. Sight and sound are still the media. This is not to be confused with an essay standing on two legs. You are not a talking head.
2. Maintain your energy. It is very easy to become lethargic and thereby come off as dull and boring to your audience. Your passion for your presentation must come through by maintaining your energy at a high level.
Try this: Record yourself re-iterating an article from a newspaper or magazine out loud. Then, summarize the article in your own words, with as much passion and energy as you would do during an actual presentation. Notice the difference. You can quickly see the real challenges to maintaining your energy level so that you are able to support, and are not overpowered by, the multi-media presentation.
3. Use your own wording if possible. If at all possible, you should use your own words and phrases. This will happen, of course, if you write your own speech.
On the other hand, if your speech will be written for you, be sure to read it out loud several times before presenting it to make sure the words and phrases come easily to you. If they do not, examine ways to change the wording to suit your style.
4. Use spoken rather than written language. Try to avoid writing the speech out longhand or on your computer. Instead, dictate your speech into a tape recorder and have it transcribed.
You will find it is much easier to speak the spoken word than it is to speak the written word.
5. Use short, simple sentences. When delivering a manuscript speech, it is important to avoid using convoluted phrases and dependent clauses that may blur the clarity of your thoughts. Short, simple sentences will give you an opportunity to pause, look at your audience, and comfortably return to your presentation.
6. Prepare the manuscript in large print using both upper and lower case. The large print on the page should be triple spaced with wide margins. Divide the paper from top to bottom in thirds. Your prepared speech will then look like this: one-third left margin, one-third text, one-third right margin.
Be sure to divide this speech up into paragraphs and use bold letters to set up each of your key points.
7. "Score" the speech. Scoring the speech means underlining the keywords and phrases that are to be emphasized during the presentation. You also may draw arrows at particular areas where you may wish to raise or lower your voice. Avoid using a yellow highlighter . . . In many situations the lectern lighting will cause the highlighted sentences to blend in with the rest of the presentation.
In places where you think a natural pause or inflection would occur, insert a single slash. Use this to remember where to pause while reading that sentence.
Double slash at the end of a sentence and a triple slash at the end of a paragraph are a must.
8. Practice the speech. Practicing the speech is important but should not be done to such an extent that you start sounding monotonous. Practice glancing down and picking up the words and phrases you wish to use and then looking at your listeners to deliver them.
There is no more powerful way to emphasize your passion and to drive your points home than by pausing at the end of a strong paragraph or section. This must be rehearsed in order that you will be able to look in the eyes of your listeners as you deliver those last 12 - 15 words. Pause for a three or four count, then look down, grasp your next point, look at your listeners, and continue your speech.
9. Pace yourself. Do not read the presentation too quickly or you may find yourself wandering during the speech. Slow down if you feel you are going too fast.
If you tend to deliver a manuscript speech too rapidly. To help yourself remember to speak slower, you can write the word "slow" in the upper right hand corner of each page. Then as you turn each page you will be continually reminded to slow down.
10. Maintain eye contact. The typical representation of a manuscript presentation goes as follows. The speaker reads the speech, occasionally glances up for a brief second, and then comes back to the page. Several seconds later, when the speaker feels the need to give more eye contact, once again the quick glance is given.
Actually, the speaker sees nothing but the speech and is largely ineffective. While it is very difficult in a manuscript speech, try to look down to read and up to talk.
Since your speech is scored such that you only use the centre one-third of the page, it is therefore not necessary for your eyes to go from one side to the other.
You should be able to glance at your thought quickly by looking down, and then look at your audience. See people in the audience, look to the front, the sides, the back, and let people know you care about them and are willing to show it by giving them good eye contact.
Public Speaking
Public speaking can be defined as a presentation which is given in front of a live audience. It is a performance-based art. The goal of public speaking may be to educate, influence or entertain the audience.
Public speakers often implement visual aids such as power-point presentations; relevant objects etc. to get their content across more easily.
Public speaking is different to an online presentation is the sense that an online presentation is made as per the viewer’s discretion whereas public speaking is performed at a specific time and place.
Public speaking consists of five main elements:
- The source of the message – The speaker
- The content or information to be delivered – The message
- To whom the message is addressed – The audience
- The medium of the message – Speaking
- The reaction of the audience – The Effect
It is significant to note that one of the most important rules of public speaking is to know one’s audience. In other words, the speaker must know how to talk to and influence his audience, to know which words will carry more effect, how his audience will react to a certain idea, what is the knowledge base or background of his audience etc.
Below are some reasons why the skill of public speaking is important and should be incorporated in one’s skillset:
- It is a self-confidence booster. By speaking publicly one can overcome their fear of inferiority.
- Public speaking improves speaking skills in general allowing one to be comfortable around others.
- It can help one make an impression and win over crowds in both formal and informal settings.
- Influential public speaking can motivate others to change or grow.
- Didactic public speaking can help inform people about various topics and ideas they were previously unfamiliar with.
- It is one of the most effective ways to get one’s message across large audiences.
- One is required to speak publicly at some point in their lives. Therefore it is advisable to hone one’s skill beforehand.
- It allows one to demonstrate their knowledge and introduce radical ideas.
- Public speaking helps one garner people’s admiration which can be helpful in one’s career and social life as well.
- Public speaking can help advance one’s career and social life.
