Public Speaking Skills
Public Speaking Skills
Public speaking skills just like any other skills are gained and polished through determination, persistence, patience, practice, and a lot of work and experience.
To be an effective speaker, you need to posses and hone the following public speaking skills.
1. Focused. “You get what you focused on.” In public speaking, your goal is to have a successful presentation, and to attain such success you should be an effective speaker, and to be so, you need to be focused. You need to put your mind, attention, body, and spirit into your speaking task. Do not be caught up by anything that goes outside your speech, anything that may disrupt you. You may have personal problems at the moment but just like what my choir teacher taught me, “you can not do anything about it right now, so focus on what you’re supposed to do and leave all distractions aside.”
2. Fluent in the language used. The word fluent is defined as: able to speak or write smoothly, easily, or readily. The smoothness, easiness, and readiness when speaking is a must. You should have a good command of the language you are to use in public speaking. Use the language you are most comfortable with. But this still depends on the setting or of your public speaking task. If it is an English class, of course you need to present your speech in English.
3. Powerful. You should be a powerful speaker, powerful in speech and in appearance for you to be able to create an impact or good effect on your audience. A speaker with not enough force is like a physically weak carpenter banging a nail with a hammer. Your message will not sink in like the nail which failed to be drilled into concrete. Sometimes your audience could be as ‘hard” as such concrete.
4. Convictional. This public speaking skill is the twin sister of “powerful.” They should go together. Even if you are powerful and display an agreeable force or strength if your audience sees a loop hole because you are lacking something — the appearance of being convinced, you are still half effective. If you want your audience to believe in your message, you should initially evoke a sense of conviction. Among these public speaking skills, this is the most difficult to possess and enhance, because you can not fake this, unlike being powerful. In a way you can sound and look powerful without much effort.
5. Prepared. This public speaking skill should come in handy before and during your public speaking assignment. Way before your presentation, prepare. And prepare well. During your speech, you should likewise be prepared specially for unexpected circumstances. Be prepared to answer questions to be thrown at you, if it was an interactive presentation. Be prepared in handling technical disruptions. Some speakers are too caught up by this kind of interruption that it triggers nervousness. Sometimes they can even be “lost” in their speech specially if it was a memorized speech. Be prepared in instances your memory may fail you. Be prepared to adlib; and make sure your audience do not notice you were startled. It is ok to be alarmed by such untoward happening, but make sure your audience could not tell. But the best thing to do is to expect the unexpected so you will not be caught unaware. Be prepared.
(Aside from these public speaking skills, use also some public speaking tools that would better your speech delivery)
You can not just go up the stage, grab the microphone, and deliver a speech, you need to have public speaking skills. Otherwise you will most probably make a huge mess or fail to accomplish your purpose of speaking.
You will have much of an advantage if you first work hard to gain and develop these public speaking skills.
Categories: Public Speaking Tags: public speaking skills, speech, speech delivery, speech improvement
How to Deliver a Speech Effectively
How to Deliver a Speech Effectively
How to deliver a speech effectively is way too different from merely delivering a speech. You could just read or present your speech but was it effective? Was the message you wanted to impart to your audience sunk deep in their minds and hearts? Did your audience remember anything you said in your speech? Was your speech strong enough that it brought about change and made a difference at least to the lives of the ones who have heard it? Was your speech delivered effectively?
It takes a lot of preparation and work in order to deliver a speech effectively.
One of the challenging things to accomplish in delivering a speech is to be of good influence to other people, to persuade them, educate them, enlighten, and motivate them , urge them to act on or change something. Once you have accomplished these, you have delivered an effective speech.
To deliver a speech effectively is indeed a tough job, but here are some simple tips that will help you.
1. An effective speech delivery first depends on an equally effective and well-written speech. When writing your speech, make sure you take note of the things an effective writer would consider.
2. Before going into your speaking engagement, be sure you “look effective” as a speaker. Dress appropriately, not under-dressed or over-dressed. Radiate the essence of effectiveness initially by your over-all look.
3. Prioritize your audience. Your speech is mainly about them, about educating them, inspiring them, motivating them, satisfying them. Your speech is basically for their welfare.
4. Use public speaking tools appropriately: gestures, body movements, volume of voice, tone of voice, and facial expressions.
5. Speak with conviction. If you want your audience to believe in what you are speaking about, you need to sincerely sound convincing and believable.
Why put much emphasis on effectiveness? It is because the effect or the impact of your speech is critically important. You’d better not deliver a speech if it will not have any good effect to your audience.
That is why it is important that before your public speaking engagement, you study and learn how to deliver a speech effectively.
Categories: Public Speaking Tags: enhance speech, public speaking, speech
Tips in overcoming nervousness in Public Speaking
Tips in overcoming nervousness in Public Speaking
Overcoming nervousness in public speaking is not easy but it is a little comforting to know that it is but normal to feel nervous when speaking in front of a crowd or an audience. Even those who’ve mastered the art of public speaking could still, one way or another, feel those romping butterflies in their stomachs. The irony though is not to avoid the nervousness, since it is inevitable, but how to overcome it before it gets the best out of you, swallow you whole, and ruin your speech before you could even begin speaking.
Nervousness in public speaking could be triggered by a huge crowd like this
The following tips will help you overcome nervousness in public speaking.
1. Know and understand that it is normal to feel nervous. It is a natural occurrence in one’s body. It is ok. Everyone gets that nerve-wracking feeling. Though it sounds selfish and a little cruel, it’s a good feeling knowing you’re not the only one feeling terrible. That is one witty and tricky way in overcoming nervousness in public speaking.
2. Calm yourself through some simple relaxation routines or techniques before your speech or public encounter.
The breathe-in-breathe-out exercise is the most popular. It calms down the body and mind, and at some point, the spirit. Stretching those muscles, especially face muscles will help. Since it’s your face your audience see most often in duration of a speech, relax it. Example: exaggerate the sounds of the five vowel sounds – A, E, I, O, U. You could also try placing your palms on your cheeks and moving them in a circular motion. Try squeezing stress balls, or walking back and forth at the backstage, visiting the comfort room (it might help in giving you “comfort”.) But remember, some relaxation routines may not work for everyone. Some may work for you; some may not, so study yourself and know those that will relax you. It may be as cheesy as a smile from your girlfriend or boyfriend, a text message from your mother, or a tap on the shoulder from your bestfriend. Try anything possible; that is if it will bring you to a point of relaxation.
3. Convert the nervousness into a positive energy.
Almost always, nervousness ruins everything, and since it will always linger, why not turn it into something useful. As the saying goes, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Why not make that nervous feeling into something that would make you feel excited, something that will keep you going, keep your blood and adrenalin rushing. Example: excitement is a good conversion of nervousness. Without excitement, your speech will most probably be a boredom. So instead of bearing with your shaky cold hands, trembling knees and cheeks which will definitely spoil your moment, convert those into jerky gestures that convey excitement.
4. Never tell your audience “I’m feeling nervous right now.”
Though it’s true, admitting and announcing it will not do any help; it will just make matters worse. Your honesty in this part will work against you. There’s no need of such confession. It will also crush down your credibility as a speaker. If you are determined in overcoming nervousness in public speaking,
5. Consider your audience irrelevant.
Though there is a general rule to have a good rapport with your audience, in this case of overcoming nervousness, they should be considered nonexistent. Sometimes people feel calm when alone. Have you ever heard of this mind set: Consider your audience as just a bunch of coconut husks. Sounds silly but it will serve you well if you have a good imagination. You will feel more nervous if you keep on thinking that your audience is a bunch of, say, highly educated, very critical professionals waiting for you to commit mistakes, or who are actually counting your mistakes. The term there that would trigger nervousness is insecurity. So to eradicate this insecurity, consider them not in existence.
6. Don’t look directly into your audience’s eyes.
Again, this may sound ironic since building a connection with your audience is vital, but if you want to beat that ugly feeling that kills you on stage, then don’t. Looking straight into someone else’s eyes creates this uncomfortable feeling which may eventually lead to nervousness. Look at the space in between the eyes instead, it makes the same effect of good audience connection but without the uneasiness. Try this witty trick, your audience will not notice it, nor see the difference.
7. Be confident in yourself and in your speech.
We could consider self confidence as an antidote to nervousness. Another word synonymous to self confidence is courage. It takes enough courage to stand in front of a thousand, hard-to-please people, more so, to deliver a speech to them. So before grabbing the microphone, save as much self confidence and courage as you can. Think uplifting thoughts. Think positive thoughts. Even happy thoughts. That does the trick when Tinker Bell wants a human to fly with her. But thinking alone is not enough, it should be coupled with actions, and the important action you should do to extract such confidence to get you going on that stage or pulpit is tip No.8.
8. Prepare and prepare well.
It has always been said: If ye are prepared ye shall not fear. And take note, fear is the closest cousin of nervousness. They go along pretty well. So prepare weeks or even months before your public speaking engagement. Read your piece out loud in front of a mirror or with someone who could bring out constructive criticisms and encouragement.
If you follow these simple tips, for sure you will be successful in overcoming nervousness in public speaking!
Categories: Public Speaking Tags: overcome fear of public speaking, public speaking, speech, speech improvement
Tips for a Good Grammar
As second speakers of the English language, attaining the level of proficiency is indeed challenging; taking another consideration the natural complexity of the language. One of the secrets on gaining a good command of the language is sufficient and deep immersion in its usage – years of training, hard work, and practice.
Studying English at an early age is the best way. Children trained to speak the language as a medium for casual conversation at home are the ones closest to English expertise as they grow up. For those who started studying the English grammar at their adult years, the best tool is study and practice.
First things first. Learn the English grammar theoretically.
Here are the fundamentals that will aid you on your way to English excellence:
1. First, learn what is a sentence, a phrase, and a clause. Know their differences.
2. Next, study the parts of a sentence – the subject and the predicate; and learn the sentence errors.
3. Then, you should be able to recognize a complete sentence or a grammatically correct sentence from the one that is not.
4. Following these should be lessons on the eight Parts of Speech. You should be able to tell if a word is used as a noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, or as an interjection.
5. Afterwards, study the rules on Subject-Verb Agreement.
6. Learn Verb Tense.
After learning these canons of the English grammar, you should continuously use the language and practice speaking or writing in English everyday. Schedule a time daily for it, 10 minutes a day is good — 1 hour is best!
One of the many benefits of possessing a good command of English is "not getting lost."
Categories: Public Speaking, Speech Writing Tags: English, English Language, English proficiency, English speaking, good grammar, grammar, Journalism, knowledge, learning, Parts of Speech, sentence errors, speaking, speech, speech improvement, subject-verb agreement, Verb Tense, writing, writing skills
Enhancement of Oral Communication Skills
Excerpts from a lecture by Dr. Lourdes D. Servito
(Resource speaker during the faculty development workshop at Mother Lourdes Learning School, Calasiao, Pangasinan last June 4, 2009)
WHY SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH?
Why is there a need for teachers to speak good English?
Global language; language of the elite
Legal language; language of literature, art, philosophy, ICT, world history, etc.
Official language; language of instruction for most subjects
English as a useful tool
FIRST IMPRESSIONS NEVER LAST
THE WAY WE SPEAK IS PART OF OUR PERSONALITY
GOOD SPEECH EXUDES CONFIDENCE
TEACHERS SPEAK MOST OF THE TIME WHILE TEACHING
TEACHING IS COMMUNICATING, USING THE LANGUAGE PROPERLY & EFFECTIVELY
Brain Research shows that:
We Learn and Retain:
IO PERCENT – FROM READING
20 PERCENT – FROM HEARING/LISTENING
30 PERCENT –FROM SEEING
70 PERCENT-FROM SAYING/DOING
SO, WE REMEMBER ONLY 10% FROM WHAT WE READ, 20% FROM WHAT WE HEAR, 30% FROM WHAT WE SEE, AND 70% FROM WHAT WE SAY AND DO.
This module deals specifically with the aural channel – VOICE and
DICTION.
It is important to remember that first impressions are largely based on non-verbal factors such as vocal attributes, pronunciation and speech patterns.
VOICE:
Voice is the vehicle by which people share/ transmit ideas. It is the conduit that serves as the channel that connects the speaker and listener – the teacher and the student. It is important to remember that, aside from the words we choose to utter, meaning is also conveyed by the voice: the loudness level, the rate of speech, or how rapidly or slowly one speaks, the way silence is used, the range of vocal pitches and the vocal quality of the speaker. This is called PARALANGUAGE.
Elements of Voice
VOLUME- the intensity, the loudness or softness of the speaker’s voice. Adequate volume is important for intelligibility and clarity. Some speakers don’t talk loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room or let their voice fade out at the end of a thought. Projection of voice is often a problem, especially if there is no microphone. Those who do not project their voices to reach the last person in the last row in the room lose their audience. Much of what that person says is irretrievably lost on the audience, who cannot always continually ask the speaker to speak up.
Projection problems are usually caused by a person’s inability to produce and sustain the proper breathing or failure to monitor his own voice. Projection should fir the content, listeners and environment.
RATE- the speed at which the speaker speaks, to be adjusted to the topic or subject being discussed. A serious subject deserves a slower and more deliberate rate; less serious subject matter can be delivered a bit faster. Experienced speakers also vary their rate based on the mood they want to create. For example, talking faster creates a sense of excitement.
PITCH- the highness or lowness of the speaking voice. If the speaker uses a narrow, unchanging pitch range, it may result in a droning sound that may become boring. By varying one’s pitch, the speaker can keep the listener’s attention and emphasize important points. Experienced speakers determine an optimal pitch and vary it with control.
VOCAL VARIETY- is needed to heighten and maintain attention and interest of the listeners. Variety and contrast will introduce dynamism, an essential aspect of credibility plus enthusiasm, energy and life to sustain interest. This will also add expressiveness to the voice. Variety and flexibility of volume, rate and pitch will help avoid monotony and will aid in underscoring ideas.
DICTION: A competent speaker should articulate speech sounds clearly and pronounce words correctly.
ARTICULATION: forming individual speech sounds correctly with your mouth, so they combine to produce an understandable word.
PRONUNCIATION: stressing and accenting the right syllables in a word.
In many cases, however, diction, articulation, enunciation and pronunciation are used interchangeably to mean saying words correctly and accurately, with crispness and precision. Failure to have correct diction can have negative results:
Listeners may not understand what you are saying, if you mispronounce a word.
Ex. I saw the tree (three).
An error calls attention to itself and distracts the listeners.
Errors in speech damage the credibility of the speaker.
RHYTHM OF ENGLISH
1. WORD STRESS – in words of more than one syllable (polysyllabic words), one syllable will receive more stress that the others to give it more importance. The stressed syllable is given: more force, higher pitch and larger duration. Ex: teacher, comfortable, testimony
2. SENTENCE STRESS: content words, or words that have meaning in themselves are stressed. These are nouns, verbs (except linking and auxiliary verbs), adjectives and adverbs. Two others are given stress: demonstratives (this, that) and interrogatives (Who, Why, What, etc.). Function words, like articles, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions and linking or helping verbs are not stressed.
3. PHRASING AND PAUSING: Normally, all but the shortest sentences are divided into two or more parts or thoughts groups. Generally, pauses are made after a group of words which has an idea, such as phrase or a clause.
Example: Phrasing / depends upon the meaning / of what you say./
No pauses should be made to separate articles or adjectives and the nouns they modify auxiliary and main verbs, prepositions and objects, adverbs and verbs they modify, etc.
Pausing is necessary in a sentence for the following reasons:
To separate ideas and set them apart as units of thought, to make the meaning clear.
Example: He rose awkwardly / looked about nervously / clutched his throat / shifted his weight once or twice / and finally began to speak.
To point up an important idea to be expressed.
Example: The most dangerous force operating today is / apathy of the people.
To enable the speaker to catch his breath in a long sentence.
To allow the speaker some time to organize his thoughts.
To allow the audience to digest the words previously said.
To serve as verbal punctuation marks in a sentence, esp. when there are commas, colons, semi-colons in the printed page.
To signal change of ideas or change of mood.
4. BLENDING- another characteristic of the English language that the Filipino learner should know is blending.
Within a thought group, words and syllables are not pronounced as separate units. They should flow along smoothly, w/o jerkiness and one seems to lend unto the next. There should be an interrupted flow of breath within the thought group. / lamateacher / from the college of liberal arts /.
5. INTONATION: Intonation is the tune of what we say. It is the melody pattern of a syllable, word, phrase or sentence. In English, correct intonation is most necessary at the end of a sentence.