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What is effective speaking
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Good public speaking is simply the art
of good conversation carried a step or two beyond the usual. It is largely
through the spoken word that we communicate with each other, develop
understanding, exchange knowledge and find mutually acceptable goals. Through
effective public speaking we can encourage, teach, entertain and inspire
others.If we look for the principles that are the basis of intelligent
conversation we will find the principles of effective public speaking.
In chatting with friends we speak naturally, directly and spontaneously. Whether we are standing or sitting we move about quite freely. Our conversation becomes serious when we have an idea to convey and a reason to convey it. We are convinced that the idea is sound and we try to present it clearly and logically. We have no difficulty in expressing the idea in simple words because we believe in it.
When we talk in a small group such as our family, describing an experience or attempting to persuade them that some idea of ours is a good one, we use simple, direct language and we look at every member of the group as we talk.
In a larger group, such as a club, most conversations are on the same basis, except that we are likely to concentrate on a single subject of common interest. The members of the club group direct their thinking toward the special purpose for which they are meeting and choose their words more carefully than they do in casual conversation.
In speaking to an audience all these principles of good conversation are followed and, in addition, we must be sure to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear. Probably we will assume a little more dignity than in everyday conversation and we will guard our statements carefully lest we be quoted.Effective speaking then is simply persuasive conversation developed and adapted to fit the occasion, further a special purpose, and suit the people who listen.
Since all of us practice conversation every day in chatting with our friends or conferring with our families, we already possess the fundamental skills of public speaking. We need only concern ourselves with the slightly altered techniques that apply to making sure that we are understood by a larger group of people.
In chatting with friends we speak naturally, directly and spontaneously. Whether we are standing or sitting we move about quite freely. Our conversation becomes serious when we have an idea to convey and a reason to convey it. We are convinced that the idea is sound and we try to present it clearly and logically. We have no difficulty in expressing the idea in simple words because we believe in it.
When we talk in a small group such as our family, describing an experience or attempting to persuade them that some idea of ours is a good one, we use simple, direct language and we look at every member of the group as we talk.
In a larger group, such as a club, most conversations are on the same basis, except that we are likely to concentrate on a single subject of common interest. The members of the club group direct their thinking toward the special purpose for which they are meeting and choose their words more carefully than they do in casual conversation.
In speaking to an audience all these principles of good conversation are followed and, in addition, we must be sure to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear. Probably we will assume a little more dignity than in everyday conversation and we will guard our statements carefully lest we be quoted.Effective speaking then is simply persuasive conversation developed and adapted to fit the occasion, further a special purpose, and suit the people who listen.
Since all of us practice conversation every day in chatting with our friends or conferring with our families, we already possess the fundamental skills of public speaking. We need only concern ourselves with the slightly altered techniques that apply to making sure that we are understood by a larger group of people.
Types of Speaking
There are several types
of speaking common in the Air Force. Although most of the same general
principles and techniques apply to all types, there are some differences.
Briefing
The best military
briefings are concise and factual. Their major purpose is to inform—
tell about a mission, operation, or concept. At times they also direct—enable listeners to perform a procedure or carry out instructions. At other times they advocate or persuade—support a certain solution and lead listeners to accept that solution. For example, a staff officer might want officers at a higher echelon to accept a certain solution. Every good briefing has the virtues of accuracy, brevity, and clarity. These are the ABCs of the briefing. Accuracy and clarity characterize all good speaking, but brevity distinguishes the briefing from other types of speaking. By definition, a briefing is brief, concise, and direct.
tell about a mission, operation, or concept. At times they also direct—enable listeners to perform a procedure or carry out instructions. At other times they advocate or persuade—support a certain solution and lead listeners to accept that solution. For example, a staff officer might want officers at a higher echelon to accept a certain solution. Every good briefing has the virtues of accuracy, brevity, and clarity. These are the ABCs of the briefing. Accuracy and clarity characterize all good speaking, but brevity distinguishes the briefing from other types of speaking. By definition, a briefing is brief, concise, and direct.
Teaching
Lecture
Much speaking in the Air
Force is directed toward teaching. The lecture is the method of instruction
most often used. As the name implies, the primary purpose of a teaching lecture
is to teach or to inform students about a given subject. For convenience,
teaching lectures can be divided into the following types: (1) formal lectures,
where the communication is generally one-sided with no verbal participation by
the students, and (2) informal lectures, usually presented to smaller audiences
and allowing for verbal interaction between the instructor and students.
Speechs
A speech generally has
one of three basic purposes: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. The informative speech is a narration concerning a specific
topic but does not involve a sustained effort to teach. Speeches to civic
clubs, orientation talks, and presentations at commanders' calls are examples
of speeches to inform. The persuasive speech is designed to move an audience to
belief or action on some topic, product, or other matter. Recruiting speeches
to high school graduating classes, budget defenses, and courts-martial
summations are all primarily speeches to persuade. The entertaining speech gives enjoyment to
the audience. The speaker often relies on humor and vivid language as a primary
means of entertaining the listeners. A speech at a dining-out may be a speech
to entertain
SUPER SPEAKING STYLE:
: Show your audience that you are
confident, interested, and aware by looking directly at them as you speak.
Aim for 2-3
seconds of eye contact per person, and try to cover the entire room.
• Power of the Pause:
Silence is a valuable and
underused rhetoric tool. Pausing at the ends of sentences gives your audience
time to digest
your material and gives you a chance to catch your breath. Pausing before or
after a key idea highlights its
significance.
• Breathing is Good:
Nerves can speed up your speaking
rate and lead to shallow breathing. If you feel yourself getting
anxious, stop and
concentrate on breathing deeply. It will help you relax and slow you down.
• Gestures:
When used purposefully, gestures
add energy to a presentation and allow you to highlight key points. Watch out
for the two
extremes: hyperactive hands and hands-in-pockets syndrome.
• Posture/Balance:
Standing up
straight and balancing your weight not only enhances your authority as a
speaker, but also
improves your
breathing capacity and allows you to project your voice fully
Aspects of
Effective Speaking
Effective speaking has nothing to do with the outdated concept of
'elocution' where everyone was encouraged to speak in the same 'correct'
manner. Rather, effective speaking concerns being able to speak in a
public context with confidence and clarity, whilst at the same time reflecting
on your own personality.
Accents
Gradually, over the years,
through the migration of people and exposure to the media, accents are being
broken down and neutralised. In some ways this is a shame because accents
can add a dimension and distinctiveness to voice and emphasise individuality.It
is important to get used to the sound of your own voice. Most people are
more relaxed in a private situation, particularly at home, where there are no
pressures to conform to any other social rules and expectations. This is
not the case in public situations when there are all sorts of influences
exerted upon the way people speak
Vocal
Production
The following
three core elements of vocal production need to be understood for anyone
wishing to become an effective speaker:
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Volume - to be heard.
·
Clarity - to be understood.
·
Variety - to add interest.
Volume
This is not a question of
treating the voice like the volume control on the TV remote. Some people
have naturally soft voices and physically cannot bellow. Additionally, if
the voice is raised too much, tonal quality is lost. Instead of raising
the voice it should be 'projected out'. Support the voice with
lots of breath - the further you want to project the voice out, the more breath
you need.
When talking to a group or meeting, it is important to
never aim your talk to the front row or just to the people nearest you, but to
consciously project what you have to say to those furthest away. By
developing a strong voice, as opposed to a loud voice, you will be
seen as someone positive.
Clarity
Some people tend to speak
through clenched teeth and with little movement of their lips. It is this
inability to open mouths and failure to make speech sounds with precision that
is the root cause of inaudibility. The sound is locked into the mouth and
not let out. To have good articulation it is important to unclench the
jaw, open the mouth and give full benefit to each sound you make, paying
particular attention to the ends of words. This will also help your
audience as a certain amount of lip-reading will be possible
