Archive for the 'How to Speak' Category

Using Tongue Twisters in Public Speaking

Published
by
One Eye Man
on October 22, 2008
in How to Speak
. 0 Comments

* Def: Tongue-twisters -  A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly. Tongue-twisters may rely on similar but distinct phonemes (e.g., s [s] and sh [?]), unfamiliar constructs in loanwords, or other features of a language.

You could say that tongue twisters are nursery rhymes for adults. Both have silly rhymes and like-sounding words and more often than not, they’re fun to say every now and then.

But what most people don’t realize is that both nursery rhymes and tongue twisters help develop reading and speaking skills for young children and adults, respectively.

In the case of adults, tongue twisters help develop a skill which experts call phonemic awareness or the ability to identify and manipulate sounds (called phonemes) in words that are spoken.

- Tongue twisters and your brain
Using tongue twisters is good to warm up your mouth and practice enunciation. For someone who speaks to an audience, working with tongue twisters to build on his/her phonemic awareness helps to develop better articulation and pronunciation of words.

When you practice tongue twisters, don’t just mumble through them. Really focus on your articulation. Start slowly at first and as you feel more comfortable speed up. Practice watching yourself in the mirror as you shape your mouth and as you place your tongue when forming words.

As one learns to listen and be aware of sound patterns, the brain is trained to detect such patterns and reacts more efficiently in making the body produce that same sound.

For example, the classic Peter Piper twister develops the “P” and the “-er” sounds. But the training is not done on the oral cavity but rather on the brain that controls your oral functions.

As the brain listens to the sound, it processes the sound and aims to recreate it again and again until it has become established as a habit. Once that happens, you don’t have to consciously reproduce the sound, as it is second nature to you already.

- What are its implications in public speaking?
If someone is just starting out to learn how to engage an audience through public speaking, tongue twisters develop pronunciation skills. Clear and precise pronunciations make for clear and precise speakers. There is less chance your audience will mistake your words for another and the better you get at it, the better for your message and your audience.

When tongue twisters are exercised by reading from a card, an aural-visual connection is reinforced which trains the brain to respond faster in translating a visual cue (printed words) to sound (spoken word). This skill is especially helpful when reading from cards or teleprompters.

Another advantage tongue twisters afford public speakers is its exercise aspect that is helpful to relieve tension just before stepping on stage. It is akin to a warm-up for athletes before a competition as it helps loosen the muscles in the jaw that commonly tense up out of nervousness.

Here are some examples of Tongue Twisters for you to try:

1.Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore.
Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.

2.Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.

3. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

A great database of tongue twisters in several languages can be found here:
www.geocities.com/Athens/8136/tonguetwisters.html

The task of learning how to speak in public does not need to be intimidating.  Tools like tongue twisters can actually help make the process more fun and enjoyable. And if that helps in making a speaker relax, the results translate into a well-delivered presentation that benefits everyone and not just the speaker.

Can you be an effective public speaker?

Published
by
One Eye Man
on October 16, 2008
in How to Speak
. 0 Comments

Whether it is a group of 50 or 500, the question is still the same: Can you be an effective public speaker?

The answer is yes if you keep on mind some key points when it comes to communicating with your audience.

- First of all, prepare as much as you can because you can’t under-prepare for anything.
However, for your sake (and everyone else’s), a lead-time of about 2 to 3 days should be enough for a 20 minute presentation (this includes rehearsal time and putting together decent visual aids, when applicable).

- Get to know your audience.
Are they mostly children or young adults? Company executives or day laborers? Is it comprised mostly of men or women? Asking salient questions about your audience gives you ideas on how to tailor your message to them specifically so they can better relate to the topic.

- People remember 20% of what they hear, 30% what they see, and 50% of an audio-visual presentation.
That said, as much as your topic and venue can afford you, incorporate visuals in your talk. It doesn’t have to be a PowerPoint presentation or an overhead projector all the time. Sometimes, a well laid out chart to serve as a visual guide to the presentation will do wonders because the audience can see where you’re going with the talk.

- Get participation.
When people participate in an activity, their retention rate jumps to as high as 80 to 90 percent depending on the activity. Ask a member of the audience to come up to participate in an example you’re illustrating or ask them to repeat the salient points. The latter alone adds about 40 percentage points.

Now, on to you – the speaker.

- Feeling nervous is fine and to an extent a good thing.
It shows you want to perform well but you must harness this energy and put it into your preparation and put excitement into your delivery. You’ll find that as you become more adept in controlling your nerves, you’re able to take on more advanced techniques that will help your public speaking skills.

- Visualize.
Even before you step up to the podium, imagine yourself speaking to the audience and being great at it. A technique commonly used in performance athletes, this approach has yielded positive results.

- Finally, learn to enjoy the experience and not dread it.
This point alone improves your skills by a 100% which is great not just for you, but for your audience as well.

What You Must Know to Become a Well Known Speaker

Published
by
articlesubmitter
on October 12, 2008
in How to Speak
. 0 Comments

megaspeakingempire.com

 

Speaking is one of the most effective ways to build your business. By getting out there and presenting tomany groups, you will be able to raise awareness of your message, your purpose, and your cause. People like to do business with experts, and speaking from the stage is a fast way to expert credibility.

The thing is, that many people want to become well-known (and highly paid) speakers, but there is a lot of misinformation out there. Some people will tell you to take classes, some people will tell you practice makes perfect, and some people will tell you to learn from a mentor. The truth is, the fastest road to become a well paid speaker is in doing all three: learning, being mentored, and practicing.

You can fast track your speaking career by watching how the most successful speakers perform. Watch them live or watch recordings of their presentations. Watch how they speak. Listen to the words they use. Notice how they move. See what techniques they use to connect with the audience. Also notice what they say, how they look, and how they use humor, props, and personal stories in their speaking. Pay close attention to all of these areas to understand how the true masters do it.

You can find mentors in all kinds of places. There are only 3 necessities for a great speaking mentor. First, they should be actively speaking now, constantly honing their skills. Second, they should be able to teach their skills, and third (and probably most important), they must be willing to teach you. If you are seeking a mentor, look for the best- someone who has achieved what you want from your own public speaking career. That means, if you want to use humor in your own speaking presentations, find a mentor or mentors who can teach you how to further craft your skills in this area. You can’t learn to be funny from someone with no sense of humor, after all.

You must practice to become a well known and top-paid speaker. Continually find opportunities to practice your public speaking skills. Refine your presentation again and again, until you can deliver it from memory and it has become a part of you.

Becoming a well known speaker is not that hard to do. After all, we have all been speaking since we were about two years old. It does take time and experience l to become a well paid speaker, but the benefits are well worth it. Speaking is one of the fastest ways to build your business. If you aren’t involved in public speaking now, you need to be.