Lesson 3 Speaking Skills Important Notes

Lesson 3 Speaking Skills

Introduction

We communicate orally all the time along with some nonverbal cues. It is the much used means of communication as for written communication one needs to be literate. Literacy is a prerequisite for writing (though if paintings and carvings are taken to be writing, then it is not so), but each one of us are born with LAD (Language Acquisition Device) which makes us acquire language and use it orally.

Though oral communication has been one of the most used means of communication; but it is not true that oral communication is always informal. Often oral communication is formal – such as public speech, interview, presentation, group discussion, etc. which are as formal as written communication. Though at the same time, it can also be said that written communication sometimes is not so formal, such as when you write messages in WhatsApp or when you wrote some posts in Facebook or make others posts in Social Media sites. In this chapter we will focus on the formal oral communication though before doing so let us focus on the general features of speech or oral communication. Again, parts of this chapter are taken from the book Communication Skills: Theory and Practice.

Features of Oral Communication

It is essential that we understand the specific features of Oral Communication so as to make ourselves thorough with our understanding of Oral Communication.

· Oral Communication is mostly spontaneous, though there are oral communications that are well thought out. It is a saying that one should think before speaking. But if one thinks too much then s/he will not be able to speak at all. Therefore there is a need to strike a balance between spontaneity and planning.

· As Oral Communication is mostly spontaneous, therefore it has its corollary effects such as– the communication is faster and dynamic; and feedback instant in comparison to written communication.

· As there is a pressure of thinking faster in Oral Communication therefore there are lots of hesitations, fillers and repetitions. There are lots of “ummm” and “eerrr” sounds between words and sentences spoken (Non-fluencies).

· No two persons speak a language in the same way. Oral Communication or Speech varies across gender, class, region, economic and educational background, etc. Moreover, the same person does not always speak in the same way. With different people and differing circumstances, the speech of a person varies as s/he adapts to the situation and modifies her/his speech.

· Oral communication is usually thought to be casual or informal in the sense that most casual communication happens in the oral mode. In that sense, Oral Communication or speech is very significant in forming interpersonal relationships. In other words, it serves the phatic function in terms of chit-chats, casual conversations, etc.

· Oral communication or speech is loosely structured in the sense that while speaking we do not tend to follow the grammatical rules all the time as the main objective of oral communication is no to present the thoughts in a structural and grammatical way, but to put across the information, idea, emotion of the speaker to the listener in an effective way so that it is easily understood by the listener(s).

· In speech or oral communication, the non-verbal cues are very significant. The meaning of what we say also depends on the tone, pitch, rhythm, tempo, volume, gestures, postures and other body movements accompanying speech.

· It is a great advantage of oral communication that the listener can interrupt, if required, and clarify her/his doubt whenever he wants to.

· Pauses and silences are pregnant with meaning in oral communication. When one pauses in speech, s/he pauses either to organize her or his thoughts, or to provide the listeners adequate time to assimilate / comprehend whatever s/he is saying.

· In informal oral communication slang is acceptable. In all our communication with friends and peer group it comprises a significant part as it helps in building interpersonal relationships.

· In oral communication we use lot of elisions and contractions, such as “wanna” for “want to”, “don’t” for “do not”, etc.

· Oral communication is ‘time bound’, in the sense that the sounds we produce during speech fade away rapidly (if not recorded electronically). Before it fades away the listener must grasp the sound to figure out what is being said.

 

Monologue and Dialogue

Conversation is a part and parcel of our everyday life. In the last chapter we have figured out how communication has been an integral part of our life. We have also read how there are different kinds of communication. In this section we will focus on Monologue and Dialogue as means of communication and emphasize on the significance of each of these and the differences between them.

A monologue, as the term suggests, is an oral communication which is conveyed by one person, or it may also be a long one-sided conversation. The Greek origin of the word means “speaking alone” in the sense when one person does all the talking. It can be said that when a speaker monopolizes any conversation because of his or her ideas and knowledge or for any other reason which puts him or her in a privileged position of making others listen to her or him, then it is a monologue.

Similarly in an office set up, a boss in an office may give some instructions in the form of monologue. In all these above examples we see that the speaker has some privileged position which makes him or her say things which others just listen.

In many of Shakespearean plays we see him using a lot of soliloquies and they are of immense dramatic value as they not only present the inner dilemma of the protagonist, but at the same time are immensely rhetorical and poetic. When one is rhetorical in the right sense of the term, half the work is already done as how one says things is more significant than what one says. So the style of expression is of supreme significance for a speaker when s/he is engaging in a monologue.

Thus dialogues can be of various kinds depending on the context. But what is significant in a dialogue is that each party that enters into the field of communication in a dialogue has the space and time to put forward his or her point of view. In that sense, dialogues are democratic in nature, where individuals get chance to have their say unlike a monologue where a single person takes over the talking because of his or her privileged position and others are mere receptors of the communication.

The most important facet of a dialogue is to taking turns – that is, the speaker is not always a speaker; but speaks for a while and then let the other person come up with his or her ideas, queries, responses, etc. Dialogue is a democratic means to come to a conclusion. These days we see that a lot of emphasis is also put forward by different institutions and companies to initiate dialogues with their customers / prospective customers as it is beneficial for a company or an institution to do so.

Group Discussions

Group Discussion is used extensively these days along with personal interviews for the selection of candidates for jobs. Written test, experience, qualification and academic credentials often are not the only criterion that the employers are looking for in today’s competitive world. What they want is that the applicant should have leadership qualities, can handle problems easily and can manage human resources.

One can say that GD is nothing but a test of personality, in the sense that whether a person applying for a job will be able to handle the professional situations or not. It is to be remembered here that one of the significant ways in which human resources can be managed is through effective communication and therefore any employer will like to have effective communicators in his or her institution / company. Leadership is a pre-requisite; but all leaders are at the same time effective communicators.

Therefore it is essential that while one is preparing to be employed one prepares oneself mentally and psychologically for a GD. The following are the aspects that the participant of a GD should keep in mind –

· Leadership is a must in a professional world. Leadership does not only mean that one is ahead of the others; but it suggests how one can accommodate the interests of as many people as possible and steer the boat forward.

Ø In a GD, in most cases, the participants would be eager to create the right initiative. It is true that a leader initiates the discussion. But along with speaking what you think on the given topic, it is also important to listen to what others have to say about the topic so that discussion continues.

Ø In a GD, it is evident that there will be many views which will be diametrically opposite to each other; and the leader will be the one who will be able to comprehend these views together to come up with a possible direction for the discussion.

Ø There may be some participant(s) in a GD who is/are not so vocal as the rest, a leader would also ask for their opinion(s), so as to make them a part of the discussion.

Ø In other words, a leader’s role in a GD is to control the discussion and give it a direction by accommodating others’ views and reach a conclusion.

· It is true that one needs to lead a group of participants in a GD, but that can happen only when one has a thorough knowledge about the subject on which the discussion is taking place. It is true that with one’s rhetorical power one can conceal one’s lack of knowledge; but that can happen for few moments. Rhetoric is an important ally in oral communication but it can help only when one has thorough knowledge about the subject. Usually in a GD, the topic is of general nature and/ or about the recent happenings around the world.

If one is acquainted with the general knowledge about recent happenings then one would not have to think too much to initiate a discussion on the topic. One should do the following –

Ø Think and speak rationally / logically

Ø Able to think instantly

Ø Speak in a simple, straightforward language.

Ø Clarity of ideas and presentation skills is a must in a GD. One should be able to quickly make a distinction between core and non-core ideas/ issues in the discussion and focus on the core issues.

Ø Analytical abilities are also looked for in a GD. One should be able to analyse a topic in its minutest details. Theoretical knowledge is good; but till the time it cannot be applied to practical use then it is not of any use.

Ø Non-verbal communication is also significant in a GD. Our body speaks more than our speech. How one maintains oneself in a GD through his or her body language is of concern as it is the body language which will show one’s conviction in what s/he is speaking, how attentive one is to others’ views, how flexible one is to others’ opinions and views, etc.

Facing Interviews

The term “Interviews” probably rings the prospect of employment to our minds. But apart from that there are many other kinds of interviews, interviews for getting in premier academic institutions, interviews that we read in newspapers or watch in television or internet, etc. But for the present context we will restrict ourselves to facing interview for academic and professional excellence. Interviews can be termed as an oral tool to test the academic and non-academic credentials for employment or entry to an academic institution.

Thus whatever be the purpose of the interview, the interviewer purports to find out your competence about your subject, your communicative competence, your excellence in fields related to the job, your personality, your attitude and aptitude, etc. Usually interviews are taken by a panel of experts and it is essential that one maintains an eye contact with almost all members of the panel.

It is to be kept in mind here that in an interview it is essential to focus on your positive areas so as to create an impact on the people interviewing you. Following things should be kept in mind while facing an interview.

(a) We all know that we should attire ourselves according to the occasion. Similar holds true for interviews too. As interview is a formal occasion, therefore you must try to put forward attire which is formal and give a nice impression about you.

(b) It is essential to have the etiquette to wish the people in the interview board / panel and not to do anything that would make them feel that you are rude or over-confident or a fool.

(c) Mostly, the questioned in an interview are related to your subject of specialization; therefore it is a prerequisite that you know your subject well and is able to deliver responses to the questions put forward by the interviewer(s).

(d) Often interviewers ask you questions about your personal life which should be answered tactfully without divulging much of your personal life, and at the same time, by not ….

(e) Questions which are of general nature needs to be answered with confidence and it is essential as interviewers try to figure out if you are aware about things apart from your subject.

(f) Your communication should show your confidence and conviction in what you speak.

(g) Your non-verbal cues should match your words and at no time you should show with your gestures or facial expressions that you are getting irritated or bored or aloof to what the interviewers are enquiring about.

 

Public Speech / Presentation

Public speech or Presentation is one such forms of mass communication where one addresses a (large) gathering of people. Giving a speech is a craft that one needs to inculcate in oneself so in professional life it may come to much use. It is not that only a political leader needs to know the craft of addressing large audience, but there are various kinds of jobs throughout the world where the art of addressing mass is a prerequisite. Think about a situation when you are heading an institution or you are the Public relations officer or the media coordinator of an institution, it becomes essential for you to address large audience.

Public Speech is different from Presentations in the sense that in Public Speech one is speaking to divergent mass whose background one is not aware of, whereas in presentation one is speaking to a select group of people whose academic and professional background are more or less similar to you and who have (more or less) similar interests. So a presentation is of a different nature than that of a Public Speech, but in both forms of oral communication what is needed is to catch the attention of the people which can be done either by speaking something new which the audience is not aware of or by saying things in such a manner which catches the attention of people.

In Public Speech, one has to rhetorical to catch the attention of the audience. It is very important to gauge the pulse of the audience as soon as possible and then react according to it. When one is a public leader, one has to figure out what are the expectations of the audience and one needs to present oneself according to those expectations. But at the same time one needs to go beyond those expectations to mark oneself as a good speaker.

In a presentation whether in a classroom or an office or a boardroom, etc, one has to keep in mind various things. They are –

· Time Limit: Usually in a presentation there is a time limit given and one should try to wrap up one’s presentation within that time as there should a discussion post-presentation about what you presented. Moreover, keeping within the time limit is necessary as the audience’s time should be valued.

· Prepare yourself by writing: though in a presentation one speaks as one does in an extempore, but it is to be kept in mind that presentations are to be prepared beforehand and if possible even rehearsed so that you do not miss anything. Often it is good to write down the presentation and if not write down the whole thing then atleast make a structure in a piece of paper so that you have a framework ready.

· Often the framework of the presentation is circulated within the audience so that they are aware of the framework one is following during presentation. These days, people often take help of multimedia devices during presentation to make things clear.

· Non-verbal cues are very important during presentations as one’s body language, facial expressions, postures, etc. speaks a lot about what one intends to say. The conviction and confidence in what one is saying is brought forward in one’s presentation through the body language. Moreover, keeping an eye contact with the audience is a must as it ensures that your words are meant for them and it also helps in understanding their responses so as to mould the presentation accordingly.

· It is important often to provide an overview about what you are presenting as it makes it easier for the audience to follow it.

· It is also important that you emphasize what your main points are and where you are digressing as well as give them a summary of your presentation as the end of the talk.

· A presentation ending with a bang always is significant as it makes the audience have a strong impression about you as well as your presentation. At the end it is also important to ask audience for their comments, queries, suggestions, etc.