Public Speaking: How to Do Practice for Being Direct and to the Point

Ahhh, to be direct and to the point in your communication.   I have heard that wish over and over.  What can you do to improve that skill?

You can learn to be direct and to the point by simplifying a story to two or three main points.  This is exactly what you do if asked a complex question by your boss, teacher or in a group or meeting or presentation.  You can do deliberate practice by taking a newspaper or magazine story you have read and first develop a summary sentence for it.  Next write the talking points, the two or three main points.  Then you could physically deliver and speak this short presentation.  Audiotape or videotape yourself if possible and analyze it as suggested in our blog on being your own voice and communication coach.

You can use the practice of coming up with a summary sentence and three main points in just about any situation.  Do it while you are driving when you see something interesting or when you are walking somewhere.  The practice possibilities are endless and each time you practice, you will improve your ability to focus and think in clear, economical ways in English.

Next time we’ll talk about how to relax before you present.

 Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

Rerun from 12/11/2013 and 01/18/2017

A Clever Technique for Breathing Before a Presentation

I love this tip for helping your breathing before a presentation.

• Take a good abdominal-diaphragmatic breath about 10 seconds before you are going to start your presentation.
• Take another good abdominal-diaphragmatic breath just before you begin your opening line.
• These two deep breaths will build your air supply.
• This will allow you to take smaller breaths within your presentation.

Rerun from 11/25/2013 and 02/20/2017

Public Speaking: How to Train Yourself to Stay

Staying focused when you are responding to complex questions is difficult for all people. Maybe the question comes in a meeting. Maybe during a presentation. It is even more difficult if you are a non-native born speaker of English or you have English as a native language and speak an accented English (Irish English, India English, Australian English). In you have English as a second language or moderately to highly accented English, you may be working very hard to make your English clear to understand or intelligible to your listeners.

What you need is to be focused. In sports they often call it “the zone.” It involves focusing your energy and thoughts and screening out all distractions. Whether in a group, classroom, or meeting room—the locations are endless – but all are filled with distractions.

To improve your ability to stay focused, pick a busy place like a shopping mall or the lobby of a busy theater or school. Lock your focus on one thing, such as a picture or plant and see if you can stay totally focused on that object. You need to erase all distractions from your mind. If your mind drifts, keep bringing your focus back to your object. This practice will help you stay focused in situations where you are asked to respond in a group and on a complex topic. Actors and athletes often use this technique backstage or prior to a game to get the focus they need to succeed.

Next time we’ll talk about how to deliberately practice being direct and to the point in your spoken English communication.

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

Rerun from Dec 4, 2013 and Jan 9, 2017

Choppy Speech and the Breathing Solution

Here is a problem that can happen with poor breathing during presentation speaking:

• Poor breathing may result in choppy disjointed speech that can happen when you take a breath pause at the wrong time.
• The solution: do greater inhalations using the diaphragm and abdominal muscles.
• Mark your script with pauses, one slash line for a pause with a  little catch breath,  two slash lines for a pause with a full breath inhalation.

Rerun from 11/08/2013 and 02/13/2017

Public Speaking:  How to Be Your Own Voice or Communication Coach

How to improve your own presentation style.  You CAN learn from others.   Use video media (television, movies, YouTube presenters, website videos) to do your own communication analysis.  Choose samples of people you think do very well.  Learn from the experts.

It is fun!

When you study these video recordings do this.  Watch first with sound and video.  Then look away from the screen and just listen.  Finally, turn the sound down and just watch.

Without the video, you will be able to study the delivery by voice.  Listen to the level of vocal energy.  Listen to the resonance of the voice, the richness, and fullness of the sound.  Listen to the volume.  Is the pronunciation clear?  Is the verbal message direct and to the point?  Are there too many verbal fillers?

When you are watching without the sound, watch for gestures.  Look for tension in the body.  Notice how focused the person is.  Watch how the person is breathing.  Look for connection with the audience. Watch the eyes and facial expression for that.

Take notes on what works well and what you see that you would change.

Nowadays, many people can video record themselves on their smart phone or IPad or similar devices.  Apply the procedure described above.  Be your own voice and communication coach!

Next time will be to learn how to screen out all distractions during a presentation.

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

Rerun from 11/27/2013 and 01/04/2017