Developing Speaking Skills

Mend your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortune.

---William Shakespeare
In this unit, we will learn…

• Understanding the Speech Process

• Tools and Techniques for Effective Speaking
• Various Levels of Speaking (Interpersonal, Group, Organization, and Society)
• Art of Conversation- Dialogue, Discussion, Public Speaking, Presentation, Negotiation, and
Persuasion
• Improving Fluency and Self Expression
• Grasping Strategies for Good Conversation
Understanding the Process of Speech

• Speaking is the purposeful process by which people, using audible and visible
symbols, communicate meaning in the minds of their listeners.
• It is flexible, changing, as well as complex and varied.
• Whether it is an informal conversation or a formal business meeting, the
function of oral communication is creating messages that stimulate in
listeners meanings that bring about the desired change in their understanding
or opinions.
 Speech Process

While communicating a message orally, the speaker is concerned with five

factors, i.e. message, audience, speech style, message encoding, and feedback.
In order to speak effectively, it is important to Understand
PACESS
• Purpose- If you speak with a clarity of purpose, your speech will be more effective and
meaningful for the audience.
• Audience- To be an effective speaker, familiarity with one’s audience is necessary. The
more formal the speaking situation, the more important it is for the speaker to know
his/her listeners in order to decide how to present his/her ideas
• C0ntent- The speaker should be clear about what message he/she wants to get across. In
order to make a message have the desired impact, its content must be clear and relevant.
• Expression- It involves selecting a language, an appropriate oral form, and positive non-
verbal signals.
• Structure- A speech must be well structured to have a desired impact on the audience. It
should have proper beginning (introduction), development of the idea (body) and
conclusion.
• Style- Speech style is the manner in which the content of the speech is presented. It is
the manner of speaking.
 Different Types of Oral communication

While communicating orally, we may have the option to choose an appropriate oral form which
include:
• Face-to-face interpersonal communication (meetings, conferences, group discussions,
panel discussions, interviews)
• speaker-audience communication/group communication (speeches, debates, seminars,
workshops, symposia),
• electronic communication (teleconferencing and videoconferencing) or telephonic
communication.
 The Art of Conversation

• The art of communication involves the transmission of information from one

source to another to convey a specific message in order to elicit a desired
reaction or result. Communications strategies and plans therefore focus on
delivering messages effectively to obtain specific results.
• It can be carried out in the form of Dialogue, Discussion, Public Speaking,
Presentation, Negotiation, and Persuasion.
 Conversations/Dialogues

• Conversation/Dialogue is “a communicative process in which people with different

perspectives seek understanding.” To be in dialogue means that participants are not only
engaging each other in light of their different views, but they are also striving to achieve a
degree of mutual understanding.

TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS
• Chat- e.g., two friends discussing about cricket.
• Tete-a-tete- a confidential/private conversation.
• Dialogue- conversations in a book, play, or film. Also, a formal discussion between two
groups or countries.
• Parley- A formal discussion between enemies regarding the terms of truce.
• Colloquy- the most formal of all conversations, sometimes describes a guarded exchange.
For e.g., A brief colloquy with the arresting officer.
• Communion- A form of conversation that may take place on such a profound level that no
words are necessary. For e.g., communion with nature.
 Strategies for effective
Conversations/Dialogues

• Listening Intently
• Developing ideas adequately
• Arousing and sustaining interest
• Involving everyone in the group
• Starting and ending conversations
• Using appropriate language
 Discussion
• Discussion is defined as an alternately serious and playful effort by a group
of two or more to share views and engage in mutual and reciprocal critique.
• The purpose of discussion is to encourage exchange of ideas and viewpoints
even though it may or may not lead to any decision or solution to the
problem.

There are two types of discussion:

(i) Spontaneous discussion
(ii)ii) Planned discussion
 Strategies for effective discussions
• Image description
• Listen & Repeat
• Pair and group discussion
• Role play
• Use oral bullet points
• Practice your stories
• Ask Good Questions.
• Provide Direction and Maintain Focus.
• Bring Closure
• Demonstrate Relevance
• Encourage Participation.
• Create a discussion climate early.
• Think “flow,” not “flawless”
 Public Speaking

• Public speaking refers to the process of delivering a speech in front of an

audience. It probably started in ancient Egypt, but the first written documents
about public speaking go back to the Greeks and Romans.
• The ancient Greeks used public speech primarily to praise or persuade others.
At one point, all Greek citizens had the right to suggest or oppose laws during
their assemblies. This resulted in a need for skilled public speakers. Speaking
in public became a desirable skill and was taught. Public speaking in the time
of the Greeks was called rhetoric.
The goal of the speech may be to educate, entertain, or influence the listeners.
Often, visual aids in the form of an electronic slideshow are used to supplement
the speech. This makes it more interesting to the listeners.

Some benefits to speaking in public include:

• improves confidence
• better research skills
• stronger deductive skills
• ability to advocate for causes
 Tips for Improving Public Speaking
• Know your audience.
• Write an outline.
• Practice makes perfect.
• Determine what resources you need, if any.
• Be yourself.
• Practice in front of a mirror.
• Give a test run to a friend or family member.
• Ask for feedback.
• Remember to speak slowly and clearly.
• Focus on eye contact.
• Use humor if applicable.
• Concentrate on eliminating nervous gestures.
• Try a practice run in the location you'll be presenting.
• Decompress and relax before you present.
• Get feedback from those in the room.
 Presentation

• A public speaking presentation is different from an online presentation because

an online presentation is available any time. A public speech is typically limited
to a specific time or place.

There are three types of public speaking presentations:

• Informative- Informative public speaking attempts to convey information or
clarify an idea. e.g. school presentations, science and technology presentations,
business seminars.
• Persuasive- Persuasive public speaking aims at causing a change in the belief,
attitude, or behavior of the audience. e.g. in sales, debates, to a group of peers,
political speeches.
• Entertaining- Entertaining public speaking includes storytelling or ceremonial
speeches like those occurring during religious and wedding occasions.
The following points are to be attended to when preparing for a professional
presentation:
• Planning: Occasion, audience, purpose, thesis, and material
• Outlining and Structuring: Introduction, main body, and conclusion
• Choosing the mode of delivery
• Guidelines for effective delivery
• Body language and voice
• Visual aids
 Tips for Improving Presentation Skills

• Be clear with your purpose.

• Structure your presentation: beginning, middle, and end.
• Prepare the PowerPoint slides with one minute, one slide rule.
• Keep animations to minimum.
• Give a feeling to your audience that you are not dictating but sharing information.
• Maintain eye contact with all sections of your audience and use well-timed gestures.
 Negotiation

• Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more parties to resolve points of

difference, gain an advantage for an individual or collective, or craft
outcomes to satisfy various interests. The parties aspire to agree on matters
of mutual interest. The agreement can be beneficial for all or some of the
parties involved.
• Here are a few examples of negotiation in business: Salary negotiation,
Vendor negotiation, Conflict-resolution.
 Types of Negotiation

1. Adversarial negotiation- In this type of negotiation, the

parties openly compete against each other.
2. Distributive negotiation- Distributive negotiation requires any
party’s gain to come at the other’s expense.
3. Integrative negotiation- In these types of negotiation
situations, there is more than one issue to be negotiated, and
negotiators have the potential to make tradeoffs across issues
and create value.
4. Multiparty negotiation- A multiparty negotiation is a type of
bargaining where more than two parties negotiate toward an
agreement. An example of a multiparty negotiation is
bargaining between multiple department leaders in a large
company.
5. Team negotiation- In a team negotiation, multiple people
bargain toward an agreement on each side of the negotiation.
Team negotiations are common with large business deals.
6. Principled negotiation- Principled negotiation is a type of
bargaining that uses the parties' principles and interests to reach
an agreement. This type of negotiation often focuses on
 Tips for effective negotiation

• Use numbers instead of ranges

• Ask open-ended questions
• Embrace the best alternative to a negotiated agreement.
• Discuss your needs and interests openly
• Perform research
• Listen during negotiation discussions
• Send clues with body language
• Aim for a win-win scenario
• Be persistent
• Consider your timing
 Persuasion
• The ability to make successful efforts in influencing others through verbal or nonverbal
communication is known as persuasion. Persuasion skills help in influencing someone’s
behavior or beliefs towards an event, idea, or person.
Examples of persuasion skills
• We may come across several situations in our daily life where we are required to persuade
others. Some of the most common examples of the same are as follows:
• Media advertisements (in written or visual form) are used by a marketing team to influence
their customers’ purchasing decisions.
• Motivational speakers use an article, speech, or video to influence their listeners.
• A teacher or mentor persuades a student to make good academic decisions and study well.
• Social campaigns to spread awareness regarding issues such as climate change, sustainability,
cancer awareness, vaccination, and more.
• Top executives and business owners close business deals that will benefit the company.
 Tips to Improve their Persuasion Skills

• 1. The framing method

• 2. Explain the benefits at hand
• 3. Use data to support your cause
• 4. Talk about “we” instead of “you”
• 5. Identity dissatisfaction
• 6. Ask guided questions
• 7. Provide Options
• 8. Prime them for the conversation
• 9. Illustrate Outcomes
 Strategies for Good Conversation
Most people cannot converse well and face difficulties in talking to their teachers, colleagues, and
even friends. Conversation skills can be improved by following some basic tips regarding good
conversation and learning effective conversation techniques.
• Be an Active Listener
• Be a Subtle Speaker
• Speak with Clarity
• Be Simple
• Use Appropriate Pauses
• Be Polite
• Be Friendly
• Be Positive
• Be Flexible
• Be Interested
• Do not Argue
 Improving Fluency and Self-Expression
• Improve your linguistic competence: Vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, phrases, sentence
structure)
• Articulation and pronunciation
• Voice Quality
• Accent and Intonation
• Body Language
• Eye Contact
• Facial Expression
Facial expressions must be kept quite natural. Positive facial expressions should be used. A
good smile gives very positive signals and helps to make the atmosphere friendly.
Facial expression should be consistent with the verbal message
• Gestures
• Posture and Body Movements
 Significance of Good Speaking Skills
• Speaking is essential to effective communication. One of the four language skills.
• Students need to interact orally with their teachers and classmates, make explanations
during tutorials and practical sessions, take part in seminars and workshops, technical
presentations, academic discussions, academic interactions, viva voce tests, and so on.
• On the other hand, professionals in different fields are required to take part in
discussions, meetings, conferences, seminars, business presentations, telephonic
conversations, teleconferences and videoconferences, and so forth.
• In fact, success in the highly competitive environment of today will depend not just on
professional knowledge but also on the ability to present that knowledge in an
appropriate oral form.
Thank You