IMPROVING YOUR SPEAKING SKILLS

Speed

Time yourself presenting the speech. You will need to talk more slowly than you do normally. This allows your audience to absorb and consider what you are saying – and have plenty of time to laugh at your jokes!

Try to aim at about 100 words per minute (wpm). This is a little slower than you should speak, but the flow of adrenalin you will experience when you stand and deliver will speed you up to the right speed (about 130 wpm). If you rehearse at 130 words a minute you’ll probably speed up to around 160 wpm which is too fast. At 100 wpm model speech 1 should have lasted about 4 minutes, speech 22 about 31/2 minutes and speech 41 about 41/2 minutes.

If you are within 30 seconds either way of your target time, that’s fine. If you are not, you will need to adjust your pace. Remember that if you are speaking too quickly, you will need to say the words more slowly, not leave long gaps between each sentence.

Pausing

Have you punctuated your speech with short pauses, such as:

Reverend Green, Ladies and Gentlemen – [pause] Friends ...

But let’s face it, Karen is a very lucky lady too. [pause] No, I don’t mean ...

Talking of words, do you know what the name Kevin actually means? [pause] Well, believe it or not ...

Pauses are the valleys that let listeners see the peaks. A pause can create anticipation in an audience, and heighten its attention for whatever follows. It can be used to good effect:

• before you start
• before an important phrase or sentence, or perhaps mid-sentence
• before a change in style, such as humour to seriousness
• before your close
• before your toast
• before you sit down.

Articulation

This means speaking distinctly. Listen to your tape again. Did you speak clearly? Did you say Ladies and Gentlemen or Ladiesangentlemen? If you need to improve your articulation, try:

• moving your lips more than you would normally
• emphasising the consonants slightly more
• leaving a very short pause between each word.

Enunciation

This means emphasising key words, syllables and phrases, for example:

the best way to get the last word in any argument is to say ’sorry’. happiest day so far that is ...

well I don’t know about Bells, but I work with Kevin at Fenn Street School and I can tell you he is one of the best Teachers I know.

We all do this in conversation, but it is a good idea to exaggerate slightly more when giving a speech. It adds variety, as well as bringing out important points. However, be careful where you place your emphasis. Consider any sentence, for example:

The man said the woman was a fool.

and the effect of putting emphasis on different words.

The man, said the woman, was a fool.

The man said the woman was a fool.

Changing the emphasis can alter the meaning, so check that you always put the emphasis on the right word(s).

Pronunciation

Were you able to pronounce every word?

Poor pronunciation makes a bad impression and may confuse your audience. If in doubt, leave it out. There are plenty of other suitable words you can substitute that you can pronounce.

Modulation

How much did you vary your pitch and tone?

Modulation is essential to keep your audience’s interest and to guide them through your points. Most of us modulate in conversation, but some people sink into monotone when making a speech. If your speech sounded a bit flat, listen to TV presenters or announcers on the radio. Notice how they use modulation to introduce a new topic, break up points, convey whether comments are serious or light–hearted, and so on. Then try presenting the speech again, varying your pitch and tone.

Pitch

Nervousness raises the pitch of the voice. So, when starting your speech, your voice is likely to be higher than normal. You should deliberately lower your voice a little to compensate. If you think about your words as you speak, your pitch will vary automatically.

Repetition

While this is to be avoided in written work, it can be used to great effect in a speech. When repeating words or phrases, it is best to vary the tone and pitch, for example:

We will have a wonderful life – a wonderful life together.

Projection

The last – and most important – question is: Will everyone be able to hear you? If not, all else is lost. If you need to improve your projection, stand up straight, and take two or three deep breaths. Then start speaking, concentrating on throwing your voice (but not shouting). Practise until you can project your voice with ease. When making your speech, check whether everyone can hear you by watching the faces of people furthest from you. If they seem to be straining to hear you, then you will need to speak up.

Here are some hints that will help you project your voice more effectively:

• Keep your head up.
• Open your mouth more than during normal speech.
• Use clear consonants.
• Speak more slowly than usual.

Once you have drafted your script, record it and assess your presentation against these same nine guidelines. A speech is like a pair of shoes – it will always benefit from a little more polishing.