If you do not know how to speak well and express your thoughts clearly, then it will be very difficult for you to become a successful and respected person. The ability to speak clearly and share your thoughts with people so that they immediately understand you will be useful not only during working hours, but also in everyday life. Thanks to these skills, you can easily win the respect of your boss and colleagues, solve any everyday problem that arises out of the blue, and come to an agreement with complete strangers without shouting, scandals, threats and hysterics.
People do not want to waste their time listening to a bad storyteller whose speeches are too boring, monotonous and uninteresting. They can pretend that they are listening to such an interlocutor, but in reality they will not hear or understand anything that is said. And there is nothing strange in this, because communicating with an interlocutor who does not know how to speak correctly and beautifully is not the most pleasant thing in the world.
A person who knows how to speak competently and very clearly express the thoughts that have visited his head has a special charisma. He is confident in himself and his abilities, so he does not need to raise his voice or insult his interlocutor and get personal in order to convey his point of view to him. If you know how to speak beautifully and argue your position, then people will listen to you with sincere admiration and will try not to miss a single word you say.
How to learn to speak beautifully and clearly express your thoughts? There are several effective ways through which you will not only learn to use and select those words that will optimally reflect your thoughts, but also be able to carry on a conversation about any subject for hours without any inconvenience.
Training diction
To attract the attention of the person you need, convince him that you are right, agree with him on further cooperation, exert a certain influence on him and win him over, you must have perfect diction. Thanks to diction training, you will learn to correctly change intonation, clearly pronounce consonants and vowels, highlight important points with your voice, etc.
Diction training begins with proper breathing. If you breathe incorrectly, your voice will begin to break, you will take long pauses between words or sentences, because of which the meaning of the phrases you say will be perceived by listeners in a distorted form. This is why many famous speakers use speech or diaphragm breathing during one or another public speech, since they most often do not have enough normal breathing.
To learn how to use air correctly and restore it in a timely manner, you need to practice a specially developed system of breathing training. This activity requires a person to have iron willpower, great patience and perseverance, but it is worth it.
Once you have learned to breathe correctly, start working on correct pronunciation or diction. Turn on the recorder and read any text, then listen to the recording and evaluate your speech. Let a few people whose opinions you trust listen to the recording. Does your assessment match other people's assessments?
Analyze both your own opinion and the opinions of other people. Highlight the main shortcomings: pronunciation of vowel sounds without stress (weak position), incorrect pronunciation of soft sounds, loss or absence of certain vowel sounds, “crumpled” or “eaten” consonant sounds, incorrect connection of connecting consonant sounds, lack of clear pronunciation of whistling and hissing sounds and etc.
To improve diction, you should perform a set of exercises daily that are aimed at relaxing the muscles responsible for correct and clear articulation.
Start with the easiest exercises and gradually increase their difficulty. Proceed to a more difficult exercise only if you have completely mastered the previous exercise. To maintain the results already achieved, do not forget to repeat basic exercises once a week. We recommend: 11 effective exercises to improve diction in adults
What is meant by the ability to speak beautifully?
A beautiful speech consists of well-constructed, intelligible, convincing and easy-to-hear phrases. This skill is best mastered by radio presenters, for whom the voice is the only channel for transmitting information to the listener. They work to improve their speech in three main areas:
- Diction training.
- Improving speech technique.
- Expanding vocabulary.
The ability to speak beautifully is also necessary for lecturers and TV presenters, since a beautifully speaking person is always more pleasant to listen to. At the same time, they have the opportunity to additionally influence the attention of listeners through gestures and facial expressions, but these tools become truly effective only with well-delivered speech.
We work on the technique and content of speech
Many people make the mistake of talking too quickly. It is difficult for listeners to perceive a chattering person. No one wants to delve into the meaning of what an interlocutor who cannot control the pace of his speech says.
To ensure that the pace of your speech is pleasing to your listeners, you need to work on yourself every day. Start very slowly pronouncing this or that material that does not require any understanding: names of cities or countries, female or male names, numbers from one to one hundred, etc. Record yourself on a voice recorder so that later you will have the opportunity to pronounce words not only in forward order, but also in reverse order.
Try to remember this sequence of words over time. This way you can improve not only the pace of your speech, but also your memory. After this, proceed to repeating the sequence of words by ear. Text that should be written at a fast pace should be repeated very slowly.
How to learn to understand the taste of a word
There are times when words are the tool that will allow you to achieve your goal: to find mutual understanding, to convince someone, to evoke emotions. People understand words differently. Despite this, first you need to do a lot of work on yourself, understand the taste of the word, and only then learn to influence other people. Therefore, we will primarily focus on the first step. Has it ever happened to you that you suddenly understand the essence and taste of a word that you use every day? This is called insight and happens to everyone. To put this process on stream, in order to develop the skill of noticing what is hidden under the iceberg, you need to adhere to several rules. Read about them in the article. Read more…
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“Putting up” a vote
A well-trained voice is needed not only by actors, musicians and representatives of other creative professions, but also by those people who want to learn how to speak beautifully and clearly express their thoughts.
To become the owner of a voice that has ideal strength, range and timbre, you need to systematically train it. Clear and loud recitation of poems, prose poems, elegies, fables, or any other texts that evoke positive emotions will help improve your voice power.
To expand and “tune” the range of your voice, perform special text exercises every day in the lowest or highest tones. Depending on your goal, your voice should become lower or higher.
The timbre of the voice depends on the additional tone (overtones). The sound of the additional tone resembles a kind of echo. An additional tone occurs when the sound of your voice is reflected from the larynx, skull, chest cavity, or the surface of any other natural resonator.
Oratory: exercises
Many of us would like to have public speaking talent: the ability to speak beautifully and persuasively and present our ideas can greatly improve everyone's life. But what steps do you need to take towards becoming an outstanding public speaker? This is where special exercises come to the rescue. Of course, you can ignore such things, thinking that everything will work out on its own, but practice shows that even in rhetoric, a systematic and competent approach greatly increases results and allows you to achieve success many times faster than if you study haphazardly. Read more…
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Developing speech
Many modern people do not understand why they need to learn to speak beautifully and clearly express their thoughts. They spend a lot of time in front of a computer monitor or TV screen. Our contemporaries read little and are gradually turning into tongue-tied Neanderthals.
To develop your speech, you need to learn how to construct sentences correctly, increase your vocabulary, learn to highlight the main thing in your speech, get rid of filler words and expand your conversational practice.
4.1. Learning to construct sentences correctly
When a person systematically constructs sentences incorrectly, this indicates that his speech is monotonous and illiterate. If the narrator begins to speak a sentence, but cannot finish it because he constantly has problems finding the right words, then no sane interlocutor of such a narrator will listen for a long time.
You should begin your acquaintance with the technique of correct construction with written exercises. Keep a general notebook and write down in it your observations and thoughts, aphorisms you heard or read, catchphrases, quotes from great people, etc. If you have to speak in front of an audience, then draw up a plan for your speech in advance, transfer it to paper and, repeating individual expressions, retell the text according to an already prepared and written plan.
Keep a diary and “share” with him your impressions, thoughts, ideas, memories, experiences, etc. Keeping a journal will not only help develop your speech, but will also help you learn how to construct sentences correctly.
4.2. Increasing vocabulary
A meager vocabulary indicates that a person has poor and undeveloped speech. A storyteller who constantly uses the same words to express his judgments, comments and subjective assessments does not make a very pleasant impression on his listeners.
✔ To diversify your speech, increase your vocabulary and earn the respect of those around you, you need to systematically work with an explanatory dictionary. If you hear a word somewhere that is unfamiliar to you, immediately look it up in the dictionary, find out its meaning, write it down in a notebook or notepad and try to remember it. To remember a new word, make up a sentence with it, since a term taken out of context can be perceived in a distorted or completely incorrect form.
✔ By solving scanwords and crosswords, you will not only increase your vocabulary, but also learn to understand the ambiguity of a word, because crossword compilers often use its meaning in an ironic or allegorical sense.
✔ You can also expand your vocabulary with the help of magazines and newspapers. Read not only glossy, but also specialized publications. Economic, legal, medical, psychological articles will enrich your speech with new terms, and your brain will receive useful information and new knowledge.
✔ Expand your social circle. Meet lawyers, economists, engineers, teachers, doctors, programmers and representatives of many other professions about which you know almost nothing. When communicating with such people, you will hear some words that are new to you. Be sure to learn the meaning of these words and gradually introduce them into your daily speech.
4.3. Let's highlight the main thing
If during observation attention to detail is a priority, then during public speaking excessive detail most often leads to the fact that listeners begin to lose interest in both the narrator and his story. Do you want to learn how to speak beautifully and express your thoughts clearly? Then you need to be able to compress the information that you share with your interlocutor.
To highlight the main points, you should create a clear plan that will allow you to emphasize the most important details, determine the sequence and focus the attention of listeners on priority aspects.
Substitution, elimination, and generalization are the three main techniques experienced speakers use to condense their text. Thanks to these techniques, you can turn the most uninteresting and drawn-out text into a true masterpiece of eloquence!
4.4. Getting rid of parasitic words
A person who wants to learn how to correctly express his thoughts must get rid of parasitic words. Parasitic words such as “in principle”, “here”, “well”, “as if”, “like”, “damn”, “tinny”, etc., kill the beauty of speech and spoil its sound.
To get rid of parasitic words, you must first record your speech on a voice recorder, then listen to it and analyze it. Mark those words that negatively affect your speech and spoil it. Ask your household, relatives and friends to correct you as soon as they hear this or that parasitic word from your lips.
If you're overusing the "bang" and "bang" sounds, then you need to work on the tempo of your speech. When choosing between a short pause and a “beep,” give preference to the first option, because pauses between words or sentences do not cause such negative reactions in listeners as a “beep.” If you learn to control the pace of your speech, you will be able to stop in time before blurting out something stupid or uttering a filler word again.
4.5. Expanding conversation practice
Take every opportunity to speak publicly. Public speaking will help you understand your mistakes and correct them, gain confidence in yourself and your abilities, monitor the public’s reaction to your point of view, etc.
The more you communicate with people, the easier it will be for you to learn to speak beautifully and clearly express your thoughts. Don’t be afraid to make new acquaintances or communicate with people you know on topics that you haven’t thought about discussing with them before.
Don’t be afraid to occasionally look at your notes during a public speech. There is nothing shameful in this, because you are a living person, and not a robot that acts automatically and never makes mistakes.
During a conversation, use those gestures that not only make you feel comfortable and cozy at the moment, but also evoke the right associations in your listeners.
Online program "Modern Rhetoric"
In 8 weeks in this program, you will master and learn how to apply traditional and modern rhetoric techniques for speeches, presentations, vlogging, stand-ups and much more. You will learn to speak clearly, intelligibly, control your voice, behave correctly on stage and work with the audience, cope with the fear of speaking, prepare good speeches - from planning and searching for material to the actual text of the speech, and, of course, argue your speech. The program is suitable for both those who are just starting their journey as a speaker, and those who are already professionals but want to improve their skills. Find out more...
Working with words is work, but the work is interesting and exciting. The faster you immerse yourself in the process, the faster you will taste success. Go for it!
We also recommend reading:
- Storytelling
- Preparing and delivering a speech
- How to develop eloquence: some tips
- The power of words in practice
- Learning your native language: a selection of useful materials
- Five Canons of Rhetoric
- Orthoepy - why it is important to speak correctly and how these rules arise
- Best Blog Content of 2021: Writing
- Recommendations for learning Russian
- Nora Gal's advice to those who work with words
- Tips for working effectively with your audience
Key words:1Rhetoric
Learning to describe objects
This exercise will help you learn to speak beautifully, express your thoughts clearly and easily talk about a particular subject all day long. Focus your attention on some object that you have in your home: a wall clock, a plate, a gas stove, a sink, etc. Think about this subject and try to talk only about it for 5-7 minutes. Try to use beautiful literary language.
At first it will be very difficult for you, but over time you will learn to describe objects in literary language. As soon as you see progress, complicate the task: gradually increase the training time and choose those items whose description causes you certain difficulties.
Reading the right books
Correctly selected books will teach you to speak correctly and beautifully, express your thoughts clearly and clearly, not be afraid of public speaking, and feel like a confident and self-sufficient storyteller. We bring to your attention the most effective and popular books that will help broaden your horizons and develop your speech.
6.1. The book “The Art of Speaking and Listening” by Mortimer Adler
Editor, philosopher, active supporter of humanities education and teacher, American Mortimer Adler wrote a truly brilliant book that should be in the home library of every self-respecting person!
In the first chapter of his work, Mr. Adler clearly and extremely clearly explains the difference between writing and speaking, reading and listening. If a written text can be improved, corrected, shortened, and what you read can be returned to more than once to rethink and understand differently, then what was said or heard earlier cannot be corrected, since you need to speak and listen right now and right here. Listening and speaking, unlike writing and reading, both begin and end in the same period of time, so they cannot exist separately.
Adler argues that the purpose of any human communication is to meet the minds of the interlocutors. The most difficult thing in a conversation is to clearly and clearly express your thoughts in words and understand what your interlocutor is trying to tell you. Finding common ground with another person requires a lot of mental energy. People who are not ready to make such sacrifices can be called sluggish and lazy interlocutors, because their intellectual laziness prevents them from becoming active participants in an energetic conversation and achieving the necessary results.
The author of the book “The Art of Speaking and Listening” teaches his readers silent listening, uninterrupted speech and conscious two-way conversation, which should become the principle of life for any sane person.
6.2. The book “Sell your idea!” Sam Harrison
Marketer Sam Harrison teaches his readers how to effectively pitch their ideas to clients, bosses, or any other stakeholders. The author has worked in the marketing field for more than 20 years and during this time he managed to sell his promising ideas to such famous companies as the NBA, American Express and Microsoft.
Mr. Harrison argues that ideas cannot sell themselves. He warns his readers that the brighter and more promising the idea that comes to their mind, the harder it will be to sell it to interested parties, because promoting this idea very often involves a certain risk.
Many people think that successful ideas are neglected due to lack of creativity among stakeholders, lack of time, opportunity or desire, etc. But Sam Harrison absolutely disagrees with this statement! He says that the problem of promoting bright ideas is that we lack special skills, without which it is almost impossible to implement this or that idea.
We understand perfectly well how to create and develop promising ideas, but we do not know how to convince other people of their benefits. That’s why in the book “Sell Your Idea!” the author teaches us to find a common language with clients, bosses and people who make decisions.
After reading this book, you will learn how to ask questions correctly, make persuasive presentations, convincingly refute your opponents' points of view, and much more. With Sam Harrison's book, you'll learn how to showcase your idea in all its glory!
Orthoepy - why it is important to speak correctly and how these rules arise
We live in strange times. On the one hand, we are told that in various fields professionalism is valued above all, and not how you dress, how you speak or how you present yourself. On the other hand, everywhere we have to deal with the opposite: a person is judged not by what he is, but by what he appears to be. Therefore, when applying for a job, a well-spoken candidate with dubious professional credentials has a better chance than a true master of his craft who cannot speak. So it is very useful for any person, regardless of his type of activity, to learn how to speak correctly. Even if his profession is not related to public speaking. Read more…
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