'CONNECT' 19 - Tips on Public Speaking - Tongue exercises

The tongue is the only tool that gets sharper with use.

Washington Irving

In a gym you will see people stretching and flexing their muscles to make it more supple. The same principle applies to our tongue. We have to make our tongue stronger, flexible and supple. There are some exercises to achieve this.

Here are some.

Tightly close your lips and extend your tongue all the way to the upper right molar teeth and move tongue in circle all the way through the upper and lower lips through the  left molar teeth. Do this three times to and fro. Repeat the exercise couple of times. Do it gently so that it causes no pain.

Close the mouth, push the tip of the tongue all the way sideways and touch the right molar teeth and move the tongue to the left and again to the right as fast as you can. Do it five times.

Stretch and protrude the tongue out as much as possible and retract the tongue all the way inside and touch the pallet of the mouth. Do it fast out and in five times.

Close your lips as tight as possible and push your tongue as forcefully as you can through the lips.

These exercises will improve the quality of diction and articulation.

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 18: Tips on Public Speaking: Tongue Twisters!

'If I went back to college again, I'd concentrate on two areas: learning to write and speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively'

Gerald R. Ford

Our tongue we see is not the complete tongue. The human tongue consists of the anterior and posterior parts. What we see is the anterior part. It is about two-thirds of the tongue. The posterior is the balance one-third and is closest to the throat.

To improve our diction and articulation, we should exercise the posterior and the anterior parts of the tongue. Tongue twisters help to stretch the tongue and this will improve the quality of our communication.

Tongue twisters are a combination of some words designed to be difficult to articulate. Tongue twisters are good warm up exercises. Practice tongue twisters for five minutes every day.

For example repeat the following tongue twisters:

She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.
The shells she sells are sea-shells, I'm sure.
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells.

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter.
The butter Betty Botter bought was a bit bitter
And made her batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter makes better batter.
So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter
Making Betty Botter's bitter batter better

These are only samples. Visit this website http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/en.htm and you will get 549 tongue twisters in English!

NC Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 17 : Tips on Public Speaking: the tongue, the gum, the teeth and the lips

'The tongue is the only tool that gets sharper with use'

Washington Irving

The clarity of your speech will depend on whether each word is clearly delivered to the ears so that they are understood. It depends on factors like enunciation, pronunciation, articulation, tonality etc. These factors decide the quality of your 'diction'.

Imagine that you go a departmental stores and see stacks of biscuit packets of various brands and variety, but you cannot see each packet clearly and your vision is blurred for whatever reason. Will you be able to select the biscuits? The same happens when you cannot hear the words spoken clearly.

The clarity of your voice depends on the way you use your tongue, the gum, the teeth and the lips. If you do not use the strings of a guitar properly, will you be able to produce a good music? Similarly, if you do not use the tongue, the gum, the teeth and the lips, your diction will suffer due to poor articulation and pronunciation.

In this the most important part is the tongue. Most of the diction and articulation problems can be corrected by using your tongue properly.

You need to give exercises to your tongue. One way is to use what are called 'tongue twisters'. We will see some examples in the next newsletter.

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 16: Tips on Public Speaking

'Communication works for those who work at it'

John Powell

Having understood the basic principle that we should have a good command on the language in which we want to speak, the next step is how to make our speech effective. An effective speaker will bring about a predetermined effect in the mind of the listeners. One of the NLP presuppositions is 'the purpose of communication is the response you get'.

Great people achieve the following through their speech:

• They change mindset of the listeners: for example from 'if I don't smoke, I will feel dull' to 'smoking is a temporary solution; what is even more important is health, and so I will not smoke'
• They change the 'thought process' of the listeners. For example, 'Brand X is the best value for my money' to 'May be Brand 'Y'  will be even better'
• They bring about a major shift  in the  decisions of the listeners
• Their speech brings about a change in the actions of the listeners and thus the result of speaking is accomplished.

Great speakers know how to use their communication process to get the response they want from the listeners. The quality of their speech delivery  far superior.

In the next newsletters we will see how they do it!

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 15: Tips on Public Speaking: Vocabulary

One forgets words as one forgets names. One's vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.

Evelyn Waugh

Here's one more idea to improve your vocabulary. Have a target for every day. Decide not to go to bed unless you have learnt at least five new words! When I say five new words, it could also be five different forms of a single word.

For example, if you come across a new word 'beautiful', think whether the word is a verb, noun, adverb, adjective etc. The word 'beautiful', as you know, is adjective. Write down the other forms of this word. For example 'beautifully' is adverb, 'beauty' is noun, 'beautify' is verb! A 'beautician' is a person you makes you beautiful by doing facial make up etc. A 'beauty parlour' is a place where you go to have your facial make up done. In this way, by learning just one new word, you have learnt five related words. Try to write a sentence using all these five new words.

Before I conclude this piece, I would like to say one more information. There are online dictionaries available. For example http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/. This gives you not only the meaning, but you can also learn how to pronounce the word. You should know how to pronounce the word correctly with proper diction.

NC Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 14 : Tips on Public Speaking: Improve your vocabulary

The most important thing is to read as much as you can, like I did. It will give you an understanding of what makes good writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary.

J K Rowling

The most critical element in public speaking is the command over language in which you want to become a good public speaker. It could be English or your mother tongue or any other language. Whatever be the language, you should know as many words and their usage as possible. It is called vocabulary.

Vocabulary is the number of words that you know within a language which you can use at ease either in conversation or in public speaking.

Like muscle building, we can also build good vocabulary by taking disciplined effort. The procedure is very simple: reading, listening, speaking and writing. You should read widely in the language in which you want to speak. Choose books and periodicals of your interest such as sports, hobbies, stories, novels etc. Listen to radio and television news and observe how they read and present the news. Notice for unknown words and write down the same. Next time when you speak, remember to use these new words you learnt. Always have a handy dictionary by your side and refer the dictionary when you come across any new word and write a sentence.

Try to learn at least five new words every day. Do this regularly and notice your vocabulary grow!

NC Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 12 Tips on Public Speaking

Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut.

Author Unknown

Like any other skill Public Speaking can be learnt if you have personal involvement and self interest. Like in singing, there is no one single best way to sing. Each singer has his or her own uniqueness. So also in public speaking.

In our life some people impress us with their unique and special talent. Public speaking is also a talent. Next time when you are in conversation with someone, or when you are listening someone in a public meeting, notice how they speak. Notice their style of delivery. Some speakers may impress you and some may not. Everyone who impresses you could be your role model.

Here is an exercise for you. Take a piece of paper and divide the same into two halves. On one side write 'speakers who impressed me' and on the other write 'speakers who did not impress me'. List what qualities of the speakers which impressed you and what did not. 

Record these qualities on the paper. For example, one speaker could have impressed you by his ability to tell a joke or a story. One other speaker could have told the same story in a monotone and in an unimpressive way.

By observing other speakers you can arrive at your own style!

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 11 Tips on Public Speaking

“Conversation, like certain portions of the anatomy, always runs more smoothly when lubricated.” 
 Marquis de Sade

Your success as a public speaker will depend on four critical factors: your knowledge on the subject on which you are going to speak; your preparation for your speech; your manner and style of delivery; your understanding of the audience; your fluency in the language in which you are going to deliver your speech.

First and foremost is the depth of your knowledge. You have to make a lot of research on the topic you have chosen to speak on. The more your knowledge, the less will be your stage fright.

Preparation will make you a good presenter. Have you ever seen an athlete who goes to the ground without preparation? Public speaking ability is not an overnight event. You need to practice, practice and practice.

The manner of your delivery is very important. Soft issues such as connecting with your audience and understanding them, the quality of your voice, diction, emphasis, inflection etc are some of the important parameters which will make your delivery a pleasant experience to your audience.

Fluency, of course, is very critical. Factors like vocabulary, use of idioms and phrases, ability to tell a joke or story, using metaphors and similes play a very important role in your speech.

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 10 Tips on Public Speaking

Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. It is to bring another out of his bad sense into your good sense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here's some more ideas on nervousness and stage fear.

You may expect that your delivery and presentation should be perfect and that any small mistake will spoil your entire presentation. You have to accept that no one is perfect. The perfect book is not yet written; the perfect music is not yet composed; the perfect human being is not yet born; the perfect picture is not yet painted!

May be you consider your presentation as a stage performance. No, it is not. It is just a communication process where you communicate your view point. Don't expect to be perfect. Be natural. If you make a mistake, you can always correct yourself.

Dress appropriately. Have a good sleep on the night before your presentation. Relax while you are waiting for your turn and take a deep breath. Prepare well on the contents of your delivery. Concentrate on how you want to communicate with your audience and not worry about how the audience will evaluate your speech. Make eye contact with the audience and feel confident.

Fake it to make it! This means that fake you are confident internally and this will reflect externally.

Once you become more confident as a public speaker, you will also become more confident in other areas of your personality.

NC Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 9 Tips on Public Speaking

Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose.

Bo Bennett

One very effective way to overcome stage fright is visualisation. Human beings alone can visualise. We can see the images of what we have done or going to do in our mind's eye. We can visualise a future event even before it actually takes place.

A confident speaker and a nervous speaker differ in what and how they visualise their upcoming speech event. A confident speaker sees a very positive picture of his delivering a powerful speech before his audience, his effectively handling difficult situations during his speech etc. On the other hand a nervous speaker visualises just the opposite. He visualises himself fumbling in front of the audience, making mistakes while delivering his speech etc.

If you have stage fright, do the exercise given below before you speech session:

Sit in a calm place, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Visualise yourself standing confidently before your audience and delivering your speech. See the faces of the people who are in the front row. Visualise them nodding their heads and acknowledging what you say. See yourself very confidently delivering the speech.

Repeat this exercise a few times before you deliver the speech and you will find a very big difference in your confidence level.

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 8 Tips on Public Speaking

A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success.

Joyce Brothers

As I mentioned earlier, the best cure for speech anxiety is speech itself! If you feel anxious to speak the natural tendency will be to avoid any occasion in which you may be required to speak. If you want to get rid of this problem, you should volunteer to speak first. You will get over the initial fear over a period of time.

One of the major causes for stage fear is negative internal dialogue. These internal dialogue discourage you from taking any initiative to speak. You should replace the negative inner dialogue with positive ones. Try the following:

'I will mess up this speech' to 'I am going to deliver a good speech'

'Others are critically watching me talk' to 'Others are my encouraging friends'   

'I am sorry I have to speak' to 'I am happy I got this opportunity to speak'

'I am not good at public speaking' to 'I will try to be my best and improve over time'

'I will feel nervous and lost in my speech' to 'I will relax and calm down'

You are what you believe yourself to be. By repeating the above inner dialogue, your own self belief will change from a negative to a positive one.

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 7 Tips on public speaking

You can change your world by changing your words... Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Joel Osteen

The first thing you have to do to overcome stage fright is to convince yourself on why you have to do so. List all the advantages you will have when you improve your communication skill. Consider how much your self-image and self confidence will go up.

Consider how much you will gain in terms of self respect. Consider it impact on your over all personality. Also reflect how much you have already suffered in the past due to your poor public speaking skills. Reflect what all you would have gained and what would have been the quality of your life now if only you had taken care of this important aspect of your personality.

If you are in profession such as a lawyer, a salesman etc., it  is all the more important to improve your communication skill since your earning will depend on your public speaking skill.

This personal conviction is very important to improve your public speaking skill since it calls for a continuous and consistent effort and practice. You need to invest your time for this portfolio of self development. Unless and until you are personally convinced, you will not commit yourself and participate in the process that will make you a good public speaker.

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 6 Tips on Public Speaking....

The best way to conquer stage fright is to know what you're talking about. 

Micheal Mescon

Many people suffer from shyness to speak in front of an audience . It is also called stage fright. Technically it is called 'glossophobia'. Such people will undergo intense anxiety prior to or during his speech and will avoid any occasion requiring his speech and expression. Some people will also experience distress, nausea or feelings of panic even when they think of an occasion requiring their speech!

I give below some useful ideas to deal with stage fear:

• Overcoming stage fear is a self initiated and self monitored exercise.
• The antidote is speech anxiety is speaking often and not avoiding speaking.
• Most speech anxiety is due to lack of preparation and practice. When you prepare well and practice, your anxiety will come down.
• Think positively and believe you are going to deliver a good speech and not that you are going to fumble and make mistakes.
• Get out of the feeling that others are waiting to criticise and find fault with you.
• Focus on your speech and not how others are going to evaluate.

It will be useful to undergo a formal training on public speaking where people will teach you how to overcome stage fear.

NC Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 5 Tips on Public Speaking

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.
Rudyard Kipling

Public Speaking is different from conversation. A conversation is carried out casually and informally in a friendly setting. On the other hand, public speaking is more formal and hence has to be structured, planning and anticipation. Public speaking also calls for more self control while delivering the message. Soft issues such as posture, gestures, body language etc are more relevant in public speaking than in a conversation. You may not want to involve the people in front of you in a conversation setting, but 'connecting' with the audience and knowing what they want and how they are receiving the content of your delivery is very important in public speaking.

In a conversation, when someone counters your argument you may decide not to meet the counter argument and even ignore the same. But, in public speaking, since the purpose is to convince the other person, you cannot ignore the counter argument.

Public speaking calls for 'decorative' aspects such as use of idioms and phrases, jokes, stores, metaphors etc. In a casual conversation they may not be relevant. We may even say that while conversation takes place in a friendly atmosphere, public speaking takes place in a competitive atmosphere.

In the next newsletter, I am going to deal with the first and foremost issue: how to deal with stage fear!

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 4 Tips on Public Speaking

'CONNECT' 4

Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall. 
Oliver Wendell Holmes

Whenever you learn a new skill, there are a lot of 'secondary benefits'. For example, when you learn to play chess, your ability to anticipate and plan improves while you also enjoy the game. Your respiratory system becomes healthy when you learn swimming.

In the same way, when you go through a formal training programme in public speaking, you also get the following benefits:

• The 'soft' aspects of communication such as diction, voice quality, articulation etc are refined.
• You become a critical thinker since you have to present your views professionally.
• The quality of your listening will improve since you have to counter the arguments put forth by others.
• Your ability to tell a story, joke or an anecdote gets refined.
• You overcome the stage fear and shyness and become a bold presenter. 
• You become an expert in organising your thoughts and ideas and present the same professionally.
• Ability to communicate powerfully and effectively improves your over all personality and image.
• Your fluency to communicate improves.

More than anything, communication is a very important life skill.

Many are confused about the difference between conversation and public speaking. We will discuss this in the next newsletter.

N C Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 3 Tips on Public Speaking

'CONNECT' 3

You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.

John Ford 

People ask me why should they learn public speaking skills since they have no idea to become a public speaker. Many think that public speaking means holding a mike in hand and addressing a large audience like a politician! It is not true.

There are lot of occasions when you have to speak out. There could be a farewell party for your friend who is retiring and you may have to speak about your friend. You may apply for a loan in a bank and you may have to explain why you need a loan. You may be in a marriage party and you may have to narrate an experience to your friends and relatives.

Of course there are other occasions where you have to really address a large gathering. Or you may be a salesman or a lawyer where you have to convince others about your point of view.

Great leaders such as Martin Luther King, Margaret Thatcher, Barack Obama etc won their office by the power of their public speaking. In recent time our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for his powerful speeches attracting thousands of people.

A pot is selected by the sound it makes. A person also creates an impression by the sound he makes!

NC Sridharan

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'CONNECT' 2 Tips on Public Speaking

'CONNECT' 2

It's better to keep your mouth shut and give the impression that you're stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.

Rami Belson 

Public Speaking a learnable skill like any other skill. Since all of have been speaking from when were a child, we think that public speaking is natural. Speaking is natural, but public speaking is an acquired skill. Walking is natural, but

safe walking is learnt. Undergoing a formal training in public speaking will 'polish' our natural speaking skill. For those whose strength is not in speaking, a course in public speaking will teach them the 'technology' of how to present their ideas to others.

A course on public speaking calls for investing our time to learn the nuances of the skill. Have you heard of an athlete who goes to compete in a match without a coach and a formal training? In the same way, you need to have a coach and follow his instruction and practice. It is like a cricketer sweating out in the net practice.

Since it calls for our personal commitment and involvement, we need to answer the first question: why public speaking is important?'.  If this question is not answered satisfactorily in our mind, we will not take the required effort to practice.

In the next newsletter I will address this 'why public speaking training' issue!

NC Sridharan

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