Speaking the Unspeakable!

“Speaking the Unspeakable!”


Hands damp and clammy, perhaps even a little shaky? Don't worry; chances are you're not coming down with the flu but simply about to speak in public. Lenny Laskowski said in his book, ‘Overcome Your Fears and Speak like a Pro’
One of the definitions of speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode. It, like the other skills, is more complicated than it seems at first and involves more than just pronouncing words. No matter how we introduce it, it is never easy at the beginning, but with time and Proper Practice, we somehow can do better and better.
As a beginner, I searched and read many projects regarding speaking in public and found loads of books, tapes, CDs and Videos on how to be a Public Speaker. I found most of those speak about ways, skills and handiness on how to reduce fear when one is before a crowd. The fundamental hubs of their valuable productions were rotating round and round the physical, the mental and other minor techniques crushing the speaking anxiety that is a feeling about worry or fear, especially about the future.
Most, if not all, speaking literature coach the physical and the mental parts of a speaker requiring him/her to always keep in mind a bundle of ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ when addressing an audience. On one hand, for instance, a speaker should do the best in establishing eye contacts with attendees; speak with variety in his/her voice; slow down for a dramatic point and speed up to show excitement; pause occasionally for effects. When encouraging his/her audience, a speaker should take a step toward them; show facial expression as he/she speaks; smile when talking about something pleasant and let his/her face shows other emotions as he/she tells about an event or activity. Whatever his/her movements are, they should have purpose.
On the other hand, a speaker shouldn’t move about too often in order to allow people to listen and follow up the speech; should not read or memorize, but use keywords to trigger the thought in his/her mind and then speaks it. A speaker should not stand behind the podium most of the time. He/she shouldn’t ‘ERRR’ or ‘UMMM’; he/she should try to avoid ‘I am thinking’ sounds!
In addition to focusing on the physical and mental techniques, most literatures give importance to the ‘wow’ and/or the humor factors which would play a major role in subsiding anxiety, get you as well as your audience pumped for the speech, and help you to focus and carry on smoothly, of course, once used successfully. Well, in general, whatever technique a speaker uses, when he grabs the attention of the audience he is on his way to a successful speech, I think.
The previously mentioned was a sort of medication for anxiety for nearly all public speakers. Nevertheless, each and every one probably would agree that no matter how good we are in comprehending and applying the ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ and the other speaking, skill-factors, sometimes, it feels like standing under the umbrella and still getting-wet! Doesn’t it?
Why? Well, this brings me to a funny story, I reckon! There were two students who were learning English as a second language; their teacher, who was confident that his two students could speak English well, wanted to prove their speaking ability. So he invited both to a party and gave one of them alcohol. After thirty minutes, the drugged student, surprisingly, began to speak his mind freely and openly using the taught language. Well, simply put, alcohol killed his ego that is too much awareness of what is happening around us. Of course, next time we meet, I don’t expect each one of us to come with a bottle of alcohol to present a speech, but to realize that too much attention to what is surrounding us, like saying under your breath, “they are going to catch my grammar mistakes; they are going to realize that I am not a good speaker; what would they think of my accent?; or I am going to impress them!,” and so on, could possibly hinder our ability to deliver a speech significantly. So let us learn to relax and speak our sincere minds by caring less about how our thoughts would be perceived or judged. Just proceed like the unknown sage, "Know your stuff. Know whom you are stuffing. Know when they are stuffed."
To wrap up, maybe all the set of speaking laws, tips and hints regarding the physical, mental, wow, humor and the story about killing the ego could develop our public speaking skills, but what really makes you and I better and better speakers, every day goes by, is by relaxing standing here at Sahara’s Toastmaster Club, over and over again because a speaking skill is not a one-, two-, or three-month, short-time course, rather it is a life-long experience, so let’s get comfortable!