Some people have excellent writing skills. Some people speak fluently and clearly. It’s a gift if one can speak with clarity and write with quality.
We are used to assessing the written word. Our schools give us plenty of opportunities to write. Literature Essays, Science Reports and plenty of other opportunities. However, speaking as a skill is often overlooked.
Speaking well is super important. It reflects your quality of thinking. What may speaking well entail?
- Speaking in clear sentences.
- Words flow from one to the next smoothly without deliberation and very few refrain phrases like “um”, “you know” , “right?” and other stock phrases.
- Avoiding a circuitous path when asking questions. Being precise when framing a question and using the right tone of voice when asking a question.
- Knowing when silence is important.
- Looking for right gaps in other people’s speaking so you can speak
- Paraphrasing other people’s sentences to emphasize a point or get better clarity.
- Recording some of your conversations and reviewing what and how you spoke. It’s super easy to record with the omnipresent smartphone.
Speech is like other muscles in our body that gets better with repetitive practice.
What are some other techniques to hone one’s speaking skills?
PS: There are many people with speech impediments. If you interact with them, you have to empathize and go the extra mile to encourage them to express themselves.
