When it comes to oratory, every detail is crucial. There are no trifles in this topic, because you will develop a style of speech. When you master rhetoric, try to remember that first of all you need to improve your diction. If during conversations you swallowed most of the words or people around cannot understand what you just said, then you need to try to improve clarity and diction, work on oratory skills.
Let's get acquainted with some effective methods that will tell you how to make your speech literate. Thanks to the tips below, you will be able to speak more clearly, regardless of whether you are in the company of friends or speaking to the public.
Do not rush while talking
Speech speed is very important in oratory, but a person who speaks quickly and slurredly is not respected. Therefore, here is the first piece of advice: control your breathing and listen to your words.
Watch the singer on stage and you will see how much attention he pays to his breathing. The same thing happens during a conversation, it affects the clarity of your speech.
One way you can provide the right breathing method is to use this exercise:
- Put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
- Take a breath. You need to breathe so that the hand on the stomach moves, and the one on the chest remains motionless.
- Once you have taken the right breath, you should start talking and thinking only about words. Also, do not forget to slowly and gradually exhale during pronunciation.
In this case, you make the diaphragm work. This method is used by all vocalists who learn to distribute air over the time period they need, while pronouncing the words - clearly and without shortness of breath.
Get your thoughts together
Your speech should be measured and intelligible, but not too slow, otherwise people may think that you are a robot.
Clarity of speech is determined not only by the correct wording of the phrases, but also by the most distinct expression of the point of view, opinion or any information. This means understanding what you think before you say it and guaranteeing the authenticity of each spoken word.
A bit about public speaking
Let's find out what are the means of expressiveness of speech and how to make it more literate. So, give preference to public speaking, because this is another way to improve your oratory skills.
If you need to present some kind of presentation, it is best to write the content on a piece of paper. Before public speaking, it is recommended to practice it during a walk, and best of all in any free minute.
Some actors actively use this method in order to program their brain for future shootings or performances. Each movement and gesture will help you remember what you are about to say. It is important to understand that in this way you do not memorize words, therefore during the presentation you will not seem like a mechanical robot, but at the same time you will be able to feel much more confident and, even if you are at a loss, start to improvise.
Speak one word at each step, pronouncing it slowly and with expression. At first it will seem like a tedious and difficult practice, but by saying phrases in this way, you will certainly learn to slow down your speech.
Repeat words that you find difficult to pronounce
The manner of speech includes the speed of narration, and the style and filtering of swear words, parasitic words. In addition, a competent interlocutor will always notice for himself how much you are knowledgeable and trained, pronouncing a particular word, using some terms in your monologue.
When we encounter difficulties in pronouncing certain words, we begin to rush and stumble during the conversation, which leads to confused speech.
Practice this method: pronounce complex names aloud, start doing it slowly, and then gradually accelerate. Words like compromising, grapefruit, shortness of breath, ascertaining, etc., are considered to be among the most difficult because their spelling is different from how they sound.
A few exercises for diction
The manner of speech does not develop on its own. Competent and beautiful pronunciation, the ability to maintain pace and clearly articulate all the words is a difficult practice in oratory. To achieve this the first time does not work, you need to engage regularly.
Those who played the famous Sims, with a smile, recall how they “pumped” the character's charisma. Despite the fact that this is a computer simulation, there is still some truth in it. The characters needed to get up near the mirror and develop a style of speech along with diction, speed, volume. Why is it necessary to look at your reflection? Because this is how you learn not to look away from the crowd, begin to control verbal gestures and understand where you need to smile and where to change the timbre of your voice.
Diction exercises:
- You must touch your mouth with your tongue. Make them a few rotational movements. Run your tongue over your teeth as if you were brushing them, and then try to touch the tip of the sky.
- Press the lips, cheeks, nose and skin on the chin with your fingers. Inflate your cheeks so that they form a tight ball like on a drum. Tap all of these places with your fingertips, like chopsticks.
- Say tongue twisters to improve speech and diction. Do it every day for 5-10 minutes. Start at a slow pace, and then gradually increase the speed until you start to pronounce them, as expected - quickly and clearly. Pronounce each word so that your tongue, jaws and lips work, move. Emphasize tongue twisters with emphasis and sound.
- We complicate the task with tongue twisters. Before pronouncing them, put a few small pebbles or nuts in your mouth. Of course, in this case you will have to make great efforts to pronounce phrases clearly and clearly. This way you train your mouth muscles and improve your speech.
Fear me
Many people wonder how to make their voices strict. To do this, you need to learn how to warm up the vocal cords so that they are relaxed. Thus, you can speak not only clearly, but also change your timbre. Sing a few notes, even if you haven’t done this before. Say the sounds “Mmm”, “Uuu”, “Ahh”, “Ohh” several times, changing the intonation from high notes to low notes, and then vice versa. Imagine your voice is like a ferris wheel that goes up and down in a circle. Beep, slap yourself on the chest. This will help you get rid of sputum, which may be in your throat and interferes with making your voice lower.
Speech Improvement Tips
Verbal communication is not just about listening, writing or talking. This is a whole art that allows you to convey your thought to another person. Therefore, in the first place, it is necessary to develop vocabulary in order to improve your speech. That is, reading refers to verbal means of communication. You can study everything - newspapers and magazines, high-quality fiction, classics. Read aloud, take your time, delve into the thought that the author set out. This will teach you how to build words and sentences using a huge stock of phrases and terms.
Secondly, restrain your emotions during communication. Do not wave your hands, do not shout, but do not speak too quietly. It is also important to monitor the pace of your speech. It should not be monotonous, and key moments can be divided by a pause. This should be appropriate and not too long.
Finally
You can make your speech literate if you exercise regularly. Friends, TV and radio can help with this. Try to imitate the leaders, do not hesitate to add relevant proverbs and sayings to the phrases, do not be afraid to repeat the intonation and timbre of your voice, memorize new words and read more literature, do not be shy about public speaking. All this will help to make you a real speaker and master of your craft.