How to?: Elocution/Public Speaking

Definition of elocution

1: a style of speaking especially in public

2: the art of effective public speaking

PUBLIC speaking sounds kind of scary. Yeah, you might not be comfortable or it’s stage fright. But for someone like me, sharing my thoughts verbally is calming, more impactful and oddly satisfying. Along with orally communicating, I love using actions and funny faces that add a fun element and allow me to share my opinions in a better way. 

 The art of oration can be complicated, and to be honest, I haven't mastered it yet. But here’s what I think: You really don’t have to be “perfect” in things you like to do. You just enjoy the process. And there are ways through which you can express your thoughts in a better way, and convey your message to your audience. So here are a few tips that might help you the next time you have to deliver a speech.

 Keeping it short: 📄🧾

This one is pretty obvious. Let’s be honest, nobody is here to listen to your 500-word essay on global warming. Keeping it straightforward not only keeps the audience from dozing off but also makes a lot more sense.  A lot of times, I’ve seen my fellow classmates writing verrry long speeches and orating it veryyyy quickly. It is very difficult to get the point and understand what the orator is saying. My tip is to write whatever comes to your mind, and then go through the content, edit out the things that seem to be unnecessary and you’ll have a “to the point speech”.

Allowing buffer time: ⋯⋯

This one’s related to the previous one. When you curate a speech, for example, for a  5- min class presentation, don’t make a dot 5-min speech, rather a 4-min speech, for some its and buts and so that you go a little slow so that your content is understandable. It also allows you to breathe because you can go out of breath while speaking in a super-fast manner. Also, it gives time to take pauses, which also makes the information easier to take in 

Eye contact:👀

Ok, a very important one. When you have eye contact with the audience or the judges – if it’s a competition, it looks like you're interacting with them and is also a sign of confidence. I actually used this tip and won a competition. A common mistake is to stare at a single place. I do understand that sometimes looking at the people watching you can make you a bit anxious, but slowly and steadily, you’ll get there :). 

Actions and expressions: 😁😔😖

Something that makes a speech much nicer to hear, and reflects a bit of your personality, is adding expressions and actions. Also, it makes your speech have a greater impact. Other benefits also include making you much more memorable. BUT, well there’s a downside. When you’re just beginning to use this form of communication, it might make you self-conscious while using such non-verbal actions, as it might distract you from your content. So I say, add this once you are comfortable and once you think you can do it.  

Voice Modulation: 🔉🔊

Raising your voice when you want to mention something with the emotion of pride, and using a slower and serious voice when speaking of something sorrowful. That’s basically changing your voice according to your content. This adds characters to your content. 

Stage Fright:😮😦

For me, stage fright got better when I actually practised or participated in activities that involved the stage, and slowly, it became just fine.  All you have to do is believe in yourself. Your biggest fears can be tackled once you actually give them a try. But I know that it isn't as easy… so all I can say is take it slow.  Your mind loves thinking about the worst-case scenarios. Just try to control it by trying to think of positive memories or manifesting a great performance.  Also if all the tips you’ve ever tried don’t seem to work, there also may be chances that you’re dealing with certain anxiety disorders and we’d recommend taking professional help in that case. 

And last but not least….

Enjoying it!: 🥳🎉

If everything fails, just try to take it easy, inhale….exhale….and don’t overthink it...because then it becomes an issue :(. If you stutter, nobody's gonna remember but you. When you enjoy, you radiate more joyful vibes. At the end of the day, even if nothing makes sense, make it fun for yourself and not others.

If you found this blog helpful, visit us weekly for more fun stuff. And let us know of tips you would like us to share. 

Thank you

Resources : 1) Elocution | Definition of Elocution by Merriam-Webster