Afraid to speak on stage?
Most people get jittery when they have to speak on stage. They suddenly seem to suffer from stage fright. This is also often a deterrent to socializing and enhancing office contacts. To overcome these limitations a public speaking training program can do a world of good. Most of these public speaking training sessions focus on enhancing the confidence levels of a person and eliminating stage fright.
Releasing excess energy
Many times in a public speaking training session you will find that the trainer advises you to do some light exercises before the speech. A short and light run or some regular punches on the boxing bag can actually free up all your excess energy. The fidgetiness and hyperactivity can vanish by doing such light exercise forms. Why is it great? These exercises taught at a public speaking training program make you stress free but not so laid-back that you end up messing up your speech.
Don’t let those faces intimidate you
Usually when a person stands up on stage and the lights come on, the first thing that greets him is the stare of a thousand faces. It can be an intimidating experience. What most public speaking training programs aim to do is to help you think of these faces as your friends rather than a series of judgmental people sitting across you. They say the best way to conquer your fears is to face them. That’s why proper eye contact with the audience is critical. In any public speaking training session the trainer will help the person to initiate eye contact with the people in the room while giving a speech.
What eye contact really means
Most public speaking training programs will essentially help you differentiate between the glaring eye contact and the subtle glance that you give to an audience. The second approach has proven to be far more effective than demanding a direct eye contact with each person in the audience. It can be intimidating for the audience as well. Thus most public speaking training programs say that a regular sweeping gaze across the entire audience can help get their attention much better than direct eye contact.
Giving presentations impromptu
Most of us don’t have enough time to actually prepare for a public speech or presentation. Our boss may have asked us to give a presentation the very next day. In such cases having guidance from a public speaking training program can do a world of good. Such programs help you nail a presentation effectively within just a single day! By having the main points in mind, one can elaborate on these and deliver a flawless presentation without hassles.
Performing select actions
There are certain actions which subtly distinguish a successful public speaker from an amateur one. We may not notice them consciously but a public speaking training program can certainly point out these actions to us. These public speaking training sessions seek to repeatedly let the student practice these actions until it becomes almost like a reflex action which comes naturally
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Public Speaking Training is Important
5 Reasons Why Public Speaking Training is Important
Public speaking training is important as there are various occasions in your professional or social life when you might be called on to speak publicly. You need to do it right and you need to do it effectively. If you are not confident about your own ability in this regard, then it makes sense to take public speaking training.
There are quite a few people who think that public speaking qualities are ingrained in a person and training won’t help matters at all. However, it is the confidence and ability that is a part of the person and not public speaking in general.
The 5 Reasons:
1. Alleviating Your Fears
Many people have stage fright. They are fearful of speaking to a crowd of people. They are frightened of all the attention that would be on them and hence they are not comfortable with the aspect of public speaking.
An effective public speaking training course would help people allay those fears effectively. This is one of the most important components of any such course. Once the fear factor is minimized, persons can effectively give a speech without faltering or losing faith in their abilities.
2. Help Build Confidence
The inherent lack of confidence is something that always acts as a deterrent to effective public speaking. Such courses, help in building up your confidence. This is done by enhancing a person’s specific skill sets to generate maximum impact.
A person is shown how to maintain eye contact with the audience, and the various aspects of voice modulation. This will go a long way in making the person confident about his/her abilities.
One of the more important aspects of confidence building is to have content that is relevant to the topic in question. Moreover, speakers should also be comfortable with the content and all that is asked from them.
3. Will Help Develop an Individualistic Style
The best part about being a part of any public speaking training program is the fact that, your individual characteristics, abilities, and qualities will be used to create a unique public speaking style, which will suit your requirements.
A person’s own exclusive style will make, him/her a good orator. An effective training program, will not ask the participants to copy a style, but help them build a whole new distinctive style, which will be their own, and not borrowed from somebody else.
4. Will Introduce You to the Intimate Facets
There are various minute facets of public speaking that you might not know about. Things like creating a great first impression, when to give a pause, how to be interactive, the small but critical mistakes, etc are all brought to a person’s attention in a training program related to public speaking.
A person should know how and when to use humor in the speech. This would keep the audience interested and attentive. You can only know about these facets through a public speaking training course.
5. Giving a Platform for Practice
In the end, its practice that makes one perfect! You can practice in front of a mirror, but nothing compares to practicing in front of an audience. Most classroom training programs allow you to do just that, thus making it comfortable for you to speak in front of a real audience, when the time comes.
You must be careful about choosing a training program that integrates all the reasons that we have talked about. Moreover, to have any success in public speaking training, it’s important to be interested in it.
There are many more reasons why you must join such a training program. A public speaking training program is definitely important
Public speaking training is important as there are various occasions in your professional or social life when you might be called on to speak publicly. You need to do it right and you need to do it effectively. If you are not confident about your own ability in this regard, then it makes sense to take public speaking training.
There are quite a few people who think that public speaking qualities are ingrained in a person and training won’t help matters at all. However, it is the confidence and ability that is a part of the person and not public speaking in general.
The 5 Reasons:
1. Alleviating Your Fears
Many people have stage fright. They are fearful of speaking to a crowd of people. They are frightened of all the attention that would be on them and hence they are not comfortable with the aspect of public speaking.
An effective public speaking training course would help people allay those fears effectively. This is one of the most important components of any such course. Once the fear factor is minimized, persons can effectively give a speech without faltering or losing faith in their abilities.
2. Help Build Confidence
The inherent lack of confidence is something that always acts as a deterrent to effective public speaking. Such courses, help in building up your confidence. This is done by enhancing a person’s specific skill sets to generate maximum impact.
A person is shown how to maintain eye contact with the audience, and the various aspects of voice modulation. This will go a long way in making the person confident about his/her abilities.
One of the more important aspects of confidence building is to have content that is relevant to the topic in question. Moreover, speakers should also be comfortable with the content and all that is asked from them.
3. Will Help Develop an Individualistic Style
The best part about being a part of any public speaking training program is the fact that, your individual characteristics, abilities, and qualities will be used to create a unique public speaking style, which will suit your requirements.
A person’s own exclusive style will make, him/her a good orator. An effective training program, will not ask the participants to copy a style, but help them build a whole new distinctive style, which will be their own, and not borrowed from somebody else.
4. Will Introduce You to the Intimate Facets
There are various minute facets of public speaking that you might not know about. Things like creating a great first impression, when to give a pause, how to be interactive, the small but critical mistakes, etc are all brought to a person’s attention in a training program related to public speaking.
A person should know how and when to use humor in the speech. This would keep the audience interested and attentive. You can only know about these facets through a public speaking training course.
5. Giving a Platform for Practice
In the end, its practice that makes one perfect! You can practice in front of a mirror, but nothing compares to practicing in front of an audience. Most classroom training programs allow you to do just that, thus making it comfortable for you to speak in front of a real audience, when the time comes.
You must be careful about choosing a training program that integrates all the reasons that we have talked about. Moreover, to have any success in public speaking training, it’s important to be interested in it.
There are many more reasons why you must join such a training program. A public speaking training program is definitely important
Public speaker's success
Any public speaker's success depends on the orator's ability to attract the audience's attention and further retain it for as much time as it is necessary to completely expound the necessary ideas. This simple objective is reachable only in case the following principles are observed.
1. The audience must be interested in the topic of the speech. To be memorized, the speech should appeal to each listener in the audience and therefore topicality is the primary principle that should be taken into account when preparing a speech. Therefore, each speech is prepared on the basis of the previously collected information about the preferences and interests of the target auditorium.
2. The orator must use his fascination to persuade the audience. He must believe unconditionally in the subject of his speech and in the same time he should expound his ideas as if they have just stricken his mind, despite the fact that the speech could be composed beforehand by the professional speechwriters. It is necessary to understand that the listener has a subtle perception of creativity and as soon as he will realize that the speaker does not believe in what he says or the idea is someone else's words, the interest will fade instantly.
3. Emotional background is an important constituent of every speech. It is necessary to maintain versatility during the process of speaking. The speaker must control rhythm, inflexion, pauses and accents. It is possible to keep the audience's attention only in case the orator is able to maintain its emotional alteration.
4. Gestures and mimics of the orator must be natural, although it is hard to formulate the universal advice in this case. However, it is possible to say with utmost certitude that hesitating speaker is given out by his body. Successful orator does not merely control the process of speaking, but also watches his gestures and mimics, remaining inwardly emancipated.
5. The orator must be sincere. Advanced techniques of public speaking and any other manipulations are worth nothing without sincerity.
1. The audience must be interested in the topic of the speech. To be memorized, the speech should appeal to each listener in the audience and therefore topicality is the primary principle that should be taken into account when preparing a speech. Therefore, each speech is prepared on the basis of the previously collected information about the preferences and interests of the target auditorium.
2. The orator must use his fascination to persuade the audience. He must believe unconditionally in the subject of his speech and in the same time he should expound his ideas as if they have just stricken his mind, despite the fact that the speech could be composed beforehand by the professional speechwriters. It is necessary to understand that the listener has a subtle perception of creativity and as soon as he will realize that the speaker does not believe in what he says or the idea is someone else's words, the interest will fade instantly.
3. Emotional background is an important constituent of every speech. It is necessary to maintain versatility during the process of speaking. The speaker must control rhythm, inflexion, pauses and accents. It is possible to keep the audience's attention only in case the orator is able to maintain its emotional alteration.
4. Gestures and mimics of the orator must be natural, although it is hard to formulate the universal advice in this case. However, it is possible to say with utmost certitude that hesitating speaker is given out by his body. Successful orator does not merely control the process of speaking, but also watches his gestures and mimics, remaining inwardly emancipated.
5. The orator must be sincere. Advanced techniques of public speaking and any other manipulations are worth nothing without sincerity.
Oration Tips Inspired by Frederick Douglass
Oration Tips Inspired by Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass spent the majority of his life reading, writing, and spreading the message of equality for all humanity. He harnessed the power of words to inspire the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Refined oratorical skills were one of his primary weapons against the oppressive, unjust forces in society. When Frederick Douglass was a teenager, he earned enough money to buy his first book, The Columbian Orator by Caleb Bingham. The Columbian Orator is a book about the art of oration, as well as a collection of great speeches throughout history. Not only did this book help Douglass learn how to read, but it also helped him become one of the greatest orators of all time. The following tips are tried and true lessons employed and perfected by Frederick Douglass.
PRONUNCIATION is the most important part of oration. The audience must understand the words you are saying.
Pay proper attention to accent, emphasis, and cadence. The simple question, Will you ride to town today? can mean 4 different things, depending on the placement of the emphasis.
Do not be monotonous. Vary your volume, intonation, and pitch.
Keep your voice at a natural volume. If you are naturally soft-spoken, do not resort to shrill yelling for the sake of volume.
Control facial expressions and body gestures to coincide with the mood of the speech. Do not appear stiff.
Believe what you are saying. It makes the oration more natural, and therefore more moving.
Make the best use of your natural voice. Do not try to make your voice something it is not.
In general, try to end each sentence louder than its beginning.
Frederick Douglass spent the majority of his life reading, writing, and spreading the message of equality for all humanity. He harnessed the power of words to inspire the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Refined oratorical skills were one of his primary weapons against the oppressive, unjust forces in society. When Frederick Douglass was a teenager, he earned enough money to buy his first book, The Columbian Orator by Caleb Bingham. The Columbian Orator is a book about the art of oration, as well as a collection of great speeches throughout history. Not only did this book help Douglass learn how to read, but it also helped him become one of the greatest orators of all time. The following tips are tried and true lessons employed and perfected by Frederick Douglass.
PRONUNCIATION is the most important part of oration. The audience must understand the words you are saying.
Pay proper attention to accent, emphasis, and cadence. The simple question, Will you ride to town today? can mean 4 different things, depending on the placement of the emphasis.
Do not be monotonous. Vary your volume, intonation, and pitch.
Keep your voice at a natural volume. If you are naturally soft-spoken, do not resort to shrill yelling for the sake of volume.
Control facial expressions and body gestures to coincide with the mood of the speech. Do not appear stiff.
Believe what you are saying. It makes the oration more natural, and therefore more moving.
Make the best use of your natural voice. Do not try to make your voice something it is not.
In general, try to end each sentence louder than its beginning.
Oratory
“Oratory is the parent of liberty. By the constitution of things it was ordained that eloquence should be the last stay and support of liberty, and that with her she is ever destined to live, to flourish, and to die. It is to the interest of tyrants to cripple and debilitate every species of eloquence. They have no other safety. It is then, the duty of free states to foster oratory.”
-Henry Hardwicke
The power of the spoken word is undeniable. At all the great crisis and hinges in history, we find great speeches which swayed the outcome. Great speeches have motivated citizens to fight injustice, throw off tyranny, and lay down their life for a worthy cause. Words have drawn meaning out of tragedy, comforted those who mourn, and memorialized events with the dignity and solemnity they deserved. Words can move people to risk life and limb, shed tears, laugh out loud, recommit to virtue, change their life, or feel patriotic. By weaving and spinning words into great tapestries of art, a man can wield an almost god-like power. Of course, even the most malicious leaders have known this and sought diligently to hone this skill for nefarious purposes.
The power of speech can be used for good or evil and comes with great responsibility. Those who uphold virtue and goodness must be prepared to speak as masterfully as those who seductively and smoothly seek to convince the public to abandon its values and principles.
What is oratory?
“Not until human nature is other than what it is, will the function of the living voice-the greatest force on earth among men-cease. . . I advocate, therefore, in its full extent, and for every reason of humanity, of patriotism, and of religion, a more through culture of oratory and I define oratory to be the art of influencing conduct with the truth set home by all the resources of the living man.”
-Henry Ward Beecher
All oratory is public speaking, but not all public speaking is oratory. A teacher’s lecture, the best man’s speech, a political candidate’s stump speech, all of these things are not necessarily oratory, but they can be elevated to that status.
If public speaking is fast food, oratory is a gourmet meal. Not in pretentiousness or inaccessibility, but in the fact that oratory exists above the ordinary; it is prepared with passion, infused with creativity, and masterfully crafted to offer a sublime experience. Oratory seeks to convince the listener of something, whether that is to accept a certain definition of freedom or simply of the fact that the recently deceased was a person worthy to be mourned.
Oratory has been called the highest art for it encompasses all other disciplines. It requires a knowledge of literature, the ability to construct prose, and an ear for rhythm, harmony and musicality. Oratory is not mere speaking, but speech that appeals to our noblest sentiments, animates our souls, stirs passions and emotions, and inspires virtuous action. It is often at its finest when fostered during times of tragedy, pain, crisis, fear, and turmoil. In these situations it serves as a light, a guide to those who cannot themselves make sense of the chaos and look to a leader to point the way.
The history of oratory
Oratory in Greece
While the spoken word has been central to humanity since our species began to vocalize, it was in ancient Greece that speech would be raised to an art and true oratory would be born. A “golden age of eloquence” was ushered in by the statesman, general, and master orator Pericles. His funeral oration was perhaps the first great speech to be written and prepared for the public, and set the standard for all orations to come. Yet it is Demosthenes who is remembered as the greatest orator of Greece and perhaps all time. His speaking ability roused an Athenian people, deep in an apathetic slumber, to fight the threat Philip of Macedon posed to their liberty.
Yet the practice of oratory was not confined to the elites of Athenian society. Oratory was considered one of the highest arts, even a virtue. It was an essential part of every man’s education, the foundation upon which all other academic pursuits and disciplines were built. The mastery of oratory was considered an essential part of being a well-rounded man.
Oratory blossomed so splendidly and reached such an apex in ancient Greece because of its central function in public life. Athens’ democratic government marshaled every male citizen into politics. Any citizen could be called upon or inspired to sway others to the merits or criticisms of a particular piece of legislation. Laws were few and simple, giving judges considerable latitude in applying justice and lawyers great flexibility in making their case. The assembly, council, and courts were thus filled with vigorous debate and brilliant oratory.
Oratory in Rome
The art of oratory was slow in coming to Rome, but began to flourish when that empire conquered Greece and began to be influenced by its traditions. Roman oratory thrived in the courts, Comitia (assemblies where people debated the passing of laws), and Senate. Roman oratory borrowed much of its style from Greece, although there were differences. The Romans were less intellectual than the Greeks, their speeches less meaty and studded with more stylistic flourishes, stories, and metaphors. Nevertheless, Roman oratory was still a vibrant art and produced its own virtuoso: Cicero. Cicero’s “Catiline Orations” exposed a plot to overthrow the Roman government and did so with masterful eloquence and skill.
Great forensic oratory passed away with the fall of the Roman empire for “eloquence cannot exist under a despotic form of government. It can only be found in countries where free institutions flourish.” Tacitus, a century after Cicero’s death, lamented in the “Causes of the Corruption of Eloquence” that “the speakers of the present day are called pleaders, and advocates, and barristers, and anything rather than orators.” Lawyers began to hire claquers to attend their speeches and applaud generously, leading Pliny to note, “You may rest assured that he is the worst speaker who has the loudest applause.”
Modern Oratory
As democracy waned, so did great oratory. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, oratory was largely confined to the religious sphere. But it would be revived in the 18th centuries as France, England, and America created parliamentary bodies of government and the issues of liberty and freedom burned brightly in debates.
Great oratory began its current decline with the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Taking office during the Great Depression, FDR soon began his famous fireside chats. The country was demoralized and frightened, and Roosevelt’s warm, grandfatherly voice poured into millions of Americans homes, bringing a sense of comfort and security.
After FDR, Americans expected the same “folksy” speaking approach from all their presidents. Grand, eloquent speeches were considered a bit suspect, smacking of pretension and the lack of a common touch. Yet the reception and praise given to Barack Obama’s speeches suggest that there has been an untapped hunger among citizens for oratory that will inspire them and touch on their ideals (although the ancient Greeks would have criticized Obama’s speeches for sometimes emphasizing style over substance).
While a few great orators exist today, the art has generally fallen into disregard. When a man is called upon to speak, he often hems and haws, boring his audience to tears. It should not be so, gentlemen. It is time to resurrect and cultivate the art of oration.
Becoming a great orator
“Oratory is the masculine of music.” -John Atgeld
While most men will never summon troops into battle or debate a Congressional bill, every man should strive to be a great orator. Whether it is giving the best man speech, arguing against a policy at a city council, making a proposal at work, or giving a eulogy, you will be asked to publicly speak at least a few times in your life. Don’t be a man that shakes and shudders at that thought. Be a man who welcomes, nay, relishes the opportunity to move and inspire people with the power of his words. When a speaking opportunity arises, be the guy everyone thinks of first.
Being a great orator takes work. You must do the following thing if you wish to master the craft:
Practice, practice, practice:
“The history of the world is full of testimony to prove how much depends upon industry. Not an eminent orator has lived but is an example of it. Yet, in contradiction to all this, the almost universal feeling appears to be, that industry can affect nothing, that eminence is the result of accident, and that everyone must be content to remain just what he may happen to be. . . For any other art they would have served an apprenticeship and would be ashamed to practice it in public before they had learned it. . . But the extempore speaker, who is to invent as well as to utter, to carry on an operation of the mind, as well as to produce sound enters upon the work without preparatory discipline, and then wonders why he fails!”
The great myth perpetuated about public speaking is that talent in this area is inherent and inborn and cannot be learned. But our manly forbearers knew better. The great orators of the world from Cicero to Rockne practiced the art of oratory with resolute single-mindedness. Demosthenes exemplified this drive particularly well. As he was a child he was weak and awkward in both body and speech. But he determined that he would become a great oratory. Like TR, he built up his body with vigorous exercise. And he did a series of unusual tactics to hone his speaking skills. He would go to the ocean and attempt to recite orations louder than the waves. He then isolated himself in a cave to put full focus on the attainment of his goal. In order to avoid being tempted to leave the cave before he had mastered the art of oratory, he shaved half his head bald, knowing he would be subjected to ridicule were he to show his face in that state. In an attempt to improve his enunciation, he recited speeches while his mouth was filled with pebbles. He daily practiced his speaking in front of a mirror, improving any defect in his delivery or bodily movements. Finally, he had a nervous tic of raising one shoulder while he spoke. So to correct this, he hung a sword above that shoulder which would cut him were he to raise the shoulder. His work paid off handsomely; he became the one of the greatest orators of all time.
Be a virtuous man
“The speech of one who knows what he is talking about and means what he says-it is thought on fire.” -William Jennings Bryan
No grammatical garnish or oratorical flourish can add as much to a speech as good character. The very hint of hypocrisy will doom even the most eloquent speech. Conversely, when you are virtuous, honest, and earnestly committed to that which you speak of, this inner-commitment will tinge each word you utter with sincerity. The audience will feel the depth of your commitment and will listen far more intently then when they know it is mere claptrap.
Study all the arts
“In an orator, the acuteness of the logicians, the wisdom of the philosophers, the language almost of poetry, the memory of lawyers, the voice of tragedians, the gesture almost of the best actors, is required. Nothing therefore is more rarely found among mankind than a consummate orator.” -Cicero
In order to appeal to noblest and finest sentiments within your audience, your speeches must be filled with allusions to the greatest characters, events, and artistic expressions of history. Oratory thus combines all of the arts into one expression. You must keep abreast of current events and study human nature, religion, science, literature, and poetry. Read the newspaper. Watch great films. Read a least a paragraph of great literature each day. Do not simply frequent blogs and media sources that flatter your pre-existing view points! A great orator must be aware of the counterarguments your critics will raise and deftly address and defuse them before anyone else has the chance to.
Immerse yourself in great oratory
Take as your coaches and mentors all the great orators of the past. Read their speeches. Study the way in which they constructed their sentences, how the placement and arrangement of words builds rhythm, how the choice of words and stories creates vivid imagery. Examine how each line flows into the next, how the lines are distinct and yet together compose a cohesive, unified whole. Listen to great speeches. Listen to where the orators pause for effect, where their voice rises and falls. Ponder what makes certain sections electrifying and other parts captivating.
-Henry Hardwicke
The power of the spoken word is undeniable. At all the great crisis and hinges in history, we find great speeches which swayed the outcome. Great speeches have motivated citizens to fight injustice, throw off tyranny, and lay down their life for a worthy cause. Words have drawn meaning out of tragedy, comforted those who mourn, and memorialized events with the dignity and solemnity they deserved. Words can move people to risk life and limb, shed tears, laugh out loud, recommit to virtue, change their life, or feel patriotic. By weaving and spinning words into great tapestries of art, a man can wield an almost god-like power. Of course, even the most malicious leaders have known this and sought diligently to hone this skill for nefarious purposes.
The power of speech can be used for good or evil and comes with great responsibility. Those who uphold virtue and goodness must be prepared to speak as masterfully as those who seductively and smoothly seek to convince the public to abandon its values and principles.
What is oratory?
“Not until human nature is other than what it is, will the function of the living voice-the greatest force on earth among men-cease. . . I advocate, therefore, in its full extent, and for every reason of humanity, of patriotism, and of religion, a more through culture of oratory and I define oratory to be the art of influencing conduct with the truth set home by all the resources of the living man.”
-Henry Ward Beecher
All oratory is public speaking, but not all public speaking is oratory. A teacher’s lecture, the best man’s speech, a political candidate’s stump speech, all of these things are not necessarily oratory, but they can be elevated to that status.
If public speaking is fast food, oratory is a gourmet meal. Not in pretentiousness or inaccessibility, but in the fact that oratory exists above the ordinary; it is prepared with passion, infused with creativity, and masterfully crafted to offer a sublime experience. Oratory seeks to convince the listener of something, whether that is to accept a certain definition of freedom or simply of the fact that the recently deceased was a person worthy to be mourned.
Oratory has been called the highest art for it encompasses all other disciplines. It requires a knowledge of literature, the ability to construct prose, and an ear for rhythm, harmony and musicality. Oratory is not mere speaking, but speech that appeals to our noblest sentiments, animates our souls, stirs passions and emotions, and inspires virtuous action. It is often at its finest when fostered during times of tragedy, pain, crisis, fear, and turmoil. In these situations it serves as a light, a guide to those who cannot themselves make sense of the chaos and look to a leader to point the way.
The history of oratory
Oratory in Greece
While the spoken word has been central to humanity since our species began to vocalize, it was in ancient Greece that speech would be raised to an art and true oratory would be born. A “golden age of eloquence” was ushered in by the statesman, general, and master orator Pericles. His funeral oration was perhaps the first great speech to be written and prepared for the public, and set the standard for all orations to come. Yet it is Demosthenes who is remembered as the greatest orator of Greece and perhaps all time. His speaking ability roused an Athenian people, deep in an apathetic slumber, to fight the threat Philip of Macedon posed to their liberty.
Yet the practice of oratory was not confined to the elites of Athenian society. Oratory was considered one of the highest arts, even a virtue. It was an essential part of every man’s education, the foundation upon which all other academic pursuits and disciplines were built. The mastery of oratory was considered an essential part of being a well-rounded man.
Oratory blossomed so splendidly and reached such an apex in ancient Greece because of its central function in public life. Athens’ democratic government marshaled every male citizen into politics. Any citizen could be called upon or inspired to sway others to the merits or criticisms of a particular piece of legislation. Laws were few and simple, giving judges considerable latitude in applying justice and lawyers great flexibility in making their case. The assembly, council, and courts were thus filled with vigorous debate and brilliant oratory.
Oratory in Rome
The art of oratory was slow in coming to Rome, but began to flourish when that empire conquered Greece and began to be influenced by its traditions. Roman oratory thrived in the courts, Comitia (assemblies where people debated the passing of laws), and Senate. Roman oratory borrowed much of its style from Greece, although there were differences. The Romans were less intellectual than the Greeks, their speeches less meaty and studded with more stylistic flourishes, stories, and metaphors. Nevertheless, Roman oratory was still a vibrant art and produced its own virtuoso: Cicero. Cicero’s “Catiline Orations” exposed a plot to overthrow the Roman government and did so with masterful eloquence and skill.
Great forensic oratory passed away with the fall of the Roman empire for “eloquence cannot exist under a despotic form of government. It can only be found in countries where free institutions flourish.” Tacitus, a century after Cicero’s death, lamented in the “Causes of the Corruption of Eloquence” that “the speakers of the present day are called pleaders, and advocates, and barristers, and anything rather than orators.” Lawyers began to hire claquers to attend their speeches and applaud generously, leading Pliny to note, “You may rest assured that he is the worst speaker who has the loudest applause.”
Modern Oratory
As democracy waned, so did great oratory. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, oratory was largely confined to the religious sphere. But it would be revived in the 18th centuries as France, England, and America created parliamentary bodies of government and the issues of liberty and freedom burned brightly in debates.
Great oratory began its current decline with the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Taking office during the Great Depression, FDR soon began his famous fireside chats. The country was demoralized and frightened, and Roosevelt’s warm, grandfatherly voice poured into millions of Americans homes, bringing a sense of comfort and security.
After FDR, Americans expected the same “folksy” speaking approach from all their presidents. Grand, eloquent speeches were considered a bit suspect, smacking of pretension and the lack of a common touch. Yet the reception and praise given to Barack Obama’s speeches suggest that there has been an untapped hunger among citizens for oratory that will inspire them and touch on their ideals (although the ancient Greeks would have criticized Obama’s speeches for sometimes emphasizing style over substance).
While a few great orators exist today, the art has generally fallen into disregard. When a man is called upon to speak, he often hems and haws, boring his audience to tears. It should not be so, gentlemen. It is time to resurrect and cultivate the art of oration.
Becoming a great orator
“Oratory is the masculine of music.” -John Atgeld
While most men will never summon troops into battle or debate a Congressional bill, every man should strive to be a great orator. Whether it is giving the best man speech, arguing against a policy at a city council, making a proposal at work, or giving a eulogy, you will be asked to publicly speak at least a few times in your life. Don’t be a man that shakes and shudders at that thought. Be a man who welcomes, nay, relishes the opportunity to move and inspire people with the power of his words. When a speaking opportunity arises, be the guy everyone thinks of first.
Being a great orator takes work. You must do the following thing if you wish to master the craft:
Practice, practice, practice:
“The history of the world is full of testimony to prove how much depends upon industry. Not an eminent orator has lived but is an example of it. Yet, in contradiction to all this, the almost universal feeling appears to be, that industry can affect nothing, that eminence is the result of accident, and that everyone must be content to remain just what he may happen to be. . . For any other art they would have served an apprenticeship and would be ashamed to practice it in public before they had learned it. . . But the extempore speaker, who is to invent as well as to utter, to carry on an operation of the mind, as well as to produce sound enters upon the work without preparatory discipline, and then wonders why he fails!”
The great myth perpetuated about public speaking is that talent in this area is inherent and inborn and cannot be learned. But our manly forbearers knew better. The great orators of the world from Cicero to Rockne practiced the art of oratory with resolute single-mindedness. Demosthenes exemplified this drive particularly well. As he was a child he was weak and awkward in both body and speech. But he determined that he would become a great oratory. Like TR, he built up his body with vigorous exercise. And he did a series of unusual tactics to hone his speaking skills. He would go to the ocean and attempt to recite orations louder than the waves. He then isolated himself in a cave to put full focus on the attainment of his goal. In order to avoid being tempted to leave the cave before he had mastered the art of oratory, he shaved half his head bald, knowing he would be subjected to ridicule were he to show his face in that state. In an attempt to improve his enunciation, he recited speeches while his mouth was filled with pebbles. He daily practiced his speaking in front of a mirror, improving any defect in his delivery or bodily movements. Finally, he had a nervous tic of raising one shoulder while he spoke. So to correct this, he hung a sword above that shoulder which would cut him were he to raise the shoulder. His work paid off handsomely; he became the one of the greatest orators of all time.
Be a virtuous man
“The speech of one who knows what he is talking about and means what he says-it is thought on fire.” -William Jennings Bryan
No grammatical garnish or oratorical flourish can add as much to a speech as good character. The very hint of hypocrisy will doom even the most eloquent speech. Conversely, when you are virtuous, honest, and earnestly committed to that which you speak of, this inner-commitment will tinge each word you utter with sincerity. The audience will feel the depth of your commitment and will listen far more intently then when they know it is mere claptrap.
Study all the arts
“In an orator, the acuteness of the logicians, the wisdom of the philosophers, the language almost of poetry, the memory of lawyers, the voice of tragedians, the gesture almost of the best actors, is required. Nothing therefore is more rarely found among mankind than a consummate orator.” -Cicero
In order to appeal to noblest and finest sentiments within your audience, your speeches must be filled with allusions to the greatest characters, events, and artistic expressions of history. Oratory thus combines all of the arts into one expression. You must keep abreast of current events and study human nature, religion, science, literature, and poetry. Read the newspaper. Watch great films. Read a least a paragraph of great literature each day. Do not simply frequent blogs and media sources that flatter your pre-existing view points! A great orator must be aware of the counterarguments your critics will raise and deftly address and defuse them before anyone else has the chance to.
Immerse yourself in great oratory
Take as your coaches and mentors all the great orators of the past. Read their speeches. Study the way in which they constructed their sentences, how the placement and arrangement of words builds rhythm, how the choice of words and stories creates vivid imagery. Examine how each line flows into the next, how the lines are distinct and yet together compose a cohesive, unified whole. Listen to great speeches. Listen to where the orators pause for effect, where their voice rises and falls. Ponder what makes certain sections electrifying and other parts captivating.
Want to be a speaker or an orator..?
...If you want to be a speaker or an orator, you certainly desire a very interesting thing, and certainly a very enjoyable job, if you can make a living out of it. Not only can you speak about something you are delighted in but you can encourage and build people! What a great feeling when you see someone's face smiling or when a person from the audience thanks you for being so comforting, delivering such good talks! Unfortunately some speakers are really boring. They are far from being good orator. Listening to such public speech is a waste of time for the public. I am sure that if you apply the 10 following tips, you are bound to become a great speaker, a talented orator!
TIP 1: Good Look
Be neat and clean, Hair should be neatly combed. Posture should convey an attentive attitude. Your personal appearance says much about you. When you are clean and well-groomed, others will likely conclude that you have self-respect, and they will be more inclined to listen to you.
TIP 2: Use of Microphone
What is said will benefit others only if it can be heard clearly. If they are to benefit from what is said, your audience must be able to hear clearly.
The Sound Equipment can amplify the volume of your voice many times and yet adequately maintain the quality and tone of your voice. Listeners will not have to strain to catch what is said. Instead, they can concentrate on the message.
TIP 3: Use of Visual Aids
Use pictures, maps, charts, or other objects to make important points of the lecture more vivid. A visual aid often makes a clearer or a more lasting impression on the mind than does just words.
TIP 4: Accurately Timed, Properly Proportioned
Give your talk within the allotted time, and use appropriate portions of your time for each part of the talk. Sufficient time needs to be allotted to each of the main points of instruction. It is important to end the meeting on time.
TIP 5: Make an Outline
To prepare an outline will give you more time to practice delivering the talk. Your presentations will be not only easier to give but more interesting to listen to and more motivating to your audience.
TIP 6: Be Fluent
A fluent person reads and speaks in such a manner that words and thoughts are easily understood, your words and thoughts flow smoothly. When delivery is fluent, speech is not jerky or painfully slow, and there is no stumbling over words or groping for thoughts.
When a speaker lacks fluency, the minds of the listeners may wander; wrong ideas may be conveyed. What is said may lack persuasiveness.
TIP 7: PUBLIC SPEECHER and ENTHUSIASM !
By animated delivery, give evidence of your strong feeling about the value of what you are saying.
ENTHUSIASM on your part will help to hold the interest of your listeners; it may also rouse them to action. If you are enthusiastic about what you say, your audience will be too.!
TIP 8: Visual Contact
Look at those to whom you are speaking, allowing your eyes to meet for a few seconds if that is acceptable locally. See individuals, not merely a group.
In many cultures, eye contact is viewed as an indication of interest in the person being addressed. It is also viewed as evidence that you speak with conviction.
TIP 9: Conversational Manner
Speak in a manner characteristic of everyday conversation but modified to fit your audience.
TIP 10: Develop a Theme
Go back to your theme, and mention it in various ways throughout your talk.
It unifies your presentation and helps the audience to understand what you say and to remember it
TIP 1: Good Look
Be neat and clean, Hair should be neatly combed. Posture should convey an attentive attitude. Your personal appearance says much about you. When you are clean and well-groomed, others will likely conclude that you have self-respect, and they will be more inclined to listen to you.
TIP 2: Use of Microphone
What is said will benefit others only if it can be heard clearly. If they are to benefit from what is said, your audience must be able to hear clearly.
The Sound Equipment can amplify the volume of your voice many times and yet adequately maintain the quality and tone of your voice. Listeners will not have to strain to catch what is said. Instead, they can concentrate on the message.
TIP 3: Use of Visual Aids
Use pictures, maps, charts, or other objects to make important points of the lecture more vivid. A visual aid often makes a clearer or a more lasting impression on the mind than does just words.
TIP 4: Accurately Timed, Properly Proportioned
Give your talk within the allotted time, and use appropriate portions of your time for each part of the talk. Sufficient time needs to be allotted to each of the main points of instruction. It is important to end the meeting on time.
TIP 5: Make an Outline
To prepare an outline will give you more time to practice delivering the talk. Your presentations will be not only easier to give but more interesting to listen to and more motivating to your audience.
TIP 6: Be Fluent
A fluent person reads and speaks in such a manner that words and thoughts are easily understood, your words and thoughts flow smoothly. When delivery is fluent, speech is not jerky or painfully slow, and there is no stumbling over words or groping for thoughts.
When a speaker lacks fluency, the minds of the listeners may wander; wrong ideas may be conveyed. What is said may lack persuasiveness.
TIP 7: PUBLIC SPEECHER and ENTHUSIASM !
By animated delivery, give evidence of your strong feeling about the value of what you are saying.
ENTHUSIASM on your part will help to hold the interest of your listeners; it may also rouse them to action. If you are enthusiastic about what you say, your audience will be too.!
TIP 8: Visual Contact
Look at those to whom you are speaking, allowing your eyes to meet for a few seconds if that is acceptable locally. See individuals, not merely a group.
In many cultures, eye contact is viewed as an indication of interest in the person being addressed. It is also viewed as evidence that you speak with conviction.
TIP 9: Conversational Manner
Speak in a manner characteristic of everyday conversation but modified to fit your audience.
TIP 10: Develop a Theme
Go back to your theme, and mention it in various ways throughout your talk.
It unifies your presentation and helps the audience to understand what you say and to remember it
Monday, August 10, 2009
Swine flu - H1N1
Symptoms and Prevention methods of Swine Flu
Symptoms in children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
· Fast breathing or trouble breathing
· Bluish or gray skin color
· Not drinking enough fluids
· Severe or persistent vomiting
· Not waking up or not interacting
· Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
· Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Symptoms in adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
· Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath
· Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
· Sudden dizziness
· Confusion
· Severe or persistent vomiting
· Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Steps to Lessen the Spread of Flu in the Home
When providing care to a household member who is sick with influenza, the most important ways to protect yourself and others who are not sick are to:
· Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible
· Remind the sick person to cover their coughs, and clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after coughing and/or sneezing.
· Have everyone in the household clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
Placement of the sick person:
· Keep the sick person in a room separate from the common areas of the house. (For example, a spare bedroom with its own bathroom, if that’s possible.) Keep the sickroom door closed.
· Unless necessary for medical care, persons with the flu should not leave the home when they have a fever or during the time that they are most likely to spread their infection to others.
· If persons with the flu need to leave the home (for example, for medical care), they should cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and wear a loose-fitting (surgical) mask if available.
· Have the sick person wear a surgical mask if they need to be in a common area of the house near other persons.
· If possible, sick persons should use a separate bathroom. This bathroom should be cleaned daily with household disinfectant.
Protect other persons in the home:
· The sick person should not have visitors other than caregivers. A phone call is safer than a visit.
· If possible, have only one adult in the home take care of the sick person.
· Avoid having pregnant women care for the sick person. (Pregnant women are at increased risk of influenza-related complications and immunity can be suppressed during pregnancy).
· All persons in the household should clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub frequently, including after every contact with the sick person or the person’s room or bathroom.
· Use paper towels for drying hands after hand washing or dedicate cloth towels to each person in the household. For example, have different colored towels for each person.
· If possible, consideration should be given to maintaining good ventilation in shared household areas (e.g., keeping windows open in restrooms, kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
If you are the caregiver:
· Avoid being face-to-face with the sick person.
· When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
· Clean your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub after you touch the sick person or handle used tissues, or laundry.
· Talk to your Doctor about taking antiviral medication to prevent the caregiver from getting the flu.
· Monitor yourself and household members for flu symptoms and the local H1N1 Command Center if the symptoms occur.
Household Cleaning, Laundry, and Waste Disposal:
· Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by the sick person in the trash.
· Wash your hands after touching used tissues and similar waste.
· Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
· Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but importantly these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.
· Wash linens (such as bed sheets and towels) by using household laundry soap and tumble dry on a hot setting. Avoid “hugging” laundry prior to washing it to prevent contaminating yourself.
· Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub right after handling dirty laundry.
· Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with water and soap.
Thanks
Valerian Menezes
Symptoms in children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
· Fast breathing or trouble breathing
· Bluish or gray skin color
· Not drinking enough fluids
· Severe or persistent vomiting
· Not waking up or not interacting
· Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
· Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Symptoms in adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
· Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath
· Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
· Sudden dizziness
· Confusion
· Severe or persistent vomiting
· Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Steps to Lessen the Spread of Flu in the Home
When providing care to a household member who is sick with influenza, the most important ways to protect yourself and others who are not sick are to:
· Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible
· Remind the sick person to cover their coughs, and clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after coughing and/or sneezing.
· Have everyone in the household clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
Placement of the sick person:
· Keep the sick person in a room separate from the common areas of the house. (For example, a spare bedroom with its own bathroom, if that’s possible.) Keep the sickroom door closed.
· Unless necessary for medical care, persons with the flu should not leave the home when they have a fever or during the time that they are most likely to spread their infection to others.
· If persons with the flu need to leave the home (for example, for medical care), they should cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and wear a loose-fitting (surgical) mask if available.
· Have the sick person wear a surgical mask if they need to be in a common area of the house near other persons.
· If possible, sick persons should use a separate bathroom. This bathroom should be cleaned daily with household disinfectant.
Protect other persons in the home:
· The sick person should not have visitors other than caregivers. A phone call is safer than a visit.
· If possible, have only one adult in the home take care of the sick person.
· Avoid having pregnant women care for the sick person. (Pregnant women are at increased risk of influenza-related complications and immunity can be suppressed during pregnancy).
· All persons in the household should clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub frequently, including after every contact with the sick person or the person’s room or bathroom.
· Use paper towels for drying hands after hand washing or dedicate cloth towels to each person in the household. For example, have different colored towels for each person.
· If possible, consideration should be given to maintaining good ventilation in shared household areas (e.g., keeping windows open in restrooms, kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
If you are the caregiver:
· Avoid being face-to-face with the sick person.
· When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
· Clean your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub after you touch the sick person or handle used tissues, or laundry.
· Talk to your Doctor about taking antiviral medication to prevent the caregiver from getting the flu.
· Monitor yourself and household members for flu symptoms and the local H1N1 Command Center if the symptoms occur.
Household Cleaning, Laundry, and Waste Disposal:
· Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by the sick person in the trash.
· Wash your hands after touching used tissues and similar waste.
· Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
· Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but importantly these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.
· Wash linens (such as bed sheets and towels) by using household laundry soap and tumble dry on a hot setting. Avoid “hugging” laundry prior to washing it to prevent contaminating yourself.
· Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub right after handling dirty laundry.
· Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with water and soap.
Thanks
Valerian Menezes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)