A few tips for mastering public speaking. Public speaking for beginners: exercises and rules Teaching a rhetorical question

The oratory of our time originates from the ancient Greco-Roman times, when special attention was paid to this type of creative activity and, when, like in no other culture, oral speech was not so perfect.

We will talk about what oratory and the art of speech are, how to improve oratory skills and become a good orator. Join us.

Who is a speaker

An orator is a person who has oratorical abilities, which consist in the ability to speak beautifully and convincingly, to master the instruments of acting perfectly, to have psychological knowledge.

The talent for speech can be innate. It is even believed that each of us has it, only manifested to varying degrees. This means that anyone can develop this gift, taking into account individual characteristics and working on themselves.

With the development of oratory skills, the skill of public speaking comes, which has its own properties:

special content of speech - linguistic and non-verbal, in the form of facial expressions and gestures, methods of influencing the listener;
purposefulness - getting feedback from the audience;
efficiency - as a result of the psychological state of the speaker and his authority with the public.

But you can build your speech competently if you use the rules of oratory:

And then she will have the qualities necessary for oratory:

The image of a talented orator is charismatic and closely related to such features and traits as self-confidence, inspiration, erudition, the ability to improvise, liveliness of thought, strong voice, expressive gestures.

We'll talk about how to learn public speaking on your own.

In the meantime - briefly about the basics of oratory.

The science of public speaking is called rhetoric.

The art of oratory, or eloquence, is a high degree of skill in speaking to and influencing an audience.

Depending on the composition of the audience and topics, eloquence is divided into types:

Oratorical speech can have different purposes of influencing the listener and it happens:

informational, introduces new facts, information, knowledge;
entertaining, has an amusement character;
persuasive, in which the speaker achieves the consent of the listener with his point of view;
inspiring, emotionally inspiring;
calling for action, agitating to take action.

In order for a public speech to achieve its goal and not leave anyone indifferent, it is built according to the intention and content in a certain order, which is called composition.

The introduction should attract attention, interest, establish contact with the audience, give an idea of the topic of the upcoming message with a brief description of the problem.

The main part of the oratory is the presentation of the material itself, argumentation, the use of facts and logical evidence.

The conclusion is intended to summarize and generalize what has been said, to emphasize the main idea, draw conclusions, and inspire the audience.

It is desirable to be creative when working on a composition. Observing a clear sequence and consistency of its elements, it is important not to lose the individual style.

Features of public speaking

Oratorical speech is characterized by the following features:

Oral presentation. The process of communication with the audience occurs directly when voicing thoughts. Texts for an oratorical presentation are learned by ear and structured so as to be easy to understand.

Feedback. A good speaker feels the audience. He distinguishes between moods, catches reactions to what has been said, guesses the emerging questions and flexibly builds further dialogue.

The use of various means of communication. The use of gestures, pantomime, intonation and other non-verbal methods is inherent in oratory, which distinguishes it from ordinary oral speech.

The connection between the text prepared for the speech and its oral interpretation. Choosing the right tone of communication helps to present information in an intelligible form and find contact with the audience.

Public speaking techniques

Oratory techniques are used to improve the perception of information. They work either by orienting the listener to visual perception, or by stimulating his mental activity.

For example:

visual comparisons, short illustration examples are especially appropriate when presenting numerical material;
repeating what has already been said in other words creates a new image;
the allegory clearly illustrates the ideas and thoughts of the speaker;
antithesis by opposition enhances their perception;
hyperbole with exaggeration emphasizes those points to which attention should be paid;
rhetorical questions do not require an answer, but stir up interest;
insertion, when a remark made in passing draws attention to what has been said;
unexpected words and actions increase the listener's curiosity.

Is there enough theoretical material? Now comes the fun part.

How to develop public speaking skills

To master the secrets of oratory, you can enroll in courses and trainings in rhetoric, take lessons for beginners, choose online training, or study a self-instruction manual on eloquence. All these options are offered to our attention by the vast Internet.

If you like self-study on the development of public speaking, let's work on the technique of delivering a speech, prepare for the speech, learn how to interact with the audience and take on board some practical advice.

Speech technique

The sound of the speech that you want to listen to depends on the following components:

Breath. The pace should be measured, while the inhalation is shorter than the exhalation. Do not inhale "all the way" so that you can breathe again. It is the same with the exhalation. They contribute to the improvement of speech. For example, developing the skill to breathe with the lower lungs will give your voice strength and fluency.
Volume. By controlling his voice, the speaker influences the public's perception of what he is saying. If your voice is naturally quiet, you can make it louder. To do this, read aloud expressively, count as you exhale to ten, gradually increasing.
Diction. To speak clearly, clearly pronouncing sounds, tongue twisters will help, if you are not lazy and do not forget to load your articulation apparatus with them.
Pace. We must try to express thoughts at an average pace, not to frequent words and not to stretch them. Since the temperament and internal state of a person at the time of the speech plays an important role here, it is important to calm down and tune in to a fruitful dialogue with the audience.
Intonation. With its help, your speech will be remembered by the listener, because it will be alive. Practice reading aloud expressively as you are in school.

Preparing for the performance

At this stage, the text of the speech is being prepared. We already know what a properly composed public speech should be. In order not to read from what was written, you should first of all learn the text, and to meet with the audience, draw up a plan and main theses.

To be ready for improvisation, you must have developed logical and imaginative thinking, possess a rich vocabulary and a broad outlook. Read different literature, keep abreast of social events.

To maintain the proper mood among the public, stock up on some interesting facts, light jokes, and entertaining short stories.

So that you are not caught off guard by the technical side of your speech, be aware of organizational issues: the hall, audio equipment, video materials.

Do not forget that "they are greeted by their clothes." Make sure you look dignified and appropriate for the moment.

Interaction with the audience

A good speaker knows how to please them from the first minutes of meeting with his audience with his appearance, friendly manner of communication. With such qualities as honesty, openness, politeness, the speaker wins the trust of the listener.

He senses the audience, anticipates its reactions, controls the course of his performance and masterfully achieves its goal.

Here we will answer the most frequently asked questions.

How do you learn to speak in front of an audience? Only by speaking repeatedly can one gain experience in public speaking. At work, at home, meeting with friends, participating in various activities, you should try to develop this skill. To do this, you will need to expand your horizons so that you have something to tell; train memory in order to memorize unusual facts, plots.
How interesting is it to present information? Learn to use public speaking instruments. Facial expressions, gestures, body language, intonation, timbre of voice will arouse genuine interest in the audience. Try it. Create a video of your presentation. Rate its level. Praise yourself.
How to overcome your audience fear? Such a necessary quality as self-confidence is acquired with oratorical experience. Mild excitement can even help you make your speech memorable and inspire the audience. Develop leadership qualities in yourself, tune in to positive communication with the listener. This will help to overcome the intense excitement that arises at first.

Public speaking for children

Today, rhetoric, as a scientific discipline about oratory, is also in demand for the harmonious development of children. She develops the personal qualities of the child, teaches the ability to communicate, competently and confidently express their thoughts, conduct a dialogue using intonation and facial expressions, and acquire the first skills of public speaking.

The objectives of teaching rhetoric are:

You can also work with children at home:

work on the technique of speech, pronouncing tongue twisters;
learn polite communication;
read and talk a lot on different topics to increase your vocabulary;
organize theatrical performances to develop acting skills;
learn and read poetry with expression;
train to perform in front of family and friends.

These activities will help your child to become more confident and not shy at public events, teach to establish contacts with people, and unleash their creative potential.

The power of a word

The success of mastering oratory will ensure work. Over the formulation of the voice, the content of speech, personal qualities. Try yourself, master new skills in order to carry out your plans, improve.

Remember, a word is a message. Carrying in itself the energy of the author, it has great power.

Ignite curiosity in your listeners. Motivate them to do good things.

Rhetoric is the science of speech, correct and beautiful communication methods that can convince anyone that the speaker is right, and create the basis for further convictions. This art is studied in modern educational institutions because the word is a powerful tool when used correctly. The main purpose of rhetoric is to teach how to communicate in order to feel confident in any situation.

The emergence of rhetoric is considered to be the 5th century BC. e. Ancient Greece was the first in modern Europe to form the foundations of science. At that time, stylistics and grammar were studied in Ancient Greece. The Greeks were the first to systematize knowledge of rhetoric and created a large number of treatises on this topic, and some of them are studied even in our time.

Cicero is one of the most famous orators of ancient Rome

The Romans became interested in the art of rhetoric after the conquest of Greece, when the traditions of these countries began to mix, and the empire actively borrowed the knowledge of their provinces. Art began to flourish in the Senate, courts, and public gatherings.

There were some differences between the styles of rhetoric, as the Romans were less educated than the Greeks. The conquerors' speech was dotted with digressions, stories, stylistic nuances. Despite this, eloquence was still a powerful tool for orators. There were cases when in ancient Rome high government posts were held by people who skillfully speak, and this was their main advantage in the political struggle, which we can learn from historical references.

Appearance in Russia

In ancient times, this art was modified, supplemented with useful techniques. Church leaders also began to use rhetoric, who actively lured new flocks into their faith, and cited irrefutable verbal evidence against heretics. The concept of rhetoric came to Russia from European countries in the 18th century.

Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov

The emergence of oratory coincided with the spread of Christianity. It was most often called "the gift of eloquence". A little later, Lomonosov created the "Russian Grammar", which included the "Rules of Eloquence". Politicians such as Stolypin and Trotsky were considered good orators. A little less, but nevertheless, Lenin also succeeded in understanding this science.

Speaking skills can be developed independently. The development of speech requires training, accompanied by constant remarks to oneself, corrections and additions to skills. You need to notice all the mistakes that are made in order to try to correct them the next time you talk.

use the right pace. An important feature to learn. It is imperative to monitor the speed of the conversation, since too fast speech does not have time to be absorbed by the listener, a slow one puts you to sleep, makes you become inattentive to phrases. Try to highlight important points with intonation, change the pitch of your voice. This attracts attention, does not let the interlocutor get bored;
communicate with people. Talking about things at home is not enough to improve communication skills. It takes practice of communicating live. To relieve the accumulated tension during a long story, you need to use jokes that can be prepared in advance;
use digressions. Sayings, humor, quotes from great people make speech less dry, allow you to make speech more evidence-based;
put your voice. Pronunciation must be clear and correct. You should pronounce consonants, pronounce any sounds cleanly;
talk about topics that others are interested in. You can start with one correct statement, and then smoothly lead to another, necessary to achieve the goal;
maintain neutrality. The speaker should strive to reach agreement with everyone. Even if the interlocutor or several people are wrong, you should say "Yes, right, but ...", after which you can prove your point of view.

Improving speech

To develop your speaking skills, you need to practice. Otherwise, mastering them will not work. To improve there is a set of exercises:

Freeing from muscle clamps. The point is to facilitate the conversation process. To do this, you should:
- knead the shoulders, neck with rotational movements. The head should move as if under its own weight;
- warm up the forearms and hands as often as possible, rotate the joints in the shoulders;
- use circular movements of the hands at the elbows;
Articulating. They develop and train lips, cheeks, tongue, hard and soft palate, lower jaw. The flexibility of the speech apparatus is developed, the muscles necessary for better pronunciation of sounds are strengthened. The tension is removed from the muscles, they are relaxed. You need to do the following:
- tongue clean the gums in both directions. To make "injections" in the cheeks, pull it as far as possible, change its shape. Make sounds like a horse jumping;
- rotate your lips in different directions, pull them out. Capture air with extended lips, strain and relax. There will be lightness and clarity in the conversation;
- puff out cheeks, roll air in the mouth from one cheek to the other. It is imperative to knead them, otherwise the voice will be flabby;
- to yourself, without opening your mouth, pronounce various words, sounds. The pharynx is trained, as a result of which the sound becomes loud and deep;
- smoothly open the jaw with your hands. Muscle efforts and excess tension are relieved.
Improving pronunciation, increasing vocabulary. Exercise List:
- reading aloud. It is considered the best way to improve your speaking skills. Diction improves, vocabulary, speech brightness, emotional coloring increase. You should read slowly, pronouncing each word. The text is pronounced not in a reader's tone, but in a colloquial manner;
- pronouncing tongue twisters. Diction is effectively trained by pronouncing words and sounds at maximum speed. The correct articulation is developed, reservations are less common.

When reading, each sound is clearly pronounced, the speed increases gradually. The main thing is to follow the correct pronunciation, only then speed up the speech. For convenience, you need to create a picture of what is happening in your head, try to understand the words read. You should not stop working on one phrase until the errors have completely disappeared.

If possible, keep a dictaphone record of both material read from the book and tongue twisters. Thus, speech deficiencies found after listening can be eliminated.

There are many pronunciation exercises that improve your speaking skills. The above options are sufficient for novice speakers. With their help, you can achieve considerable success. The main thing in oratory is not to stop developing, constantly improve your skills, and speak as much as possible.

There is a thesis with which I completely agree:

A successful person is a speaker.

Because speech is an important tool for a MODERN SUCCESSFUL person.
Each of you is sure purchases a mobile phone from maximum number of useful functions: so he can not only call, but also take pictures, shoot videos. So? And this no longer seems overkill.
So any employer wants to hire employees. with the maximum number of useful functions ... Skill protrude, do presentations, reports – useful function of an employee, do you agree?

Is public speaking easy to learn?

Different people enroll in my Oratory courses. Both confident people and insecure people. But after a while, they are already good speakers.

And one hundred percent.

Therefore, I know that it is easy to learn the art of public speaking. Anyone with any data.

Do not trust those people who tell you that it is difficult to learn rhetoric.

It's as hard and easy as learning to ride a bike, swim, or cook in the kitchen.
For a long time I believed my friends that only a select few succeed in learning to play the guitar. Until the age of 18 he believed. And then I bought a guitar and after a month I was playing quite well. After another half a year, I was one of the best (albeit not the best) in my dorm.

And I also heard that the speaker needs some innate data and abilities. For example, charisma or self confidence…

Yes, they will.

It's all good. But most often people come to me without these qualities. But ... they do their homework, do the exercises (on their own or with a coach) ... And get great results in public speaking.

Acquiring along the way and charisma and confidence…

We need data. But others. At least a slight sense of pride and a little self-discipline.

It is also useful to remember that this is not the most important thing in life.

Is it possible to learn the art of public speaking from a self-instruction manual?

The famous proverb says that "a donkey can be brought to the water, but no shaitan will make him drink."

No matter who teaches us, no matter how teaches us, we learn ourselves. And from how much knowledge we need, so much we learn.

There are two main elements in any training: theory and practice

Without theory learning is possible, but difficult. Theory helps to quickly master knowledge, and more meaningfully master practice.

Without practice(without lessons and exercises) learning is even more difficult. Knowledge without practice- simply gossip which gradually forgotten... Alternately receiving knowledge and securing them on practice, we learn any skill.

Later, when the skill is acquired, we do not remember the knowledge, and we do not control our actions - we just do it.

Public speaking is not an easy skill.

Mastering rhetoric requires hands-on exercises involving speaking in front of others.

Exercise can be done by yourself, in front of the mirror.
You can - exercise before camcorder.

But in this case, it is useful to periodically find the practice of speaking on your own: at work, at meetings, at parties.

One way to organize a practice is to gather a group of friends yourself. Perhaps they will also be interested in mastering the art of public speaking for free.

It often happens that way. Friends or colleagues who wish to learn public speaking lessons for free are interviewed. Those who want to learn rhetoric are always there. And after the first meeting, rumors about useful leisure lead to unfamiliar people. And all the lessons and exercises in this book can be done together.

You can study together with a friend.

Do the practice exercises together.
And, alternately, be a demanding teacher and a talented student.

Very welcome to collect family evenings, and do the exercises with the family.

This is an interesting and rewarding family activity. You will find that all of your family members will love these public speaking lessons.

But if you, nevertheless, will be the rhetoric do it yourself- it's also good. After all, many practical exercises can be done independently.

So where do you start?

1. Theory.

2. Practice.

Lesson number 1.

Let's start with a simple exercise. Read any of these parables:

Stand in front of a mirror and tell any of them in your own words.

If you're already doing well in front of the mirror, turn on your camcorder.

A webcam, for example, or a video camera on a smartphone.

When it turns out well, tell this parable to one of your friends.

Next time you can do the same with any story(news) from the Internet.

Here's an example.

The most common story told by the most ordinary person:

I think it is useful to learn the art of public speaking once, so that later you can use it all your life.

However, the preface dragged on - it's time to move on to the next chapters.

The impression that a person makes on others can completely change his future in the first minutes of acquaintance. Career, financial status, relationships with friends and personal life depend on the ability to clearly and clearly express their thoughts, the ability to hear and listen, persuade and negotiate.

Rhetoric and oratory

Public speaking is not just the ability to speak a lot and beautifully. A good speaker must have a mastery of the basics of psychology and acting, philosophy and analytics. Its main goal is not only to convey certain information to the interlocutor, but also to arouse interest in the audience, to encourage listeners to take certain actions.

10 basic rules of rhetoric

In rhetoric, there are 10 components that affect the quality of speech and lie at the heart of oratory.

Objectivity

You should not present your own beliefs as an immutable truth. The speaker's speech must be unbiased and the information truthful;

Conciseness

Clarity

Clarity is the ability to explain complex things in simple words, to present information in a form understandable to the interlocutor;

Imagery

Using real life situations, comparisons and juxtapositions as examples, evokes associations with familiar, familiar things in the listener. The resulting feelings and emotions simplify the perception of information and make speech more memorable;

Expediency

The main idea of what was said should be easy to grasp and quickly memorize;

Voltage

The interlocutor needs to be captivated, interested, and, while maintaining the intrigue and increasing the degree of tension, gradually bring him to the climax of the narrative;

Surprise

A non-standard approach and a fresh look at the situation increase the audience's interest in the speaker and his speech;

Saturation

You should not overload the listener with an abundance of difficult-to-understand terms and formulations, they must be alternated with simple and easy-to-understand information;

Comic effect

Humor smoothes out sharp corners, evokes the audience's disposition, and speeches diluted with a good joke or appropriate witticism are better remembered;

Style

You should not make pretentious and lofty speeches, but at the same time, what was said should not seem vulgar or vulgar. The choice of storytelling style depends on its content and the target audience for the presentation.

School of Yuri Okunev

Hi friends! Yuri Okunev is with you again.

How to become liberated in any company, get rid of complexes, learn to speak brightly, lively, excitingly on any topic? Can you learn to convince and motivate? This requires very little - hard work and a desire to master the lessons of public speaking for beginners.

It is better to start learning the secrets of public speaking in a team under the guidance of an experienced tutor. Now in every city there are courses and trainings. Why are courses convenient?

Firstly, you will be prompted from the outside about all the mistakes and will point out weaknesses;
Secondly, you will have a great opportunity to develop practice of speaking;
Thirdly, complexes are easier to overcome when you see that others are not so perfect.

A coach will help you find a beautiful and confident voice, teach you acting techniques and expressive gestures, and tell you how to quickly overcome fear. Perhaps you will not be such an unsurpassed and eloquent speaker, but you will definitely learn to speak.

Well, what if there are no public speaking courses near your home, or maybe there are, but the class schedule does not correspond to your work schedule? Speaking skills can be developed independently at home.

I hope you have a voice recorder (or better a video camera) and a large mirror? Fine, you can start. Ask someone of your acquaintances and friends to become your listeners and assistants. Stay tuned for updates to the blog, articles in this series are full of exercises to hone your craft.

Three whales and a song

A good speech can be compared to a good hit hit. What is needed for a newly released song to enjoy popularity and success? A combination of three things is required: a pleasant melody, a good text and a skillful performer. Right?

A successful public speaking performance is also based on three components, that is, it stands on three pillars:

Speaker's voice;
Competent text;
Interaction with the audience (contact).

Remove the melody or lyrics from the song, and the song will not be. So it is with the performance. The speaker's skill with vocal data, the ability to present facts and hear the feedback from the audience determine success.

Voice data

I propose to conduct a little experiment. With a group of friends, start telling a joke or a life story, and slowly turn on the recorder yourself. When you come home, listen to the recording. Do you like the sound of your own voice?

Probably, many of you will find your voice too quiet, indistinct or loud, harsh, raspy. In general, there is little pleasant. Our inner perception is very different from how others perceive us. The task of training is to learn to hear yourself from the outside, to develop a resonant flair.

The voice of a skillful speaker sounds voluminous, round and smooth, the velvety timbre bewitches the ear, draws attention, magically attracts the listener. The owners of a pleasant and sonorous voice are forgiven a lot, even the burr and small flaws in the text are not so striking.

Can it be developed?

Each person from birth has a certain set of phonetic data. This set is unique. We cannot change the length of the vocal cords or the circumference of the lungs. But we can learn to control the vocal apparatus, to tune our vocal instrument as needed.

Learning correct breathing (diaphragmatic);
Liberation of phonetic muscles by relaxing them;
Developing a sense of resonance.

Four exercises to develop your voice

I propose to do simple exercises for the speech apparatus that will help you improve your voice:

Resonant tuning... Stand up straight and relax your facial muscles. Inhale and as you exhale, draw out the "Iiiii" sound. Attention is on the crown of the head. Have a rest. Now we pull the sound "Eeeee", pay attention to the throat, try to feel the vibrations of the vocal cords. Next, we pull the sounds "Aaaaa" and "Oooo", control the sensations in the chest area. The exercise ends with the sound "Uuuu" (lower abdomen). All sounds are different in pitch, the highest sound is "I", the lowest is "U". This task helps to improve the timbre, gives beauty to the voice. Three approaches are recommended.
Roar of a lion... Say quietly the sound "Rrr", while the tongue should be relaxed and slightly raised to the sky. Grow a little like a dog growls. Then say a few words with the letter "P" out loud, focusing on this sound. Develops the power of the voice.
Kew X... Pull your lips into a tube, say the sound "Q", then stretch out a wide smile, say "X". Alternate movements, doing at least 15 repetitions. The exercise removes the clamps of the articulation apparatus, frees the sound.
Basketball player... Imagine a basketball (you can take a real ball if you like) and start hitting it on the floor, counting from 10 to 1 in descending order. Each count is one exhalation. Then we throw the ball up, counting from 1 to 10. The exercise trains the feeling of the tonality of the sound. We throw it up - the voice is high, we beat it off the floor - it is low.

Now take any book and read out a few lines aloud. Feel how your voice has changed? For those who are interested in the method of voice development, I recommend paying attention to video course by Ekaterina Pestereva "My tongue is my friend"... Here you will find many professional exercises to train your voice and diction.

I suggest everyone else watch this video:

Speech text - the speaker's business card

Yes, yes, the most famous speakers are, as a rule, intellectuals in every sense of the word. The speaker must have a rich vocabulary. The speaker must be able to build logical chains, skillfully use comparisons and metaphors in his speech.

The literacy of the text of the speech comes to the fore. I will not dwell on this moment for long. I have already written about the construction of a public speech.

Basic requirements for the text of speech:

Speech material should be carefully selected and logically linked;
The speech should have an attractive and concise title;
The performance should be targeted at a specific audience;
The text of the speech should be divided into logical parts for better comprehension;
In the process of speaking the ergonomic component should be taken into account - the attention of the audience. The speaker constantly switches the attention of the audience with the help of special ones.

The importance of detailed text work is well illustrated in this video. Are we watching?

Interaction

A good speaker is not only an intellectual and a logician, but also an outstanding artist, an empathetic listener and a skillful leader. The audience may or may not like the topic of the speech. Listeners may sympathize with a particular speaker as a person, or may initially be prejudiced.

The skill of the speaker lies in the ability to direct the perception of the audience in the right direction, which will be beneficial to the speaker himself. A professional speaker will arrange everything in such a way that his opponents by the end of the speech will become supporters and like-minded people.

The speaker should be able to:

Show a genuine interest in your audience, engage in dialogue and be polite;
Show the listeners that he is “made of the same dough” as they are. Avoid factors annoying the public: sloppiness in clothes, haughty posture, fussiness.
Correctly answer questions from the audience;
To be far-sighted, to be able to calculate the reaction of the public to this or that statement;
Manage the course of the discussion that arises during the presentation.

I propose to watch another video - a small video from Vladimir Solovyov, this master of human intrigue and a talented TV presenter. A connoisseur of public speaking will tell us about the art of getting in touch with the listener.

Afterword

Wherever you learn the basics of public speaking - online, in a public speaking club, or on your own from a textbook at home - you will need to work on your voice, leadership, and content. Mastering these skills will allow you to become interesting conversationalists, make you confident and relaxed in public.

You can find all the necessary exercises in the book by the coach of public speaking Evgenia Shestakova "Speak beautifully and confidently"... The theoretical material is presented in an interesting and exciting way, the tasks are simple and accessible even to children.

All the best. Yours Yuri Okunev.