SPEAKING SKILLS:

Speaking skills cover a wide range of competences which cover speaking in public, persuading and influencing others, making a case, chairing a meeting, using visual aids and other such ways of sharing information.  However, acquiring good speaking skills is as much about listening as it is speaking.  Communication is, after all, a two-way process and it requires both the speaker and the listener(s) to take an active part.

You may of course be nervous, but the way you present yourself is important.  For example:

• Do you talk at people or to them? – If you talk at them, you do not encourage them to actively take part.
• Do you watch their body language? – Do they maintain eye contact, have a happy expression, look bored, fidget, slouch etc., if so you might not be getting the message across.

No matter how well (or badly) you speak in public, you will get better with practice and your opinion is just as important as anyone else's.  Concentrate on getting the message across clearly and don't worry too much about pronunciation, accent etc., but do make sure you are prepared before you speak.  The following sections will suggest ways in which you can improve these skills.