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Speech Skills Lesson 1

Stop Dropping Your G's; Enunciation Matters

Speech Skill: Clarity

Welcome to the Speak for Success communication course.

This speech lesson, like all the speech lessons in the course,follows a format that explains the speech problem and

presents several speech exercises so you can work on the problem. Each speech lesson closes with a homework assignment designed to provide further practice eliminating or correcting the speech problem that you’re working with that

particular week. To get the most out of this course, you needto follow the program, working on only one lesson each week and completing all the exercises and homework assignments.

Ready? Of course you are! The speech problem of sloppyenunciation is the topic for this week.

The Speech Problem

For listeners, one of the most irritating speech habits is aspeaker that doesn’t enunciate clearly.

When you don’t bother to pronounce each syllable of eachword properly and words get slurred together, you sounduneducated. Worse, your listener has a hard time hearing you

– especially if there’s other noise around you or when you’respeaking on the phone.

Dropping “g”s is one of the most common examples of poor enunciation. Say this list of words out loud:

• Going

• Walking

• Jogging

• Thinking

• Striking

• Selling

Did you say “go-ing” or did you say “go-in”? If you said “go-in” (or “walk-in”, “jog-gin”, etc.), you’re a G-dropper.

Be warned; this was not a fair test. Pronouncing words inisolation is very different than what we normally do when wespeak.

Say these sentences out loud:

• I’m going to have to rethink that bid.

• Waiting to hear back from the bank is very nerve-wracking and stressful.

• Before starting my business, I looked at a lot of different business opportunities.

•

There’s more to learning than just reading, writingand arithmetic.

Did you drop any Gs? Did you enunciate each syllable of eachword?

Speech Exercise: The Mirror Face Test

A mirror is a great aid when you’re working on your enunciation. Icall this the face test. When you’re enunciating properly, your mouth, tongue, lips and jaw move.

Stand in front of a mirror and watch yourself while you say, “I’mgoing to have to rethink that bid”. See how your lips purse andretract when you say “go-ing”? See how your lips jut out to

pronouce the “b” in “bid”? This one sentence is a real face workout.

Say the rest of the sentences out loud, watching yourself speak inthe mirror. Now say them all again, slowing down your rate of speech and exaggerating the facial movements.

This week, you should have a mirror session of five minutes everyday. You’ll immediately notice that this practice will carry over intoyour “normal” speaking life, causing you to be more conscious of the way you speak and speak more clearly.

Speech Exercise: Enlist a Speech Monitor

Because it’s so hard to perform naturally when we’re focusing onspeaking well, the best way to determine whether or not we’reenunciating properly when we speak and stop slurring andmumbling is to enlist a speech monitor.

It’s a lot easier for someone else to pick up on our sloppy speechhabits than to hear ourselves. For convenience, choose someonethat lives with you (spouse, child, or roommate), explain that you’reworking on your enunciation, and ask him or her to tell youwhenever you drop a G or don’t speak clearly. Keep track of howoften your speech monitor tells you you’ve committed this speechoffense.

What you should see, as you continue to practice speaking clearly,is the number of times your speech monitor hears you speakingsloppily decrease.

Ready for the pressure situation? Ask someone who works with youregularly to be a speech monitor.

The Benefits of Enunciation

As your enunciation improves, your listeners will:

• Form a better impression of you as you speak, thinking of you as an educated, knowledgeable person, more worthyof trust.

• Be better able to focus on the message you’recommunicating, rather than being distracted by the wayyou’re expressing yourself.

Speech Lesson 1 Homework Assignment

To get the most out of this course, as I said, it’s important that youdo the exercises. Your speech won’t improve unless you work at itregularly.

This week, you have two tasks;

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1. set aside five minutes a day where you can work with amirror in a quiet place and practice the enunciation exercisesabove;

2. enlist at least one speech monitor to help you catch your speech errors.

Additional Speech Exercise: Tongue Twisters

1) Keeping customers content creates kingly profits.2) Success seeds success.3) Bigger business isn’t better business but better business

brings bigger rewards.4) Wanting won’t win; winning ways are active ways.5) Seventeen sales slips slithered slowly southwards.6) Don’t go deep into debt.7) Ensuring excellence isn’t easy.8) Time takes a terrible toll on intentions.

Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits

A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.

Unique New York.

Betty Botter had some butter,"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.

If I bake this bitter butter,it would make my batter bitter.But a bit of better butter--that would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter, better than her bitter butter,and she baked it in her batter,and the batter was not bitter.So 'twas better Betty Botter

bought a bit of better butter.

Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.

Is this your sister's sixth zither, sir?

A big black bug bit a big black bear,made the big black bear bleed blood.

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.

One smart fellow, he felt smart.Two smart fellows, they felt smart.Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.

Pope Sixtus VI's six texts.

I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.The shells she sells are surely seashells.So if she sells shells on the seashore,

I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

Mrs. Smith's Fish Sauce Shop.

"Surely Sylvia swims!" shrieked Sammy, surprised.

"Someone should show Sylvia some strokes so she shall not sink."

A Tudor who tooted a flutetried to tutor two tooters to toot.Said the two to their tutor,"Is it harder to tootor to tutor two tooters to toot?"

Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.

Three free throws.

I am not the pheasant plucker,

I'm the pheasant plucker's mate.I am only plucking pheasants'cause the pheasant plucker's running late.

Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.Said the flea, "Let us fly!"Said the fly, "Let us flee!"So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Knapsack straps.

Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

A bitter biting bittern

Bit a better brother bittern,And the bitter better bitternBit the bitter biter back.And the bitter bittern, bitten,By the better bitten bittern,Said: "I'm a bitter biter bit, alack!"

Inchworms itching.

A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

The myth of Miss Muffet.

Mr. See owned a saw.And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.

Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesawBefore Soar saw See,

Which made Soar sore.Had Soar seen See's sawBefore See sawed Soar's seesaw,See's saw would not have sawedSoar's seesaw.So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw.But it was sad to see Soar so soreJust because See's saw sawedSoar's seesaw!

Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.

Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently.

Cheap ship trip.

I cannot bear to see a bear Bear down upon a hare.When bare of hair he strips the hare,Right there I cry, "Forbear!"

Lovely lemon liniment.

Gertie's great-grandma grew aghast at Gertie's grammar.

Tim, the thin twin tinsmith

Fat frogs flying past fast.

I need not your needles, they're needless to me;For kneading of noodles, 'twere needless, you see;But did my neat knickers but need to be kneed,I then should have need of your needles indeed.

Flee from fog to fight flu fast!Greek grapes.

The boot black bought the black boot back.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck

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if a woodchuck could chuck wood?He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck wouldif a woodchuck could chuck wood.

We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

Moose noshing much mush.

Ruby Rugby's brother bought and brought her back some rubber baby-buggy bumpers.

Sly Sam slurps Sally's soup.

My dame hath a lame tame crane,My dame hath a crane that is lame.

Six short slow shepherds.A tree toad loved a she-toadWho lived up in a tree.He was a two-toed tree toadBut a three-toed toad was she.The two-toed tree toad tried to winThe three-toed she-toad's heart,For the two-toed tree toad loved the groundThat the three-toed tree toad trod.But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain.He couldn't please her whim.

From her tree toad bower With her three-toed power The she-toad vetoed him.

Which witch wished which wicked wish?

Old oily Ollie oils old oily autos.

The two-twenty-two train tore through the tunnel.

Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooedshilly-shallied south.These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack;sheep should sleep in a shed.

Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.

Three gray geese in the green grass grazing.Gray were the geese and green was the grass.

Many an anemone sees an enemy anemone.

Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

Peggy Babcock.

You've no need to light a night-lightOn a light night like tonight,For a night-light's light's a slight light,And tonight's a night that's light.When a night's light, like tonight's light,It is really not quite rightTo light night-lights with their slight lights

On a light night like tonight.Black bug's blood.

Flash message!

Say this sharply, say this sweetly,Say this shortly, say this softly.Say this sixteen times in succession.

Six sticky sucker sticks.

If Stu chews shoes, should Stuchoose the shoes he chews?

Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.

Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.

Six sharp smart sharks.

What a shame such a shapely sashshould such shabby stitches show.

Sure the ship's shipshape, sir.

Betty better butter Brad's bread.

Of all the felt I ever felt,I never felt a piece of feltwhich felt as fine as that felt felt,when first I felt that felt hat's felt.

Sixish.

Don't pamper damp scamp tramps that camp under ramp lamps.

Swan swam over the sea,Swim, swan, swim!Swan swam back againWell swum, swan!

Six shimmering sharks sharply striking shins.

I thought a thought.But the thought I thought wasn't the thoughtI thought I thought.

Brad's big black bath brush broke.

Thieves seize skis.

Chop shops stock chops.

Sarah saw a shot-silk sash shop full of shot-silk sashesas the sunshine shone on the side of the shot-silk sash shop.

Strict strong stringy Stephen Stretchslickly snared six sickly silky snakes.

Susan shineth shoes and socks;socks and shoes shines Susan.She ceased shining shoes and socks,for shoes and socks shock Susan.

Truly rural.

The blue bluebird blinks.

Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.

When a twister a-twisting will twist him a twist,For the twisting of his twist, he three twines doth intwist;But if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,The twine that untwisteth untwisteth the twist.Untwirling the twine that untwisteth between,He twirls, with his twister, the two in a twine;Then twice having twisted the twines of the twine,He twitcheth the twice he had twined in twain.The twain that in twining before in the twine,As twines were intwisted he now doth untwine;Twist the twain inter-twisting a twine more between,He, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.

The Leith police dismisseth us.

The seething seas ceasethand twiceth the seething seas sufficeth us.

If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way thedoctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does he doctor

the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?Two Truckee truckers truculently trucklingto have truck to truck two trucks of truck.

Plague-bearing prairie dogs.

Ed had edited it.

She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter.

Give me the gift of a grip top sock:a drip-drape, ship-shape, tip-top sock.

While we were walking, we were watching window washerswash Washington's windows with warm washing water.

Freshly fried fresh flesh.

Pacific Lithograph.

Six twin screwed steel steam cruisers.

The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.

Preshrunk silk shirts

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A bloke's back bike brake block broke.

A pleasant place to place a plaice is a placewhere a plaice is pleased to be placed.

I correctly recollect Rebecca MacGregor's reckoning.

Good blood, bad blood.

Quick kiss. Quicker kiss.

I saw Esau kissing Kate. I saw Esau,he saw me, and she saw I saw Esau.

Cedar shingles should be shaved and saved.

Lily ladles little Letty's lentil soup.Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,he thrusts his fist against the postsand still insists he sees the ghosts.

Shelter for six sick scenic sightseers.

Listen to the local yokel yodel.

Give Mr. Snipa's wife's knife a swipe.

Whereat with blade,with bloody, blameful blade,he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.

Are our oars oak?

Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?

A lusty lady loved a lawyer and longed to lure him from his laboratory.

The epitome of femininity.

She stood on the balconyinexplicably mimicing him hiccupping,and amicably welcoming him home.

Kris Kringle carefully crunched on candy canes.

Please pay promptly.

On mules we find two legs behindand two we find before.

We stand behind before we findwhat those behind be for.

What time does the wristwatch strap shop shut?

One-One was a racehorse.Two-Two was one, too.When One-One won one race,Two-Two won one, too.

Girl gargoyle, guy gargoyle.

Pick a partner and practice passing,for if you pass proficiently,

perhaps you'll play professionally.

Once upon a barren moor

There dwelt a bear, also a boar.The bear could not bear the boar.The boar thought the bear a bore.At last the bear could bear no moreOf that boar that bored him on the moor,And so one morn he bored the boar--That boar will bore the bear no more.

If a Hottentot taught a Hottentot totTo talk ere the tot could totter,Ought the Hottenton totBe taught to say aught, or naught,Or what ought to be taught her?If to hoot and to toot a Hottentot tot

Be taught by her Hottentot tutor,Ought the tutor get hotIf the Hottentot totHoot and toot at her Hottentot tutor?

Will you, William?

Mix, Miss Mix!

Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear when Washington's washer woman went west?

Two toads, totally tired.

Freshly-fried flying fish.

The sawingest saw I ever saw sawwas the saw I saw saw in Arkansas.

Just think, that sphinx has a sphincter that stinks!

Strange strategic statistics.Sarah sitting in her Chevrolet,All she does is sits and shifts,All she does is sits and shifts.

Hi-Tech Traveling Tractor Trailor Truck Tracker

Ned Nott was shotand Sam Shott was not.So it is better to be Shottthan Nott.Some say Nottwas not shot.But Shott says

he shot Nott.Either the shot Shott shot at Nottwas not shot,or

Nott was shot.If the shot Shott shot shot Nott,

Nott was shot.But if the shot Shott shot shot Shott,then Shott was shot,not Nott.However,the shot Shott shot shot not Shott --

but Nott.

Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward.Three twigs twined tightly.

There was a young fisher named Fischer Who fished for a fish in a fissure.The fish with a grin,Pulled the fisherman in;

Now they're fishing the fissure for Fischer.

Pretty Kitty Creighton had a cotton batten cat.The cotton batten cat was bitten by a rat.The kitten that was bitten had a button for an eye,And biting off the button made the cotton batten fly.

Suddenly swerving, seven small swans

Swam silently southward,Seeing six swift sailboatsSailing sedately seaward.

The ochre ogre ogled the poker.

If you stick a stock of liquor in your locker,It's slick to stick a lock upon your stock,Or some stickler who is slicker Will stick you of your liquor If you fail to lock your liquor With a lock!

Shredded Swiss chesse.

The soldiers shouldered shooters on their shoulders.

Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter,in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb.

Now.....if Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter,in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,

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thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb,see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thythumb.Success to the successful thistle-sifter!

Thank the other three brothers of their father's mother's brother's side.

They both, though, have thirty-three thick thimbles to thaw.

Irish wristwatch.

Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.Cows graze in groves on grass which grows in grooves ingroves.

Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons -- balancing them badly.

Tragedy strategy.

Selfish shellfish.

They have left the thriftshop, and lost both their theatre ticketsand the volume of valuable licenses and coupons for freetheatrical frills and thrills.

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The Speech Problem

If sloppy enunciation is one of the most irritating speechhabits, using excessive fillers while you speak is the mostirritating speech habit. Fillers range from repetitious sounds,such as “uh”, “um” and the dreaded Canadian “eh”, throughfavourite catch words and phrases, such as “you know”,“anyway”, “all right” and “like”. I won’t even attempt to givea full list of them here, because new fillers such as “whatever”are continuously creeping into people’s speech.

The problem with using fillers such as these when you speak

is that they distract your listener – often to the point that hedoesn’t hear anything you say.

Your message is entirely lost, obscured by the thicket of fillerssurrounding it. Think about the last time you listened tosomeone with the filler habit. Chances are good you spent thetime he spoke either being annoyed or counting the number of times he said the filler phrase.

And with some people, that number can be amazingly high.Some people tack fillers onto the end of every sentence, andsandwich them between every phrase. It becomes, you know,

really difficult for them to say anything without adding theseempty additional phrases, you know?

And speech fillers are insidious. If you’re a person that usesfillers, you may not even be aware of the speech problemyourself. Fillers tend to become so embedded into our speech

patterns that even once you’re aware that you’re using them,you’ll have a very hard time trying not to say them.

Guard Against Stock Responses

Even if you don’t usually stud your speech with fillers, youmay find yourself falling back on stock responses that irritateyour listeners. Stock responses are phrases that we developover time to particular communication situations, such asstatements that call for acknowledgement and nothing else.For instance, I once knew a person that responded, “Okey-dokey” whenever he was asked to do something. Now pictureyourself as this person’s boss – and repeatedly having to ask him to do things. (Shudder.)

Try to vary your response to these standard situations, rather than falling back on whatever your stock response is everytime. Avoid slang and “cute” phrases as you would avoid the

plague. If you’re having trouble varying your responses, pick

several neutral, formal phrases, such as “Right away”, “I will”and/or “Yes, certainly”, and stick to those.

Speech Exercise: The Tell-Me Game

This exercise is designed to test your speech to see if you use fillersand to identify your favourite filler words and phrases. You willneed a partner, such as the person who agreed to be your speechmonitor in Speak For Success Speech Lesson 1, to listen to you.

Tell your partner the purpose of the game. His task is to identifyand list all fillers as you speak. Set a timer for one minute. Your

task is to speak for one minute on this topic:

• Your business’s products and /or services.

Do NOT allow yourself any time to think about the topic. Justspeak. Speaking impromptu will more closely reproduce your “usual” speech habits.

How did you do? Are you a filler user? If you are, there’s work todo to fix your sloppy speech habit.

Continue to use the Tell-Me Game to try and cut down on the

number of fillers you use in spontaneous speech. Increase the timeof the exercise to two minutes.

Speech Exercise: Have Your Fillers Monitored

As the only way you’re going to eliminate fillers from your speechis through constant diligence, the help of your speech monitor (or monitors) will be invaluable. Once again, explain the speech

problem you are working on, and have him tell you every time youcommit this speech offence in his presence. If you’re serious about

breaking this sloppy speech habit, having one monitor at home andone in your work environment is ideal.

The Benefits of Eliminating Fillers

As was the case with the first sloppy speech habit you tackled, asyour speech fillers decrease, your listeners will:

• Form a better impression of you as you speak, thinking of you as an educated, knowledgeable person, more worthyof trust;

• Be better able to focus on the message you’recommunicating, rather than being distracted by the wayyou’re expressing yourself.


Your first task this week is simple: use the Tell-Me Game at leastonce to identify your favourite filler words and phrases.

The second task is much harder; work to eliminate the extraneousfillers in your speech. Continue working with a partner and playingthe Tell-Me-Game throughout the week. Get your speech monitor or monitors involved to help catch the fillers you use.

As you become more conscious of the way you speak and practicespeaking without fillers, you’ll find your filler use decrease.

In the next speech lesson, you’ll work on the skill of expression.

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Speech Exercise: More Speech Topics For The Tell-Me

Game


You will need a partner for this exercise. As the listener, your partner’s role is to listen for the particular speech problem being worked on and record all instances of the speech problem.

As the speaker, your role is to speak impromptu on one of thefollowing speech topics for two minutes.

Do NOT spend time thinking about the topic before youspeak.

1. Your favourite hobby and why it’s your favourite.

2. What you would do if you won five million dollars on thelottery?

3. If you had unlimited resources, what would you do to

improve your business?

4. What do you like best about what you do? Why?5. Which of the five senses is most important? Why?

6. What skill or talent would you most like to have? Why?

7. Why is the current federal government doing such a bad

job?

8. What should your town do to create a better climate for

business?9. What are the best places to eat in your town or city?

Why?10. What are the best things to do to relax? Why?11. What’s the worst fault a person can have? Why?12. If you could be young again, would you? Why?13. What are the four things you least like to do? Why?14. Who do you most admire? Why?15. If you could visit any place in the world, where would

you go? Why?

16. What are your three best personality traits? Why?

17. What do you like most about living where you live?Why?

18. What was the worst job you ever had? Why?

19. What was the best workshop or conference you’ve ever

attended? Why?

Increase the difficulty of this speech exercise by speakingimpromptu on one of the topics above for three minutes - or

even five minutes, if you dare.

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Enthusiasm and Monotones Don’t Mix

Speech Skill: Expression

The Speech Problem

Speaking in a monotonous voice is a real communicationkiller. When the variety of your voice’s pitch doesn’t vary, it’simpossible for your listener to maintain any interest in whatyou’re saying. He tunes out – quickly. Once again, your message falls by the wayside.

But even if he did hear it, he probably wouldn’t believe it.People who speak in a monotone or with inappropriateexpression in their voices are perceived as untrustworthy,

boring, or even shifty. As a business, sales or professional person, you can see why you’d want to fix this sloppy speech problem right away!

Other Speech Problems of Expression

Now, you may be saying to yourself (with a sigh of relief), “Icertainly don’t speak in a monotone!” That’s excellent news,

but unfortunately, the obvious monotone, where there is novariety of pitch in the voice, is only one sloppy speech habitrelated to expression.

A far more common problem is a lack of appropriate vocalvariety, or, as I call it, tired voice.

If you have tired voice, your speech just doesn’t convey theappropriate emotional shadings and vitality that make people’svoices interesting and pleasant to hear. Think of it this way;your voice is as much a part of your signature style as thecolor of your eyes or the way you walk. People can identifyyou by these signature traits. And in some cases, people havedeveloped “signature” voices that are grating, braying,

booming or otherwise just downright unpleasant for other people to listen to – because their voices are not suitablyexpressive.

The good news is that having a monotonous or tired voice isnot a life sentence. Everyone can change their signature voice

(to some degree, barring physical complications) – just as wecan change the way we walk or even the colour of our eyes.

Speech Exercise: Emotion Sentences

The purpose of this exercise is to practice getting more vocalvariety into your speech, so you are going to be saying thesesentences in different ways.

First, say the sentence out loud as you would if you wereecstatically happy.

Then say the same sentence out loud as you would if you wereextremely sad.

1. I just got a call saying that I won a vacation in Las Vegas.2. I’m going to have to change that light bulb.3. Our town now has a new recycling program.4. My next door neighbour is moving out next week.5. I’ll be able to retire in only two more years.

Speech Exercise 1: Belief Sentences

The purpose of this exercise is to practice conveying meaning

through expression in your speech, so once again, you are going to be saying these sentences in different ways.

First, say the sentence out loud as you would if you truly believedthe statement.

Then say the same sentence out loud as you would if you didn’t believe what you were saying and wanted to convey your disbelief to your listener.

1. You’ll never regret buying one of these.2. This extended warranty is a great deal.3. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

4. What I’m doing now is the best thing I’ve ever done.5. I am the best at what I do.

Speech Exercise 2: Drama Queens and Kings

Picture yourself as a star of a long-running soap opera or TV show.What do stars do? They emote. This role-playing speech exercisewill help you develop a more expressive voice by exaggeratingyour normal pitch and rhythm.

Put as much expression into your role as you can, following thestage directions. It’s best if you work with a partner, as the script is

written for two people – although trying to play both roles can befun, too!

Speech Exercise Script

Daphne: (horribly upset) It’s all over, Rodney.Rodney: (anxiously) What do you mean?Daphne: I mean I just can’t go on like this.The sneaking around, the hiding, trying to make sure that no onesees us...Rodney: (compassionately) It hasn’t been easy for me, either, youknow.

Daphne: I know... I know...Rodney: I mean, it’s just not what we’re used to, is it? I know thatyou understand, but other people... What if they found out? I can’tstop thinking about it.Daphne: (brutally) We’d never be able to hold up our heads again.We’d be outcasts.Rodney: (firmly) If we just stick together, we can get through it.Where’s your famous will power?Daphne: But it’s driving me mad. How much worse than this couldit be? I just can’t stop thinking about it.Rodney: So that’s it, then? You’re just going to throw in the towel?Daphne: I have to, Rodney. Don’t you understand? I thought you of all people...

Rodney: (bitterly) Oh, I understand, all right. Go ahead then. Youalways do just what you want to do anyhow.Daphne: (outraged) That’s not true! How dare you accuse me of

being selfish after all the sacrifices I’ve made!

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http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/speakforsuccesscourse/a/dramakings.htm

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/speakforsuccesscourse/a/dramakings.htm



Rodney: See? All you can talk about is your sacrifices. As if Ihaven’t made any. And now you’re being selfish again. Howdo you think I’m going to be able to carry on by myself?Daphne: (snidely) Well you were the one that was talkingabout will power.Rodney: Yeah, right. As if I’m going to be able to stick to this

protein only diet once you start filling the cupboards with bread and doughnuts again!

End Speech Exercise Script

Like any star, you may rerun these lines any number of times.For more variety, change the stage directions. In the openinglines, have Daphne speak calmly and Rodney curiously, for instance.

Reading the lines of published plays and scripts out loud isanother great way to practice increasing the expression in your voice – and of course, to continue polishing your clarityspeech skills.

The Benefits of Improving Your Speech Expression

As your voice expression increases, your listeners will:

• Be more interested in what you’re saying and moreattentive;

• Be more likely to be receptive to you and themessage you’re communicating.


Set aside a minimum of 15 minutes a day this week to work on your voice expression.

Start by working through the exercises on and linked to this page. You will want to go through each of these speechexercises at least three times.

In addition, you’ll want to start working with other passages.As I suggest at the end of the Drama Queens and Kingsexercise, published plays are an excellent source of materialfor improving your expression speech skill. Reading poetryout loud is another excellent practice.

Perhaps the best source of speech exercise material is

children’s books. When we read one of these aloud to a child,we tend to try out a variety of different voices and exaggeratethe expression in our voices in response to the child’sresponse as we read.

If you have no children’s books (or children) on hand,remember that any fiction will work. Use your fifteen minutesa day to read out loud. It’s best if you read to an audience, ashaving an audience will help you focus on using expression tointerest (and perhaps enthrall) your listeners.

Over time as you consistently practice this speech skill, you’ll

find your “signature” voice change – becoming both moreexpressive and more pleasing.

A speech lesson especially for those who speak too quickly or tooslowly is up next.

http://www.simplyscripts.com/

Roman Polanski's parents returned to Poland from France just two years before the World War II began: both were taken later to concentration camps wherehis mother eventually died. Young Roman managed to escape the ghetto and learnedto survive wandering through the Polish countryside and living with the differentCatholic families. Though local people usually ignored cinemas where mostlyGerman films were shown, Polanski seemed not very much concerned about

patriotism and frequently went to the movies. In 1945 he reunited with his father who sent him to technical school, but young Polanski seemed to have already madehis choice.

In the 50s he took up acting, appearing in Andrzej Wajda's Pokolenie(1955) before studying at the Lodz Film School. His early shorts such as Dwajludzie z szafa (1958), Gros et le maigre, Le (1961) and Ssaki (1963) showed his tastefor black humor and interest in bizarre human relationships. His feature debut, Nózw wodzie (1962), was the first Polish post-war film not associated with the war theme. Though being already a major Polish filmmaker Polanski yet chose to leavethe country and headed to France. Being down-and-out in Paris, he befriended youngscriptwriter, Gérard Brach, who eventually became his long-time collaborator. Thenext two films, Repulsion (1965) and Cul-de-sac (1966), made in England and co-written by Brach, won respectively Silver and Golden Bear at the Berlin FilmFestivals.

In 1968 Polanski went to Hollywood, where he made the psychologicalthriller Rosemary's Baby (1968). However, after the brutal murder of his wife

Sharon Tate by the infamous Manson gang in 1969, the director decided to return toEurope. In 1974 he again appeared with a US release of Chinatown (1974). Itseemed the beginning of the promising Hollywood career, but after his convictionfor the statutory rape of a 13-year old girl, Polanski fled from America to avoid prison.

After Tess (1979), which was awarded several Oscars and Cesars, hiswork became intermittent and rarely approached the level of his better known films.The director also stretched his talents to include occasional work in theatre. He stilllikes to act in the films of other directors, sometimes with interesting results as it wasin Pura formalità, Una (1994).

SCRIPT FRAGMENT

THE NINTH GATE

A Screenplay by Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn and Enrique

Urbizu

Based on a novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte

1. TELFER HOUSE: LIBRARY INT/NIGHT

ANDREW TELFER, a scrawny seventy-year-old, is writing a noteat his desk in one corner of a big, book-lined room. Dangling fromthe central chandelier is a noose. A chair stands beneath it.

TELFER looks up for a moment. Blankly, he eyes a framed

photoportrait on his desk: a beautiful, thirty-something blondereturns his gaze with an enigmatic smile.

He stops writing and folds the sheet, scrawls something on the back, and leaves it on the desk. Then he walks to the centre of theroom and climbs on the chair. He puts his head through the nooseand tightens it around his neck.

He kicks away the back of the chair, but it doesn't fall. Frantically,he tries again: this time the chair topples over. The chandelier squeaks as it swings on its hook, but it holds. Fragments of plaster come raining down.

TELFER's neck isn't broken: he starts to choke. His feet perform aconvulsive dance in mid-air only six inches above the floor; one of his shoes comes off.

9



The CAMERA leaves the dying man and MOVES IN on the bookshelves. To the accompaniment of choking sounds, itPANS across the serried rows of volumes until it reaches agap that shows where one of them has been removed.

The choking sounds cease.

The CAMERA enters the black void left by the missing book.

Absolute, abysmal DARKNESS.

3. MANHATTAN APARTMENT INT/DAY

The Manhattan skyline seen through a picture window. Aboveit, reflected in the windowpane, the face of an OLD WOMANseated with her back to the room. Her expression is impassiveand self-absorbed, her twisted mouth suggests she's a strokevictim. She seems quite uninvolved in the action behind her.

CORSO (O.S.) An impressive collection. You have some veryrare editions here. Sure you want to sell them all?

We now discover the speaker, BOB CORSO: a tall, lean,

rather unkempt man in his 30's. Steel-rimmed glasses,crumpled old tweed jacket, worn cords, scuffed brownoxfords. He could almost be a shabby university teacher if itweren't for the street-wise glint in his eye.

He replaces a book on a shelf. Standing beside him is the OldWoman's SON, a middle-aged man with a puffy red face. Her DAUGHTER-IN-LAW looks on, one hand cupping her elbow, the fingers of the other playing avidly with her lower lip. The SON is cuddling a large Scotch on the rocks like it'san integral part of his anatomy. His tone is too lugubrious to

be true.

SON: They're no use to Father, not anymore -not now he's passed away. His library was his own little world. Now it's just a painful memory for Mother here.

DAUGHTER-IN-LAW: Unbearably painful.

CORSO glances at them over the top of his glasses, then at theOLD WOMAN. It's clear that the OLD WOMAN's truesource of pain is their rapacious desire to convert her latehusband's library into hard cash.

CORSO picks up a notebook, adjusts his glasses with aninstinctive, habitual movement, taps the notebook with his

pencil.

CORSO: Well, at a rough, preliminary estimate, you have acollection here worth around two hundred thousand dollars.

DAUGHTER-IN-LAW (almost jumps): Two hundredthousand?!

CORSO : Or thereabouts.

He smiles sweetly at the DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.

The OLD WOMAN continues to stare blankly at her reflection in the window. Behind her, the SON sidles up toCORSO, who indicates the volumes in question.

SON: How much were you thinking of...

CORSO: Hmm... I couldn't go higher than four grand -- four-and-a-half tops. (takes an envelope from his shoulder bag and starts

peeling off some bills)

4. MANHATTAN APARTMENT HOUSE CORRIDOR INT/DAY

CORSO strides briskly along the corridor toward the elevator withthe canvas bag slung from his shoulder. He's grinning to himself.The bag is obviously heavier than it was.

The elevator doors open just as he's about to press the button. Healmost collides with a bespectacled, briefcase-carrying man in athree-piece suit and bow tie (WITKIN) -- a cross between anintellectual and a business executive.

WITKIN (caustically): You here? You didn't waste much time.

CORSO: Hello, Witkin. There's a small fortune in there. (smilessardonically) Help yourself.

WITKIN (eyes CORSO's beg suspiciously): You're a vulture,Corso.

CORSO: Who isn't in our business?

WITKIN: You'd stoop to anything.

CORSO brushes past him into the elevator, turns and pats hisshoulder bag.

CORSO: For a 'Quixote' by Ybarra? You bet I would.

WITKIN (indignantly): Unscrupulous, thoroughly unscrupulous!

CORSO (thumbs the elevator button): Good hunting!

The doors close on WITKIN's indignant face.

5. BERNIE'S BOOKSTORE EXT/INT/DAY

A sign says "CLOSED." CORSO pushes open the door of an oldfashioned semibasement bookstore -- 'BERNIE'S RARE BOOKS'-- and enters. He walks up to the counter and deposits his bag on it.

BERNIE (O.S.): Witkin just called me. He's spitting blood.

CORSO looks around. The voice came from ten feet up and three bookcases along. BERNIE FELDMAN, a man around CORSO'sage with dark, curly hair receding at the temples, is perched at thetop of a spiral staircase.

CORSO: What's his problem?

BERNIE (replacing some books): He says you're a double-dealing,money grubbing bastard. He says he had that sale tied up, and nowyou've queered his pitch.

CORSO (grins to himself): He should be quicker off the mark.

The spiral staircase judders as BERNIE starts to descend.

CORSO goes over to a wall cupboard and opens it. An assortmentof bottles and glasses come to light.

CORSO (cont.): May I?

10



BERNIE: Your valuation was way over the odds it's broughtthose people out In a rash. They're now asking twice what the

books are worth.

CORSO, still grinning, pours himself a slug of Scotch.BERNIE reaches the ground.

BERNIE (cont.): He's talking about suing you. Well, let's faceit: you screwed him. That's what it's called.

CORSO: I know what it's called.

BERNIE comes up close.

BERNIE: He also says you snaffled the 'Don Qui ...

He breaks off as CORSO produces the four volumes of the'Quixote', bends over to examine them, whistlesappreciatively.

BERNIE: (cont.): The Ybarra 'Don Quixote', 1780, four volumes. Fantastic! (opens one) Sonofabitch, you're the best

in the business. Definitely.

CORSO: And the most expensive. (smiles slyly) That client of yours, the Swiss, is he still interested in this edition?

BERNIE smiles back, then redirects his attention to the books.

BERNIE: Sure, but Witkin will blow a fuse. I told him I hadnothing to do with this operation.

CORSO knocks back his Scotch in one. Extracting a crumpledcigarette from the pocket of his overcoat, he sticks it in hismouth and lights it.

CORSO: Nothing except your ten percent.

BERNIE: : Twenty. The Swiss is my client, remember.

CORSO (shakes his head): No deal.

BERNIE: Fifteen. (cynically) For my children's sake.

CORSO: You don't have any.

BERNIE: I'm still young. Give me time.

CORSO (expels a lungful of smoke, unmoved): Ten.

6. BALKAN BUILDING EXT/DUSK

A taxi pulls up outside an opulent building downtown.CORSO gets out, dodges a persistent beggar, and enters. Thesign above the entrance reads: 'BALKAN PUBLICATIONS'.

7. BALKAN BUILDING: LOBBY INT/DUSK

CORSO nods to the SECURITY GUARD at the desk andmakes hit way across the lobby to a door at the back. Beside it

stands an easel-mounted announcement: 'Demons andMedieval Literature, by Boris Balkan, Ph.D.' It's adorned witha medieval engraving depicting an Inquisition torture scene.

8. BALKAN BUILDING: LECTURE ROOM INT/DUSK

BORIS BALKAN, standing at a state-of-the-art lecturer's desk, is a bulky, imposing figure of a man around 50 years old. His thick grayhair is slicked back to reveal a domed forehead. The eyes beneath itradiate keen intelligence through a pair of heavy hornrims. Hespeaks in a deep, slow, almost monotonous voice, but with greatauthority.

BALKAN: Relevant information may be found in Antoine Martindel Rio's 'Disquisitionum Magicarum', Louvain 1599, and earlier, in

1580, in 'De la d‚monomanle des sorciers' by the Frenchman, JeanBodin...

His eyes flicker in the direction of the door as CORSO enters.

CORSO's entrance has also been noted by a GIRL in jeans andwhite sneakers: childlike face, short hair and green, feline eyes.

He sits down in the same row, but on the other side of the aisle,settles himself in his chair and scans the AUDIENCE, most of whom are middle-aged and female. He gives the GIRL a cursoryglance, then concentrates on BALKAN.

BALKAN (cont.): Bodin was probably the first to attempt toestablish a system - if the term system may be applied to theMiddle Ages - for classifying the contemporary perceptions of evil.In Bodin we find one of the first definitions of the word 'witch'. Iquote: (cocks his head for a better look at the text) 'A witch is a

person who, though cognizant of the laws of God, endeavors to actthrough the medium of a pact with the Devil...'

As BALKAN's lecture proceeds, CORSO's eyelids begin to droop.We PAN over the faces of the AUDIENCE (THE GIRL is stillcovertly observing CORSO). BALKAN's voice drones on, fadesaway.

9. BALKAN BUILDING: LECTURE ROOM INT/NIGHT

CLOSE on CORSO fast asleep.

BALKAN (O.S.): I see you enjoyed my little talk, Mr. Corso.

CORSO gives a start and opens his eyes. He takes a moment or twoto focus on BALKAN, who's standing over him. Peering aroundthrough his steel-rimmed glasses, he sees that the lecture is over.The last of the AUDIENCE are filing out. We glimpse THE GIRLmaking her exit.

CORSO: Did I snore?

BALKAN: Nice of you to ask. No, not that I noticed. Shall we go?

He gestures at the door with a cold and impassive air. CORSO getsto his feet.

10. BALKAN BUILDING: LOBBY INT/NIGHT

BALKAN walks swiftly across the lobby to the elevators withCORSO at his heels. They leave behind a buzz of conversationfrom members of the AUDIENCE who are still discussing thelecture.

BALKAN: Don't you sleep nights?

CORSO: Like a baby.

11



BALKAN: Strange, I'd have bet a brace of Gutenberg Biblesyou spend half the night with your eyes peeled. You're one of those lean, hungry, restless types that put thewind up JuliusCaesar - men who'd stab their friends in the back...

They reach the elevator. BALKAN presses a button and turnstoCORSO, who yawns.

BALKAN (cont.) Not, I suspect, that you have many friends,

do you, Mr. Corso? Your kind seldom does.

CORSO (calmly): Go to hell.

BALKAN is unruffled by CORSO's discourtesy. The elevator doors open. He stands aside to let CORSO pass, then followshim in.

11. BALKAN BUILDING: ELEVATOR INT/NIGHT

BALKAN punches a code number on the elevator's digitalkeyboard With a subdued hiss, the elevator starts to ascend.

BALKAN: You're right, of course. Your friendships don'tconcern me in the least. Our relations have always beenstrictly commercial, isn't that so? There's no one more reliablethan a man whose loyalty can be bought for hard cash.

CORSO: Hey, Balkan, I came here to do some business, notshoot the breeze. You want to expound your personal

philosophy, write another book.

BALKAN: You don't like me, do you?

CORSO (shrugs): I don't have to like you. You're a client, andyou pay well.

The elevator reaches its destination, the doors open.

12. BALKAN BUILDING: COLLECTION INT/NIGHT

The elevator opens straight into a spacious room faced with black marble. The walls are bare save for a big, back-lighted photograph of a ruined castle overlooking a desolate valley.

Two huge windows in the right-hand wall extend from floor toceiling. Visible outside on the building's floodlit facade,gargoyles gaze out over the city with their monstrous heads

propped on their claws.

The centre of the room is occupied by a rectangular block of tinted glass resembling a big black monolith. Vaguelydiscernible through the glass are shelves filled with antique

books in exquisite bindings.

BALKAN leads CORSO over to the 'monolith' . He gesturesat it proudly, soliciting admiration.

BALKAN: Well?

CORSO: Yup.

BALKAN: You're privileged, Corso. Very few people haveever set foot in here. This Is my private collection. Some

bibliophiles specialize in Gothic novels, others in Books of

Hours. All my own rare editions have the same protagonist: theDevil.

CORSO is impressed but does his best not to show it.

CORSO: May I take a look?

BALKAN: That's why I brought you here.

He goes over to the 'monolith' and punches a keyboard on a control

panel, gestures to CORSO to come closer.

CORSO puts out his hand. Before he can touch the glass, it glidesaside with a faint hum. He adjusts his glasses and glances atBALKAN, who looks on calmly. His eyes roam along the spines of the books. BALKAN comes and stands beside him.

BALKAN (cont.): Beautiful, aren't they? That soft sheen, thatsuperb gilding... Not to mention the centuries of wisdom theycontain -- centuries of erudition, of delving Into the secrets of theUniverse and the hearts of men... I know people who would kill for a collection like this. (CORSO shoots him a quick glance) The ArsDiavoli! You'll never see as many books on the subject anywhere

else in the world. They're the rarest, the choicest editions inexistence. It has taken me a lifetime to assemble them. Only thesupreme masterpiece was missing. Come...

He has accompanied CORSO on his tour of the collection. Theycome to the end of the 'monolith'. Gesturing to CORSO to followhim, BALKAN goes over to an ultramodern, brushed steel lecternstanding beside one of the huge picture windows.

As he approaches the lectern, CORSO briefly glimpses the sheer drop beyond the window, the twinkling lights of traffic passing inthe street far below.

Reposing on the lectern is a black book adorned with a gold pentagram. CORSO opens it at the title page, which displays thetitle in Latin and a pictorial engraving.

CORSO (not looking at BALKAN) 'The Nine Gates of theKingdom of Shadows...

12. BALKAN BUILDING: COLLECTION INT/NIGHT

The elevator opens straight into a spacious room faced with black marble. The walls are bare save for a big, back-lighted photographof a ruined castle overlooking a desolate valley.

Two huge windows in the right-hand wall extend from floor toceiling. Visible outside on the building's floodlit facade, gargoylesgaze out over the city with their monstrous heads propped on their claws.

The centre of the room is occupied by a rectangular block of tinted glass resembling a big black monolith. Vaguely discerniblethrough the glass are shelves filled with antique books in exquisite

bindings.

BALKAN leads CORSO over to the 'monolith' . He gestures at it proudly, soliciting admiration.

BALKAN: Well?

CORSO: Yup.

12



BALKAN: You're privileged, Corso. Very few people haveever set foot in here. This Is my private collection. Some

bibliophiles specialize in Gothic novels, others in Books of Hours. All my own rare editions have the same protagonist:the Devil.

CORSO is impressed but does his best not to show it.

CORSO: May I take a look?

BALKAN: That's why I brought you here.

He goes over to the 'monolith' and punches a keyboard on acontrol panel, gestures to CORSO to come closer.

CORSO puts out his hand. Before he can touch the glass, itglides aside with a faint hum. He adjusts his glasses andglances atBALKAN, who looks on calmly. His eyes roam along thespines of the books. BALKAN comes and stands beside him.

BALKAN (cont.): Beautiful, aren't they? That soft sheen, thatsuperb gilding... Not to mention the centuries of wisdom they

contain -- centuries of erudition, of delving Into the secrets of the Universe and the hearts of men... I know people whowould kill for a collection like this. (CORSO shoots him aquick glance) The Ars Diavoli! You'll never see as many

books on the subject anywhere else in the world. They're therarest, the choicest editions in existence. It has taken me alifetime to assemble them. Only the supreme masterpiece wasmissing. Come...

He has accompanied CORSO on his tour of the collection.They come to the end of the 'monolith'. Gesturing to CORSOto follow him, BALKAN goes over to an ultramodern,

brushed steel lectern standing beside one of the huge picturewindows.

As he approaches the lectern, CORSO briefly glimpses thesheer drop beyond the window, the twinkling lights of traffic

passing in the street far below.

Reposing on the lectern is a black book adorned with a gold pentagram. CORSO opens it at the title page, which displaysthe title in Latin and a pictorial engraving.

CORSO (not looking at BALKAN) 'The Nine Gates of theKingdom of Shadows...

BALKAN: You're familiar with it?CORSO: Sure. Venice, 1623. The author and printer wasAristide Torchia, burned by the Holy Inquisition, together with all his works. Only three copies survived.BALKAN One.CORSO: The catalogs list three copies surviving in privateownership: the Fargas, the Kessler, and the Telfer.BALKAN: True. You've done your homework, but you'rewrong nonetheless. According to all the sources I myself haveconsulted, only one is authentic. The author confessed under torture that he'd hidden one copy. Only one.CORSO: Well, three are known.

BALKAN: That's the trouble.

CORSO resumes his inspection of the book.


Speech Skill: Pace

The Speech Problem

Speaking too quickly is one of the most common speech problems – perhaps because almost all of us tend tospeed up our speech when we’re stressed or excited.And when are we not stressed when we’re working?Making a cold call, meeting a new contact, working on a

project with a deadline – all of these situations arestressful and cause all kinds of physiological responses,including speeding up our speech.

Some people, however, are genuine “motormouths” – people who always speak rapidly.

Speaking too slowly is much less common, but believeit or not, there are people who tend to speak naturallywith a rate of speed that leaves gaps between words anddrawls out syllables to extremes.

The trick to speaking at an appropriate pace isremembering that you need to speak at a rate that allowsyour listener to understand what you’re saying.

Listening is not a one-step process; we have to physically hear what is said and then translate languageinto meaning. If we speak too quickly, this vital secondstep of the process is lost.

Like expression, the natural rate at which you speak is part of your speech signature. The problem withspeaking at a pace that’s either too fast or too slow isthat it interferes with communication. When you speak too quickly, you literally “blow away” your listener. Hecan’t mentally keep up with you and will quickly stop

trying. While a small part of your message may getthrough, most won’t. When you speak too slowly, your listener has too much time for processing, and the mindeither locks on how irritatingly slowly you’re speakingor wanders off to more interesting things.

If you hear phrases such as “Could you repeat that?”often, or often encounter glazed looks, you’re probablya person who usually speaks too quickly or too slowly.

Slowing Your Speech Down

Focusing on our enunciation when we speak is one goodway to slow down our speech. When we focus onenunciating clearly, (as you did in Speech Lesson 1), we13



force ourselves to stop slurring and eliding syllableswhen we speak.

Another way to slow down our speech is toconcentrate on phrasing. Oral speech, just likewritten speech, is composed of phrases andsentences. In fact, the punctuation of written speechis simply a set of sign posts to tell us how the

written information should be phrased. For instance,when I wrote:

“If you hear phrases such as “Could you repeatthat?” often, or often encounter glazed looks, you’re

probably a person who usually speaks too quicklyor too slowly,” the punctuation dictates that whenyou read or say this sentence, you are going to

pause briefly after the question mark, pause againafter the word ‘often’ because of the comma, andagain after ‘looks’. The sentence should be read the

same way, whether you read it silently or read it outloud.

But people who speak too quickly tend to ignore phrasing entirely. They don’t pause for commas,hyphens, question marks or even periods, jammingall the phrases together. Therefore, concentrating onthe phrasing can really help slow down speedyspeakers.

Speech Exercise 1: Practicing Phrasing

Go back to the start of this speech lesson and read itout loud, using the punctuation to guide your

phrasing. Think of a period or semi-colon as a pause twice as long as a comma.

Speech Exercise 2 : Five Step How-Tos

Because the pace of speech and comprehension areso closely linked, this exercise focuses on speaking

at the optimum pace for making your messageunderstood.

You will need a partner to work through this speechexercise. His or her task is to comprehend whatyou’re saying and give you feedback about your speech pace.

As the speaker, your task is to tell him or her howto do something in five steps. You may jot downthe five steps you’re going to use as speaking points

on a piece of paper before you begin, if you wish.

Speech Topics:

1. How to perfectly boil an egg2. How to plant a tree3. How to send an email4. How to handle a customer complaint5. How to send a fax6. How to evaluate an employee7. How to replace a printer cartridge8. How to impress a client

9. How to give a good speech10. How to make the perfect cup of coffee or tea

When you’ve finished speaking, ask your partner torepeat the five steps you spoke of. Did he or she get allof them?

If not, why? Did you speak too quickly or too slowly or was there some other speech problem that interferedwith communication?

Rerun the exercise with a different topic as many timesas you like.

The Benefits of Improving Your Speech Pace

When you speak at an appropriate pace, your listenerswill:

• Be more interested in what you’re saying andmore attentive;

• Be more likely to comprehend the messageyou’re communicating.


Set aside a minimum of 15 minutes a day this week towork on your voice pace.

Once you’ve worked through the exercises on and

linked to this page, I want you to continue your oralreading program throughout the week. Fiction or non-fiction will work, as long as the piece is properly

punctuated. As you read out loud, concentrate on your enunciation and following the phrasing as directed bythe punctuation. Those of you who enjoy a challengewill benefit from dipping into some literary classics,such as novels by Austen, Hardy, Dickens andThackeray. The sentence structure will provide a great

phrasing workout.

The next step is much harder, but I want you to startworking on it right away, too. Start visualizing the

punctuation before you speak. Whether you’re on the phone or talking to someone in person, before you say

14



what you’re going to say, “see” the sentences,complete with their periods and commas, and thensay it. If you can master this, the pace at which youspeak will slow down considerably – even if you’restressed.

And once again, tell your speech monitor whatspeech skill you’re working on this week, and get

him or her to warn you when you’re speaking tooquickly or too slowly.

In the next speech lesson, you’ll be taking a look at buzzwords and slang and how they can destroycommunication.

15




Buzzwords and Slang Bury Your Message


The Speech Problem

We live in a world littered with acronyms, buzzwords andslang. Right now, for instance, I’m tired of people leveragingeverything all over the place. A friend recently told me thatshe’d leveraged her portfolio. I thought she was talking aboutstocks, but she meant that she had a job interview. This was

just a personal, minor misunderstanding. But acronyms, buzzwords and slang can cause misunderstandings that costtime and money when we’re trying to do business.

As business people and professionals, we need to be sure thatwe’re speaking the right language to the right people at theright time.

Both slang and buzzwords are types of informal, trendylanguage; both obscure meaning.

Slang is “informal language consisting of words andexpressions that are not considered appropriate for formaloccasions; often vituperative or vulgar” or “the characteristiclanguage of a particular group” (HyperDictionary). So on theone hand, your listener may not understand what’s said

because he isn’t a member of the selective group that knowsthat lingo; on the other, he may understand it very well but beoffended by it.

Another problem with using slang to attempt to communicateis that many of us tend to get trapped in slang time warps.Unless you live in a house with teenagers or are currentlyattending a post-secondary educational institute, the slangyou’re trying to use is probably hopelessly out of date.(Remember the phrase, “far out”? Or “lame”? If you do, don’tadmit it to anyone!)

Buzzwords are “stock phrases that have become nonsensethrough endless repetition” (HyperDictionary), or, if you

prefer, “important-sounding words or phrases used primarilyto impress laypersons” (BuzzWhack.com). Currently, for example, every business under the sun is including the word

“solutions” in their marketing copy and conversations, to the point that the word is just a meaningless filler.

Speech Exercise 1: Business Buzzwords To Avoid

The easy part of the exercise: read this list of business buzzwords.

The hard part of the exercise: strip these meaningless buzzwords from your speech (and from your thinking).

Actionable

ActualizeBest practiceConceptualizeCash-neutral

Cost-centeredCustomer-centeredCustomer-directedEmpoweredEmpowermentGame planHeads-upIntellectual capitalKnowledge managementLeverage

Low-hanging fruitMarket segmentMission criticalMission statementOperationalizeOutside the boxParadigm shiftPositioningPush the envelopeRamp upResource constrainedRisk managementSmartsize

SolutionStrategic fitStrategic allianceSynergizeTouch baseValue-addedVision statementWin-Win

Shorthand Can Shortchange Your Listeners

Acronyms are abbreviations formed from the first letters of eachword of a phrase that are sometimes used as words in themselves.They’re popular because basically we’re a lazy bunch and using aset of initials rather than writing or saying several words saveseffort. Some common ones are:

• ASP - Application Service Provider

• B2B - Business to Business

• BAU - Business As Usual

• BAFO - Best And Final Offer

• RFP - Request for Proposal

• ROI - Return on Investment

What works as shorthand in the office doesn’t necessarily translatewhen you’re speaking with customers or clients. Perfectlyappropriate acronyms you use in-house may just be gobbledygook to clients.

I’m not saying that acronyms should never be used; just that youshould use them selectively. To make it easier on yourself, set upand follow a rule never to use acronyms when communicating withcustomers and/or clients, no matter what form the communicationtakes. Clarity is worth the price of convenience.

Speech Exercise 2: Adding Acronyms

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Return to the list of acronyms above and add at least fivedifferent acronyms – preferably ones that you are in the habitof using. As the purpose of this exercise is to start focusing onthe acronyms in your speech, you may find it easier to add tothe list throughout the week as acronyms crop up when you’recommunicating.

The Benefits of Cutting Slang, Buzzwords and Acronyms

When you cut these from your speech, your listeners will:

• Be less likely to feel alienated or offended;

• Be more likely to comprehend the message you’recommunicating.


First, complete the exercises on this page. Just by doing this,you’ll become more aware of the kind of empty, informallanguage that you want to eliminate from your speech.

To help you cut slang, buzzwords and acronyms from your speech, I want you to keep a Speech Diary. Each day, as youcommunicate with others, be aware of what you’re saying andwrite down any instances of slang, buzzwords, or acronymsthat you use.

If you do this conscientiously, by the end of the week, twothings will happen; you’ll have a list of the empty languagethat you personally use, and the number of times you use

particular instances of the slang, buzzwords and acronyms thatare weakening your communication will decrease.

Enlist the aid of your speech monitor again this week, asking

him or her to tell you whenever you use slang, buzzwords or acronyms instead of real, meaningful words.

And just for fun, if you’re curious about what new buzzwordsare being bandied about, or hear one that you don’t know themeaning of, BuzzWhack.com has an ever-growing“buzzword-compliant” dictionary, offering definitions of everything from “alpha pups” through “zombience”.

13 Most Fun Buzzwords of 2006

Ever done any blamestorming? How about prairie-dogging?

Do you work with any BMWs? Or has your career been plutoed ?

Those four buzzwords are among the 13 Most Fun Buzzwordsof 2006 as selected by the readers of BuzzWhack.com, homeof The Buzzword Dictionary: 1,000 Phrases Translated FromPompous to English, (Marion Street Press).

"Not all buzzwords make you cringe. Some are delightfullycolorful, funny and sum up life in today's workplace," saysJohn Walston, author of The Buzzword Dictionary and creator of BuzzWhack.com. "And given the way the world's been

going lately, we definitely need something to laugh about."

Here's the complete list:

1. blamestorming: A group process where participants analyze afailed project and look for scapegoats other than themselves.

2. Death by Tweakage: When a product or project fails due tounnecessary tinkering or too many last-minute revisions.

3. BMWs: Bitchers, Moaners and Whiners.

4. clockroaches: Employees who spend most of their day watching

the clock - instead of doing their jobs

5. plutoed: To be unceremoniously dumped or relegated to a lower position without an adequate reason or explanation.

6. prairie dogging: A modern office phenomenon. Occurs whenworkers simultaneously pop their heads up out of their cubicles tosee what's going on.

7. carbon-based error: Error caused by a human, not a computer (which we assume would be a silicon-based error).

8. menoporsche: Male menopause. Symptoms include a suddenlack of energy, crankiness and the overpowering urge to buy aPorsche.

9. adminisphere: The upper levels of management where big,impractical, and counterproductive decisions are made.

10. deja poo: The feeling that you've stepped in this bull before.

11. bobbleheading: The mass nod of agreement by participants ina meeting to comments made by the boss even though most have noidea what he/she just said.

12. ringtone rage: The violent response by cube mates after hearing your annoying cell phone ringtone for the 15th time.

13. muffin top: The unsightly roll of flesh that spills over the waistof a pair of too-tight

13 Most Dreadful Buzzwords of 2006

"While we're leveraging our assets, can you synopsize the mission-

critical meeting, then relanguage it by the targeted completion

date?"

Those five buzzwords are among the 13 Most Dreadful Buzzwordsof 2006 as selected by the readers of BuzzWhack.com, home of The Buzzword Dictionary: 1,000 Phrases Translated From Pompous to

English.

"Some business people simply believe that if they sound important,then everyone will think they are important, and therefore smarter,"says John Walston, author of The Buzzword Dictionary and creator of BuzzWhack.com. "Among the guilty: vice president wannabes,consultants, techies, and lawyers.

"But they're fooling no one but themselves.

"The rest of us know that you can communicate almost any ideaclearly with plain, straightforward English," Walston says.

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Here's the complete list:

1. leveraging our assets: The ultimate DUH in business.Every company attempts to leverage its assets. It only makessense that companies put their resources, whether it's money,location or talent, to best use in order to make a profit?

2. mission-critical: Another sign that too many people intoday's business world have read too many Tom Clancy

books. What's wrong with the word "essential"?

3. conversate: To have a conversation. Created by those who(for some bizarre reason) don't think "converse" or "talk" areadequate.

4. information touchpoint: Any contact in which informationis shared or transferred. Yes, meetings are informationtouchpoints.

5. synopsize: To condense the details of a boring, two-hour meeting into a briefer - yet still as boring - version.

6. electronify: The process of turning paper-based data intoelectronic or digital form.

7. price-optimized: Something sold as cheap as possible, particularly a stripped-down version of a previouslysuccessful, but expensive product. However, the price-optimized version is likely to have more flash and lesssubstance.

8. targeted completion date: A comforting term that givesthe impression a project will be finished by a certain date (buteveryone involved knows there's no chance in hell of it

happening).

9. surgerize: To have surgery. "Her face had beensurgerized."

10. relanguage: Term used by $300-an-hour consultantswhen $1 words, such as reword, rephrase or rewrite, wouldwork just as well. "I think we can relanguage that to be moreeffective."

11. computerate: Computer literate. To understand how acomputer works. "Are you computerate? Or do you need me

to do it for you?"

12. critical path: A list of tasks necessary to complete a project. In project management, it's the ultimate alibi. If there'seven one delay in the "critical path," the project will not becompleted on time.

13. Professional Learning Community: A school faculty.

Recent Buzzwords

aquadextrous: The ability to turn the bath faucet on and off withyour feet.

Nominated by Jamie Thompson

pet parent: Feel-good term for pet owners that supposedly elevatesthe relationship between them and their animals to a higher level.(Subtle reminder for "pet parents": The law doesn't require you tohave a license to have children, but you do have to have one for your dog.

Nominated by Randall Becker

Hummer house: A huge and architecturally inappropriate house built in an existing neighborhood destroying the aesthetic integrityof said neighborhood

Nominated by James Heron

newpeat: The showing of a previously aired TV episode that isnow considered "new" because it has additional scenes or is simplytwo episodes edited into single longer episode. Example: "Did yousee the 'Heroes' newpeat last night?"

Nominated by Aunt Shecky

WYGIWYG: What You Get Is What You Get or What You Got IsWhat You Get. A take-off on WYSIWYG - What You See Is WhatYou Get

Nominated by Mark Spencer

locked tool box: When a company has the right tools, systems,computers, etc., but lacks skilled employees that can put them togood use.

Nominated by Thom Hines

CFNO: A CFO (Chief Financial Officer) whose answer alwaysseems to be "No" no matter how large or small the purchase

request. Nominated by Tommy Lutz

kleptonarcissist: Someone so vain that he/she compulsively stealsglances of himself/herself in any nearby reflective surface - mirrors,

polished cars, etc. Nominated by Zac Babb

Jet Blued: To spend more time sitting on the runway than in theair. "I got Jet Blued this weekend."

Nominated by Vicky Austin

murfing: This one has several meanings. The most recent usage tosurface means "mobile surfing" or surfing the Web using mobile

phone, etc. An older usage is "mindless surfing." Then there arethose musicians who use Bob Moog's MuRF device to give themnew sound effects.

Nominated by Vatroslav Skare

EFIGS: English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. Themnemonic is often an option in computer games, indicating you can

play in any of these languages. Nominated by Tatiana Solomko

literatisement: An advertising product placement embedded in

books, short stories, etc. Just like they do in TV. So beware the nexttime your book’s hero is driving a Lexus, the author may be onLexus’ payroll. Ah, the plot thickens.

Nominated by Michael Donnelly

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shoot ahead of the duck: Think ahead. Plan. You have to aimwhere you think the duck will be, not where it is when you

pull the trigger. Nominated by Max Matthews

mandals: Sandals worn by men – frequently with socks. Nominated by David Taylor

yuppie food stamps: The $20 bills that everyone gets from

ATMs. They become an issue when a group goes out to eatand it comes time to pay. Each person owes $11 and no onehas anything smaller than a $20 bill.

Nominated by Angela Smith

DWT: Driving While Texting. It's become a such a concernthat the Arizona State Legislature is considering a bill to makeit illegal.

Nominated by Evans Neil

surge space: The extra space required (which usually doesn’texist) to temporarily house people, desks, inventory, etc.,while you renovate or expand your offices.

Nominated by John Mielke

Fake Bake: The brand name a for sunless tanning solutionthat comes in lotion, spray, mousse and lip gloss (no kidding).In its lower case form, it’s also another name for indoor tanning salons.

Nominated by Scott Haddon

slabs of meet: A cluster of big, wannabe athletes that gather around giant plasma TVs to watch sporting events, such as theSuper Bowl, etc. In honor of the "slabs of meet" typo in lastweek's definition of "mancation."

Nominated by Dave Perkins for his friend Gord Pushee whofirst defined the term

prosumer: An amateur who has the knowledge and expertise(or at least thinks he does) that requires him to buy“professional” level equipment instead of what’s sold to mostconsumers. Also, a common term to describe consumer equipment that’s a notch below professional grade (think digital camcorders).

Nominated by Casey Neese

mancation: A man’s vacation. Generally includes lots of beer, a Weber grill, slabs of meat for cooking and a sack of

fireworks. Nominated by D.C. Cottrell

vertical trailers: Mass-produced townhouses. Nominated by Sandra Kraybill

YUM-O! When saying "yum" or "yummy" isn't enough.Coined by cooking and talk show host Rachael Ray. Theaccent is on the "O" as in, "Oh! That is so good!"

Nominated by Erin Pratt

voodoo statistics: To twist statistical information to make bad

data seem good. Example: In a race between two cars, theloser reports that he finished second and his opponent finishednext to last.

Nominated by Britt Canada

Mahogany Row: A building or suite of offices housing C-levelexecutives. Their desks are made of expensive wood, while the restof us poor slobs work in gray cubicles with Formica-topped desks.Also known as the C-suite.

Nominated by Holly Herman

firewall account: A small balance bank account primarily used for online purchases. That way if the account information is stolen,there’s very little for bad guys to take.

Nominated by Tom Inglesby

DIYD² or (DIYD)2: Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.Pronounced DIYD squared.

Nominated by Nancy Harrity

Other Buzzwords (from

http://www.investopedia.com/categories/buzzwords.asp)

A Ton Of Money: A slang term used to describe a significantamount of money. The amount implied typically depends on the

person, company or situation.We may all have a different idea of what constitutes a "ton of

money", but according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, aton of $1 bills amounts to $908,000 - nearly $1 million!

If you're talking about a ton of coins, then it's a different story - aton of quarters is worth $40,000, and one ton of pennies (363,000

pennies to be exact) is worth $3,630.

Fat Cat: A slang word used to describe executives who earn whatmany believe to be unreasonably high salaries and bonuses. Thesetop executives also receive generous pensions and retirement

packages, consisting of extra compensation not available to other company employees.A real-life example of a fat cat would be former Disney CEO,

Michael Eisner. For a period of five years in the late 1990s, Eisner received over $737 million in compensation, despite the fact thatthe company's five-year net income shrank an average of 3.1% eachyear.

Gold Bug: A person who is bullish on gold. Gold bugs believe thatgold is still a stable source of wealth like it was during the years of the gold standard international currency system. A gold bug investsin gold for (what they perceive) as financial security in the event of a currency devaluation, and often also believe that the price of goldwill continue to rise in the future. The term also refers to analystswho consistently recommend gold buys.

Gold bugs view gold as a safe investment that will protectthem from currency fluctuations or downturns in the financialmarkets. Although gold is widely known as a standard of value, its

price - like that of any other precious metal or commodity -fluctuates widely. For example, the price of gold declinedfrom more than $800/oz in the 1980s to less than $350/oz in the1990s. This is a point frequently brought up by critics, who viewgold as a standard of wealth from the past.

Affluenza: A social condition arising from the desire to be morewealthy, successful or to "Keep up with the Joneses." Affluenza issymptomatic of a culture that prides financial success as one of thehighest pursuits to be achieved. People said to be affected byaffluenza typically find that the very economic success they have

been so vigorously chasing ends up leaving themfeeling unfulfilled, and wishing for yet more wealth - sometimesaddicted to their economic pursuits.

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Affluenza is arguably present in the United States, where theculture is one that prides itself on possessions and financialsuccess. Mainstream media outlets, such as television

broadcasts, tend to show how pervasive the idea has become. Affluenza also tends to bring with it very high socialcosts and strains already diminishing environmental andnatural resources.

While affluenza cannot be quantified easily, those wishing to

avoid the condition should look to be the master of, not theslave to, the things they have or wish to obtain.

Aspirin Count Theory: A market theory that states stock prices and aspirin production are inversely (opposite) related.

The belief is that as stock prices fall, more and more peopleneed pain relievers to get through the day.

Big Uglies: Old industrial companies in gritty industries (suchas mining, steel and oil) and as a result, they tend to

be unpopular stocks with investors.

While big uglies are not as sexy as tech stocks, they do provide solid long-term earnings, growth and dividends. Theyare often overlooked by investors seeking fast profits, but not

by value investors looking for bargain-priced stocks with alow price-to-earnings ratio. On the other hand, when marketstumble, the bulletproof earnings of the big uglies attractinvestors of all types.

Black Knight: A company that makes a hostile takeover offer on a target company.

An allusion to the fairytale villains, this term demonstrateshow a targeted company sees its adversary. Fairytale black knights are associated with kidnapping princesses, slaying

peasants, burning villages, and generally having unpleasant personalities.

Bo Derek: A slang term used to describe a perfect stock or investment. In the 1979 hit movie "10", actress Bo Derek

portrayed the "perfect woman", or "the perfect 10".

This term was used more often in the early 1980s, after themovie "10" first came out. Nowadays, the name of a morecurrent celebrity, like Jennifer Lopez, might be used in finance

jargon.

Cats and Dogs: A slang term referring to speculative stocksthat have short or suspicious histories for sales, earnings,dividends, etc.

In a bull market analysts will often mention that everything isgoing up, even the cats and dogs.

Dually Employed With Kids – DEWKS: A household inwhich there are children and both partners earn an income.

DEWKS families are marketing targets for toys, children'sclothes and other goods and services that pertain to children.

Contrast this with "DINKS": Informal. either partner of amarried couple having two incomes and no children.

Dog Eat Dog: hen the market for a good or service isruthlessly competitive.

Electronics retail is often thought to be a dog eat dog market.Blockbuster sales every weekend, bashing competitor products, and"lowest price guaranteed" tactics are characteristics of dog eat dogcompetition.

Jennifer Lopez - J.Lo: A slang technical analysis term referring toa rounding bottom in a stock's price pattern.

Traders like the rounding bottom in a stock pattern because

it can be an indication of a positive marketreversal, meaning expectations are gradually shifting from bearishto bullish.

For those unaware, Ms. Lopez is often criticized (or praised) for her round bottom.

Other sites:http://www.buzzwordhell.com/

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/buzz/buzzwords/

http://ninemsn.buzzword.com.au/ninemsn/webapps/beekeeper?

vm=bz_homepage.vm

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http://www.buzzwordhell.com/


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http://www.buzzwordhell.com/







Speech Skill: Listening

The Speech Problem

Assuming that you truly want to communicate withothers, listening is the most important speech skillof all. Unfortunately, it’s also the speech skill that is

practiced the least.

Remember the joke about the psychiatrist? There heis, in his office, with a patient on the couch. Whilethe patient pours his heart out, the psychiatrist isthinking about his upcoming dinner.

That’s the way it is with most of us, much of thetime. We’re thinking about other things instead of listening to whoever is speaking to us. There’s agrain of truth to the adage, “in one ear and out theother”, except that often the information doesn’teven enter the one ear in the first place.

It will sound strange to refer to this as a sloppyspeech habit, but it is.

We’re wired to listen; we just don’t bother doing itall the time.

Because we can get away with it. Most of the time,the speaker won’t know we’re not listening. Aslong as we continue to face him, keep a suitableexpression on our face, and don’t do something

blatant such as belt out a show tune, how will heknow that we’re actually somewhere else entirely?He won’t.

But you do. And you’re the one that has to make acommitment to truly listening. In other words, Iwant you to become an active listener. To listenactively, you need to change from being a passivetarget to being a contributor to the communication.Make this one change, and you’ll improve your communication skills a thousand fold.

Three Techniques For Active Listening

1) Setting The Stage For Listening – Stopwhatever else you are doing. Turn to face thespeaker and make eye contact. If you’re standing,

your arms should be held loosely at your sides. If you’resitting, place your hands in your lap or loosely alongeach arm of the chair. Whether standing or sitting, donot cross your arms, which sends out a negativemessage. If you’re sitting, your legs should also beuncrossed. Lean slightly towards the speaker. You wantyour body language to send the message that you arereceptive to the speaker’s message.

2) Appropriate Advancement – As the speaker speaks,make appropriate comments that advance theconversation. Just saying “um” or “ah” here and therewon’t do it. You need to show the speaker that you’reactively listening to what he’s saying by makingstatements or asking questions that show that you’ve

been paying attention. Like the next technique,summarizing, this active listening technique works wellin both face-to-face and communication situationswhere the speaker can’t see you.

3) Summarizing – This is a particularly powerfultechnique for showing the speaker you’ve been payingattention whether you’re in a face-to-face situation or listening over the phone. You can use it duringconversation by saying something such as, “You weresaying that...” and simply restating the speaker’s last

point. Its most powerful use is at the end of theconversation, when it’s “officially” your turn to respond.Start by saying, “You said that...” and then summarizethe speaker’s key points, closing by adding an action

statement, something you will do as a result of what thespeaker has said.

For example, “You said that you don’t feel that I’ve been listening to you because I keep facing mycomputer screen when you’re talking, and don’t seem tohave anything to add to the conversation. From now on,I’ll give you my full attention when you speak to me.”

Speech Exercise: Practice Active Listening

You will need a partner for this exercise. Return to thelist of topics we used for the Tell-Me Game in Speech

Lesson 2.

This time, you are going to be the listener instead of thespeaker. Have your partner choose one of the speechtopics and speak impromptu for two minutes. Your task is to be an active listener, and apply the three activelistening techniques above. (Don’t forget to set the stage

properly!)

Perform this exercise at least three times, using differentspeech topics and working up to a speech time of threeminutes.

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The Benefits of Active Listening

When you listen actively, people communicatingwith you will:

• Feel more confident that they’ve actuallycommunicated a message to you.

• Feel more positive about you and the

message you’re communicating.


After you’ve practiced the exercise on this page,you need to continue practice being an activelistener.

Concentrate on this speech skill this week by tryingto apply the three techniques of active listening toevery conversation you have.

Set up a session with your Speech Monitor or withthe partner that you first did your Active Listening

practice with for the end of the week and gothrough the Active Listening exercise on this pageone more time. Ask him or her to evaluate how youare performing each of the three active listeningtechniques explained in this lesson.

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Speech Course Wrap Up

You’ve now worked through six lessons designedto shape up your speech. If I’ve succeeded in mygoal for this course, you’re now able to speak moreconfidently and better able to communicate withyour listeners - and this improved ability tocommunicate is already translating into moresuccess for you in your business, job or profession.

However, you know how easy it is to fall back intosloppy speech habits. We have a lot of things goingon, and other things to pay attention to. If you needor want to go back and review a particular speech

problem, this list of skills covered by each speechlesson will help you find the speech problem youwant to go back and work on.

Lesson 1 - Stop Dropping Your Gs; EnunciationMatters (Speech Skill: Clarity)

Lesson 2 – Axe Those Fillers (Speech Skill:Clarity)

Lesson 3 – Enthusiasm and Monotones Don’t Mix

(Speech Skill: Expression)

Lesson 4 – Motormouths Don’t Make Sales(Speech Skill: Pace)

Lesson 5 – Buzzwords and Slang Bury Your Message (Speech Skill: Clarity)

Lesson 6 – Active Listening Is The Most ImportantThing You Say (Speech Skill: Listening)

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Course Self-Evaluation

Name ___________________________

Date ___________________________

For each of the following speech skills listed in the

table below, rate your proficiency, using thefollowing scale:

1 – extremely poor 2 – below satisfactory3- satisfactory4 – good5 – excellent.

Finish this sentence:

I feel that I have made the best progress on the speechskill of _______________________________.

And this one:

The speech skill I still most need to work on is

_______________________________.

Think back over the course and use the self-evaluationchart in the linked exercise to evaluate your progress.

Enunciation 1 2 3 4 5

Lack of Fillers

1 2 3 4 5

Expression 1 2 3 4 5

Pace 1 2 3 4 5

Lack of Slang

1 2 3 4 5

Lack of Buzzwords

1 2 3 4 5

Lack of Acronyms

1 2 3 4 5

Active

Listening1 2 3 4 5

speech skills toate lectiile

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