5 minute read

Introduction

What is speaking? How to be an efficient and effective speaker? Everybody who can open his mouth has a tongue and a healthy vocal cord can speak. But, is everybody able to communicate effectively and achieve the objective of speaking? In this world where we have around 7000 languages, we had millions of wars in the last 5000 years of human civilization. Why? Because there are very few effective communicators and none is effective communicator all the time in his personal, social, and business life. Simply opening a mouth and uttering something is not an effective talking or speaking. When one opens mouth and utters unrecognizable words then it is called noise. When one opens mouth and utters sensible words with meaningful sentences it is called speech. The word “speech” is a noun. The process through which we deliver a speech is called “speak”. The word “speak” is a verb. There are many names for this “speech” and “speak”. It depends upon various parameters like below.

Who is talking

  • Number: one or many (one person is talking or many people talking)
  • Status of a talker(s): Senior, Junior, Expert, Old Person, Govt Person, Teacher, Defender, Attacker, etc.

Age of Talker

  • Child, matured, old person

To Whom Speaker is Speaking

  • Number: one or many
  • Status: Senior, Junior, Expert, Old Person, Govt Person, Teacher

Age of Listener

  • Child, matured, old person

Relationship Between talker and listener

  • Friends, Unknown, Elders, Enemy, Familiar etc.

Preparation Time Before Speaking

  • On the spot, Well preparation etc.

Time to deliver the speech

  • 5 Min, 1 Hour, 1 Day, 1+ Days

Talk Delivery Tool

  • Projectors or computer
  • Reading from paper note
  • Writing on wall
  • Purely verbal
  • Purely mute with body language
  • Other tools

Occasion of Speech

  • Exit of someone from organization
  • New joining
  • Launching product
  • Introducing someone
  • Death of someone
  • Election
  • etc.

Audience

  • Known crowd
  • Unknown crowd

Language

  • Speaking language is the mother language of both, speaker and listener
  • Speaking language is the foreign language of both, speaker and listener
  • Speaking language is the mother language of the speaker but not for the listener
  • Speaking language is the mother language of the listener but not for the speaker

Purpose of Speaking

  • Provoke
  • Persuade
  • Convince
  • Educate
  • Problem solving
  • Questioning
  • Influence
  • Appreciating
  • Condemning
  • Giving true feedback
  • Fault finding
  • etc.

Environment of Speaking

  • Place is silence zone or noisy or occasional disturbed environment
  • Stage is formal elevated stage, round table, across the audience, between the audience, virtual location
  • Sitting face to face, standing before audience

Disability

  • Speaker or listener is dumb or deaf

Openness between Speaker and Listener

  • Doubtful
  • Close mind
  • Open Mind

What is Topic

  • Spiritual, business knowledge, money, sharing research finding, sharing learning, new topic for audience etc

Format of Speech

  • Structured and planned
  • Free flow share of ideas

Information Flow

  • Bi-Directional
  • Unidirectional

Talk is Being Recorded for Reproduction?

  • Documentary, Movie, Class Recording

Tone of Speaker

  • Rhythmic or monotonous

Synonyms of Speaking

Address, Admonish, Berate, Castigate, Consultation, Chastise, Chide, Converse, Debate, Dialogue, Diatribe, Discourse, Discussion, Disquisition, Gossip, Harangue, Homily, Instruction, Lambaste, Lecture, Monologue, Nag, Obloquy, Oration, Presentation, Rebuke, Recitation, Remonstrate, Reprimand, Reproach, Reprove, Scold, Sermon, Speech, Talk, Training, Tirade, Upbraid, Teach, Negotiation. Word “talk” is used more in an informal environment and the word “speak” used in a formal environment. Based on the above information below are some examples of speaks.

Example of Talks/Speeches

  • When the topic is money it is called “negotiation” irrespective of the position of parties speaking to each other.
  • When the objective is to settle the amount give or take between two parties then it is called “negotiation“
  • When the topic is morality and only one person is speaking and another group or person are listening then it is called “sermon“
  • When the topic is anything general but the speaker is expressing his thoughts before a group from an elevated platform from where he looked separate from other and he can see his audience it is called “speech“
  • When the topic is one specific subject, talk is structured, the speaker is teacher and listeners are students, the flow of information is from teacher to student then it is called “lecture“
  • When the topic is one specific subject, talk is structured, the flow of information is bidirectional then it is called “discussion“.
  • When the topic is private and talk is not structured between two people or within the entire group who are talking to each other then it is called “gossip“.
  • When the topic is anything general, talk is not structured, location is informal like a roadside, coffeehouse, etc then it is “talk“. In Hindi, it is called “Baat-cheet“.
  • When the topic is technical and people are sharing their knowledge in a free flow talk with each other then it is called “knowledge sharing session“
  • When the topic is technical but it is moderated by expert and participants are expert then it is called “facilitated workshop“
  • When the topic is technical but it is moderated by expert and participants are the users then it is called “focus group“
  • When the person having a problem goes to another person who can give a solution. In this setup, one person understands the problem and the other gives a solution it is called “consultation“.
  • When the person having a problem goes to court and speaks before the judge and the judge hear him. Then this speaking is called “giving statement“
  • When a person having a problem but another person talks and give a solution without asking then this speaking is called “unsolicited advice“.
  • When one group or person is talking to other and trying to prove his point it is called “convincing“
  • When one speaks and give some useful information to others that others don’t have, it is called “educating“

Conclusion

There are many other names and formats of talk. Next time when you open your mouth to speak something then ask yourself what are you doing? What is the purpose of this? If you keep points discussed in this article in your mind before speaking and while speaking then you can avoid lots of unnecessary confrontation, controversy, and fight with others and the results of the talk will be more fruitful. This is a very useful topic for everybody but super-useful for those who are in leadership positions in corporate, government, politics, society, etc. On such a wide topic this is very small content but I expect to keep the discussion on and learn more from other’s experiences.