COM2512

Hello students COM2512. Welcome to my blog. Please post your comments on this tasks.
a)What do you know about Job Interview Skills?
Make sure your reflections not less than 50 words. (5 marks)
Due date: 20/9/2010

Tasks for COM2033

Hello students COM2033. Welcome to my blog.
Here are 2 tasks for you to do this holiday.
a) Youtube : bad examples for public speaking (5 marks)
b) Reflections on the Speech outline ( january).Please write your comments not less than 50 words.( 5 marks)
Due date :20/9/2010

reflections on com2512

Hi..welcome to all students of com2512. We've discussed about the types of meeting and requisites of a valid meeting. Please write your reflection in 100 words.You can also quote or download any articles to suppport your reflection.Make sure you list down the sources. (5 marks)

Killing The 7 Deadly Habits of Public Speaking

I love speaking to a crowd. It often gives me my only chance to teach as part of my job, and I get to pretend I’m an graphic designer for a while. But a majority of Westerners list public speaking as their worst fear, beating out death, the dark, financial ruin, and spiders and snakes. For me it’s the dark, followed by David Hasselhof in a speedo.

But though I enjoy it now, I started out with serious fear of public speaking. As I started caring more about my own speaking performance—and getting feedback on my shortcomings—I started noticing how other speakers did things. Most of them, even the really effective speakers, shared some of bad habits.

Some societies believe that the knowing the name of an evil being that’s giving you a hard time will enable you to control and defeat it. Here are 7 names that can give you some power over your own bad speaking habits.
1. The “uh” and the “ummm”

“So, ummm, what I’d, uh, like to, uh, talk about today is, uh, the weekly finance figures and, ummm, and how they, ummm, how they impact the, uh, monthly projections.”

No, really. People do talk this way. If you don’t believe me, read it out loud and it won’t sound quite so outlandish.

It is human nature to sprinkle speech with these fillers when we get nervous. In a public speaking setting though these fillers can seriously detract from your listeners’ ability to care about what you are saying. Break this habit early.
2. The jingle

One of my favorite deadlies is the jingle, and I most often see it manifest with men who jingle what sounds like $80 in nickels stowed in their pants pockets.

If you are a jingler, and you know who you are, empty your pockets. Do not carry keys, change, or RAM chips in your pockets. No chapstick, no lipstick. Nothing. I mean it. Your audience will thank you, and your message will have one less thing to compete with for your audience’s attention.
3. Cup talking, face stroking, and the adjustment

If you aren’t a jingler, then you might fit into this category. Happily, I fit into both categories so I have a long pre-talk checklist.

When I speak in front of larger groups, for whatever reason, my throat goes dry pretty quickly and so I usually have a cup or bottle of something on the podium to drink. Early on, however, I formed a bad habit: cup talking. I would usually take a drink at a pause in the presentation, for example following an audience question. Then, intent upon answering the question and not paying attention to the cup, I’d start talking before the cup was away from my mouth, muffling the first part of the answer.

The same kind of problem happens when you are constantly stroking your chin/check/neck or adjusting your tie/jacket/microphone. Be aware of what your audience hears.
4. Appearing alive, but not too much so

While most of us fall in the middle of the expressiveness range in a public setting, we all need to be aware of the dangers that lie at the two extremes.

On the one end is the speaker who stands rooted to one spot, hands white-knuckle clenched on either side of a lectern, evidently battling each word out of his mouth through an expenditure of self control that would make Saint Francis look like a lush. On the other end is hopped-up-on-speed-guy. He doesn’t stand still for a second and is really Really REALLY excited about every single word he has to say.

Yikes. I’ve seen them both, and once or twice I’ve probably been both. As with most things in life, the key to deciding how animated you need to be is to search for moderation.
5. The block

The block happens when a speaker puts up a slide and then promptly stands in front of it. The block is most commonly spotted in the wild when an overhead projector is being used, but there is no technology that’s completely immune from the block. So your speaking skills are going to have to compensate. Know where your projector is, and where you can stand without blocking the information you are there to share.
6. The rush

You’re really nervous. You’ve rehearsed your talk a million times, and even taped some of the practice sessions. You’ve had good feedback, and worked on crushing a couple habits. Then it’s show time and you turn an hour’s worth of material into a 20-minute stream of information concentrate, thank the audience for their time, and bolt out the door.

You actually rehearsed so much that you memorized a script, and once the time came to recite that script, you went to town. Prepare; just don’t over prepare.
7. Communing with nature

When you are speaking to a group you are supposed to be having a conversation with that group. If you think back on your conversations today I’ll bet that most of them had one thing in common: you were talking to your conversational partner. As in facing him or her. Making eye contact. Not facing the opposite direction, not looking at notes, not staring out the window.

The rules don’t change when you are the only one standing, and everyone else is listening to you. Don’t talk to the screen. Don’t talk to your note cards. Don’t talk to your coffee. Look your audience in the eye and talk directly to them.

Thank you.

Bad Public Speaking Examples

A video explaining what not to do when your giving a speech.




Assignment: Please write your comments on this clip-(5%).
Thank you.

Public Speaking Exercises

Impressive, captivating and arresting are the benchmarks of a seasoned public speaker. While it may look all so flashy and easy to address an audience, believe it or not, being on the stage with the limelight on you can be extremely grueling and for some dreadful as well. Remember, public speaking does not solely depend on your script. There are a number of factors that need to be considered to become a good orator. Right from eye contact to your posture, volume and speed of speech to the tone and infliction, the list of parameters that need attention is endless. For a novice speaker, the best bet would be to indulge in exercises that are truly designed for enhancing public speaking capability. Apart from helping you strengthen your weakness, these exercises would give a boost to your confidence level. In the following lines, we have provided valuable public speaking exercises, just for you.

Easy Public Speaking Exercises

Record Yourself

Undoubtedly, recording yourself is the best way to judge your public speaking skills. It gives you an opportunity to judge yourself the best way possible. You might have prepared an impressive speech and worked upon your vocal skills as well, but chances are that at the time of speaking you can fail to create the kind of impression that you thought of. Recording your performance at practice session is the best way to grow as an orator or public speaker.

The record would act like a mirror reflecting your highs and lows. It would showcase all the negativities wherein you need to work about and the positive that need some refinement. Questions like, do you connect to the audience, do you have a tendency to read, never looking up from your notes to acknowledge listeners or is your cadence too rapid, would all be answered immediately, after watching the tape. This would allow you to focus your attention on certain important aspects and evaluate yourself correctly.

The Magic Of Tongue Twisters

Did you know that practicing tongue twisters is the best way to attain clarity of speech and diction? Most orators or spokesperson indulge in practicing tongue twisters. These not only give you an excellent diction, but also help you attain proper cadence or tempo of speech. Tongue twisters also make you aware of what you are saying and how you are saying it. The best deal would be to practice a few, right before the performance. It would surely give you the 'warm up' you required. Some of the tongue twisters you can practice are 'New York’s unique. Unique New York, You know you love unique New York'; 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers' and 'Red leather, yellow leather'.

Instant Speaking Game

A fun exercise to improve public speaking skills would be to indulge in at least 15 minutes of instant speaking game everyday. The game can either be played all alone or with a partner. In case you are playing with a partner, let him/her give you a topic at random. Upon getting the topic, you need to speak on it for about a minute. For those playing all alone, newspaper would be a great option to get the topics. Choose a headline in random and speak on it for about a minute. This way you would not only improve your speaking skills, but also your brainpower. Also interactive sessions held after public speaking would be a cakewalk for you after practicing this exercise, as it helps you answer the most unexpected of questions, with ease.

Voice Projection

What is the point of speaking, when the audience cannot hear you? Just like the speech, voice projection is an important factor to consider. Weak voices (by weak, I do not mean soft) lack confidence and give an impression of fear, nervousness and anxiety. As per the rule of thumb, your voice should come from your lung and not from your mouth or throat alone. A voice coming out from the lungs would be strong, confident and impressive. If you have a voice projection problem, indulge in regular exercise. Deep breath with an attempt to move both hands out as far as possible. This is belly breathing. If you breathe this way and speak simultaneously, your voice would surely be the fullest, strongest and richest. This is because you would be using your lung up to the full capacity. Make sure you make no noise while breathing. Practice these exercise and you would surely be a good orator!

Thank you.

Public Speaking Body Language Mistakes ? Gestures, Movement, Posture & Facial Expressions

Non-verbal communication, or body language, is an important part of public speaking Your body language includes your posture, movement, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and voice

Non-verbal communication, or body language, is an important part of public speaking. Your body language includes your posture, movement, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and voice. At the very least, your body language should not distract the audience and with a little practice, it can help you convey confidence and help the audience see your message more clearly.

Here are the most common gesture, movement, posture and facial expression mistakes:

GESTURE MISTAKES
? Not using gestures at all. If you keep your hands locked at your sides, you will look nervous and your presentation will lack the visual element to accompany and enhance your words.

? Keeping your hand in your pockets. This position leads down the slippery slope to slouching and a sloppier posture. And you also may unconsciously start playing with the keys or change in your pocket (yes, I''ve seen ? and heard ? it happen!).

? Fidgeting with your hands. Be aware of what your hands are doing, such as "washing" each other, grasping each other tightly, fiddling with your watch or jewelry, etc. One of my public speaking coaching clients rolled and unrolled his shirt sleeves while he presented (we solved that problem by having him wear short sleeves). If you must hold something, such as your notes or the PowerPoint remote, be conscious of how you are holding it. Too often the item becomes something for you to play with unconsciously, or in the cause of notes, a crutch that prevents you from looking at the audience.

? Holding your hands behind your back. This gesture usually resembles that of a child reciting a poem at a school assembly. When not gesturing, your hands should be in the "neutral position," hanging loosely at your sides.

? Pointing at the audience. Yes, your mother was right ? it''s not polite to point. Try an open-handed gesture instead.

? Folding your arms across your chest. Even if you are only doing this because you feel cold, this gesture will most likely be interpreted as your closing yourself off from the audience.

? Gripping the podium. This gesture is usually accompanied by the "deer in the headlights" look. If you''re using a podium, place your hands lightly on the top of it or in a relaxed hold on the edges.

? Using stilted gestures. Your gestures should be natural and flow smoothly rather than looking forced or robotic.

? Using overly rehearsed gestures. I once saw a speaker fall to his knees during his speech, which was unnecessary and struck the audience as melodramatic and insincere.

MOVEMENT MISTAKES
? Moving without purpose. Most of the time you should stand confidently in one place rather than pacing back and forth or walking aimlessly. If you do need to move, it should have a purpose. For example, walk confidently to the front of the room before you begin speaking and walk with purpose to the flipchart or to the computer.

? Shifting from your weight from one foot to the other. Many people do this unconsciously and sometimes because their feet hurt (hint: wear comfortable shoes!). Instead, stand with your feet firmly planted on the floor, with your weight equally distributed on both feet.

? Hiding behind a desk, podium or flipchart. If the room configuration is set up so you are partially obscured behind something, then you have to rely more heavily on your voice and facial expressions to convey meaning. If you are nervous and feel exposed when there''s nothing between you and the audience, practice, practice, practice ? in front of the mirror, on video, in front of a friendly group of colleagues. If you must stand behind something, do so with assurance and not as if you are shrinking from the audience.

POSTURE MISTAKES
? Standing too stiffly. Yes, you should stand up straight but it should be natural, not like you are frozen at attention. Keep your shoulders back and hold your head up so you can make eye contact. This posture conveys confidence and helps you breathe more fully.

? Slouching and keeping your head down. Not only does it prevent you from looking at the audience, but it also conveys nervousness and makes it harder for the audience to hear you.

FACIAL EXPRESSION MISTAKES
? Not smiling, ever. Unless you are delivering horrible news, it is appropriate for you to smile, even in a business setting. Smiling will relax you and, in turn, relax the audience.

? Smiling too much, especially when delivering bad news. You may be smiling or even giggling because you are very nervous, but it undermines the seriousness of your message and your sincerity. If you smile broadly or giggle while announcing mass layoffs, for example, your audience will interpret it as a sign of your lack of concern.
If you eliminate these body language mistakes from your presentation, you''ll come across as more confident and sincere and you''ll be able to communicate more effectively. Your body language will reinforce your message to the audience rather than distract from it.

Thank you.