Speaking in monotone is more than just a problem. It is boring. There is no other way to say it. The problem with a monotone delivery is that it puts your audience to sleep and it does so very quickly. If actors were to speak in monotone, television and movies would not be one of our greatest forms of entertainment. The other problem if you speak in a monotone is that it gives the wrong impression to your listeners. It says that you do not care because no emotion is being seen, heard, or felt.

I worked with a lovely woman by the name of Dawn. In person, Dawn displayed a lot of color when we talked. Not comfortable on the telephone, however, Dawn would speak in a monotone which left the impression that she was a cold, distant person. Nothing could have been further from the truth. While her heart may have been saying one thing, her reaction on the phone was saying something totally different. Dawn recognized the problem and made the change, both in her delivery and in her acceptance of the telephone.

Imagine watching a television program or a movie and everything the actors said was expressed with no emotion, no feeling, no life, no animation, no color. Chances are you would quickly change the station or turn the television off. Can you appreciate that were you to hold a presentation or give a speech with a voice that displayed no emotion or no feeling, your audience would not be very impressed?

In public speaking, we all have something to sell. It need not be a tangible product. It could be an idea or an opinion. Even delivering an informative presentation has something to sell and that is simply for your audience to want to listen to you. If a group of people have gone out of their way to give you 20 minutes, 40 minutes or an hour of their time, it is your responsibility to make your presentation entertaining.

Do you know why Zig Ziglar is so successful? Because he speaks with passion. Ziglar could sell anything to anybody, not because of his products or ideas but because of his passion. His passion is mesmerizing, inviting, and motivating. But, passion can only be felt or perceived with a colorful delivery. You may indeed be very passionate about your product or your idea, but if your vocal variety, your facial expression and your body language are flat, then your passion is in hiding.

Learning to speak with color is much easier than you may think if you will allow your emotions to be seen and heard. It will take some practice but a good exercise that I recommend would be to video-tape yourself saying the sentence below with no expression whatsoever. Then say it again allowing yourself to be expressive – by means of your voice, your facial expression and your body language. (Do this in private at first.)

I want to go to the game tonight even though I don’t have any tickets.

[If you need some help with this exercise, after you record it the 1st time with a flat, emotionless delivery, try saying it the 2nd time with a smile on your face, nodding your head in agreement at the same time. You may feel foolish doing this but trust me, you will sound much better in your 2nd attempt than your 1st.]

Now, play back the 2 takes. Was there a difference in expression between the two? Did you actually look or sound foolish in your 2nd read as you may have thought? If you gave this exercise a fair try, I would be willing to bet that your 2nd take was definitely more interesting than your 1st.

Don’t keep your passion hidden the next time you give a speech or presentation. Allow your emotion to be seen and heard and I guarantee the sales will follow.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic or watch Nancy in a brief video as she describes The Power of Your Speaking Voice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Daniels

Developing good communications skills is important, so that we convey our messages clearly and prevent any misunderstanding. When we have communication breakdowns at work, we spend time and energy trying to make amends. It is hard for anyone to admit that their unclear communication caused the breakdown, and thus apologize. It’s wiser to make a conscious effort to prevent communication breakdowns instead.

One way to avoid conflicts at work is to communicate clearly and frequently with your colleagues on the following:

• what you are currently doing for the company

• what are some goals you are striving for at work, and even some of your personal ones that may affect work

• some of the difficulties you are facing with customers, management, colleagues etc (without sounding like you are whining and complaining)

With the increased use of e-mails and text messages, we may forget the value of face-to-face interactions. When we communicate with a person face-to-face, we can build trust and open-ness with our verbal and non-verbal cues. We can also sense and understand the other person’s point of view and what they feel.

Use e-mails if you have specific requests or updates for a colleague, and the message can be read at their convenience. With e-mails, you can still sound cordial, instead of distance. Just a few more seconds of typing some niceties like “Have a great day!” can bring a feeling of goodwill to the reader.

At work today we tend to communicate more via e-mail and this has an impact on our interpersonal communication. For example, if you communicate your unhappiness or anger via email, pause a moment before you hit the ‘Send’ button! Cool down, review what you have written, and edit it so that it sounds more objective. Stick to the facts and avoid character attacks. Be objective and constructive. If you are criticizing something, offer a solution to improve the situation, if possible.

As you learn to communicate more effectively at work, you will be better able to achieve your goals, garner more support during setbacks, and feel much happier at work.

Communication is an art of conveying message to the other party. Imagine in the game of “Pass it on”. One has to convey the hidden message that he received to another party without uttering a word. Similarly, an email message can only convey the content over but not the emotions.

A face-to face communication is crucial. In some books, there are some eye assessing cues that tell us the eye can indicate the truth being said by the party.

In fact, 55% of the communication is actually done through visual communication. 38% is done through vocal communication. The remaining 7% will be through verbal communication. This clearly indicates that the body language – a combination of visual & verbal gives a very high percentage while communicating with one another.

If you like my article, you may go to my website and register yourself to receive more.

Cheers

Dennis Kwan is a trainer, speaker, author, a volunteer at Changi prison and also a Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner, Hypno-Therapist, Time-line Practitioner. He graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Commerce. He is also certified in Project Management Professional (PMP), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Certified ISO 9001:2000 Auditor. For more information, please visit his website http://www.dennis-kwan.com or email him at [mailto:dennis-kwan@dennis-kwan.com]dennis-kwan@dennis-kwan.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Kwan http://EzineArticles.com/?Boost-Your-Communication-Skills&id=2238070

More Bad Habits That Spoil the Development of Good English Language Speaking Skills

In the first part of this article post, we began a discussion of seven bad habits which spoil the development of good English or other foreign language speaking skills. In this second part, we’ll continue with some additional aspects to be considered when teaching and learning to speak English or another foreign language.

4. Leaning Face, Chin or Head Against Hand, Fingers or Palm

By all means, learners need to avoid leaning their head against their arm, fingers, palm or hand when speaking. This prevents correct enunciation in a number of ways which can be easily avoided. Be sure that you and your foreign language learners sit or stand up straight during speaking practice sessions with hands and arms away from the head or face.

5. Having Generally Poor Posture

When speaking, neither you nor your foreign language learners should stoop, slump or be hunched over in any manner. This restricts the chest cavity, overly compresses the diaphragm and muffles breathing and tone production.

6. Elision, Slurring or Generally Poor Enunciation of Spoken Sounds

If the practice of “cutting off” or eliding word endings is common in your or the EFL learners first language (L1), careful attention should be paid to avoiding this habit crossing over into the speech of English or other foreign language. One technique that is very helpful with this is the “mirror technique”. Briefly, a mirror is used by the foreign language learners to watch themselves speaking and pronouncing in the target foreign language.

7. Not Correcting “Problem Sounds” When Speaking

When someone is learning English as a foreign language, they tend to get stuck on a certain series of problem sounds in English. These “problem sounds” tend to be quite specific depending on the first language (L1) of the learner. Since these problem sounds are predictable, for the most part, in a particular L1 language group, the English as a foreign language teacher must take care in teaching their correct formation and pronunciation. Native Spanish speakers, for example, will need to work on the correct formation and pronunciation of letters and sounds such as: sh, ch, x, g, w, p, b, v and “th”, among others.

Promote the Development of English or Foreign Language Speaking Skills

One final point for now in regards to good speaking skills development is the use of dental prosthetics and appliances. If your learners have them they can either be removed, if possible, during English class as an aid to better pronunciation, if applicable. Alternatively, the EFL teacher and EFL learner must take impediments caused by dental or other prosthetics into account when practicing speech and pronunciation in English or other foreign languages. Be sure to consult with a qualified Dentist or Orthodontist too in order to better understand the inter-related relationship between dental mechanics and speech production.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, expert author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 120 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” and English language teaching and learning information at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Contact the author at the above blog address for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_M._Lynch http://EzineArticles.com/?Part-2—Bad-Habits-That-Spoil-the-Development-of-Good-English-Language-Speaking-Skills&id=1495896

One student struggles to learn English.  His speaking is slow and hesitant.  His pronunciation is garbled and heavily accented. He is painful to listen to.

Another student speaks easily.  English flows from her, seemingly without effort.  Her pronunciation is clear; her voice is strong.

We all know both types of students.  The question is, what creates the difference between them.  Why do some students forever struggle to speak English fluently, while others seem to do so naturally, with a minimum of effort?

Some teachers believe that genes or ingrained talent determine a students success.  But there is no research to support this opinion and it is, in fact, totally false.   Students do not fail or succeed because of talent or genetics.

Success or failure are ultimately determined by one simple thing:  how the student learns.   Students who use inferior learning methods get inferior results.  Students who employ the very best learning strategies get superior results.  It is that simple.

The trick, of course, is knowing which methods to use.  There are, of course, a wealth of highly effective English learning methods.  Unfortunately, most are not taught in traditional schools.

One of the most effective methods for learning English is to learn the language physically.   Research by Dr. James Asher shows that combining physical movement with language learning produces powerful results.   Dr. Asher developed a method called Total Physical Response as a way to teach language through physical movement.

What we find is that combining physical movement with intellectual learning creates stronger neurological connections in our nervous system.  In other words,  we more quickly wire our brains..  thus learning faster, remembering more, and remembering longer.

Studies at San Jose State University show that students who moved their bodies while learning English learned more vocabulary and grammar in a shorter time, compared with students who learned the same material while sitting still.   More remarkably, when tested one year later, the students who learned with movement still remembered 80% or more of what they had learned, while the non-moving students had forgotten over 80%.

So how can you put this to use?  One simple suggestion is to always be moving while learning English.   Go for a walk or run as you listen to a lesson- do not sit still as you learn.

For even better results, try this:   as you listen to a story or article, physically mime the action.  For example, if you hear the word go, move your feet as if walking.  Pretend you are an actor who is physically acting out the action of the story.

By doing this, you wire the language deeply into your nervous system and subconscious.  As a result, you will learn more English, remember it longer, and be able to use it more easily.

AJ Hoge helps international students [http://www.EffortlessEnglishClub.com]learn English. He is the Director of The Effortless English Club.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allen_J_Hoge http://EzineArticles.com/?Learn-English-Physically&id=1839112

Introduction

When you take a look around the world, there are a number of places that still do not speak English. This is likely to continue for some time as well over half of the world’s population lives within areas that do not have heavy English-speaking populations. For that reason, it can sometimes be difficult to learn how to speak fluent English simply because there is no one around you that speaks the language. Textbooks and seminars can only take you so far in your knowledge of English, but at some point you actually have to start speaking the language on a regular basis in order to attain mastery in the language.

This can be a problem in areas of the world that do not have that many English-speaking people and for that reason you need to come up with innovative ways to improve your pronunciation of the English language in spite of the lack of English people with which to chat. This does require some critical thinking and unorthodox ways of doing things, but there are a few ways in which you can still get it done. Some suggestions are listed below.

Media

The first place that you should go is the English-speaking media, starting with agencies that are specifically broadcasting news. Major international news agencies such as CNN and BBC broadcast themselves into all of the different corners of the world and these agencies only employ people with a completely fluent grasp of the English language. For this reason, watching such news agencies will allow you to slowly grasp the pronunciation of specific words in English and that in turn will allow you to truly grasp the language. You do not have to chat back and forth with someone to learn how to pronounce English words properly, you just need to have them pronounced properly for you to hear.

If news agencies aren’t your cup of tea, then the next step would be to take a look at sources of entertainment that come out of the English-speaking world and circulate around the globe. Movies from Hollywood are an excellent example as they tend to be very popular around the world and they often come with English that is spoken very well. You just have to be careful to avoid movies in which the actors are purposely speaking in rough accents with poor language and you should still be able to get a lot of help towards improving your English pronunciation despite living in a country without many native English speakers.

The Internet

The internet tends to be the answer to a number of different questions nowadays and it is definitely the answer to learning a language when nobody around you speaks that language. The internet allows you to download pronunciation guides that were uploaded at the other end of the world and it also allows you to conference with other people and [http://www.englishlink.com/courses_ENG_HTML.asp]learn English online by talking to them. You can learn how to speak English through telephone conversations with the other side of the world and you can also learn how to read and write English by having instant message or e-mail conversations with those same people.

If you are looking for an easy way to perfect your English pronunciation, it is most definitely online learning. Online learning will give you access to methods of learning the language you would never in a million years have thought possible in a non-English area of the world. It will speed up the learning process and ensure that you learn the language and its pronunciation within a reasonable amount of time.

Learn English at our [http://www.englishlink.com/]online english school. We can help you develop your English skills so you can reach your goals through our online English school.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Nutt http://EzineArticles.com/?Improving-Your-Pronunciation-of-English-When-Living-in-a-Non-English-Country&id=1403714

Communication is the passing of a message from one person to another person or a group of people. To put it another way communication involves people, information and often requires an action to be taken. Communication involves one person passing the message and another person or group receiving the message. This could be speaking and listening, demonstrating and observing, or writing and reading. Communication involves an interchange so at times you might be speaking and at others listening – it is definitely not one way traffic.

Who might you have to communicate with? Individuals can include colleagues, suppliers, and customers, but do you communicate with them all in the same way or do you use a different approach? Very often we have to modify our method of communication depending on who we are talking to. Aside from improving your body language, how can you improve your communication skills? Well here are some ideas.

- Plan effectively and put your ideas in a logical sequence,

- Always try to use clear, concise language,

- Never use negative language, keep it positive,

- Correct use of language think of the level of communication, how much jargon you can use, know your audience and modify your language, where possible keep it simple,

- If you are writing a report use short sentences and keep your paragraphs short and snappy. If your audience will only read the first page then don’t put all your best ideas on page ten. If they only have time to read bullet points then that’s what you need to deliver.

- Use pictures, photos or diagrams wherever possible instead of words to convey your message, and

- Always ask for feedback to make sure that your audience has understood the message you have tried to convey.

Most important of all, don’t think that you know all there is to know – you are only as good as your next conversation, so be prepared! http://thehumanimprint.typepad.com/the_human_imprint/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louise_Manning http://EzineArticles.com/?Communication-Skills&id=962345

Listening skills are a very important part of any effective communication. Unless you carefully follow what you hear, you will not be able to respond to it effectively. Listening skills can be improved with practice.

Listening is important whether you are having a conversation with another person or listening to a presentation.

Listening is much more than just hearing. What you have heard should register in your mind.

Closely follow the content and try to understand what is being said. Concentrate hard and don’t let your mind wander when you are listening.

One trick to keep focused is trying to anticipate what the speaker says, in advance. When you are having a conversation don’t interrupt and talk only when the other person has stopped. It is not only bad manners to interrupt, but also adversely affects your understanding of the subject.

Don’t think of what you are going to say next, when you are listening. It is not possible to concentrate on more than one thing at the same time.

• You should try to understand at least the main points of what is being said.

• Try to mentally summarize what you are listening to.

• Try to find out what is beneficial to you from what you are listening.

• Concentrate hard

• Closely focus on the content

• Closely focus on the important ideas

My friend told me, that a person he knew, heard with one ear and let it go out of the other, because there was nothing in between. Don’t let this happen.

The author has a master’s degree in science blogs at http://bnsridhar.blogspot.com/ http://wilybusiness.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=B.N._Sridhar http://EzineArticles.com/?Business-Communication—Listening-Skills&id=1108665

THEME: Recognize situations where direct conversation should be used instead of email.

Did you ever imagine that you would have to remind people that they know how to talk? Surprisingly, management in today’s business world often needs to!

Today, it is so much easier to not have to talk to people for many things. PDAs and Internet-enabled email systems allow for information to be communicated at any time of day. In many cases, this is a great benefit since email allows people to communicate non-critical information on their own time schedules and process messages in batch.

However, there are many times when a two-way live conversation or a direct phone conversation is much more productive. Conversation is the quickest and most effective way to clarify any uncertainty and allows for visual and verbal clues to be used to help navigate the dialogue. Dialogue can also help to diffuse any misunderstandings or improper reactions and can uncover new information that is valuable to the situation.

Communications that have emotional content, require conflict resolution, require group discussion or contain sensitive information are some examples of when conversation should likely be used. It’s important for people to recognize when these situations exist so they can make the right communication method choice.

The following examples and consequences are provided to help better identify these situations. These are common cases where email is used when talking directly would be more effective:

Conflict resolution is attempted via email. This can create long threads of public arguments and drawn-out emotional strife.

A reprimand is sent through email. This can make the recipient feel like they were “convicted without a trial.”

Brainstorming or problem solving is attempted via email. This can also create long threads of messages with large distribution lists and usually generates less than optimal results since immediate two-way communication is not viable.

A message is sent containing content that may cause a strong emotional reaction. If an adverse reaction occurs, hours or days may pass before the sender can address the issue. Or worse, the sender may never understand that the recipient had an adverse reaction to the message.

Group decisions for complex issues are made via email. Since two-way interaction is limited and many people are less comfortable speaking out on email, only a portion of information that would be available from a group discussion is used to make the decision.

Negotiations are done via email. The ability of the sender to convince or persuade the recipient is much more limited over email. It’s very difficult to break down someone’s concerns or read their immediate reaction without direct interaction. Also, once the recipient “publicly refuses” a request over email, it is more difficult to get them to change his or her position.

As obvious as it may sound, reminding people that “talking is an option” may provide great benefit at times. People get so used to communicating via email that they often forget this point. Talking also helps to build informal relationships and networks that are critical to an organization’s success. Usually, if there’s any form of uncertainty, disagreement, or emotional content in an issue, having a discussion is the best choice. And if there’s any doubt whether an email will be effective, you should probably talk it out instead.

Talk It Out When in Doubt! – 12 Reasons to Have a Direct Conversation

When you are mad or emotional.

When the other person is mad or emotional.

When there is a conflict on an item.

When you need to convince someone to change his or her position.

When you aren’t sure that others will interpret your email properly.

When someone sends you an email that seems out of character for him or her.

When you aren’t sure how to interpret someone else’s email.

When someone asks you something ambiguous or general over email.

When you believe repeated two-way dialogue or lengthy explanation is required.

When you are concerned how the other person may respond and want to address his or her response immediately.

When many people need to provide repeated input into an issue.

When the tone of voice, body language, facial expressions, etc. will add value to communicating or understanding an issue. For example, you may want to express concern, show empathy or get an immediate read on the other person’s reaction.

Martin Rola is the author of Email Less –> Talk More: Building Productivity and Job Satisfaction — Yours & Others

Please visit http://www.emailless.com/ for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Rola http://EzineArticles.com/?Effective-Communication—12-Reasons-to-Have-a-Direct-Conversation&id=978586

When you take time to make people feel special they are not the only ones who benefit — you also become a beneficiary! Just as food, water and shelter are considered basic needs, psychologists tell us we also need contact with other people to survive. So, right off the bat you are taking a proactive role in your own survival!

In addition, every communication encounter we have helps us to develop self-awareness, as well as insight into others. In Communication Works, Teri and Michael Gamble put it this way, “When you get to know another person, you also get to know yourself; when you get to know yourself, you learn how others affect you.” So, the communication process provides us with valuable feedback that helps us to grow and evolve as individuals.

One of the most tangible benefits to making others feel special is that you become more attractive to other people. People are instinctively drawn to someone who genuinely makes them feel good about themselves. Furthermore, your sincere attention not only has the power to lift someone else’s spirits, but it can boost your own. You can test this for yourself. The next time you see someone, offer them a sincere smile, when they smile back at you, notice if your internal “happy meter” rises a notch.

Below are seven simple ways to profoundly affect other people, make them feel special, and at the same time increase your own level of attraction. Begin by rating your skill level in each area. Using a scale of one to ten, with one being you hardly ever use this skill and ten being you masterfully use this skill daily. Next, select one area that you want to improve on in the next 30 days. Then, look for opportunities to make others feel special, and you’ll automatically become more attractive!

Practice looking and listening for the special and unique qualities in others. When you make it a habit to observe the positive characteristics of other people, you are more able to see the good qualities you possess.

Plant seeds. Tell others the good you see in them. The most important part is to be sincere, because people can sense false flattery or praise.

Strive to forgive others. We all make mistakes, and if you harbor resentment towards even one person it will poison your ability to trust others.

Make allowances for other peoples flaws. You can lower your expectations for others to be perfect, without asking them to quit striving to achieve their personal best. Our imperfections can be assets, too.

Acknowledge and address emotions. When strong feelings come up, make it okay so others feel safe sharing their emotions.

Become more tolerant of differences. By accepting and being non-judgmental of others, you have a greater ability to accept your own shortcomings.

Be real. Take off your mask of perfectionism, and share your needs, too.

By actively practicing and mastering these skills you are effectively winning friends, influencing people and getting much more in return for the few minutes it takes you to lift someone else’s spirits.

Small business coach and writing expert Kim Lednum is the “Write Promotion Coach for Business.” Kim provides simple writing and marketing strategies and tools self-employed professionals can use to build credibility, drive high quality targeted traffic to their website, and attract more subscribers, more clients, and more sales. A twenty-year veteran, former editor/publisher, and business owner Kim has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. For more tips like these or to get her FREE audio workshop “7 Tips for Attracting Business Now!” visit: http://www.attractbusinessnow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_S._Lednum http://EzineArticles.com/?Win-Friends,-Influence-People,-Youll-Rise-to-the-Top&id=982963

Communication is the passing of a message from one person to another person or a group of people. To put it another way communication involves people, information and often requires an action to be taken. Communication involves one person passing the message and another person or group receiving the message. This could be speaking and listening, demonstrating and observing, or writing and reading. Communication involves an interchange so at times you might be speaking and at others listening – it is definitely not one way traffic.

Who might you have to communicate with? Individuals can include colleagues, suppliers, and customers, but do you communicate with them all in the same way or do you use a different approach? Very often we have to modify our method of communication depending on who we are talking to. Aside from improving your body language, how can you improve your communication skills? Well here are some ideas.

- Plan effectively and put your ideas in a logical sequence,

- Always try to use clear, concise language,

- Never use negative language, keep it positive,

- Correct use of language think of the level of communication, how much jargon you can use, know your audience and modify your language, where possible keep it simple,

- If you are writing a report use short sentences and keep your paragraphs short and snappy. If your audience will only read the first page then don’t put all your best ideas on page ten. If they only have time to read bullet points then that’s what you need to deliver.

- Use pictures, photos or diagrams wherever possible instead of words to convey your message, and

- Always ask for feedback to make sure that your audience has understood the message you have tried to convey.

Most important of all, don’t think that you know all there is to know – you are only as good as your next conversation, so be prepared! http://thehumanimprint.typepad.com/the_human_imprint/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louise_Manning http://EzineArticles.com/?Communication-Skills&id=962345