Communication skills - means of socialisation

1. Why to talk to each other

     Communication implies more than one person. There must be someone to transmit a message and someone to receive it. People communicate with each other in various combinations and in very different ways. When they have a lot in common, they communicate most easily.

     Communication is undertaken for a purpose. There is always a reason to share ideas and meanings.  This social situation involves people together. They need to establish and maintain personal relationships.

     All members of human community spend a lot of time talking to each other, asking or answering  questions, giving or getting information and instructions etc. But language is not the only means of communication. It is also achieved by a body language. Generally said, the way people dress, the way they move, sit and stand can say a great deal about their attitudes towards the people they are communicating with. Facial expressions and the tone of voice used when speaking can all say much more about how a person feels than the words that he or she actually utters.  

2. Public speaking

     Public speaking is the process or act of performing a speech to a live audience. Public speaking is commonly understood as formal, face-to-face, speaking of a single person to a group of listeners. However, due to the evolution of public speaking, it is modernly viewed as any form of speaking (formally and informally) between an audience and the speaker. Basically, it's a presentation that's given live before an audience. Traditionally, public speaking was considered as a part of the art of persuasion. The act can accomplish particular purposes – to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. Additionally, differing methods, structures, and rules can be utilized according to the speaking situation.

     Public speaking was developed in Rome and Greece. Prominent thinkers from these lands influenced the development and evolutionary history of public speaking. Currently, technology continues to transform the art of public speaking through newly available technology such as videoconferencing, multimedia presentations, and other nontraditional forms.    

     Public speeches can cover a wide variety of different topics. The goal of the speech may be to educate, entertain, or influence the listeners. Often, visual aids in the form of an electronic slideshow are used to supplement the speech and make it more interesting to the listeners.

     A public speaking presentation is different from an online presentation because the online presentation may be viewed and/or listened to at the viewer's convenience, while a public speech is typically limited to a specific time or place. Online presentations are often comprised of slideshows or pre-recorded videos of a speaker (including recordings of a live public speaking presentation).

3. History of public speaking

     Most academics and others involved with public speaking trace the origins of modern public speaking back to ancient Greece and Rome. Those societies didn't have any of the electronic conveniences we've got today to help with public speaking (no slideshows). But they did have a need for public speaking and developed public speaking methods that are still studied today.

     The ancient Greeks used public speaking primarily to praise or persuade others. At one point, all Greek citizens had the right to suggest or oppose laws during their assemblies, which resulted in a need for skilled public speakers. Public speaking became a desirable skill and was taught. Public speaking in the time of the Greeks was called rhetoric. Later, when Rome came to power, public speaking was used during the sessions of the governing body – the Roman senate. The Romans adopted the public speaking rhetoric methods of the Greeks. In fact, most public speaking teachers of the time were Greek.

     The Latin style of public speaking was popular until the mid-20th century. After World War II, a less formal and more conversational style of speaking started to become popular. Also, electronic tools became available to enhance public presentations. Towards the end of the 20th century, those electronic tools migrated to the computer and evolved into the computer software tools, such as PowerPoint, that we know and use today. Even though today's public speeches are less formal, it's still important that they're well organized. More on that later.

4. The importance of public speaking

     Some people don't like public speaking. They may even admit to being afraid of it, since fear of public speaking is a very common fear. Or they may just be shy or introverted. For those reasons, many people avoid public speaking if they can.

     Over the years, public speaking has played a major role in education, government, and business. Words have the power to inform, persuade, educate, and even entertain. And the spoken word can be even more powerful than the written word in the hands of the right speaker.

     Whether you're a small business owner, a student, a teacher, a manager or just someone who's passionate about something – you'll benefit if you improve your public speaking skills, both personally and professionally. Some benefits to public speaking include:        

• improves confidence,
• better research skills,
• stronger deductive skills,
• ability to advocate for causes
• etc.