how to make your speech better

10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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How to Give a Speech: 10 Tips for Powerful Public Speaking

When we start preparing to give a speech, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s completely normal—most of us feel a combination of excitement and nerves when we’re about to take the stage.

However, with some strategic planning and practical advice, you can make sure your speech is powerful and effective. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to give a speech that will leave your audience engaged and inspired.

We’ll examine 10 tips to help you build a powerful speech, from outlining your points methodically to crafting captivating introductions . Whether you’re a beginner or experienced public speaker, these nuggets of wisdom will help you take your next speech to the next level. Let’s get started!

Quick Review of Key Points

Preparing ahead of time is the key to giving an effective speech. Make sure to structure your speaking points, rehearse your delivery, and be aware of the needs of your audience for maximum impact.

How to Prepare for a Speech

Preparing for a speech is an essential step to public speaking success. It can help to build your confidence, create content that reaches the audience, and reduce performance anxiety.

Although it can be time-consuming in the beginning, preparation will ensure less stress and more comfort during delivery. Here are some tips to consider when preparing for a speech:

Practice : Before delivering a speech, practice it out loud several times. This will allow you to gain experience in speaking without an audience and increase your confidence when you do have one.

Practicing also helps to identify awkward moments in the speech or any difficult phrases which then can be changed or removed altogether. Additionally, it helps you determine where to pause for effect. Research : Depending on the topic of the speech , research should be done beforehand to gather information that is relevant and interesting for the audience. It is important to get acquainted with the language typically used by audiences to ensure a clear understanding of what is being said.

Additionally, relevant statistics and stories concerning the topic are a great way to draw in listeners and make the presentation more engaging .

Know Your Audience : When preparing your speech, be sure to consider who will be listening. For instance, if giving a presentation at work, include industry jargon that members would understand and include relevant topics from publications that might be familiar to the employees.

On the other hand, if consulting business professionals in their field then technical language may be easier for them to comprehend than laypeople or students.

By gathering valuable information about the topic and getting comfortable with a speech’s content and delivery through practice, speakers will gain more assurance during their talk as well as respect from their audience.

Preparing beforehand not only gives insight into how to engage listeners but also encourages more meaningful conversations after the event. Now that we have discussed how to prepare for a speech let us move on to creating an outline which will provide structure during delivery.

Create an Outline

After determining the audience and purpose of your speech, the next step to effective public speaking is to create an outline .

An outline serves as a roadmap to ensure that your speech has a logical flow and contains all important points. It also can help keep you on track during the speech itself, allowing you to stay focused and organized.

When constructing an outline, consider drawing up both a main point and sub-points for each portion of the speech. Both should be relevant to the goal of the presentation and backed up by facts and research.

Brainstorming can help in this process; try grouping your ideas together in clusters to make sure you cover all possible angles.

Furthermore, writing out exact quotations or figures can prove beneficial in forming a cohesive argument. At this stage, it is also wise to decide where transitions, humor, stories, or other engaging techniques will be included.

While there are differing opinions as to whether outlines should be memorized or simply used as a reference while speaking, many agree that they should serve their purpose – not only articulate the main thoughts of the speech but also assist the speaker with maintaining focus and preventing distractions.

The debate between those who advocate for memorization versus casual consulting touches upon issues such as rehearsal time, risk of errors in delivery, ease of practice versus actual performance and more.

Each side has valid arguments that should be weighed prior to deciding what type of approach best suits your needs.

Having a firmly constructed outline acts as a valuable tool when it comes time to deliver a powerful public speech. By actively utilizing this tactic, speakers may not only enhance their clarity and coherence, but also add structure and vibrance to their presentations.

Now that we have explored what goes into crafting an effective outline, let’s dive deeper into how we can best collect resources and research our topics for maximum impact.

Collect Sources and Research

Collecting sources and research is a crucial step for any public speaking engagement. It ensures that you have the necessary information to make strong points and back up your statements.

Before writing your speech, take time to research your topic to gain familiarity with different perspectives, facts, and counterpoints. This will help you to craft an argument that can stand up to scrutiny while also adding a breadth of knowledge to your speech.

Interviews can be a powerful source of evidence and anecdotes, so try to include one or two relevant interviews in your research process. Relying solely on secondary sources such as books and articles can lead to a narrow scope of understanding.

Interviews provide an opportunity to hear directly from an expert and create an interesting dynamic in your speech by adding personal experiences as well as commentary from a professional.

In research it is important to stay objective. Gather a variety of perspectives and be open-minded about their merits. Don’t forget to consider both sides of the argument when researching for your speech.

Doing this allows you to understand the opposing perspective and enables you to anticipate potential counter arguments from your audience.

By acknowledging them beforehand, you may increase the persuasive power of your speech by showing confidence in the points you make.

Once you have collected all sources, review them carefully and separate the most pertinent information from the less useful material.

Synthesising this information into concise yet impactful points is a critical part in delivering powerful talks without overloading your audience with too much data or going off track during your speech delivery.

Organizing Your Speech

Before you start putting your words together, it’s important to consider how the different parts of a speech fit together. By taking the time to organize the ideas in your speech , you’ll be able to deliver a presentation that is well-constructed and easy to understand.

One way to help with organizing your speech is to write an outline . An outline is like a map or plan that will provide you with a framework for each section of your speech.

Start by writing out your main points and then include additional details underneath each one. This will help keep your speech focused and provide direction for where you are going next.

Another approach for organizing your speech is known as the “inverted pyramid” method. This structure starts with your conclusion at the beginning of the speech, and then works backward by providing more explanation and detail as it moves toward the introduction.

This method can be helpful when speaking about topics that are unfamiliar to the audience since it doesn’t require them to wait until near the end of the presentation to learn what you’ve been talking about.

No matter which organization approach you choose, make sure to practice it before giving your speech so that you are comfortable with its flow. Lastly, remember that it’s ok to adjust things while you speak if they don’t seem or feel quite right.

Now let’s take a look at how we can use these organizing techniques to actually put our speeches together – starting with structuring our speech.

Structure Your Speech

Creating a strong structure for your speech will ensure that the audience stays engaged and understands your main points. As you are developing an outline, map out how you want to begin and end your speech.

Break up the information into smaller sections with either verbal or visual cues so that your audience can clearly see how you are transitioning between topics . Consider adding humor judiciously throughout your presentation as this could help engage the audience and lighten any tension.

The length of your presentation is also important. You will want to make sure that you include all of the necessary information without going over time.

Oftentimes less is more; if you can say it in five minutes why use ten? Make sure that you practice timed rehearsals so that you can gauge how long you’re actually speaking.

In contrast, avoid trying to pack too much content into one presentation as this could overwhelm both you and the audience. If needed, offer supplemental reading materials for those who may be interested in delving further into the subject matter.

Paragraphs can also be helpful when organizing large amounts of content within the body of your presentation. Utilizing paragraph breaks gives your audience a break and helps to highlight key ideas or summaries before moving onto a new topic area.

Finally, it is crucial to remember what your desired outcome is from the presentation; plan accordingly by ensuring that the beginning, middle, and end serve their respective purposes and adhere to that goal.

With careful deliberations, structuring a successful presentation can be achieved with relative ease.

Having established a solid structure for your speech, it’s important to focus on another key element: rehearsal. The next section will discuss the benefits of practicing before delivering a powerful public speaking performance.

Rehearse Your Speech

Rehearsing is integral to giving a successful speech. When you rehearse your presentation, you give your mind an opportunity to become familiar with the notes and concepts that you are presenting. It also increases your confidence and reduces anxiety or self-doubt.

In fact, studies have found that those who rehearsed their presentation had higher scores in public speaking performance and language proficiency evaluations.

When it comes to how much rehearsal is enough, opinions are divided. Some people believe that over-rehearsing can lead to a more robotic speech with less natural emotion and connection with the audience .

On the other hand, others argue that no matter how well-versed someone is on the topic, additional rehearsal time improves both the delivery of the speech and memorization of key points and facts.

Ultimately, it’s important to practice until you personally find the most comfortable level for yourself, as this will ultimately result in a more engaging delivery.

Finally, if at all possible, try to practice in front of a friend or colleague for honest feedback on any elements that need improvement before the big day. Rehearsal dedication may be tedious, but it results in big rewards on stage–enabling you to deliver your content with clarity, confidence, and poise.

With thoughtful preparation complete, it’s now time to step into the spotlight and give your speech!

Giving Your Speech

The key to success when giving a speech is to be well prepared and confident. Every individual’s preparation process will vary, but the basics should stay the same.

Start by studying your content, understanding the material and being able to repeat it in your own words. Clarify any potentially difficult points. Create visual aids like PowerPoint slides or handouts that supplement the key ideas in your speech.

Practice your public speaking skills with informal conversations with friends and family or rehearse it alone in front of a mirror. Use visualization; imagine yourself confidently delivering your speech. Consider addressing a practice audience if possible to become more accustomed to a live size group.

On the day of the event, arrive early and plan for any potential obstacles: What if my computer doesn’t work? What if I forget something? Allow sufficient time for setup and check-in.

When you are ready to give your speech, take some deep breaths, focus on the positives, and distract yourself from any anxious thoughts with positive affirmations. Remember you have prepared diligently for this moment, you are well prepared and you will succeed!

Start strong by engaging the audience immediately with an attention grabbing opening statement. Speak clearly and make sure that everyone can hear and understand your message.

Slow down and emphasize points as needed throughout your presentation. Be aware of pace, volume, and tone of voice: too fast/monotone can confuse/bore listeners while pauses add a dramatic effect that keeps their interest piqued.

Ultimately, giving a successful speech will depend on knowing your material well enough to speak confidently in front of your audience without hesitation or missteps.

When you do make a mistake (and they happen!) don’t panic – know that mistakes are inevitable but don’t be discouraged; get back on track as soon as possible and continue at the same energy level you had before the mistake occurred.

Having successfully given your speech, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon for next time before transitioning into the next step: mastering delivery.

Master Your Delivery

Mastering your delivery is the key to an effective speech. Without purposeful body language and careful emphasis on certain words , your speech may lack wow-factor and prevent listeners from tuning in. Following these simple tips can help you get started with delivering an engaging and memorable speech:

The most important part of delivery is practice. Rehearse and perfect your speech ahead of time – this allows for more natural flow and confidence during your presentation. It also helps to create pauses between sentences for clarity, emphasize key points, and not be too casual or stiff.

Practicing inflections and varying tones adds interest to your speech by keeping listeners’ attention.

Additionally, it’s important to project your voic e so everyone in the room can hear you; make sure you’re speaking loud enough but don’t feel pressure to shout or yell at any point unless that’s part of the atmosphere of the event.

It’s also crucial to maintain good posture while speaking – stand tall with both feet on the ground, keep your back straight, hold yourself up without gesturing too much or leaning against a podium if applicable.

To further engage listeners, use purposeful hand gestures as they help emphasize certain points and add visual interest – however, avoid overusing them as it can hinders communication.

Make meaningful eye contact with audience members throughout the presentation – otherwise you might come across as unenthusiastic or bored with what you’re saying which deters attention away from the content itself.

By mastering your delivery, you can boost the impact of your presentation considerably – providing a memorable experience for your audience that stands out from others’. As such, it’s worth investing time into practicing ahead of time until delivery feels comfortable and second nature.

Having said this, making use of visual aids such as PowerPoint slides can greatly improve the impact of a speech once delivery has been mastered – let’s look into that next.

Use Visual Aids

Using visual aids can help presenters express concepts more clearly and engage the audience.

Visuals are particularly useful when conveying complex information, such as data, trends, or statistics — they impart meaning at a glance. But some public speakers may wonder if visual aids can be distracting or unnecessary.

Even though visuals can attract attention away from a presenter’s verbal delivery, carefully designed visuals can actually support the speech and help provide clarity. If done well, visuals are effective for capturing an audience’s interest and helping them to better understand the content being presented.

For example, a graph or chart should relate to the points made in the speech and should be discussed in more detail during its appearance onscreen. The presentation can also include larger images that effectively reinforce the ideas conveyed in the speech.

Videos and sound clips are other powerful forms of multimedia that could be employed to make the speech more meaningful.

To ensure that visuals enhance the message of the presentation, key factors to consider include relevancy to topic, good graphic design or aesthetics, accurate size to prevent distortion or blurriness, and seamless integration into the keynote slides or printed handouts .

In this way, visuals offer an opportunity for presenters to demonstrate their creativity and keep their audiences interested in what is being said. Thus, used wisely and aptly, visuals can add tremendous value to speeches by presenting arguments more efficiently and driving home important points. Now let’s explore effective techniques for speech giving that will allow you to craft and deliver your speeches with confidence.

Effective Techniques for Speech Giving

There are a number of effective techniques for giving a speech that will help you deliver it with confidence and poise.

First, practice your delivery in advance. You should practice both in front of a mirror or recording device to check for any distracting habits such as talking too quickly or mispronouncing words.

Second, use simple, clear language and short, concise sentences. Avoid overly technical terms and jargon that may leave your audience confused.

Third, work to establish a connection with your audience by using appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures while speaking.

Fourth, utilize effective persuasive techniques such as presenting evidence, strong arguments supported by facts, personal anecdotes and vivid metaphors.

Finally, articulate an organized structure for your speech. Your speech should have an introduction, body and conclusion to clearly communicate the main point and provide the audience with the necessary context to understand it better.

While these techniques may sound intimidating at first, they can be learned over time with practice and will make all the difference in how successful your speech delivery is received by your audience.

To build on these skills further , the next section will provide tips on how to build confidence when giving a speech.

Building Confidence

Building confidence is key when giving a powerful speech, as it will enable you to deliver the speech in a more poised and credible manner.

To create this confidence , start by understanding that any hesitation or butterflies prior to your speech are completely normal and should not be feared. Instead, view them as natural states of anticipation for something exciting, knowing that you are about to give an amazing speech.

Next, understanding who your audience is and tailoring your speech to meet their expectations will help build your confidence.

Familiarizing yourself with their interests and knowledge on the subject matter ahead of time can equip you with the understanding needed to respond appropriately if questions arise or objections surface during the speech.

Further, practice is key when building confidence for a public speaking engagement . Rehearsing with friends or colleagues before hand will give you an opportunity to learn where problem areas are within the content of your speech, as well as help solidify your delivery by becoming more comfortable with each step.

Checking sound levels in the room you’re presenting in coupled with learning where exits/emergency locations are located within that space can also help alleviate stress levels and boost self-assurance while delivering the speech.

Finally, wearing comfortable clothing and dressing professionally adds an extra layer of confidence when speaking in public.

If possible, bring an additional outfit on hand during the presentation in case of spills or accidents that would require a quick change between sections of the talk. Having this back-up plan in place can aid in keeping peace of mind at ease throughout the speech.

In conclusion, building confidence prior to a public speaking event can mean the difference between a good and great delivery of your message.

By taking into account each of these tips you can ensure that this part of your preparation runs smoothly and sets you up for success when delivering powerful speeches.

With a well-crafted note card of talking points and strong sense of self-assurance, it’s time to start speaking with passion!

Speaking with Passion

As a public speaker, your audience expects you to engage not only with your words but also with your emotions. To share the most impactful message, it is important to speak passionately about your subject.

Doing so will make your speech more memorable and thereby more effective in convincing your audience of its legitimacy.

The power of speaking authentically with emotion lies in its relatability and connection. Showing feelings allows people to connect with you as a person rather than just a speaker. It opens the door to understanding through empathy and active listening .

Examples might include adding personal stories , telling jokes, or displaying your feelings openly during the delivery of your message.

However, not all topics lend themselves easily to expressing emotion. If the subject matter is overly complex or technical there may be less opportunity for emotional expression—but this doesn’t mean those conversations can’t incorporate emotion.

Even if faced with a difficult situation such as death or financial turmoil, emotions can still be conveyed in a respectful way that keeps audiences engaged.

Remember that how much emotion you show depends on the type of audience you’re sharing it with—using sensitivity when delivering passionate speeches helps avoid awkwardness or embarrassment for any attendees who may find opinionated language uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Striking the right balance between being straightforward and showing compassion takes practice, so take the time to develop a style that works best for you and improves upon each performance.

Finally, incorporating passion into a speech gives it life and makes it relatable and engaging—which are essential elements to speaking effectively.

Having passion means giving ourselves permission to take ownership over our stories, making them deeply personal in order to reach our goals and touch people’s hearts in meaningful ways. With that said, let’s move on to discussing how we should tackle dealing with challenges while giving a speech.

Dealing with Challenges

The process of delivering a speech can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. Difficulties can arise during the process that may threaten to derail your success. To ensure you are adequately prepared for these possible pitfalls it is important to consider strategies for proactively mitigating the risk of encountering these challenges. 1. Public Speaking Anxiety: Many people experience some form of anxiety when asked to speak in public. There are a number of techniques available to combat this fear and increase confidence, such as deep breathing exercises, mental rehearsal, positive self-talk and visualization of success.

Learning about the audience, creating an engaging presentation and using props or visual aids can also help reduce anxiety levels and create a better overall experience for both the speaker and the audience. 2. Unfamiliar Topics or Audiences: When presenting on unfamiliar topics or to an unknown audience it can be difficult to prepare effectively.

In this situation it is important to conduct research on the topic and familiarize yourself with the needs of your audience so that the content is tailored accordingly. It is also helpful to use humor or stories related to the topic in order to engage your audience and make them more receptive to your message. 3. Lack of Support: If you lack support from family, friends, colleagues or mentors, it can be difficult to push through difficult conversations or speeches without any additional motivation.

To overcome this challenge, seek out peer mentorship opportunities or find compatible online communities where people discuss similar topics or objectives. Here you can share ideas, provide feedback and learn from others who have experienced similar issues. 4. Time Constraints: One of the biggest challenges when giving a speech is managing your time effectively in order to deliver an effective message without going over allotted timeslots and boring your audience .

To successfully address this challenge try setting manageable goals for each section of your speech and practice regularly. Replicating real-time conditions as closely as possible will help you stay within time constraints when delivering your speech on the day itself. In conclusion, there are many potential challenges you may face when giving a speech or taking part in a public speaking event – but with proper preparation and practice they are easily managed if approached correctly.

With knowledge of techniques for dealing with such scenarios comes increased confidence when stepping up to the podium – further improving your chances of delivering an effective speech that resonates with your audience members.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

How should i end my speech to leave a lasting impression.

The best way to end your speech is by reinforcing your main point and summarizing the key takeaways. You should also encourage the audience to take action, whether it be to sign up for a newsletter, make a donation, or visit your website for more information. This final call to action will not only leave a lasting impression on the audience but will also help you achieve any goals you might have had when making your speech in the first place.

What techniques can I use to keep my audience engaged during my speech?

One of the best techniques for keeping an audience engaged during a speech is to keep it interactive . Ask questions throughout the presentation, as well as allowing for audience input and discussion. This can help to keep people’s attention and create a more engaging experience.

Another great tip is to use humor. Even if you don’t consider yourself a natural comedian, sprinkling in a few jokes here and there can break up the monotony of long speeches and keep people interested. Humor can also help to make points stick in people’s minds, making them easier to remember.

Finally, try to be enthusiastic about the content of your speech. If you show too much indifference or lethargic behavior, it will discourage your audience from paying attention and taking your message seriously.

Instead, be passionate about what you are saying so that the energy of your words carries into the room and engages your audience with excitement.

How can I use storytelling to make my speech more interesting?

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to make any speech more interesting. Telling stories in your speech will help engage the audience and make your message stick. Here are some tips for using storytelling in your speech:

1. Choose stories that are relevant to your message and audience. Think about stories that will best illustrate the point you are trying to convey, or evoke emotions in your listeners. 2. Use vivid descriptions and visuals when telling your story. Be sure to include details such as setting, character descriptions, dialogue and plot points. This will help to bring the story to life for your audience. 3. Make sure the story you are telling has a strong conclusion or moral at the end. This will help add emphasis to your message and make it memorable. 4. Practice telling stories out loud before delivering a speech with them. Rehearsing will help you deliver your story more effectively and with more confidence in front of an audience. By using these tips, storytelling can be an effective tool to make any speech more interesting, engaging, and persuasive!

How can I prepare for my speech effectively?

Preparing for a speech effectively is essential to delivering an impactful and memorable presentation. Here are some tips: 1. Have a clear goal in mind. Before starting to prepare, ask yourself what the purpose of giving the speech is: what message do you want to convey? Defining this will help to structure your content and focus your research. 2. Research thoroughly. Make sure you understand the subject matter well, so that your delivery sounds confident and inspiring. Using facts and data will strengthen your arguments and make your talk more convincing. 3. Outline your speech. Make a rough outline of how you want it to go – from beginning to end – well in advance of the actual presentation. This will give you a strong foundation upon which you can craft an engaging talk with an effective narrative arc that keeps audiences interested and engaged. 4. Practice regularly. Rehearsing your speech out loud several times is key to ensuring that you know it well enough to feel comfortable when delivering it live in front of an audience.

5. Time yourself. Record how long it takes for you to go through your entire speech, so that you can adjust the length as needed before delivering it live – remember that most speeches should last no more than 10-15 minutes. 6. Identify potential questions from the audience and prepare answers before hand. Knowing ahead of time what kind of questions people may ask can help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what comes next, enabling you to stay confident when speaking in public. 7. Work on building up confidence levels before delivering a speech. Visualize yourself succeeding in delivering a great presentation; practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or positive self-talk; or use props during practice sessions such as water bottles or stress balls if needed to remain calm during the real thing!

What strategies can I use to reduce my anxiety when giving a speech?

1. Plan Ahead: Create an outline of your speech beforehand and practice it multiple times to become familiar with the content. Doing a trial run with the audience can also help you get used to speaking in front of people.

2. Visualize Success: Positive visualization is a great way to reduce anxiety before giving a speech. Imagine yourself confidently delivering the speech while feeling relaxed and composed.

3. Get Organized: Make sure you have all the materials necessary for your presentation, including notes, slides, etc., to reduce any additional stress that may come from not having what you need when you speak.

4. Take Deep Breaths: Before and during the speech, take a few deep breaths as this will help calm nerves and make sure your breathing is regulated throughout the duration of your presentation.

5. Speak Slowly: It is common to feel anxious while giving a speech and try to rush through it too quickly. Speaking slowly helps maintain composure while delivering your message effectively and clearly.

6. Pay Attention to Your Body: Your posture, stance, movements , facial expressions can all influence how confident you appear to your audience and how nervous you may be feeling inside. Check in with yourself frequently throughout the presentation and correct any tense body language or physical actions if needed.

7. Focus on the Audience: If you notice that your anxiety levels are growing as you present, shift your focus onto the audience instead of yourself as this will help refocus your attention away from negative thoughts that may arise from fear or insecurity.

8. Make Eye Contact: Establishing eye contact with your audience is a key confidence-builder for public speakers—it shows that you’re strong, engaged with them, and receptive to feedback or questions they might have regarding your speech topic .

9. Practice Positive Affirmations: Positive thoughts will boost your self-confidence as well as your mood which can help increase performance quality significantly during speeches or presentations in general—so don’t forget to tell yourself “you can do it!” several times throughout the day leading up to the event!

10. Seek Support of Friends & Family: Many experienced public speakers suggest seeking support of close friends & family members prior and during their speeches—not only does it allow helpful critique regarding content but it also creates a more comfortable atmosphere while speaking which can reduce pre-speech jitters drastically.

16 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Be a Master Speaker

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Public speaking. Just the thought of having to get on stage inspires anxiety-fueled questions such as:

• What if the audience doesn’t like my speech?
• What do I do if I get on stage and my mind completely blanks because I’m so nervous?
• What if I look super awkward on stage?

Nearly 30 percent of Americans report that they’re “afraid or very afraid” of public speaking. In fact, this fear is so widely accepted that many scientists researching stress actually will induce anxiety by asking study participants to give a speech .

Most fears about public speaking stem from our fear of being judged. We are so scared of being criticized that we forget we have the power to share a message. I want to teach you how to captivate an audience so you can conquer your public speaking fears and get your message across. Let’s dive into the research-backed public speaking tips, so you have the confidence to get on stage and master your stage presence.

1. Up Your Public Speaking Game

Harvard Business Professor John Antonakis looked at charismatic verbal tactics. In his research , he discovered that when executives used these verbal tactics, their leadership ratings rose a whopping 60 percent! When presenting, you should incorporate these three charismatic verbal tactics:

• Use Metaphors, Similes, and Analogies. Metaphors are like mini-stories. You tie something that someone understands to a new idea or concept. I LOVE metaphors—I think they are the most powerful way to get ideas across. For example, I teach people how to read micro-expressions and liken the ability to decode the face to watching life in High Definition TV. All of a sudden you see things that you didn’t notice before. In other words, I turn the skill of decoding facial expressions into a metaphor with the connection to HDTV. Let me tell you, whenever I use this metaphor with live audiences, people either audibly will say, “oh” or “ah” or nod their head yes, as if it clicked for them. That’s the power of a good metaphor.
• 3-Part Lists. Whenever you’re speaking in public, you have to keep in mind your audience’s capacity for remembering information. Breaking down your message and actionable takeaways into three parts makes it easy for people to understand, remember and act on your goals. If you can organize your speech into three main ideas, even if it is an impromptu message in front of the team, it will help people remember what you have to say.
• Rhetorical Questions.  A rhetorical question is a question you ask of the audience for dramatic effect or to make a point instead of expecting a response. Something like, “Do you know how this tip can work for you?” or “How many of you have felt like the man in the story?” You don’t need people actually to raise their hands (although they might). The reason these are so powerful is because any kind of question engages people mentally; we are programmed to respond to questions, even if it is just internally.
• Speak Powerfully. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Be sure that whatever verbal tactics you are using, you are doing it with power. Here are my favorite vocal power tactics .

2. Warm-Up Right

Even the most practiced public speakers face some performance anxiety. The best way to beat nerves is to have a great warm-up routine. Before taking the stage — or even front and center at a meeting, psych yourself up with a little pre-performance ritual. Here are some ideas:

3. Use a Sparkline

How do you go from being a merely influential speaker to an inspirational one? The answer lies in one simple, but extremely universal, speech theory.

CEO and professional presentation designer  Nancy Duarte spent years studying rhetorical strategies to uncover what makes some speeches powerful while other fail to captivate audiences. What she discovered is that all great speakers, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Steve Jobs, all follow the same structure.

Here’s what the diagram is showing:

• Start by explaining “ what is. ” This is the problem, the process, the level of achievement, etc. that you want to change.
• Then explain “ what could be .” This is your goal for a better future. The best speakers paint the picture of the best possible future that their message can provide. In other words, if every audience member uses your tips and solutions, what will their life look like? What will their day look like? What will change for them?

Here are public speaking tips from a few master public speakers:

• President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress in 1941 with a powerful speech that promised: “Freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor–anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation… To that new order we oppose the greater conception–the moral order. A good society is able to face schemes of world domination and foreign revolutions alike without fear.”
• Steve Jobs promised audience members, “So, today, we’ve added to the Mac and the iPod. We’ve added Apple TV and now iPhone. And you know, the Mac is really the only one that you think of as a computer. Right? And so we’ve thought about this and we thought, you know, maybe our name should reflect this a little bit more than it does. So we’re announcing today we’re dropping the computer from our name, and from this day forward, we’re going to be known as Apple Inc., to reflect the product mix that we have today… The Mac in 1984 is an experience that those of us that were there will never forget. And I don’t think the world will forget it either. The iPod in 2001 changed everything about music, and we’re going to do it again with the iPhone in 2007.”
• I use this when I’m speaking about body language.  I might start by talking about the miscommunication issues that people struggle with and then explain how learning body language allows you to communicate more effectively. I’ll repeat this throughout my speech by noting specific things that people struggle with, followed by body language tactics that solve each of those problems.

When you’ve explained all of your points, end your speech by creating a clear vision of what the audience can expect if they follow your advice, invest in your company, implement your plan–whatever you tried to persuade them to do. Watch Nancy Duarte’s TEdxEast talk to learn more about her speech theory and what you can do to become inspirational.

4. Don’t Caveat, Apologize or Beg

A big mistake nervous speakers make is apologizing or couching their ideas. When we are feeling nervous, we say things such as ‘It’s just my opinion,’ or ‘I’m not really sure,’ or ‘I could be wrong, but.’ This is detrimental to your message!

First, be sure to research all of your points so you feel confident about the information you are sharing. Second, once you are sure of your content, practice your speech in front of friends. Every time a qualifier or caveat is added, friends should gently point it out and have you start over. The best speakers also know that not everyone is going to like them. In fact, some of the best speakers are controversial, and that’s a good thing! You want people to get riled up, get thinking and feel emotion. That means you are striking a chord!

5. Master Your Nonverbal Behavior

One of the most fascinating things about public speaking is that our nonverbal behavior communicates more than the words we say. When we studied hundreds of hours of TED talks , we were shocked to find that speakers got the same ratings whether viewers watched the talks on mute or with sound. Even more surprising was that people accurately could predict in the first seven seconds whether the talk would be successful. Crazy, right? Our research also found that public speaking tactics, such as  hand gestures , smiling and vocal variety are essential for captivating audiences. Some other important nonverbal speaking tips:

• Don’t self-block. When we get nervous, we tend to try minimizing the amount of space our body takes up. We also subconsciously try to barricade our body from the audience with crossed arms or a podium. I recommend holding a clicker or microphone. This might seem counterintuitive, but it forces you to uncross your arms and makes putting your hands in your pockets more difficult.
• Carry one bag. Nonverbal communication goes beyond the body into colors we wear, clothes and accessories. One set of research has found that people who carry more than one thing–such as a purse and a briefcase or a briefcase and a coat are perceived to be less organized and more forgetful. Before going into a meeting or event, be sure to consolidate your bags, leave coats and extra things in the car or give your coat to the receptionist to hang up so you do not have to carry it in with you.
• Avoid self-touch.  You want to avoid a few nervous body language cues when speaking. The most common nervous body language cues are self-touch gestures. Specifically, you want to avoid wringing your hands, cracking your knuckles, touching your face or hair or biting your lips. If you need to hold a clicker, that can anchor your hands.

Check out my TEDxLondon Talk where I explain some of the other nonverbal research:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cef35Fk7YD8

6. Channel Your Fear

Academic researchers hypothesize that this intense fear of public speaking comes from evolution. In the past, when humans were threatened by large predators, living as a group was a basic survival skill, and ostracism or separation of any kind certainly would mean death. This may have evolved into the fear of public speaking — and it makes sense. What situation embodies that kind of separation more than standing all alone in front of a room full of people? On a deep level, people are afraid their audience will reject them.

Our friends at Quantified Communications used their software analyzer to compare patterns of the best speakers. They found that the most confident speakers demonstrate 22.6 percent more passion than nervous speakers, meaning their delivery exhibits the kind of energy and engagement that indicates they’re really invested in their topic.

Another theory states that when we enter a state of social anxiety, which is common in public speaking, our ability to pick up on angry faces is heightened. In a 2009 study , psychologist Matthias Wieser measured participants’ brain responses to angry, happy and neutral images. In order to elicit anxiety, Wieser told some of the participants they would have to give a speech. The anxious participants were significantly more sensitive to the angry images than to happy or neutral ones, but the rest of the participants did not exhibit the same bias. It’s easy to see how this phenomenon becomes something of a vicious cycle in the context of public speaking. When we start out nervous, no matter how many people are smiling or nodding along, we’re apt to lock onto the one person who looks angry, which makes us even more nervous.

If you’re nervous about an upcoming speech, channel that nervous energy into demonstrating your passion for the topic at hand as you share your best insights with your audience. Nervousness and excitement are two sister emotions. When you feel your heart race,  reframe that as excitement .

Action Steps:

• Use hand gestures! One way to calm nervous hands is to give them purposeful movement. Here are my 20 favorite hand gestures for speakers and how you can use them. This will help you channel your nerves into excited and passionate gestures.
• Beat performance anxiety. If you have really severe anxiety, try my 7 steps to beat performance anxiety . This is a more systematic approach you can take to battle those nerves.

7. Know How to Work the Stage

Do you have stage presence? I have created a formula to learn how to work a stage like a pro and win the crowd. My big idea: Don’t pace, purposefully move. When we have adrenaline pumping through our bodies, we tend to pace the stage. It is a way of moving all of our nerves out of our bodies. Many speakers do this subconsciously and often have no idea the audience is being forced to watch them like a ball in a tennis match.

8. Master Stage Presence

Did you know that public speaking is actually a skill? Many people struggle with stage anxiety because they feel they ‘missed the memo’ on public speaking or they are lacking because they do not have a natural stage presence. Not true!

Stage presence and public speaking are skills you need to be taught—very few people have them naturally. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1T7VlHbM3A

Here are all the aspects of public speaking you can master.

• How to make a first impression with an audience
• How to have stage presence
• Powerful body language
• How to speak with a commanding voice
• What to do with your hands while speaking

For every speaking skill you add to your toolbox, the less speaking anxiety you will feel.

If you want help really diving into your presentation skills, be sure to sign-up for our course…

Master Your People Skills

• Create a Memorable Presence
• Communicate with Confidence
• Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

9. Include the Audience

Another finding from Quantified Communication was around the audience. They discovered that the most confident speakers use 46.9 percent more inclusive language than nervous speakers, meaning they’re using collaborative words and personal pronouns to help the audience feel more involved in the message. This finding could indicate that the most confident speakers are community-oriented, and suggests that camaraderie-driven language can help nervous speakers build confidence by overcoming that evolutionary fear of ostracism.

Don’t speak at the audience, speak to the audience.

Can you create activities, facilitate Q/A sessions or do call-outs to the audience? I gave the most nerve-wracking speech of my life and decided to include the audience constantly. This calmed down my nerves and helped me connect to the crowd. See how I included them here:

10. Move People to their Feet

Oh, the Standing O. It’s coveted by speakers. It’s hoped for by audiences. It’s the ultimate reward for a speech well-given. Why is it that some speakers can move us so deeply that we stand to our feet in triumph? Emotion. Here is the number one mistake speakers make:

Thinking credible means being unemotional.

Many speakers who are trying to come across as professional and serious think they have to deliver direct, emotionless speeches. This is the problem with most of the least popular TED Talks. They are interesting, well-presented speeches that are stiff and boring! Having emotions, caring about your work and fusing energy into your talk does NOT make you less professional. It makes your professional message more palatable.

Emotions are the condiments of speeches.

Emotions add spice, flavor and personality to your talk, your stories and your ideas. Here are the most common emotions speakers can add to their talks. Do you have any stories that can embody these emotions?

• Vulnerability

How to Get a Standing Ovation: Public speaking teacher, Michael Port has a great tip for speakers in his course Heroic Public Speaking . He encourages speakers to think of an exercise or activity to do right before the end of a speech so that the audience members are already on their feet. For example, you can have everyone stand up and say their action step out loud or give high fives to the people next to them. Then say your final few lines. With people already standing it activates them AND they are already on their feet for a standing ovation.

11. Solve a Problem

Another amazing public speaking tip from Nancy Duarte is framing your speech around solving problems. She argues that all great speeches start with a problem we all recognize—this instantly taps into a common pain that we can relate to and want solved. It is the problem of ‘what is’ or what is happening right now that is wrong. This captures people’s attention. Then the speaker promises a solution to this problem—which alleviates worry and provides relief to the audience. This is the ‘what could be.’ The best speeches go between problems and solutions, taking the audience on an emotional journey.

Example : Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”:

• Problem: “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’”
• Solution: “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

Anyone can do this with large or small lectures. For example, I do this with body language in every presentation I give:

• Problem: “How many times have you walked into a party or networking event and instantly felt awkward or uncomfortable?”
• Solution: “The best way to combat your awkwardness is with a success routine.”
• Problem: “The hardest part about sales is building trust. You love your product, you love your brand, but you have no idea how to share this love with a potential client without coming across as spammy or aggressive.”
• Solution: “There is an incredibly easy way to fix this. They are called trust indicators.”

What problems and solutions can you solve?

12. Once Upon a Time

Have you heard the writing advice, “Show, Don’t Tell”? The same applies for speakers. Speakers can tell audiences the problems and solutions, but showing the problems in real life and the solutions in action requires stories. Stories are incredibly powerful because our brains eat them up! Research has found that as you tell a story, the listener’s brain activates as if they themselves were in the story! Not only does this capture people’s attention, but it also makes your points more memorable. Let me tell you a story about the importance of stories.

I love science and used to put as many studies and facts into my presentation as possible. My slide deck was filled with nifty charts and stunning graphs. At one speaking event, I showed up and their projector wasn’t working—I couldn’t show my slides. I basically had to wing it. I was so nervous and worried I almost canceled the event. I thought it was ridiculous to cancel an event just because my slides weren’t working, so I pulled it together and warned the organizers that it would probably be one of my worst presentations. Since I had no visuals to go off of, I had to explain the experiments as stories (without numbers) and rely on examples from real people I had taught instead of formal case studies. At the end of the speech, the audience rose to its feet and burst into applause. It was a small audience of about 25 people, but still I was floored! I got some of the best feedback from that speech that I ever had received. Why? I used stories to illustrate my points instead of dry facts and figures.

• Think of the three main problems in your speech. Now think of stories to demonstrate them.
• Think of the three main solutions in your speech. Now think of stories of people who used them.

13. Use an App

Technology can be an amazing tool for speakers. Tons of apps are available that can help you hone your craft. I reviewed 6 of my favorite apps you can use before your next event.

14. Take Rehearsal to a Whole New Level

A big mistake speakers make is failing to rehearse enough — and in the right way. If you want to give a presentation that is compelling enough to inspire audiences to listen to your call to action, you need to give yourself plenty of time to prepare, so when you step on stage you know your presentation inside and out. You can take your rehearsal to the next level by practicing in phases.

• Phase #1: Read your content aloud to yourself or with a trusted friend. Make adjustments until the structure of your content flows, sounds natural and conveys your message.
• Phase #2: Practice your movements, body language  and props. This is the step that most people forget to do; they have brilliant content but look awkward on stage because they’re too stiff, don’t know what to do with their hands or haven’t practiced with their props for presentations such as product demos.
• Phase #3: Hold at least one full dress rehearsal. Invite a couple of your friends or colleagues to watch you give your presentation wearing the outfit you plan to wear on the day of and practice as if it was your actual presentation.

This tip comes straight from our Steal the Show summary — review all 7 tips .

15. Adopt A Laughing Mindset

I am not going to tell you to put a bunch of jokes in your speech—although it would be great if you did. I know it is almost impossible to try coming up with jokes that don’t come naturally. So instead, I am going to ask you to consider a laughing mindset. We noticed that the best speakers, the ones who received standing ovations, had people smiling, and also mentally smiling, throughout a Talk, even when it was serious. What I mean by mentally smiling is the speaker set up inside jokes and a congeniality with the audience that felt like sitting with an old friend.

Watch Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk. He does an amazing job of keeping the laughing mindset. He does tell jokes, but he also gives you the feeling that you are an old friend and you are about to have a good time:

Here’s how you can create a laughing mindset:

• Create an inside joke. Stand-up comedians do this really well. I went to hear one stand-up comedian and he started off with, “Oh brother, you know what happened to me today?” Then he told an amusing, but not laugh-out-loud, story. Then he did it again. “Oh brother, you know what happened to me yesterday?” and continued with another story. By the end of the routine, he could just say, “Oh brother,” and the audience would laugh. He created his own inside joke with the audience—both funny and powerful.
• Act it out. Sometimes a well-placed eyebrow raise or an exasperated sigh can loosen up the audience to the laughing mindset. Think of some of your stories that you came up with in point #3. Can you act out any aspects of your stories? Did your kid give you a hard time about something? Can you mimic them? Did you stumble into a bar late one night? Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. Try to punctuate your words with expressions of your points. This pulls the audience toward you.
• Smile to inspire. When you smile you cue the audience to relax and smile. As you will see below, smiling also helps your perceptions of intelligence.

16. Learn from the Best

Sometimes you need to watch an amazing speaker in action to get inspired. I love watching public speakers who really know how to work a room. I always learn something from them and pick up a few tidbits. I have put together a video analyzing my favorite public speakers and why they are so talented. Watch to see who I chose and why:

More Public Speaking Resources

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

• 10 Presentation Ideas that will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
• 6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
• How to Give Captivating Presentations
• My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
• How to Give an Awesome Toast
• How to Start a Speech: The Best (and worst) Speech Openers

Bonus: Pitch Like Shark Tank

Do you watch the TV show “Shark Tank”? We do! In fact, we did a research experiment analyzing all 495 pitches on “Shark Tank,” looking for patterns. If you plan to do a lot of pitching in your public speaking, then you must check out our 10 findings from our Shark Tank Study .

I can’t wait for you to share your message using these tips! Remember to practice them until they become your own. And most importantly, always speak from the heart and always tell the truth. It should go without saying, but these tactics only work when you are being authentic and honest. I have no doubt that you can use your ideas to change the world, you just have to deliver them in a way so people hear them!

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8 thoughts on “16 science-based public speaking tips to be a master speaker”.

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10 tips for how to speak with confidence (+ a free improvement plan)

1. Maintain eye contact with your audience

2. throw away filler words and phrases, 3. speak slowly and clearly, 4. project your voice, 5. practice nonverbal communication, 6. remember to smile, 7. use pauses for emphasis, 8. work on active listening, 9. begin with an engaging hook, 10. incorporate concrete examples, 1. expand your vocabulary, 2. practice pronunciation with experts, 3. ask for feedback, 4. learn with a private language tutor, 5. observe experienced speakers, learn how to speak with confidence with online language tutors.

Listen to useful tips from Sylvia and Iris on how to create a study plan that’ll help you learn a language effectively

If the thought of public speaking sends shivers down your spine, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, research shows that up to 30% of people have a fear of public speaking . This anxiety can be even more pronounced when you’re using a second language in a professional setting.

But here’s the good news: mastering the art of confident public speaking is not just achievable; it’s a game-changer for your career.

Imagine stepping into a meeting room, ready to lead a team, present to executives, or impress potential clients. The ability to speak with confidence in these scenarios is more than just a skill – it’s a career accelerator.

Whether you use a second language in the workplace or you simply want to refine your public speaking abilities, developing this confidence is key to showcasing your leadership skills and propelling your professional growth.

Today, we’ll explore our top strategies to overcome nervousness, captivate your audience, and leave a lasting impression in every interaction.

10 tips for how to speak with confidence in the workplace

Excellent public speakers aren’t born – they’re made. Use the following tips to improve your speaking skills so you’re ready to face your next meeting or presentation with confidence.

Think of eye contact as a nonverbal way of saying, “I see you, I value your presence, and I am speaking directly to you.” It builds a connection with the audience, making your communication more engaging and personal.

When you look someone in the eyes, it also shows confidence in yourself and your message – an important skill to practice if you speak a non-native language in the workplace.

Start by consciously making an effort to establish eye contact with different audience members throughout your presentation. This doesn’t mean a quick glance; instead, hold your gaze for a few seconds with one person before moving on to another.

Avoid the temptation to fixate on your notes or stare blankly at a point above people’s heads. Remember, your goal is to create a connection, not just to get through your speech.

Notice how it changes the dynamic of the conversation. You’ll soon find that this small change can greatly impact how confidently you communicate, especially in a professional setting where every interaction counts towards building your career.

Filler words can cloud your message and diminish your authority when speaking. When you pepper your conversation with these unnecessary interjections – like “um,” “uh,” “ah,” “like,” or “you know” – it can make you seem unsure or like you didn’t prepare.

The first step to combatting this is building awareness. Record yourself in conversations or during presentations. Play back these recordings and listen for any filler words.

Once you’re aware of your filler word usage, the next step is practice. Instead of falling back on these verbal crutches, pause briefly. These pauses not only help you collect your thoughts but also give your words more weight.

You can also practice speaking about a topic you know well – like your favorite hobby, sports team, or TV show – to a friend or family member while focusing on eliminating filler words.

Remember, like any habit, this takes time to change. But with consistent effort, you’ll find your speech becoming clearer, more authoritative, and ultimately, more confident.

It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. Enunciating carefully ensures that everyone understands what you’re saying, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Slow, clear speech demonstrates your control and confidence in your message. It shows that you respect your audience enough to make your speech easily understandable.

If you’re speaking in a second language, slower enunciation can also bridge the gap caused by an accent and make your speech more accessible to everyone in the room. Learn how to improve your pronunciation so you sound like a native speaker.

Practice reading out loud at a slower pace, focusing on pronouncing each syllable. Record yourself during presentations or even in casual conversations. Listening back to these recordings can be an eye-opener, helping you identify areas where your enunciation could improve.

You can also practice tongue twisters , which are a fun and effective way to improve your articulation, especially if you’re learning another language.

The ability to project your voice is more than just being loud – it ensures that your voice carries across the room so everyone can hear you easily.

A well-projected voice is a sign of confidence and authority. It shows that you’re not just present to speak; you’re there to be heard. In a professional setting, where ideas compete for attention, a voice that resonates and commands attention is invaluable.

So, how do you develop this skill? The secret lies in using your diaphragm, not just your throat, to speak. This technique allows you to increase your volume without straining your voice.

Practice deep breathing exercises. Focus on breathing from your diaphragm and using this breath to power your speech. It’s like filling a balloon with air – the more air, the farther it can travel.

Just like practicing speaking clearly, try reading a passage from a book aloud, focusing on projecting your voice across the room. Record yourself speaking and listen to the playback. Pay attention to the volume and clarity of your voice.

Your body language, facial expressions, and hand gestures reinforce your verbal messages. These nonverbal cues can transform a standard presentation into a compelling and memorable experience for your audience.

Your body language speaks volumes before you even utter a word. For instance, positive gestures and confident postures can significantly enhance the impact of your message, making it more persuasive and engaging.

In a diverse workplace where language barriers might exist, effective nonverbal communication becomes even more critical. It bridges gaps in understanding and ensures that your message is not just heard but also felt.

Body language starts with your posture. Stand tall, with your shoulders back and your head held high. This stance exudes confidence.

When you speak, use hand gestures to emphasize key points. But remember, the goal is to complement your words, not distract from them. Practice in front of a mirror to see how your gestures align with your speech.

Observe how experienced speakers use their body language and try to incorporate similar techniques into your style. You can watch popular TED Talks to see how great speakers express themselves beyond their words.

When done at the right moments during a presentation or conversation, smiling can transform how your message is received. It’s a simple yet effective tool that can make you appear more approachable, relatable, and confident.

A smile is a universal sign of friendliness and openness. In a setting where you’re communicating in a language that’s not your first, smiling also bridges cultural and linguistic gaps. It makes you seem more at ease, putting your audience at ease.

The key is to find the balance – smile genuinely at moments that feel natural. Start with a smile when you greet your audience, as it sets a positive tone for the interaction.

Use smiles to punctuate lighter moments or make a positive point during your presentation. Smiling while listening and responding to questions also shows you’re engaged and approachable.

When you pause, you give your audience time to absorb and reflect on what you’ve just said. This is particularly important when you’re conveying complex information or key points.

Pauses also allow you to gather your thoughts, preventing you from speaking too quickly or rambling. In a professional context, speaking too fast or without clear breaks can make you seem nervous or unsure, which can undermine the confidence others have in your abilities.

An effective pause is more than just stopping mid-sentence – it should strategically underline a key idea or signal a transition to another topic. During your next presentation, consciously insert a pause after delivering an important point. This will allow your audience to digest the information and signal its significance.

While practicing your speech, mark spots in your script where a pause would be impactful. This could be after a question, before a significant revelation, or at the end of a section.

Active listening is more than just hearing what someone else is saying – it means you’re fully engaged with the speaker, understand their message, and can respond thoughtfully.

Being a good listener helps you respond more effectively and build rapport with your audience. It also prevents misunderstandings and ensures that everyone feels heard and valued.

The key to active listening is to be fully present in the conversation and focus on the speaker without planning your response while they are still talking. A great way to practice this is to make a conscious effort to summarize what the other person has said before responding. This will show that you’re paying attention and clear up any miscommunication.

You can also try exercises that focus on active listening, such as repeating the speaker’s last few words in your mind to reinforce their message.

First impressions in a presentation are as critical as in any personal interaction. An interesting start acts like a magnet, drawing your audience’s attention and curiosity toward what you will say next. It sets the stage for a dynamic and memorable presentation.

First, you need to understand your audience and your topic. The key to a good hook is to make it relevant and relatable. For instance, if you’re discussing a technical subject, a surprising fact or a recent statistic can be a great opener.

For more general topics, a short, personal anecdote that relates to your theme can be very effective. Try starting a team meeting with a short story from your personal experience that ties into the meeting’s agenda, like a previous experience with a client or a recent brainstorming session about a related topic.

Specific, relatable examples paint a vivid picture in the minds of your audience, making your message stick. Real-life examples or anecdotes also make your presentation more relatable , fostering a deeper connection with your audience.

Choose examples that are relevant to your topic and resonate with your audience. Here are some examples:

• Share a success story or a challenge from your own work experience that aligns with the theme of your presentation.
• Use well-known case studies or current events as analogies to illustrate your points.
• Include short stories or anecdotes that highlight the practical application of your ideas.

Weaving in these real-world scenarios will help your audience better understand your presentation – and make it more interesting too.

How to improve your speaking skills in 5 steps

The tips we covered above will help you prepare for your next big business meeting . But if you want to learn how to speak with confidence in every conversation, you need consistent practice.

We’ve put together a simple plan for improvement so you can build confidence and feel ready for your next workplace interaction, even if you’re speaking a second language.

The words you choose play a vital role in how your message is perceived. A rich vocabulary allows you to articulate your thoughts more precisely and persuasively and avoid misunderstandings.

Learning new, interesting, and impressive words and phrases will make your speech more impactful and memorable. Practicing useful business presentation phrases will help you get comfortable with your new vocabulary too.

The most effective way to grow your personal lexicon is to read widely and diversely , especially if you speak a non-native language. Books, articles, and journals in your field can introduce you to new terminology and phrases.

Use language learning apps that are designed to build vocabulary. Many of these tools offer practical ways to learn and practice new words in context. You can also use these tools to record new words and phrases you encounter to practice them later.

Make a point of speaking with native speakers or colleagues with a strong command of the language. Pay attention to their choice of words and try to incorporate similar language into your next meeting, presentation, or conversation.

In a professional context, where every word counts, pronouncing words correctly can make a substantial difference in how your message is received. It’s also a key factor in building self-confidence because it reduces the chances of miscommunication.

The best way to practice pronunciation is by working with language tutors or speech coaches who can give you the feedback and guidance you need. These experts can help you identify and work on specific areas of difficulty , whether it’s mastering certain sounds or understanding the rhythm and intonation of the language. Online speaking classes are a more affordable option that still focuses on pronunciation.

You can also practice using language learning apps that offer pronunciation exercises. Many apps let you record yourself speaking and compare it to a native speaker to hear where you need to improve. Some apps also use speech recognition technology to identify your mistakes.

Practice speaking regularly with native speakers or language exchange partners too. Pay attention to their pronunciation and try to mimic it. Ask them to (kindly) correct you whenever you pronounce something wrong.

Whether you’re giving a presentation, leading a meeting, or simply engaging in everyday workplace conversations, understanding how your communication is perceived can be a huge help. Feedback not only helps you identify your strengths but also highlights areas where you can improve.

Constructive feedback can help you understand if your message is being conveyed clearly, your pronunciation is accurate, and your tone is appropriate for the context. This is vital if you’re using a secondary language in the workplace and aren’t familiar with nuances like tone of voice and formal language.

Approach feedback with an open mind and a willingness to learn. For instance, approach a trusted colleague or mentor after a presentation or meeting and ask for their honest feedback. Be specific in your request – ask about clarity, engagement, delivery, and other aspects you’re working on.

If you’re in a language learning program, take advantage of opportunities to receive feedback from your instructors. Engage in exercises designed to test your language skills and ask for detailed feedback.

Remember, the goal of seeking feedback is not to seek validation but to grow and improve. It’s a continuous process that, when embraced, can significantly improve your communication skills.

Personalized language instruction, tailored to your specific professional needs, can significantly accelerate your learning process. This targeted approach means that every lesson directly applies to your daily professional interactions , making your learning process more efficient and relevant.

The key is to find a tutor who not only understands the language but also has insight into your specific industry. Preply has thousands of online language tutors who specialize in a wide range of industries. You can easily filter tutors by price, availability, and even country of origin if you want to practice a specific dialect or accent.

Many Preply tutors list industry specializations on their profiles, so you can easily find someone who understands the nuances of your field. Once your tutor understands your current level and language goals, they’ll create a customized learning plan to help you progress quickly.

Discover the best online English courses to jumpstart your learning .

Analyzing the techniques of skilled orators can inspire you to refine your own speaking abilities. This approach is particularly helpful for non-native speakers looking to boost their confidence in using English at work.

Confident speakers have often honed their skills over years of practice and can demonstrate effective techniques you might not learn in a traditional classroom setting. By watching their speeches or presentations, you can better understand how to use tone, pacing, body language, and storytelling to engage an audience.

Plus, skilled speakers can provide real-world examples of handling various speaking situations , from formal presentations to impromptu speeches.

How can you learn from these experts? The best way is to attend public speaking events or watch videos of renowned speakers, such as TED Talks. Pay close attention to how they start their speeches, emphasize key points, and engage with their audience. Note the styles and methods that resonate with you. This could include how they use pauses for effect, their storytelling techniques, or how they handle audience questions.

Try to incorporate some of these techniques into your own speaking practice. For example, if a speaker uses a particular storytelling method effectively, practice using a similar approach in your next presentation.

Mastering the art of confident public speaking, especially in a second language, is a journey that requires practice, patience, and the right resources. By implementing the tips in this article, you can transform your communication skills, making you a more effective and confident leader in any professional setting.

Whether you’re looking to refine your business vocabulary, improve your pronunciation, or simply gain more confidence in your language abilities, Preply’s online tutors can create a customized learning plan to help you progress quickly and effectively.

Tutors are available 24/7 in every time zone , making incorporating lessons into a busy work schedule easy. You can also find a tutor who specializes in your industry so you can quickly apply what you’ve learned to the real world.

And if you want to learn a language other than English, Preply has over 30,000 tutors for 50 languages , so you’re sure to find someone who can help you meet your learning goals.

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Naomi Boitel is a marketing specialist who has over 7 years experience of working in startups in London. Naomi is British and has previously relocated to Shanghai, London, and now lives in Barcelona. Naomi offers all the top tips for working professionals in relocating. She is also learning Spanish on Preply.

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The importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate

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What does articulation mean?

6 benefits of becoming more articulate, 5 tips for improving articulation, why is good speech so important, moving forward.

Being able to effectively express your needs, goals, and feelings is a skill that can have a big impact on every part of your life. If you’ve ever struggled to share an idea with your coworkers or convey feelings to your loved ones, you know how important good communication is. 

Getting your point across without articulate speech can be frustrating. Filler words can distract from your point and lead you to try to explain yourself three or four times. Fortunately, you can learn how to speak articulately with a little time and effort.

Becoming more articulate with your words will serve you well in every interaction, from the office to holiday dinner with your family. We’re here to teach you how to be more articulate an d tell you about the benefits of being a stronger speaker. 

When we define articulateness, we mean someone who uses the right words, at the right pace, so others can understand what they're trying to communicate. That means both that the listener can understand the actual words that they're saying, and that the words represent the meaning in the clearest way possible.

Not sure of the difference? Have you ever listened to a college professor, lawyer, or maybe minister who spoke very clearly — you heard all the words that they were saying — but you had no idea of what they meant? Perhaps there were so many words and their connection wasn't obvious.

People who use big words and many caveats and modifiers might be technically correct, but they won't necessarily be articulate.

To some degree, articulateness is in the ear of the beholder. Think carefully before you start assessing whether someone is articulate or not. Context matters. 

 An articulate speaker is comfortable with their own voice and can speak coherently to the intended audience. 

They can slow their words down when they need to and use proper grammar and pronunciation. Rather than always speaking in the same tone, their speaking skills lead them to enunciate and emphasize differently depending on the topic, setting, and audience. 

That said, did you know that articulation isn't only about our words? Great speakers go beyond what comes from their mouths. Our body language skills also need to be in tune with our words to be most effective. Even though it can be difficult to make eye contact and use the correct hand movements, these nonverbal cues contribute to how articulate we are. 

Syncing your body language and speaking skills can take time. As you set your goals, you can start by identifying your strengths and weaknesses.

There’s a reason why public figures go through media training. Being well-spoken and articulate can bring lots of benefits besides knowing proper grammar. 

Here are six benefits of becoming more articulate. Notice how these benefits aren’t just for your workplace but also your personal life.

• Being articulate helps you appear more understanding and competent.
• Articulation skills can make you more comfortable in any environment where you have to talk to people.
• You’ll find you have greater confidence when you explain your thoughts and stand up for yourself .
• Being articulate can help others see you as a leader .
• Asking for feedback (or giving it) will be less challenging if you are able to communicate more clearly and succinctly.
• You’ll stand out compared to your other friends and colleagues, which can be great for career opportunities.

There are a wide variety of strategies for improving how eloquently you speak. Some people need to focus on getting past a fear of public speaking , while others need to pace themselves better while speaking.

No matter what is blocking you from being articulate with your speech, here are five tips for how to improve articulation.

1. Record yourself speaking

It’s awkward and cringe-worthy to listen to a recording of your own voice. But when you listen back to yourself, you’ll be able to identify your bad habits. Do you only speak in long sentences? Are you using too many filler words? You might find that you need to use pauses, slow it down, or vary your sentence length.

After listening to yourself, you can focus on improving specific areas of your speech. Rather than wasting time improving on things you already do well, you can hone in on exactly what’s giving you trouble. 

2. Think about your final sound

Your final sound is how you finish your sentences and speech. It’s your closer and what you leave your listeners with. To become more articulate, try completing your thought without mumbling or trailing off. 

Think about pitch variation and how you can emphasize certain words to drive home what you’re saying. Begin to think about pronouncing each syllable in your words. This will help you use them properly and ensure that everyone understands what you’re saying.

3. Be confident in yourself

To be a better speaker, you need to believe in what you’re saying. When we’re confident in ourselves, our words come out more smoothly. Even if you’re asking a question about something that confuses you, make sure to ask it with confidence. 

Sometimes it can be daunting to put yourself out there and speak up. However, it’s better to use your words rather than be confused and regret it later. 

4. Watch how others do it

If you’re looking for inspiring examples of articulation, you have plenty of options to choose from. You can read books to help you study proper grammar. Or you can listen to podcasts and listen to the hosts’ speech patterns. Try to think about how they create their sentences. 

If you’re looking for help with your body language skills and want to see how public figures do it, try watching TEDTalks. Taking time to stop and study examples helps you know what you’re working towards achieving. 

5. Be mindful of your speed

Speaking shouldn’t be a race. When you rush through your words for no reason, you’re more prone to mistakes. That said, you don’t want to speak too slowly and lose your listeners’ attention either. 

Try to identify when it’s important to talk faster versus slower. Speaking faster can show passion and excitement, while speaking slower is often deliberate and serious. Start to make a conscious effort to have an appropriate speed of speech and remember to pace yourself.

A supportive person can be helpful as you strive to become more articulate. For example, a BetterUp coach can remind you that becoming an articulate speaker will help fill your professional and personal life with clear, concise conversations. They can help you stay on track and make a real impact on your personal growth. 

Having good speech is important for every aspect of your life. Skills like articulation never go out of style, but they can still be hard to come by. Being articulate can truly make you stand out personally and professionally.

Articulation has endless benefits for your career. For example, speaking well can help you give better presentations at work. It can also help you create more connections with colleagues and clients . 

Besides helping you professionally, being a great speaker helps your personal life. It can boost your self-esteem and help you better communicate with those around you. 

For example, if you’re talking to someone about how they’ve hurt you emotionally, articulation will help you communicate your sadness, anger, or frustration in a way that is heard. You want to be vulnerable while also taking time to listen to the other person. Being articulate in situations like this will help you resolve conflict , solve problems, and support others.

As you do your be st to learn how to be more articulate, re member that you’re harnessing one of your most valuable tools: your own voice. Be proud of how you sound and what you have to say.

Learning to be an articulate speaker isn’t always easy. It’ll take time and some mishaps along the way. Make sure that you appreciate the small wins and use them to empower you to keep getting better. 

Pay special attention to the first time you had a conversation where you made eye contact the entire time, or when you learned a new word and used it well. It’s all a learning curve, but remember that you’re strengthening a skill that will serve you well for the rest of your life. 

Ready to find a coach to help you through this journey? At BetterUp , we have coaches who are communication specialists (they can also help you through the ups and downs of life that sometimes show up in our speech and self-presentation . When you can articulate your thoughts, ideas, and feelings, you'll be that much closer to feeling in control of your own potential.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Faculty - August 13, 2018

Five Tips to Give a Great Speech

• Strategic Communication

Anybody can learn to give a great speech, says  Jane Praeger , a faculty member for the  Programs in Strategic Communication  at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. She offers five tips on how to keep speeches both simple and authentic.

1. Practice Beforehand

Practice replacing filler words like "um," "so," and "like" with silence. If you can rehearse in the space where you’ll be speaking, that’s a real plus. Go to the back of the room, imagine that you’re hard of hearing or distracted, and you’ll know how to reach those people.

2. Work the Room

Try to speak to audience members before your speech, so that you can focus on a few friendly faces, particularly if you get nervous. If you’re making eye contact with a friendly person in one quadrant, those nearby will think that you’re talking to them. Then do the same thing in another quadrant. You want to see your talk as a series of conversations with different people throughout the room.

3. Prepare with Relaxation Techniques

If you’re nervous before approaching the stage, take a few deep breaths. Picture yourself delivering a successful speech. Most people will be nervous for the first few minutes, but you want to channel that adrenaline into positive energy.

4. Don’t Read Your Speech

Tell your speech from heart or use a notecard with bullet points as a cheat sheet. Bring the card with you and place it on the lectern. If you freeze up mid-speech, you can take a deep breath, look at your card, and know exactly which story you’re going to tell next.

5. Stand Up Straight

Whether you walk across the stage or stand behind a lectern, try to maintain good posture. Imagine that your head is being held up by a string. Standing up straight shows that you have confidence in what you’re talking about and your audience will feel more inclined to listen.

Read the full story for five more tips at  Forbes  and learn more about the  Programs in Strategic Communication  at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies.

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• How to End a Speech: What You Need for a Bang

A good talk or public speech is like a good play, movie, or song.

It opens by arresting the listener’s attention, develops point by point, and then ends strongly, ensuring that the audience’s attention is maintained throughout.

The truth is, if you don’t know how to end a speech, the overall message won’t be persuasive and your key points may get lost.

The words you say at the beginning, and especially at the end of your talk, are usually the most persuasive parts of the speech and will be remembered longer than almost any other part of your speech. It’s crucial to leave a lasting impression with a powerful conclusion.

Some of the great speeches in history and some of the most memorable Ted talks have ended with powerful, stirring words that live on in memory.

How do you end a speech and get the standing ovation that you deserve?

Keep reading to discover how…

Here are 9 tips and examples for concluding a speech.

To ensure that your conclusion is as powerful as it can be, you must plan it word for word, including a strong closing statement.

Ask yourself,  “What is the purpose of this talk?”

Your answer should involve the actions that you want your listeners to take after hearing you speak on this subject.

When you are clear about the end result you desire, it becomes much easier to design a conclusion that asks your listeners to take that action. It is also crucial to restate a key idea to reinforce your message and leave a lasting impression.

The best strategy for ending with a BANG is to plan your close before you plan the rest of your speech.

You then go back and design your opening so that it sets the stage for your conclusion.

The body of your talk is where you present your ideas and make your case for what you want the audience to think, remember, and do after hearing you speak.

2) Always End A Speech With A Call To Action

It is especially important to tell the audience what you want it to do as a result of hearing you speak.

A call to action is the best way to wrap up your talk with strength and power. Reinforce your key points by summarizing the main message, ensuring it leaves a lasting impression. Closing the speech effectively can evoke emotions and make a significant impact on the audience.

Here’s a Speech Call To Action Example

“We have great challenges and great opportunities, and with your help, we will meet them and make this next year the best year in our history!”

Consider ending with a thought-provoking question to challenge the audience to think differently and inspire them to take action.

Whatever you say, imagine an exclamation point at the end. As you approach the conclusion, pick up your energy and tempo.  This is even more important if  the presentation you are giving is virtual .

Speak with strength and emphasis.

Drive the final point home.

Regardless of whether the audience participants agree with you or are willing to do what you ask, it should be perfectly clear to them what you are requesting.

3) End a Speech With a Summary

There is a simple formula for any talk:

• Tell them what you are going to tell them.
• Then, tell them what you told them.

As you approach the end of your talk, say something like,

“Let me briefly restate these main points…”

You then list your key points, one by one, and repeat them to the audience, showing how each of them links to the other points.

Audiences appreciate a linear repetition of what they have just heard. This repetition helps make your message memorable and ensures that your key points leave a lasting impression.

This makes it clear that you are coming to the end of your talk.

4) Close with a Story

As you reach the end of your talk, you can say,

“Let me tell you a story that illustrates what I have been talking about…”

You then tell a brief story with a moral and then tell the audience what the moral is. Using effective body language, such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using open gestures, can make your story more impactful and leave a lasting impression.

Don’t leave it to them to figure out for themselves.

Often you can close with a story that illustrates your key points and then clearly links to the key message that you are making with your speech.

To learn more about storytelling in speaking, you can read my previous blog post  “8 Public Speaking Tips to Wow Your Audience.”

5) Make Them Laugh

You can close with humor.

You can tell a joke that loops back into your subject and repeats the lesson or main point you are making with a story that makes everyone laugh.

During my talks on planning and persistence, I discuss the biggest enemy that we have, which is the tendency to follow the path of least resistance. I then tell this story.

Ole and Sven are out hunting in Minnesota and they shoot a deer. They begin dragging the deer back to the truck by the tail, but they keep slipping and losing both their grip and their balance.

A farmer comes along and asks them, “What are you boys doing?”

They reply, “We’re dragging the deer back to the truck.”

The farmer tells them, “You are not supposed to drag a deer by the tail. You’re supposed to drag the deer by the handles. They’re called antlers. You’re supposed to drag a deer by the antlers.”

Ole and Sven say, “Thank you very much for the idea.”

They begin pulling the deer by the antlers. After about five minutes, they are making rapid progress. Ole says to Sven, “Sven, the farmer was right. It goes a lot easier by the antlers.”

Sven replies, “Yeah, but we’re getting farther and farther from the truck.”

After the laughter dies down, I say…

“The majority of people in life are pulling the easy way, but they are getting further and further from the ‘truck’ or their real goals and objectives.”

A memorable statement like this can make the humor more effective by condensing the core message into a crisp and authentic sound bite.

That’s just one example of closing using humor.

6) Make It Rhyme

You can close with a poem.

There are many fine poems that contain messages that summarize the key points you want to make. Here are some practical tips for selecting and delivering a poem: choose a poem that resonates with your message, practice your delivery to ensure it flows naturally, and use appropriate pauses to emphasize key lines.

You can select a poem that is moving, dramatic, or emotional.

For years I ended seminars with the poem,  “Don’t Quit,”  or  “Carry On!”  by Robert W. Service. It was always well received by the audience.

7) Close With Inspiration for A Lasting Impression

You can end a speech with something inspirational as well.

If you have given an uplifting talk, remember that hope is, and has always been, the main religion of mankind.

People love to be motivated and inspired to be or do something different and better in the future.

Here are a few of  my favorite inspirational quotes  that can be tied into most speeches.  You can also  read this collection of leadership quotes  for further inspiration.

Remember, everyone in your audience is dealing with problems, difficulties, challenges, disappointments, setbacks, and temporary failures.

For this reason, everyone appreciates a poem, quote, or story of encouragement that gives them strength and courage.

Here are 7 Tips to Tell an Inspiring Poem or Story to End Your Speech

• You have to slow down and add emotion and drama to your words.
• Raise your voice on a key line of the poem, and then drop it when you’re saying something that is intimate and emotional.
• Pick up the tempo occasionally as you go through the story or poem, but then slow down on the most memorable parts.
• Especially, double the number of pauses you normally use in a conversation.
• Use dramatic pauses at the end of a line to allow the audience to digest the words and catch up with you.
• Smile if the line is funny, and be serious if the line is more thought-provoking or emotional.
• When you come to the end of your talk, be sure to bring your voice up on the last line, rather than letting it drop. Remember the  “exclamation point”  at the end to reinforce your main message and leave a lasting impression.

Try practicing on this poem that I referenced above…

Read through  “Carry On!” by Robert Service

Identify the key lines, intimate parts, and memorable parts, and recite it.

8) Make it Clear That You’re Done

When you say your final words, it should be clear to everyone that you have ended. A strong closing statement is crucial in signaling the end of your speech, leaving a lasting impression, and ensuring that the audience remembers the key points. There should be no ambiguity or confusion in the mind of your audience. The audience members should know that this is the end.

Many speakers just allow their talks to wind down.

They say  something with filler words  like,  “Well, that just about covers it. Thank you.”

This isn’t a good idea…

It’s not powerful…

It’s not an authoritative ending and thus detracts from your credibility and influence.

When you have concluded, discipline yourself to stand perfectly still. Select a friendly face in the audience and look straight at that person.

If it is appropriate, smile warmly at that person to signal that your speech has come to an end.

Resist the temptation to:

• Shuffle papers.
• Fidget with your clothes or microphone.
• Move forward, backward, or sideways.
• Do anything else except stand solidly, like a tree.

9) Let Them Applaud

When you have finished your talk, the audience members will want to applaud. Using effective body language, such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using open gestures, can signal to the audience that it is time to begin clapping.

What they need from you is a clear signal that now is the time to begin clapping.

How do you signal this?

Some people will recognize sooner than others that you have concluded your remarks.

In many cases, when you make your concluding comments and stop talking, the audience members will be completely silent.

They may be unsure whether you are finished.

They may be processing your final remarks and thinking them over. They may not know what to do until someone else does something.

In a few seconds, which will often feel like several minutes, people will applaud.

Then another…

Then the entire audience will begin clapping.

When someone begins to applaud, look directly at that person, smile, and mouth the words  thank you.

As more and more people applaud, sweep slowly from person to person, nodding, smiling and saying, “Thank You.”

Eventually, the whole room will be clapping.

There’s no better reward for overcoming your  fear of public speaking  than enjoying a round of applause.

BONUS TIP: How to Handle a Standing Ovation

If you’ve given a moving talk and really connected with your audience, someone will stand up and applaud. To encourage a standing ovation, make your message memorable by using repetition of your keyword or phrase and incorporating relevant visuals or metaphors to leave a lasting impression on the audience. When this happens, encourage others by looking directly at the clapper and saying,  “Thank you.”

This will often prompt other members of the audience to stand.

As people see others standing, they will stand as well, applauding the whole time.

It is not uncommon for a speaker to conclude his or her remarks, stand silently, and have the entire audience sit silently in response.

Stand Comfortably And Shake Hands

But as the speaker stands there comfortably, waiting for the audience to realize the talk is over, one by one people will begin to applaud and often stand up one by one. Using positive body language, such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using open gestures, can leave a lasting impression on the audience.

If the first row of audience members is close in front of you, step or lean forward and shake that person’s hand when one of them stands up to applaud.

When you shake hands with one person in the audience, many other people in the audience feel that you are shaking their hands and congratulating them as well.

They will then stand up and applaud.

Soon the whole room will be standing and applauding.

Whether you receive a standing ovation or not, if your introducer comes back on to thank you on behalf of the audience, smile and shake their hand warmly.

If it’s appropriate, give the introducer a hug of thanks, wave in a friendly way to the audience, and then move aside and give the introducer the stage.

Follow these tips to get that standing ovation every time.

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What Other Features Does LanguageTool’s Paraphraser Provide?

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It’s an online tool that rewrites texts in a new (stylistically different) way by using alternative wording and a rephrased sentence structure.

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Personalize the pitch and pace

Customize the pitch of your AI voice from extra low, low, medium, high, and extra high. The AI text to speech generator allows you to choose from 0.5x speed to 2x speed for free.

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Ideal for creators

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Voiceover writing tips 

Unlock AI text to speech's full potential and produce natural sounding voiceovers for your videos by adjusting the pace and intonation of your narration. 

Full stops add a moderate pause to your text to speech. 

Commas add a short pause to your text to speech. 

Ellipses (“ …”) add a long pause in your voiceover.  

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Exclamation marks and typing in all caps don't change the delivery of your text to speech. 

Need more help creating AI voiceovers for videos?

Head over to our helpful text to speech guide and take a look at the video tutorial for more AI voiceover tips and tricks. 

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Frequently asked questions , is the text to speech generator free in clipchamp.

Yes. Clipchamp is an easy online video editor that lets you turn your text into a realistic AI voiceover for free. 

What languages is the AI voiceover generator available in?

The AI text to speech generator is available in the following languages : Arabic, Albanian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Afrikaans, Amharic, Bulgarian, Burmese, Basque, Bosnian, Bengali, Bangla, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Filipino, Finnish, Persian, German, Georgian, Greek, Gujarati, Galician, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Kazakh, Khmer, Kannada, Korean, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Maltese, Marathi, Mongolian, Malayalam, Macedonian, Norwegian Bokmal, Nepali, Polish, Pashto, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Serbian, Sundanese, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Welsh, and Zulu. 

Text to speech isn’t pronouncing a word correctly. Can this be fixed?

Yes. Text to speech pronunciation can be adjusted with intentional misspelling words (spelling a word as it sounds). For numbers, try writing them out in full, for example, 1998 becomes “nineteen ninety-eight”. 

Can I adjust the volume of a free Ai voiceover?

Yes. The AI text to speech generator lets you adjust the volume using the audio tab on the property panel. Easily move the volume slider to the left to decrease the volume or slide to the right to increase the voiceover volume .  

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How to Build a Digital Marketing Strategy and Action Plan

What type of content do you primarily create?

Consider any kind of business, from a store that sells model trains to a law firm that sells legal representation to a restaurant that sells its food and unique ambiance: each has a product or service it wants a consumer to pay for. 

Most companies employ a marketing strategy of some kind to sell their product or service. These days, that strategy almost certainly involves using digital channels to make the world aware they exist and convince consumer to buy their stuff. If they don’t have a digital marketing strategy like that, they should. 

Digital marketing strategy is a subset or one piece of an overall marketing strategy. The basic goal of digital marketing is the same but uses exclusively digital technologies to accomplish the goal. Strategic digital marketing is driven by data, and digital marketers rely on information they can collect that will help them analyze consumer behavior, their engagement rate with their audience, and in turn, tailor their tactics to their audience.

What is a digital marketing strategy? 

A digital marketing strategy is a plan companies make to reach specific business goals using a mix of marketing channels. Before a company begins choosing its mix of paid, earned, and owned media, it needs to examine both its goals and its customer base. There are three important pillars in a digital marketing strategy:

• The user. Some digital marketers call this first pillar the “User Journey,” as it describes a potential customer’s interaction with a brand from discovery to loyalty. Consider the marketing funnel , which describes the stages in customer engagement, from awareness, to interest or evaluation, to purchase, to loyalty.
• Digital channels. Marketing channels are the different vehicles companies use to great touchpoints with their customers. Some examples of these are social media, referral traffic through other websites, organic searches (like Google), paid searches, and email marketing.
• Creative and content. The content you decide to place on digital channels is strategically motivated by the first two pillars. Once you understand your customer and how they’re most likely to engage with your business, you can get to the brass tacks of creative format (ad banners, video ads, text ads) and content (blogs, videos, infographics).

 6 key tactics of a social marketing strategy 

While a marketing strategy is the plan to help achieve your goal, the tactics of the strategy are the concrete steps embedded in your strategy to help you reach the goal. 

Some tactics used in a digital marketing strategy include, but are not limited to: 

• SEO. The idea behind search engine optimization is to get your content to rank high on Google (or Bing, if that’s your thing). Companies will incorporate certain keywords related to a search term or a series of terms onto their website, through the text on their homepage, or through a blog. Search engines find these key terms when a person searches for them, determine that the page will satisfy a user’s search, and will bump pages up in search order to the position the algorithm deems to be the most relevant for a search term. If Google robots decide your content is the best thing on the web for a specific term, then you get the number 1 spot.  
• Pay-per-click marketing. This form of paid advertising allows marketers to buy traffic that will direct from other websites or search engines. They’ll pay a fee each time the ad is accessed. It’s similar to SEO in that you get your website at the top of the search results page, but rather than doing it organically, you are paying for that privileged position. 
• Content marketing. By becoming a trusted source of information or a leading voice in their industry, companies can create loyal customers and build brand recognition. Content marketing is a long game—it may not have an immediate return on investment but can build long-term loyalty.
• Social media. According to the Pew Research Center , 72% of Americans today use some type of social media as of 2021. 7 in 10 Facebook users and 6 in 10 Instagram users visit their sites at least once daily. A company can use social media to disseminate information about themselves, their products, or to simply connect with their customers. You can also attract more eyeballs to your page by paying for post promotion, which will push your content in front of demographics who might be inclined to buy what you’re selling.
• Video production. In all the ways people consume media, video has skyrocketed most dramatically in the past two years. According to YouTube Internal Data , there has been an 800% increase in global watch time of ad-supported and purchased video in the last year. YouTube has over 2 billion active monthly users and streams more than 1 billion hours of video each day. A company can leverage those users and that time spent watching videos to their advantage by posting unique content, like behind-the-scenes tours of their operations or interviews with key employees. Similar to social media, video provides a way to connect with your customer base.  

How the digital marketing strategy process works

 As a digital marketer (or as someone who runs a small company and who wears many hats, including CEO, CFO, and CMO) you can understand the strategies behind digital marketing campaigns and tactics to employ, but getting started on actually executing the campaign is another beast entirely. Here is a step-by-step instruction checklist on beginning to create a digital marketing strategy. 

• Create buyer personas. Knowing your customer is different in the digital age. These days, companies build composite buyer personas using research, surveys, and interviews to understand their customer’s age, income, priorities, challenges, and concerns of their customers. By using web analytics tools, you can identify where website traffic originates, which assists in where to direct your paid or organic content. Figure out who your customer is so you can better tailor your campaign. Part of this process is understanding your audience and evaluating their behavior in the market (does your customer typically buy your product at a certain time of the year or month, for example). ‍
• Set marketing objectives to identify KPIs. Digital marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable business goals that help companies set expectations and track their return. The metrics a company might track include sales or leads, or even indicators such as the amount of time a potential customer spent browsing your site. You should determine which KPIs you will use to measure the success of your campaigns before you begin.  ‍
• Develop a strategic plan . In formulating your plan, you should evaluate your existing digital vehicles—that is how and where you are going to place ads or content (on which websites or posted to which social media accounts). You can then figure out which combination of owned, earned, and paid media you’ll use across these vehicles to diversify your marketing portfolio. For instance, digital assets are the sites and profiles your company owns, earned media is the exposure your company gains through press mentions or positive reviews, and paid media refers to channels on which you pay to advertise. Figure out how you are going to use each of these levers to your advantage. For example, you could place ads on different news sites about your product (which is digital marketing) in combination with a press release and launch event to get articles written about that product so customers see both the ads and a (hopefully glowing) review of your new product (which is more traditional marketing).  ‍
• Implement the plan. You’ve done all of this work and research, and it’s time to put it all into action. This could take days, weeks, months, or even years to complete so get ready for a ride. You might consider starting up your channels and then cross-promoting. For instance, promote a new website over social media. ‍
• Evaluate and analyze. Once your channels are up and running, you can track their success. If owned and earned media are booming, you might be able to ease up on paid media. Work through your initial strategy and adjust as needed depending on how the market responds.

3 digital marketing strategies that worked

Here are some well-known digital marketing strategies that have been successful using owned and earned media and employing a variety of tactics. 

• GoPro: Earned Media User-Made Video. The action camera company uploaded its first video to YouTube in 2009, but users surged during the Coronavirus lockdown. In 2021, its YouTube channel hit 10 million subscribers. Much of the content on GoPro’s channel was created by users, making it a wildly successful earned media campaign. GoPro encouraged its users to post their own adventures online and tag the company, which created a loyal community and promoted the product. ‍
• ‍ Wayfair: Owned Media Instagram Tags. The online home furnishings store created a digital marketing campaign in which Instagram users can buy products straight from the Instagram Shopping app. Consumers cut out the extra steps involved in leaving social media to go to a website, and Wayfair can boost its revenue right from Instagram. This is a quickly growing way of marketing to consumers, used both by influencers who make a profit on their referrals that sell through the shopping app, and by the merchants themselves who sell directly. ‍
• Red Bull: Owned Media Lifestyle News. As early as the 1990s, energy drink company Red Bull began sponsoring a “Flugtag” competition, a rally in which small teams build handmade contraptions powered by gravity and constructed of environmentally friendly materials, to see how far they can get over the water before they (inevitably) fall in. This fun and ingenious competition has been held in over 35 countries, and since the rise in social media, has been just one of Red Bull’s smart campaigns to sell buyers on a high-flying (literally) lifestyle, not just on the drink.

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How to Make a Good Speech for School

Last Updated: February 26, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,266,565 times.

A good speech in school will earn you the admiration of your teachers and peers alike. You probably won't deliver the kind of speech you hear in the movies, but that's a good thing: people will enjoy your original take much more. From getting an idea to conquering stage fright, here are the steps to take if you want to make your final speech a memorable, exciting success.

Sample Speeches

Writing the Speech

• If you're not sure which theme to choose, write down or summarize a few stories and statements you could include in your speech. Pick the ones you like best and see if there's a unifying theme to tie them together.
• See What to Do and What Not to Do for more advice on themes.

• Don't interrupt one point with a clause, or section set aside by commas or parentheses. Instead of saying "Our tennis and basketball teams, which we all know won the regional championships two years ago, need increased funding to compete," say "Our tennis and basketball teams both won the regional championships two years ago. Now we need to increase their funding to compete with other schools."
• You can reference your school's slang once or twice to get a laugh, but don't overdo it, especially if there are parents in the audience.

• Find a broad message that your whole audience can connect to their own life, but still deals with a specific idea. For instance: "Become an even better version of the hero who inspired you." (But don't steal your "original" idea from this website!)
• Your stories can be specific incidents in your life or from history, but you should connect them to a more general idea. For instance, you could tell a story about your sibling's hospital visit, then go on to talk about overcoming fear and hardship in general.
• If you like what you're writing but it doesn't fit the theme you had planned, it's fine to adjust your topic or switch it entirely. Switch back and forth between writing stories and brainstorming a theme if you keep getting stuck.

• Surprise your audience by diving right into a tough story. "When I was ten years old, I lost my father."
• Make your audience laugh by telling a joke, especially one that everyone in the room will get. "Hello everyone. Let's have a round of applause for the guy who installed air conditioning."
• Start with a grand, thought-provoking statement. "Our galaxy contains billions of earth-like planets, and we're only just beginning to discover them."
• Most likely, someone else will introduce you, and many of your classmates know you already. Unless you're asked specifically to introduce yourself, you can get right to the good stuff.

• To use an example from earlier, if your theme is "Become an even better version of the hero who inspired you," you could begin your speech with two or three sentence about your hero, then say "You all have heroes who inspire you, but you don't have to just follow them. You can become even greater than the people you look up to."

• Include phrases such as "Now I'd like to talk about..." and "But we should also remember..." when moving on to your next idea.

• Build up to a big ending, then crack a joke to wrap up a funny speech. "And I know when you walk to the ballot box tomorrow, you'll be ready to do the right thing. Protect the interests of yourself and your school by washing your hands afterward. Do you know how many people touch that thing?"
• If you're giving a commencement speech, leave people feeling excited or awed about the future. This is a big moment and you have the power to help them realize it. "Years from now, you will be the father or mother your kid looks up to. The writer who changes the way we think. The inventor who creates new ways to live. Come up to the stage and start becoming heroes!"

• Have a teacher, family member, or trusted friend check it over for grammar mistakes and offer feedback. Spelling isn't as important, since you'll be speaking out loud.

• If your topic involves a lot of numbers, plan to write them on the board so your audience can remember them

• Your notes are there to remind you what to say next and of important facts. "Move on to bear wrestling story (guy's name is Paul Bunyan)" is the level of detail you need.

Practicing and Delivering the Speech

• Practice giving your speech in as situation as similar to your actual speech as possible.
• In general, you should stay fairly still while giving a speech. Small hand gestures and occasionally moving to a new spot are fine, especially if they help you feel and appear confident

• If you speech is too long, you absolutely need to cut some material out of it or shorten the longer stories or ideas. If you're giving a commencement speech, aim for a 10 or 15 minute maximum. An election speech should be no more than a few minutes, and your teacher should be able to tell you the time limit for a class assignment speech.

• If you can't stop rushing, work out how long you should spend on each section and write the number of minutes at the top of each index card or paragraph. Practice near a clock so you can check whether you're on pace.

• Use slightly different words each time once you have the main ideas down. Try not to get caught up on exact memorization; using a new phrase to communicate the written idea makes your speech sound more natural.

• Practice varying your facial expression if your face looks fixed and mechanical.
• Try to vary the tone of your voice as well. Don't make it sound like you're reciting every word from memory; pretend you're speaking in ordinary conversation.

• Try to make eye contact with different members of your audience throughout the speech. Don't stare at any one person for too long.
• Resist the temptation to hide by standing near a corner or large object.
• Don't fidget, tap your foot, or make other nervous gestures. Try slowly walking back and forth across the stage to get rid of your nervous energy.

• Dressing nicely will increase your confidence and gain respect and attention from your audience.

What to Do and What Not to Do

• Memories your class shares and personal memories that many people will connect to, such as your first day at the school.
• Overcoming obstacles. Talk about how your classmates overcame problems related to academics, finances, and health, and how proud everyone is that they're standing here.
• The diversity of your classmates and celebrating the rich variety of experiences, personalities, and interests at your school. Describe some of the many ways people will go on to do good in the world.

• Address your audience directly. Ask them questions to get them thinking, although you shouldn't expect an answer.
• Use groups of three. The human brain loves repetition, and especially trios. Start three sentences with the same phrase, speaking louder each sentence.
• Use emotive language. Try to provoke a strong emotional response in your audience, not present a list of facts to them.

• Don't tell stories that only a few friends will understand. Even references that your whole class will get should be used sparingly if there are parents in the room as well.

• Go change the world!
• Today is not the last day of your education, but the first.
• The future belongs to you.
• If elected, I will be the voice of the students.
• It's time for change!

• If you're giving a high school commencement speech, remember that not everyone in your class will be attending college. Don't joke about your education letting you avoid a "bad" profession; chances are good there's a parent who has that job out in the audience.=

Common Questions: Tips for Writing & Rehearsing a Speech

How do you start a speech for school?

Start by introducing yourself and thanking the audience. You can kick off the speech with a relevant “what if” question that gets the audience thinking and expand on it. Or try starting with a strong statement or quote related to your topic, then follow it up with an impactful question to answer in your speech. [14] X Research source

Where do I start when I'm writing a speech?

Start by sitting down and brainstorming to get your creative juices flowing. What is the focus of your speech? Who is your audience? Why is your speech important? Once you have some notes down, start refining your ideas until you get to one main point or theme that you’ll base your speech on. [15] X Research source

What parts should I include in a speech to make it the most effective?

Create a speech that has a clear introduction for your main point or thesis statement. Then, include and expand on 2-3 main points to make up the body of your speech. To conclude, summarize and restate your thesis to include your key points, and then make your closing statement. [16] X Research source

How do I get better at giving a speech I've written?

Read the speech out loud several times to get a feel for it. Record or take video of yourself giving the speech to find any weak spots and adjust anything that feels awkward or choppy. Ask friends or family to watch you rehearse and give you honest feedback. Then, just keep practicing until you've nailed it. [17] X Research source

• Look at everyone in the audience, not just one person. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure you don't offend or embarrass your audience. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Before you start, pick a spot on the wall to focus on. Throughout the speech, keep looking at that spot after each sentence. This shows to your audience and teacher that you can make eye contact! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Things You'll Need

• Writing tool
• Index cards

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• ↑ [v161163_b01].12 November 2019.
• ↑ https://finley-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/f/finley-h/localcontent/how_to_write_a_speech.pdf
• ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/articles/for-the-novice-six-simple-steps-to-writing-a-fantastic-speech
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-introductions
• ↑ [v161163_b01]. 12 November 2019.
• ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zv7fqp3/articles/z4w96v4
• ↑ https://classroom.synonym.com/write-good-speech-school-4859.html
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-delivery
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-start-off-a-speech
• ↑ https://open.maricopa.edu/com225/chapter/selecting-a-topic-brainstorming-your-ideas/
• ↑ https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/support/writingcenter/public-speaking/resources-for-public-speaking/speech-structure
• ↑ https://open.maricopa.edu/com225/chapter/practicing-your-speech/

About This Article

To make a good speech for school, choose a theme or topic to focus your speech on so it's easier to write. When you're writing your speech, stick with simple language so your audience understands and doesn't get bored. Also, try to start your speech with a joke, story, or shocking fact that will immediately grab their attention. Remember to talk directly to your audience by asking rhetorical questions and making references they'll understand. End your speech with something memorable, like an inspirational quote or a call to action. To learn more about how to practice and memorize your speech before you present it, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The 7 Best, Free Translator Tools [2024 Edition]

These seven best free translator tools are chock-full of features, great translations and quality that’s hard to match.

Some even have their own translation apps so you can take their powerful capabilities with you wherever you go.

Here’s all you need to know about the best online translator apps that money can’t buy.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. Google Translate

2. bing microsoft translator, 4. yandex translate, 5. translate dict, why is it important to use the best online translators, how to get the most out of a free online translator, and one more thing....

Available on: iOS | Android

Google Translate is a big name in the field, and for good reason. For starters, it supports over 100 languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. You can even translate languages you’re unfamiliar with, like Frisian and Sesotho.

This free online translator also allows you to play the audio of the translated pieces at a conversational rate. If you play a translation twice, the audio will be slightly slower, allowing you to master tricky pronunciations. Keep in mind, however, that these pronunciations may not always be accurate.

To translate, all you have to do is enter the text, website or document into the left box, and Google Translate can figure out what language it is, provided you enable the “Detect Language” function . You can input your text directly, enter a webpage link, upload a document or quickly snap a picture.

In case you don’t have the typing skills for your target language yet, such as Japanese or Russian, you can also use their handwriting feature. You could also make use of their visual keyboard to type in words using your target alphabet. For common languages, you could use their speech input feature to help you quickly get a translation of what someone is saying in your target language.

• Thousands of learner friendly videos (especially beginners)
• Handpicked, organized, and annotated by FluentU's experts
• Integrated into courses for beginners

You’ll get multiple translations, definitions and ratings of how common they are, too. This is helpful since translations often depend on context. You could even “save” words for easy access the next time you use Google Translate.

While Bing Microsoft Translator doesn’t have as many features as Google Translate does, it’s not something to sneeze at, either. In fact, Bing’s translations may be even better for certain languages.

You can get translations and audio pronunciations for over 100 languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Yucatec Maya and Klingon (yes, you read that right). All you have to do is input your text, voice or photo into the appropriate fields .

In case you need a little more help, you could also hit up other users via the “Conversation” tab . There are also phrasebooks in various languages covering topics like lodging, dining and emergencies—perfect for travelers and learners on the go. Finally, you can retrieve previous translations and check out any pinned searches.

• Interactive subtitles: click any word to see detailed examples and explanations
• Slow down or loop the tricky parts
• Show or hide subtitles
• Review words with our powerful learning engine

Reverso doesn’t translate quite as many languages as the ones above, but it still has some special features that make it worth using.

Currently, Reverso offers translations for 17 languages including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian.

For most common words and phrases, Reverso will provide you with several possible translations. You’ll also get example sentences, which are very useful for learning how to use new vocabulary in context . If you’re unsure about the grammar of the text you’re translating, run it through Reverso’s spell/grammar check to generate the most accurate translation.

If you opt for a subscription, you can access advanced features such as pronunciation, search history, phrasebooks and other offline learning tools.

Available on: iOS |  Android

Yandex Translate isn’t as well-known as the tools already named above, but it’s on this list for one special reason: This tool utilizes self-learning statistical machine translation for over 100 languages .

You can transliterate Chinese pinyin, Japanese romaji, Korean romanization and more. Speech input is available in languages such as Russian, Ukrainian, English or Turkish.

• Learn words in the context of sentences
• Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
• Go beyond just a superficial understanding

Aside from text, Yandex can also translate photos, articles, entire web pages and more. If you’re reading on an iPad, you can utilize the “Split View” feature. A virtual keyboard is available for typing symbols in the absence of an international keyboard. Like Reverso, Yandex provides examples of how your translated words are used in context.

Translate Dict is a web-based translator that supports dozens of languages. It auto-detects the language or dialect you’re translating, and also offers audio pronunciation. There’s even an accent detector to catch any inflections, intonations and other nuances for a more accurate translation .

You could also check out the word and character count at the bottom of the page. This comes in handy if you want to use the translator to craft social media posts that limit character counts.

Additionally, SYSTRAN can also translate RSS feeds , which comes in handy when you’re subscribed to a content creator in your target language . You could even create your own personal dictionary, which not only helps you keep track of new vocab, but also override any default translations that may not be accurate.

And if you opt for the pro version, you can unlock even more features, such as translations into more languages, unlimited text translation and more supported document formats.

• FluentU builds you up, so you can build sentences on your own
• Start with multiple-choice questions and advance through sentence building to producing your own output
• Go from understanding to speaking in a natural progression.

DeepL is one of the least comprehensive options on this list in terms of the number of languages that it can translate. To date, it’s only available for 32 languages. However, the quality of the translations are on par with—and, in some cases, even better than—the more well-known of the best free translator tools on this list.

You could type in the text to be translated, drop in .pdf, .docx and .pptx files or click the microphone to translate speech. There’s even a glossary function and a dictionary function for extra information.

• The accuracy of translations can vary wildly. You’ve probably learned from your translation exercises that there are multiple ways to translate any word or phrase, and some ways are much better (and more accurate) than others. Translations vary with online translators, too, but usually, the higher-quality options have worked out more of the kinks than their competitors.
• Each online translator has different features. For example, some websites focus more on simple translations, while others have unique features that make them more like hybrids of conventional translators and learning websites . For language students, these additional features can help strengthen their grasp of the language, definition, pronunciation and more.
• The best online translators can help you learn as well as translate. A good online translator can actually add to your vocabulary. In fact, if you use it correctly and often, your favorite free online translator might just help you learn languages for free .
• Try some “test phrases” to check for accuracy. Try translating phrases you already know between your native language and your target language. The more challenging the grammar and vocabulary, the better. Testing translators with phrases you already know can help give you an idea of how well the translator works with your specific target language.
• Translate the text back and forth between languages. Translating back and forth between languages is a helpful way to ensure the translation means what you want it to mean. For instance, if you’ve translated a phrase into your target language, try plugging that phrase back into the translator to get a clearer idea of what it actually means in English. Sometimes, this can help you catch translation or word choice errors.
• Play around with all of the translator’s features. For instance, if you always just want text translated, you might not even notice that your favorite translator offers terrific audio of words and phrases in your target language that you can use to nail down your pronunciation.
• Use your translator frequently. Whenever you realize you don’t know a word, use your favorite translator to look it up. Since these top online translators are handy ( some of which can be used offline ), it’s easy to use a translator whenever you have a spare moment. If you use the translator regularly, your vocabulary will likely grow exponentially with very little effort.
• Use it to check your work. Wrote something in your target language? Whip out your favorite translator to check it. You can translate it back to English to be sure the message is what you intended.
• Find real-world examples of words you look up. Some translators provide example sentences, which is great for learning in context. But it’s a good idea to take things a step further and ensure that you’re able to recognize and understand a word outside of the translator.

To understand words and the contexts they operate in, you need to observe the words in real-world contexts where native speakers are communicating naturally, such as interviews, podcasts and more. You can find these on language learning platforms like FluentU .

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

Try these seven online translator apps, and watch your language mastery soar!

If you dig the idea of learning on your own time from the comfort of your smart device with real-life authentic language content, you'll love using FluentU .

With FluentU, you'll learn real languages—as they're spoken by native speakers. FluentU has a wide variety of videos as you can see here:

FluentU App Browse Screen.

FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.

Didn't catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.

Interactive, dual-language subtitles.

You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU's "learn mode." Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU Has Quizzes for Every Video

And FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You get a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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November 1, 2023

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How to improve your communication with someone with a speech impairment

by Claire Davies, The Conversation

October marked alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) awareness month. AAC includes all means of communication that a person may use besides talking . Low-tech methods include means of interaction like hand gestures, facial movements, or pointing, while more high-tech tools might include a speech generating device accessed through pointing or a joystick, eye-tracking, or even a brain-computer interface.

British physicist Stephen Hawking was long the most famous person associated with AAC, using an advanced computer system to generate sentences and speech. American actor Val Kilmer is another well-known person who has used AAC. Kilmer suffered irreparable damage to his voice due to throat cancer. However, in the latest installment of the Top Gun film franchise, artificial intelligence was used to "clone" the actor's voice.

In 2006, 1.9% of the Canadian population self-identified as having a speech disability . Unfortunately, this was the last time Statistics Canada identified speech disability within the Canadian census. That makes it difficult to gather more recent data of the number of people in Canada with impaired speech.

Need for more acceptance

Speech impairments can occur at a young age with disabilities such as cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder , but can also manifest later in life as a result of progressive disorders such as motor neuron disease, throat cancer, muscular dystrophy or strokes.

Increased acceptance of the use of AAC technologies in general society can enhance the quality of life for people with speech impairment by increasing autonomy, leading to more positive social interactions, better engagement in education and confidence in employment.

The Accessible Canada Act recognizes communication as a priority area, while the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promotes the rights of autonomy, safety and social participation, and recognizes communication as a human right.

Tackling stigma

However, even if people have access to AAC technology, they can still face stigma and exclusion. Here are some things we can all do to be more inclusive of people with impaired speech:

Start with basic respect. Understand that cognition and lack of verbal speech are not correlated. Many people with speech impairments have no cognitive deficits at all and are just as intelligent as anyone else. They want others to be more patient and understanding of speech disabilities. In social situations , they might often be underestimated and treated as children even though they are capable and competent. Show them respect, even though they may sound different when they talk.

Pre-programmed sentences on a tablet or speech generating device do not suggest that the person is incapable of developing those ideas. They may have spent 20 minutes typing out those messages in an attempt to meet the fast-paced environment in which we all live.

Take time to listen. Individuals with speech impairment may need to type out phrases one letter at a time. Some may use a smartphone or iPad with a texting app, while others use an eye-tracking device or brain-computer interface to select letters using an on-screen keyboard. Be patient and wait for the person to speak.

As one occupational therapist noted , "[A problem] I often find some of my clients run into is not being given enough time to get their message written down. They're composing it and the communication partner might not realize they need to give them a little extra time." A conversation may require you to pause, ask a question and wait for an answer. Stop, think, be patient and understanding.

In addition, it's important to realize that the use of some AAC technologies can be tiring. To use systems that rely on eye movements, for example, an individual must focus and is unable to use other means of communication such as emotional expression at the same time. Recognize that shorter conversations may be better. Perhaps try communicating by email or text. Let the person respond in their own time.

Be an advocate. People with speech impairments must always advocate for themselves. If you are planning a conference or hiring for a position, ask what accommodations might be beneficial rather than relying on the individual to request them. Provide advance notice of conversation topics or questions. Engage people with speech impairments in social events. If you see someone passing judgment, speak up.

Technology is improving, and maybe one day people with impaired speech will be able to communicate with the same ease as those without. But until then, being a friend to people with speech impairments means being patient and listening.

Provided by The Conversation

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