1. Using Good Communication Skills – Listening & Delivery
Unit 2.4

2. Communication Skills Chart

3. Key “Listening” Terms
Letting the speaker know you are paying attention
Asking questions
Answering questions
Participating in speaker’s conversation
Saying what the speaker said using less words
What is Active Listening?
What is paraphrasing?

4. Listening Most people are poor listeners.
Even when we think we are listening carefully, we usually grasp only half of what we hear, and we retain even less.
Improving your listening skills can be helpful in every part of your life, including speechmaking.
The best speakers are often the best listeners.

5. Sometimes, however, we listen too hard.
The most important cause of poor listening is giving in to physical & mental distractions.
Many times we let our thoughts wander rather than concentrating on what is being said.
Sometimes, however, we listen too hard.
We try to remember every word a speaker says, and we lose the main message by concentrating on details.

6. In other situations, we may jump to conclusions and prejudge a speaker without hearing out the message.
Finally, we often judge people by their appearance or speaking manner instead of listening to what they say.

7. What Steps Can You Take To Overcome Poor Listening Habits?
1. Take listening seriously
& commit to becoming a better listener.
2. Work at being an active listener.
Give your undivided attention to the speaker in an effort to understand his/her ideas.
3. Resist distractions.
Make a conscious effort to keep your mind on what the speaker is saying.

8. 4. Don’t be distracted by speaker’s appearance or delivery.
Set aside preconceived judgments based on a person’s looks or manner of speech.
5. Suspend judgment until you have heard the speaker’s entire message
Even if you think you are going to disagree.

9. 7. Develop your note-taking skills.
6. Pay attention to:
Main points,
Evidence, &
Speaker’s techniques.
Ethos, pathos, &/or logos
7. Develop your note-taking skills.
Improves your concentration
Keeps track of speaker’s ideas.
Forces you to become more attentive & creative

10. How Can I Improve My Listening Skills?
1. Identify your listening problems
2. Motivate yourself to listen
3. Pay attention to the speaker
4. Put biases & problems aside
5. Control your reactions
6. Don’t daydream
7. Listen for trigger words
“For example”, & “Therefore”
8. Listen for main ideas
9. Focus on the message
10. Withhold judgment until speaker is done

11. Delivery Skills Delivery is nonverbal communication.
How you use your voice & body to convey your message
You can’t make a good speech without having something to say,
you also need to know how to say it.
Effective delivery
conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly, engagingly, & w/out distracting the audience.

12. What Are The Four Basic Methods Of Delivering A Speech?
Reading Verbatim
Reading word for word from a text
Reciting
Memorizing a passage from a text
Speaking Impromptu
“Off the cuff”, speech is not planned
Speaking Extemporaneously
Used for most presentations.
Speaker uses brief notes as prompts
Speaker chooses the wording & delivery

13. How Can I Use My Voice Effectively?
By controlling:
1. Volume
Loudness or softness of your voice
Tells a person if you mean what you’re saying
2. Tone & Pitch
The emphasis in your voice - highness or lowness
Shows your attitude about what you are saying
3. Rate or Speed
Fast = scared & want to get it over
Slow = lost, don’t know what you are talking about
4. Pauses
Use for impact

14. 6. “I” Messages & “You” Messages 7. Vocal Variety 8. Pronunciation
5. Emphasis
Conveys your feelings or attitude
6. “I” Messages & “You” Messages
Explains feelings about what you or someone else did
7. Vocal Variety
Not monotone
8. Pronunciation
Don’t use a word you don’t know
9. Articulation
Able to say words clearly & distinctly
10. Dialect
Avoid using dialect (words, slang, or phrases) that the audience does not share or will find inappropriate

15. For Your Presentation
Practice all these aspects of delivery plus the words/vocabulary of your speech.
Start your practice sessions early
so you will have plenty of time to gain command of
the speech &
how you want to present your information

16. How Do I Practice For Q & As?
Anticipate the most likely questions
& prepare answers to them
practice delivering those answers
Listen carefully to the questions before answering
Direct answers to full audience
not just questioner
Respond:
positively
briefly
courteously, &
straightforwardly
Make sure to end the session on time!

17. What Also Affects The Way Listeners Respond To Speakers?
Your physical appearance
Dress & groom appropriately
Gestures
Control gestures & bodily movements
to enhance your message, not distract from it
Making eye contact w/listeners
One of the quickest ways to establish a bond w/audience

18. What Does Body Language Say?
Standing up straight & tall
Confident
Wide eyes
Interested & excited
Opening your mouth w/out speaking
Lost train of thought, not sure what to say
Scrunching your eyebrows
Concentrating, lost, confused
Scratching your head
Confused, not sure
Winking

19. Properly Breathe & Enunciate

20. Write 2-3 Sentences summarizing what you learned
Practice your oral presentation of your hazard