How do you make yourself understood? Sometimes I overhear a conversation where someone is clearly having difficulty understanding. After you get the message that, you have not been understood simply repeating, the message is not your best option. Reasons for not being understood can be varied. For instance, dropping the endings of words in English …
Author Archives: Kai Long
What did you say? I didn’t understand you
When someone is not clearly understood, it is left to the listener to ask for clarification. In a one on one conversation, this is not difficult and asking, “What did you say” may be inconvenient, but most are willing. Nothing is lost. However, when speaking in front of a group, relying on the listener request …
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Looking for signs of …
Do you ever get the feeling people are not understanding what you are saying? What are some of the signs that this is happening to you? You are talking, but instead of people commenting, they are shaking their head with a stiff smile on their face as if they are agreeing. Another sign is no …
Recognizing and honoring our strengths
Today a student asked me why he had to take college preparatory classes when he wanted to become an auto mechanic. It was hard to explain to him how adults have decided that every child has to be college bound even if their strengths lie in another direction. This student knew that he needed hands …
Blogging
I recognize that blogging is a challenge for me, not because I don’t have ideas. No, it’s a challenge because writing for me requires some passion and time. However, I realize there is so much to say about working with people that struggle with communication. I am going to link my blogging to my twittering, …
Public speaking
Another quality that is necessary for good public speak is intelligibility. Can the listener understand each word? This is were accent comes into play. I love a beautiful accents, but Americans unfortunately are not accustomed to strong accent variation. Therefore when making presentations to Americans it is important to be intelligible if you want to …
What makes a good public speaker?
Vocal quality is impacted by good breath support. Have you ever heard someone speak who has short choppy phrasing or like a leaking balloon? Taking an adequate breath before speaking and remembering to breathe regularly will help improve vocal tone and allow increased volume.
What makes a good public speaker?
Have you ever been to a conference and afterward felt motivated to conqueror new challenges? What is it that makes someone an effective speaker? Is it simply the words? I would love comments on what qualities people have admired in a good speaker.
Schedule for this blog
I will post to this blog two times a month through June 2010. I’m always learning and discovering so this year I will share some of my observations and discoveries. I will write more about my specialty working with adolescent and adults. I especially like the intricacies of working with language-based disabilities, social language, accent …
Speak up I can’t hear you: Public speaking
Public speaking can be difficult for most of us. Speaking in front of strangers requires good verbal and nonverbal communication. I attended a lecture were the speaker spoke very quickly and mumbled, constantly looked down, and had a thick accent. Needless to say, he was difficult to understand which was too bad because he had …
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