Speaking Skills for Better Communication

1.1 Objectives:
1.2 Introduction:
1. 3 Speaking Skills
1.3.1 Importance of Speaking Skills
1.3.2 How to prepare before Speaking
1.3.3 Different Types of Speaking Skills
1.4 Monologue
1.4.1 Types of Monologue
1.4.2 How to make a monologue effective
1.5 Dialogue
1.5.1 Essential features of a good Dialogue
1.5.2 Steps involved in writing a dialogue
1.5.3 Specimen Dialogues
1.5.4 Difference between Dialogue and Monologue
1.6 Group Discussion
1.6.1 Features of Good Group Discussion
1.6.2 Communication Skills required for Group Discussion
1.6.3 Use of body language as a Speaking Skill during Group Discussion
1.7 Public Speaking
1.7.1 History of Public Speaking
1.7.2 Importance of Public Speaking
1.7.3 How to become better in Public Speaking
1.8 Effective Communication
1.8.1 Developing Effective Communication Skills
1.8.2 Removing Barriers for Effective Communication
1.9 Interview
1.9.1 Different types of interviews
1.9.2 Speaking skills required for different types of interviews
1.10 Summing Up
1.11 Further Readings
1.12 Study Questions

1.1 Objectives
This unit is prepared for the students keeping in mind the following objectives

 To provide clear understanding of Speaking skills

 To enhance the ability of speaking by providing understanding of different types of
speaking skills
 To communicate effectively and with confidence in different situations
 To remove miscommunication by learning how to communicate effectively

1.2 Introduction
Speaking skills are vitally important skills of communication and it is necessary to master
the skill besides reading, writing and listening. Proficiency in speaking skill is necessary to
become a well-rounded communicator and the ability to speak skillfully and effectively provides

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the speaker with several distinct advantages. In the present era of a globalised world the capacity
to put words together in a meaningful way to reflect thoughts, opinions, and feelings provides the
speaker with the important advantage of succeeding in any field. Speaking is a process of sharing
meaning through the use of verbal as well as non verbal symbols. Speaking is a crucial part of any
second language learning and teaching. In this unit we aim to explore different kinds of speaking
skills and improve upon them to deal with different situations.

1.3 Speaking Skills

Speaking skills are those specific skills that give us the ability to communicate effectively.
These skills allow the speaker, to convey messages in a thoughtful, and convincing
manner. Speaking skills help us in not being misunderstood by those who are listening to our
speech.

It is a common desire for all of us to speak a language well. To do this we need to know what
aspects can help us in becoming a better speaker. Basiaclly the following four categories must be
our strong point for speaking a language correctly:
i) Fluency. Fluency is about how comfortable and confident you are in speaking a language.
If one can speak for an extended period of time, that is an indicator of strong fluency. It is
also about showing a clear connection between each point that one is trying to make.
ii) Vocabulary. One must have a good stock of words to speak a language. There is no shortcut
to it. A good speaker means constantly growing the strength of vocabulary. The more
interesting words one knows, the stronger the speaking skills. The best way to grow any
vocabulary is through reading and making note of any new words that one encounters.
iii) Grammar. Grammar is the backbone of any language and without a proper grammar no
language can stand out as an individual language. So making fewer mistakes while speaking a
language shows off better speaking skills. However, we must not worry much about making
mistakes and keep on speaking as a fluent speaker can spare a few grammar mistakes as long
as his/her speech is understood by the audience
iv) Pronunciation. It is not easy to pronounce a language correctly until and unless one is a
native speaker of the language. So a skilled speaker must aim at speaking the language with
a pronunciation acceptable to all and understood by everyone. The best way to learn correct
pronunciation is to listen to a good speaker and then imitate.

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1.3.1 Importance of Speaking Skills

Language is a tool for communication which we use to communicate with others. We use it
to express our ideas, and know about other people’s ideas as well. Without proper speech we
cannot communicate with one another effectively. The importance of speaking skills is quite vast
for the learners of any language. Without speech, a language gets reduced to just a script. We use
language in different situations and any gap in communication can result in the problem of
understanding and proper message delivery. So we need proper speaking skills:
i) for a smooth running of any system. The speakers of a language need to be trained in a
specific manner in the skill of speaking.
ii) in-order to become a well rounded communicator and have proficiency in each of the
four language skills viz., listening , speaking, reading and writing.
iii) to speak skillfully and it provides the speaker with several distinct advantages like the
capacity to express oneself in the form of words in a meaningful way.
iv) as an effective speaker can gain the attention of the audience very easily.

1.3.2 How to prepare before Speaking

It is not easy to speak if we are to speak before an audience. For this we need certain kinds
of preparation. We can follow the points given below before we prepare to speak:
i) We can think about the purpose of the speech and prepare accordingly.
ii) It is extremely necessary to analyze the audience before speaking for an effective speech.
iii) We must gather enough material on the topic about which we are going to speak, so that
we can justify our points.
iv) It is always advisable to prepare an outline to guide our speech.
v) Prepare and add supports like physical aids, audio-visual aids if possible to enhance the
speech.
vi) An impressive opening with Impact and a well structured conclusion should be prepared
beforehand to make an effective speech.

1.3.3 Different Types of Speaking Skills

Interactive: „ When we speak to someone face to face or make a telephonic conversation; or when
we are alternately listening and speaking and have a chance to ask for clarification, then this
becomes an interactive speaking skill.
Partially Interactive: Giving a speech to a live audience, where the convention is such that the
audience does not speak but the speaker can check the response to his/her speech from the facial
expression of the audience is termed as Partially Interactive speaking skill.
Non-Interactive: - When recording a speech for a radio broadcast, acting in a play, singing a song,
reciting a poem etc. wee involve in Non-interactive speech.
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1.4 Monologue
The word Monologue is derived from the Greek word ‘monos’ and ‘logos’. Here ‘mono’
means alone and solitary. ‘logos’ means speech. So it is a speaking activity in which only one
person speaks without activeparticipation of the [Link] thecase of a theatre, television and
cinema, it is a long speech by one person. Here the speaker is active & the listener is passive. It
becomes one way public interpersonal communication.

1.4.1 Types of Monologue:

i). An internal monologue, also called self-talk or inner speech, is a person's inner voice which
provides a running verbal monologue of thoughts. Interior monologues include several forms,
including dramatized internal conflicts, self-analysis, and anticipated dialogue. Here the speaker
expresses his/ her inner thoughts & feelings to listener or audience.

ii) Dramatic Monologue-

It is also a form of self-conversation, speech or talk in a dramatic way. It means a person, who is
speaking to an unseen listener about important events or thoughts. It is one way communication.
However, a dramatic monologue in literature, is a poem that presents the speech or conversation
of a person in a dramatic [Link] are three major types of dramatic monologues such as:
Romantic monologue, Philosophical and psychological monologue and Conversational
monologue.

1.4.2 How to make a monologue effective

The key features for writing an effective monologue are:
i)Make it concise: Monologues aren't something which can go on for a long time So one has to
make it concise and precise.

ii)Use detail: Since mo0nologues are spoken by one person the details of the matter shouls be well
defined for easy understanding by the public/listener./reader.

iii)Read and watch more monologues: Writing or delivering a monologue can be improved by
watching/ reading other monologues and adopting the used strategies of successful monologues.

1.5 Dialogue
Dialogue is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a
literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange. The word Dialogue has been derived
from the Greek word ‘dialogos’. It is a formal discussion and interaction between two or more
people for having consensus to a given situation.

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1.5.1 Essential features of a good Dialogue
a. A good dialogue must imitate life. One of the first things to remember about writing
dialogue is that it should capture the essence of how people speak without actually copying
the exact way that people phrase things.
b. The dialogues of different individuals taking part in the discussion should reflect their
personality and their character traits.
c. The thoughts expressed through a dialogue must be clear and natural and it sould not
looked like a forced conversation.

1.5.2 Specimen Dialogues

Conversation at the Airport

(A conversation between a passenger and a ground staff of Indigo Airlines)

Passenger: Can you please help me find the counter of Indigo Airlines?
Ground Staff: Sure Ma’am, It is on the right hand side at counter no.11, beside the counter of Air
India.
Passenger: Thank you so much.
(At Indigo Airlines counter)
Indigo staff: How many people are you? Can I please have your passports and tickets?
Passenger: We are two of us, here are our tickets and passports.
Staff: Thank you, please allow me a minute for verification. How much luggage do you have?
Passenger: We have 2 bags for check-in and 1 hand baggage.
Staff: That’s fine. Kindly put your check-in baggage on the conveyor belt. Also, please tie the
baggage tags against all your handbags.
Passenger: Sure, I will do that.
Staff: Ma’am, I believe you have exceeded your luggage’s weight limit.
Passenger: Oh! How many kg over are we?
Staff: The limit is 15 kg per person on check-in baggage and 5 kg on hand baggage. For two
people, the limit would be 30 kg and 10 kg respectively. Your check-in baggage is 32.5 Kg
Ma’am.
Passenger: So, what do you advise us to do?
Staff: You can take some time and rearrange your luggage over there Ma’am, or pay fine which is
300 INR per kg.
Passenger: All right then. I would like to rearrange my luggage.
Staff: Right Ma’am.
Passenger: I have rearranged, kindly check again.
Staff: Fine Ma’am. Here is your boarding pass and baggage tags are behind your boarding pass.
Your boarding time is 14:25 pm at gate no. 13. Have a safe flight. Thank you for choosing Indigo.
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At the pharmacy
(A dialogue between chemist and customer at the pharmacy)

Chemist: What can I do for you, sir?

Customer: I want to buy some medicines.
Chemist: May I know which medicines do you want?
Customer: I have got a doctor's prescription for some medicines for my wife.
Chemist: Please, show me.
Customer: I shall just show you, it was in my coat pocket. I am trying to find out. Here it is,
please.
Chemist: There are five medicines written in this prescription. I am sorry that we don't have the
last medicine. If you want, you can have the first four medicines.

Customer: When can I have the other medicine, please?

Chemist: You can have it on Friday. We have already placed the order with the manufacturers and
we hope to get it before Friday.

Customer: Then please give me the medicines which are available with you, for two weeks.
Chemist: Just a minute, please. Here are your medicines.
Customer: Thank you.
Chemist: Anything else you want, please?
Customer: Now I want some general medicines for my family. Have you got Anacin?
Chemist: Yes, please. How many tablets do you want?
Customer: Please give me one packet of ten tablets.
Chemist: Here it is, please.
Customer: I also want a tin of first aid dressings and some good cough syrup.
Chemist: I shall get you these in five minutes.
Customer: Have you got some good tooth brush and a small-sized toothpaste.
Chemist: Yes, please. Here are all the popular brands of toothbrushes and toothpaste. You can
choose any of these according to your liking.
Customer: Please give me two pieces of Colgate toothbrush and one medium-sized toothpaste.
Chemist: Please have these.
Customer: I also want one small bottle of Dettol and a tube of Burnol.
Chemist: Please have these.
Customer: Can I also have two packets of Zillet Blades?
Chemist: Certainly. Do you want anything else or should I make the bill.
Customer: Please make the bill.
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Chemist: This is your bill please.
Customer: Here is the money. Please return the balance to me.
Chemist: This is your balance, please.
Customer: Thank you.
Chemist: Thank you, for your visit, sir.

1.5.3 Difference between Dialogue and Monologue

Dialogue Monologue
A dialogue is when there are two or A monologue is where a single person speaks
more people who engage in a out.
conversation.

A Dialogue expresses the interactive A monologue allows the audience to

and external conversation between understand the inner thoughts of a character.
people.
In a dialogue there is two-way But a monologue only allows one-way
communication communication.

1.6 Group Discussion

Group Discussion, popularly labelled as GD, is a methodology used by an organization (company,
institute, business school, etc.) to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits. GDs
form an important part of the short-listing process for recruitment or admission in a company or
institution. It is the exchange of ideas, thoughts, opinions, beliefs and objectives by a group
regarding a common topic. Basically, it is an informal discussion in which candidates with similar
academic qualifications or related educational backgrounds, discuss a topic.

1.6.1 Features of Good Group Discussion

i) Group Discussion, as the name itself indicates, is a group activity and a good group discussion is
carried out by participating individuals to exchange ideas on a specific topic.

ii) It is used as reliable, testing device - mainly as a tool to assess all the candidates in a group at
one go -in order to select the best in comparative perspective.

iii)Group Discussion is an informal discussion in which participants of the same educational

standard discuss a topic of current interest.

iv).It is also known as leaderless discussion. It means its aim is to find out the natural leadership
level of the candidates.

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1.6.2 Qualities or traits that are assessed through Group Discussion
Knowledge base of Candidates-
a. To assess the analytical & organizational abilities
b. To know whether the member is substantially contributing to the topic
Communication Skill-
a. Clarity of thought & expression
b. Appropriate use of body language
c. Use of simple, unambiguous words avoiding technical jargons & high sounding words &

sentences.
Team spirit-
a. The ability to work as a team member and promote team spirit
Leadership-
a. The ability to influence others through speech & action
b. steer the discussion in a positive direction
c. contribute to the GD with new ideas & opinions
Reasoning Ability-
a. Ability to present solid & sound argument based on facts

Flexibility-
a. the ability to accept views & opinions of fellow participants in a very objective and impartial
manner.
b. open to other ideas and evaluation of his/her ideas if necessary
Creativity-
a. be creative and demonstrate the ability to think with new ideas and perspectives
Empathic Listening-
a. giving proper attention to other’s deliberation and contribute to imbibe ideas
Awareness-
a. Aware about the current issues of the topic being discussed.
b. comprehend the situation and environment

1.7 Public Speaking

Public speaking is important in both business, education, and the public arena. There are many
benefits to public speaking whether you're an individual or a business.

Public speaking is a presentation that is given live before an audience. Public speeches can
cover a wide variety of different topics. The goal of the speech may be to educate, entertain, or
influence the listeners. Often, visual aids in the form of an electronic slideshow are used to
supplement the speech and make it more interesting to the listeners. A public speaking
presentation is different from an online presentation because the online presentation may be
viewed and/or listened to at the viewer's convenience, while a public speech is typically limited to
a specific time or place. Because public speaking is done before a live audience, so the speaker

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needs to take into consideration the art of fluently speaking before an audience for any public
speech.

1.7.1 History of Public Speaking

There is a good chance that there has been public speaking, in one form or another, as long as there
have been people. But most academics and others involved with public speaking, trace the origins
of modern public speaking back to ancient Greece and Rome. The ancient Greeks, in particular,
used public speaking primarily to praise or persuade others. At one point, all Greek citizens had
the right to suggest or oppose laws during their assemblies, which resulted in a need for skilled
public speakers. Public speaking became a desirable skill and was taught. Public speaking in the
time of the Greeks was called rhetoric. Later, when Rome came to power, public speaking was
used during the sessions of the governing body—the Roman senate. The Romans adopted the
public speaking rhetoric methods of the Greeks. In fact, most public speaking teachers of the time
were Greek.

When we come to the modern times, what was known as the Latin style of public speaking was
popular in the U.S. and Europe until the mid-20th century. After World War II, however, a less
formal and more conversational style of speaking started to become popular. Also, electronic tools
became available to enhance public presentations.

1.7.2 The Importance of Public Speaking

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

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

Everyone can benefit by improving public speaking skills, both personally and professionally.
Some benefits to public speaking include:

 Improves confidence
 Better research skills
 Stronger deductive skills
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  Ability to advocate for causes
 And more

Public speaking is especially important for businesses since they have got a need to get their
message before potential customers and market their business. Sales people and executives alike
are often expected to have good public speaking skills.

1.7.3 How to become better in Public Speaking

Public speaking practice is the key part of how to be a good public speaker. The main point of
public speaking practice is not to have to memorize the speech. Rather, it is to become comfortable
with the material and to make speaking in front of others a contented task.

There are five basic elements pertaining to speaking, depending on “who is saying what to whom
using what medium with what effects?” Speaking can be a powerful tool to motivate, influence,
persuade, inform, translate, entertain, and produce better results. There are four major stages that
are to be kept in mind while speaking to a group of people.

Planning:-

 Deciding the purpose and objectives for speaking

 Selecting a topic and acquiring the required knowledge about the topic
 Analyzing the audience

Preparation:-

 An attention grabbing introduction

 Main points, sub points, supporting information, comprising the body
 Summarizing and discussing the effects

Practice:-

 Practicing repeatedly in front of the mirror or friends

 Keeping the content short and simple.
 Taking care of body- language eye contact, facial expression
 Avoiding getting into arguments if someone disagrees

Presentation:-

 Emphasizing verbal as well as non-verbal aspects like Gestures, postures, Eye contact and
dressing appropriately
 Avoiding use of jargons
 Correct articulation of sounds
 Maintaining appropriate volume, pleasant tone and appropriate pitch and inserting pauses

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1.8 Effective Communication

Effective Communication is the communication process where there is high degree of

correspondence between sender’s original intended message and receiver’s recreation of the
message. It is conscious and carefully planned process. The message is clear and complete in all
respects. Correct and free from any omission, grammatical errors and mistakes.

1.8.1 Developing Effective Communication Skills

Two-way traffic- Communication process involves 2 parties Sender & Receiver

Clarity of Message- No ambiguity in the content of the message

Credibility of Message- Complete in all respect with adequate information

Proper channel- Well balanced channel with adequate and up-to-date techniques.

Mutual Understanding- Higher understanding between 2 parties

Feedback- Effective response from receiver

7 C’s for Effective Communication
• Clarity- clarity of thought and expression by sender
• Courtesy- Sender should be polite, helpful, obliging, friendly & respectful.
• Correctness- Correct facts, language, style & timing.
• Completeness- Completeness of facts & information
• Conciseness- concise & brief, to the point message
• Correctness- message should be correct in all respect, avoiding abstract or vague
expressions
• Consideration- Consider the needs and interest of the audience.

1.8.2 Removing Barriers for Effective Communication

To remove the barriers of communication we need to follow certain rules as given below:

a. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is recruiting

right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the
interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be proper
Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There
should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (for eg: Voice and Accent
training).

b. Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of
ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided.

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 c. Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication barrier which
must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of noise and then
eliminate that source.

d. Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between “listening”
and “hearing”. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of the message
that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is
understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the speaker.
e. Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body language.
He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver might
misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in
a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being delivered is not good.

f. Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be complex. The
number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of control
within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the
communication.

g. Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their work.
They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with
their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively.

h. Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the
feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive
feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate.

1.9 Interview

An interview is a goal-oriented conversation between two or more people where questions are
asked by the interviewer to bring out facts or statements from the interviewee. It is used to
analyse the candidates aspiring to join an organisation.
Analysis and Assessment are the two main points to be remembered about a good interview.

1.9.1 Different types of interviews

Employment Interview: An interview conducted for the purpose of evaluating the capabilities
and qualities of a candidate.

Orientation Interview: The purpose of orientation interview is to acquaint the new employee with
his job and with the organization.

Counselling Interview: This type of interview is conducted by higher authority of an

organization to solve problems and to build working relationship between the counselor and the
subordinate.

Performance Appraisal Interview: It is conducted to appraise the work performance of an

employee To recognize the accomplishments.

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Grievance Interview: It gives an opportunity to the members of an organization to express their
individual grievances, lodge a complaint etc.

Correctional Interview: It is conducted to take corrective action or disciplinary action against an

employee who has violated the rules, standards, ethics and regulations of an organization.

Exit Interview: It is conducted by any person of specialist to find out the reasons/ causes why an
employee is leaving the organization

Information gathering Interview: It is conducted to gather information from various sources for
further decisions and actions.

1.9.2 Speaking skills required for different types of interviews:

Communication Skills for Interview

No matter what position you want, you need communication skills to succeed, both in the
interview and on the job. Proving that you can communicate your thoughts clearly in writing
and verbally during the interview process gets you off to a solid start. Your ability to
communicate your story, accomplishments and skills shows the interviewer that you have
what's necessary for the job. Practice sharing some of your key accomplishments and answers
to common interview questions to ensure you can express them clearly.

Listening well also improves your interview communication skills. It can be tough when you're
nervous, but focus on the questions the interviewers ask and the information they give you
during the interview. You can often use that information to your advantage when answering
questions to match what you say with what the company wants. Talking too much without
taking time to pause and listen can make the interviewer think you won't take the time to listen
on the job, either.

Body Language Skills

Your body language sends a message to your interviewer, whether you focus on controlling it
or not. You may not even notice your posture, facial expressions and other factors, but they
influence how hiring managers perceive you. Your nonverbal communication starts when you
walk in the door with a firm handshake and eye contact, making them important skills for an
interview.

Pay attention to your normal body position in professional situations. Slouching comes across
as lazy or informal, but leaning too far forward can come across as being too aggressive.

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 Crossing your arms can make you seem unapproachable or defensive. Practice your posture
while both sitting and standing to make sure you nail it in the interview.

During the interview, try to keep eye contact with the people interviewing you without staring
or making the situation uncomfortable. Avoid fidgeting, nodding excessively, or making
distracting movements with your hands. It's also a good idea to note your facial expressions, so
you don't have a bored, angry, tense or another negative expression on your face whether or not
you feel those emotions.

1.10 Let Us Sum Up

In this unit we have covered various aspects of speaking skills required for better
communication in a given situation. We have tried to identify the different types of speaking
practices that are involved in the professional field and delve into the impoprtance of learning
different speaking skills.
We have also discussed at length the different types of speaking modes like monologue,
dialogue, public speaking, skills required to face group discussions and interviews as well as the
importance of public speaking. We have tried to deal with the ways of making our
communication effective and how to remove barriers for effective speaking and communication
skills.

1.11 Further Readings

Nageshwar Rao, 2010, Rajendra P. Das, Communication skills, Himalaya Publishing House.
Berlo, D.K., 1960, The process of communication. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
DeIuliis, David., 2016, "Workplace Communication". Communication Research Trends.

1.12 Study Questions

Q.1 What are the two types of Monologue? Elaborate.
Q.2 What are the essential elements required to write a good dialogue?
Q.3 Write a dialogue between a mother and a son about the current situation during the
Nationwide lockdown.
Q.4 What are the skills required for group discussion?
Q.5 What is an interview and how can we prepare for an interview?
Q.6 What is Group discussion? What qualities are assessed through group discussion?
Q.7 How can we make our communication effective?
Q.8 What is the Importance of good public speaking skills?
Q.9 How to become an effective public speaker?

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Q.10 How can we remove the barriers to make our communication effective?

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