Brought up as an introverted child, I realized that it never was up to me to decide on things. Whether it was a family meeting, group discussions, or even deciding where to dine, there was always that someone else making the decisions, with that strong, affirmative and professional tone.

Benefits

Speech is both an art to be appreciated and a skill to be mastered. The benefits to improve speech go way beyond the obvious advantage to have things your way. With clarity of speech and accurate pronunciation, it creates a maturity that is in no other way possible, removing your doubt on people’s view on you. Thus, you can focus more on delivering your message, and communicating exactly what you intended to your audience. Furthermore, your listeners will regard you as a well educated individual with vast knowledge on the topic you are conversing in. Wouldn’t you want to leave a good impression with anyone you speak to?

Exercise

Knowing the benefits is one thing, but getting down to work is another. The first step to improve speech is to learn clear enunciation. An easy solution to this is repeated practice. You can start with tongue twisters. Read aloud the in front of a mirror and pay attention to the movement of your lips and tongue. A good one will be "Big black bug bit a big black bear and the big black bear bled black blood". Start slowly and progressively increase your speed as you feel more comfortable. A 5 minutes practice 3 times a day is sufficient to give you massive improvement.

Another aspect you need to consider is the ‘fillers problem’. Words like ‘erm’, ‘anyway’, ‘likely’, that appear unnecessarily are very distracting for your listeners.~It can be very disruptive to continuously hear ‘maybe’ or ‘actually’ when they are absolutely uncalled for.} ‘Anyway, try stopping the use of fillers as much as possible anyway.’ Realize that even in writing, it is disturbing, let alone in speaking. While it may be easy to notice yourself using them, getting rid of them needs a lot attentiveness. {If you are having difficulties, do not hesitate to get yourself a partner to monitor your speech during daily conversations and have them interrupt you whenever you make a mistake.

In conclusion, to improve speech requires continuous practice and determination. Not only will you then be able to command respect just by the way you speak, it will definitely be a great boost in your confidence. And if you are constantly presenting or delivering speeches at work, your reward will be even more satisfying.

Goodluck,

MJ