The Power of Pausing: Speaking articulately and clearly to avoid "oral regurgitation"

In a different post, "Do we speak Gibberish?", I talked about an experience I had at a presentation I attended two years ago. An Englishman presented a complex computer project to a group of international colleagues. I clearly remember the presentation two years later. Why? Because I had great difficulty understanding the messages he wanted to communicate. The gentleman's communication resembled "oral regurgitation". If I could visually demonstrate his spoken words, they would look like this:

"TodayIwouldliketotalkaboutthenewITprojectcalledBlueStream.
Thisprojectwillincreaseourpotentialtostreamlinegroupstandardsandsystemsaroundtheworld.Asyoucanseeheretheneedforstandardgroupsystemsisgreat...."

Here is a video that demonstrates super-fast talking and oral regurgitation:

Carla Kimball, in her blog post, "Space...The final frontier", describes the necessity of pausing when we speak. She says, "When we speak, we sometimes completely forget that adding a space (pausing) between thoughts and ideas helps the listener understand what we are saying. Pausing is the equivalent of the space between words and paragraphs."

Carla's message is simple:

• If we do not pause, people cannot follow what we are saying. There is too much information to process in a short period of time.

• If we go from one point to another point without pausing, people have to work hard to “decrypt” important points.

The result is that people understand a small percentage of our message.

Elizabeth Alexander, during the 2009 U.S. Presidential Inauguration Ceremony, eloquently shows the power of speaking articulately:



Notice how Ms. Alexander punches her words (stressing T's, D's, and S's) as she clearly pronounces and articulates each word. She also maintains a comfortable, consistent, and fluid pace as she speaks. I was impressed with the way she took a deep breath and connected with the audience before she began. She placed herself in the moment and created her own communication-friendly environment.

When you articulate and speak at a comfortable and consistent pace:

• You will give people an opportunity to understand your important messages and points: People will have more satisfaction, retention of information, and clarity.
  
  
• People who have low English levels and difficulty understanding will feel more included and part of your communication (presentation, conference call, speech, and meeting): You will have more productive relationships.
  
  
• People will not leave the meeting room or conference call feeling exhausted and having a bad headache: You could have more consideration, favorability, and collaboration.

Pause to be effective and to give people an opportunity to understand and appreciate your communication!

"Jack and Jill" song in plain English?

Jack and Jill is a classic song for children.
A friend recently sent me a fascinating extract of the popular song. (Thank you, Laurie!)

"Two individuals proceeded towards the apex of a natural geologic protuberance, the purpose of their expedition being the procurement of a sample of fluid hydride of oxygen in a large vessel, the exact size of which was unspecified. One member of the team precipitously descended, sustaining severe damage to the upper cranial portion of his anatomical structure; Subsequently the second member of the team performed a self rotational translation oriented in the same direction taken by the first team member."

The extract reminds me of how we often use complicated words to justify our work, profession, or expertise. Is complex language necessary to communicate a message?

I often remind people to be aware of the people they communicate with. What is their English level? Do they understand the same jargon as you, even if they work in the same profession (but not in the same country)?

If you work with people from different countries, never presume they understand the jargon you think is "standard" in a company. I suggest making a constant effort to help define the jargon that you use. Do not wait for people to ask for repetition or clarification, if they do not understand. People might not show they do not understand or ask for clarification because of fear of embarrassment. Be proactive!

Here is the original version of "Jack and Jill", translated into plain English:

"Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after!"

And here is my version for people who might have difficulty understanding (depending on their English levels):

"Jack and Jill climbed the hill to get water. Jack fell and broke the top of his head and Jill fell immediately after!"

“The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.”
- George Bernard Shaw

Always suppose that people do not understand you, because you will make a constant effort to be understood.

Guest Speaker: "I is for...Intention", by Carla Kimball

Carla Kimball, president of RiverWays Enterprises, continues our Guest Speaker series with an article on presence and intention in public speaking.

I is for... Intention

Last year I was asked to do a particularly important presentation and found myself feeling an underlying level of anxiety in anticipation. The anxiety, while not great, seemed to be always in the background and served to distract me from what was really important about the presentation.

Two weeks before the date, I began to consciously focus on my purpose and intention for this event. My purpose was to help participants understand my content and to have them leave the presentation with a concrete set of skills. With this in mind, I organized my thoughts and designed an effective lesson plan.

My intentions were to make a strong connection with the people in the audience, to be clear and concise in my speech, and to stay grounded in myself. I chose three glass figurines in my home, with each one symbolizing one of these intentions. I placed these objects where I would see them often, so that I would be frequently reminded of those intentions. Whenever I became aware of my underlying anxiety, I would either look at these objects or visualize them in my mind as a way to redirect my thoughts towards how I wanted to be in this presentation.

Where we put our attention is where our energy goes. If we stay focused on our anxiety, that anxiety will build and will most likely interfere with our presentation. If we concentrate on our purpose and intention, instead, then our energy will support us in delivering the kind of presentation we visualize.

This article is one of 26 articles in a subscription series called The ABCs of Presence in Public Speaking Toolkit written by Carla Kimball, M.A., M.B.A. Carla is a speaking presence coach, workshop facilitator and president of RiverWays Enterprises. Over the past 18 years she has presented and coached on a diverse set of business, stress management and communication topics to thousands of business and service professionals. Client companies include leading financial management, health care, and accounting firms.

Carla offers a selection of regular public speaking presence and leadership presence workshops and coaching services for individuals as well as for corporate groups. Carla works from inside-out and helps people become more confident speakers while establishing a strong relationship with their audience. She has also recorded a 45 minute DVD on The Seven Crown Jewels of Public Speaking. Carla is based in Cambridge, MA.

----------

Carla eloquently says, "Where we put our attention is where our energy goes." and "If we concentrate on our purpose and intention, instead, then our energy will support us in delivering the kind of presentation we visualize." I have found these concepts to be true in communicating with people from different countries.

If you concentrate your attention and intention on 1) speaking articulately, 2) pacing your words effectively, and 3) formulating clear and precise sentences, your international audience will appreciate your communication more. The idea is to captivate to include, not alienate to exclude.

Your English Success is grateful for her participation in the Guest Speaker series. Carla's valuable expertise contributes to clear and effective communications in public speaking.

21 accents

The woman in the following video, Amy Walker, is an actress, writer, singer, and dancer. She amazingly imitates 21 different English accents that include native-English accents and non-native accents.



After I watched the video, I was truly impressed by her performance and ability to mimic the various English accents. I was also fascinated by the native-English accents that exist in North America and the United Kingdom. We, as native English speakers, speak English, but differently. Our accents add charm and character to the language.

In the past, non-native speakers often asked me if they had a good accent. I was surprised to hear how they degraded themselves and thought their accents were horrible and unacceptable. My answer was that I thought their native French or Asian accents added personality to their English communication. In my opinion, the most important aspect of their English was to be comprehensible. I tried to reinforce that point during my English lessons to break their negative complexes.

If so many native-English accents exist, I think it is important that native speakers also concentrate on being comprehensible. As a native speaker from Los Angeles, I need time to become familiar with an accent. When I speak to my English or Scottish friends, I often need 3 to 5 minutes to feel comfortable listening to the new "music".

To me, an accent is similar to music. There are many types and you need time to familiarize yourself with them. If you are used to listening to classical music and you change to rap or techno, your ears require time to feel at ease with the new sounds. It is the same for non-native speakers, but in a more pronounced way. They need more time. A non-native speaker who is used to having a teacher from London may have great difficulty understanding an American from New York. The accents (or music) are completely different.

That is why speaking articulately, clearly, and at a comprehensible speed is vital to Your English Success. Be aware of this particular difficulty non-native speakers may have when you communicate with them in English.

Do not speak as a cow speaks.

Guest Speaker: Plain Legal Language - A New Book by Cheryl Stephens

Your English Success is proud to have as today’s post a guest appearance by Cheryl Stephens, of Building Rapport, the plain language blog. Cheryl is a leader in the field of plain language communication, and provides training and workshops to clients all over North America. She is here today promoting her new book, Plain Language Legal Writing.

Back in 70s, plain English experts advised us to use plain Anglo-Saxon English rather than words with Latin roots, because Anglo words were considered to be clearer and easier to understand. This advice is still repeated.

Global shifts in population have changed the reader audience. Is it still the best choice to pick a word with Anglo-Saxon punch, or should we choose from words with Latin roots, which may be better understood by people with a first language other than English? “House” is a classic, basic Anglo word, but a native Spanish speaker may have an easier time with “residence,” which comes from the Latin, as does residencia(italicize), a Spanish word. As we consider both the ideas and the make-up of the reading audience, what benefits might we gain from being open to the use of Latin-based words?

And while we are reconsidering our word choice, let's think about the use of negative forms. The negative forms are not going to be on the early vocabulary lists for people learning English as a second or third language. Even if the non-native speaker understands the idea that un- indicates a negative, it can be hard to pick up a subtle modifier when you're working to understand the language. If something is "incorrect," someone may just hear “correct.” It's better to say it is wrong. If an act is illegal or unlawful, better to say it is "not legal" or "not lawful".

Or just avoid all negative prefixes, and use a positive word, like "criminal" instead of "not legal", whenever you can.

It's your responsibility to make sure you are understood. After you've done all you can to make your language understandable, you can improve your chances further by developing some feedback requests, like asking, "Tell me what that means to you," or "How would you explain this to someone else?"

These steps will go a long way toward improving communications. Learn more about plain language at my website: Plain Language Wizardry.

Thank you, Cheryl, and we wish you continued success with your new book.