Oratory. Speaking to large groups

Modern society has expanded the possibilities of human self-expression, but the ability to speak, especially in front of large audiences, the ability to captivate listeners, convince them and even make them believe what is said is a gift that does not have to be innate, it can be acquired through a variety of psychological trainings and special classes .

Oratory is the ability of a person to competently, accessiblely, and in a form understandable to the audience, convey his own position to listeners. The speaker must skillfully and harmoniously use certain techniques of presenting material, acting and psychological skills in his speech. It is fundamentally important that all these qualities can be learned. People who have mastered the art of eloquence become more interesting individuals: they have increased self-esteem and confidence in what they say and do. This affects their careers and personal relationships. Moreover, this skill is useful in all spheres of human life: business, politics, art, etc.

What other qualities should a speaker have? What criteria should I meet?

To be heard (in the literal sense of the word) by the audience, the speaker must make a clear, absolutely understandable speech for the audience, delivered in a loud, well-produced voice. Clear pronunciation of consonants, clear pronunciation of vowels and other components of good diction are those “basic” qualities that a skilled speaker cannot do without. The content of the speech and the form of its presentation should captivate the audience. Therefore, the speaker must understand the essence of his speech and understand it well in order to be able to answer any question from the audience. If a discussion ensues on controversial points in the speech, then we must try to diplomatically maintain neutrality. You cannot show signs of aggression in a dispute.

But managing an audience requires certain human character traits from the speaker: self-confidence and in what you are saying, education and intellectual ability, goodwill and sincerity. An insecure, poorly educated person who does not believe in what he wants to convey to the public, even if he has read the prepared text, will never be understood and convincing. His speech will be boring, and most importantly, meaningless. Namely, the “persuasiveness” of a speaker is a qualitative criterion in assessing the effectiveness of his speech. The speaker must sense the mood of the audience and notice when they are starting to get tired or bored. It is at this moment that you need to be able to create a spontaneous, informal atmosphere: joke, step away from the main topic for a while, maybe answer questions. In addition, the speaker must have such personal qualities as inner composure, calmness, rich imagination, insight and good memory. And, of course, it is impossible to master the art of oratory without communication skills. This character trait will allow you to feel free in any audience. And this is very important, since any speaker must find contact with his audience, find the right form of communication with him, the right “tone”. He must know exactly the “qualitative” composition of the audience: education, age, gender of the audience. Only then will the speaker be able to find the right approach to the audience.

History of development

As noted earlier, orators have enjoyed great success since ancient times. As a separate specialization, this skill appeared in Ancient Greece, where public speaking was the basis of state influence. Prophets, teachers in Buddhism and other leaders of past eras can also be classified as speakers.

In modern times, not only politicians and large businessmen resort to teaching public speaking skills, but also coaches who teach people various skills.

What advice can you give to a novice speaker?

The main thing is not to be afraid of public speaking, large crowds of people who come to listen to you, small and large audiences. When you take the podium, you must be confident in yourself and in what you have to say to your audience. Therefore, it is necessary to master the “basic” skills of oratory: clear diction, form of presentation, behavior on the podium. To do this, you can view samples of speeches of various speakers on the Internet. You should also rehearse your speech, for example, in front of a mirror or a small audience of relatives or friends. The next thing that will undoubtedly give you confidence in any speech is having a great understanding of what you are going to say to the audience. The better you know the material of your speech, the more fluent you are in the terminology used in it and the factual data, the easier it will be for you to communicate with the audience and answer listener questions. You cannot go out to people with a report without understanding its contents well. And finally, it is very important to learn to relax and relieve tension before going to the gym. You need to take a few deep breaths, drink a couple of sips of water, distract yourself from negative thoughts and go out to the audience in a calm state with a smile on your face. After all, they came to listen to you. From the very beginning of the speech, you should try to “win” the love and interest of the listeners and try to focus their attention from the first words to the very topic of the report. To do this, it can be started with a relevant quote, fact, or “categorical” statement. After a while, from the silence in the hall and the eyes turned to you, you will understand how interesting your speech and you are to the public.

Facts about the profession

The ability to communicate skillfully and attract the attention of others with your speech is not given to every person. However, it is worth understanding that the possession of public speaking skills is one of the most important components of success.

Logical arrangement of thoughts, combining words into correct informational sentences give the speaker advantages that help win over people.

Currently, there are courses where those interested can undergo training and acquire public speaking skills.

Oratorical techniques

Features of oratory are associated with the mechanisms of influence of the speaker’s speech on the audience here and now. Rhetoric is oral speech, and most people do not perceive information well by ear. Oratorical techniques stimulate the attention and imaginative thinking of listeners, and help to assimilate the material.

• When presenting complex material or dry digital data, use visual comparisons and examples that evoke figurative associations.
• Explain a complex concept several times , coming up with new images and comparisons. Use different forms of repetition to reinforce the material.
• Use means of artistic expression that make speech figurative and help the perception of information: allegory - an explanation of an abstract concept through a concrete image, all fables are based on allegories;
• antithesis - a sharp opposition of concepts, the contrast of images makes speech bright and emotional;
• hyperbole - deliberate exaggeration helps to place emphasis, but the main thing here is not to go too far.

Appearance and image of the speaker

Any listener is also a spectator; this psychological feature of a person must always be remembered. Before the speech begins, the audience will carefully examine the speaker’s appearance and evaluate his qualities. Regardless of the purpose and content of the speech, appearance requires an attentive, thorough attitude.

The speaker's clothing should be simple and elegant, of good quality, appropriate for the event and leave a good impression. The color chosen is calm, preferably dark tones. The absence of smell, stains on clothes and an awkward appearance is the key to the public's favor with the speaker.

Every detail in clothing should be thought out, making up the overall image of the speaker as a successful, purposeful person. During a performance, you should not wave your arms chaotically, sway from side to side, or move your legs. Gesticulation should be in moderation. The speaker's posture should look natural. Extra movements and active gestures distract the audience from the speech and give the performance a frivolous appearance.

For speeches, a special elevation is used for the speaker so that the audience can better hear and see the speaker. The speaker's platform will also be needed for his convenience. You can put prepared notes on it.

In addition to the appearance of the speaker, his speech image deserves attention.

• The presence of moral qualities in the education of a speaker, knowledge of science, ability to speak;
• Knowledge of speech stylistics, the ability to competently use styles for their intended purpose;
• Ability to use intonation.

Let's sum it up

This article is an information source for both children and adults. After all, you can become a speaker at any age, the main thing is to find your topic and people who will be interested in it. These skills will also be useful in business and personnel management.

We told what kind of profession a speaker is, discussed all the pros and cons of this type of activity and gave a description of the professional qualities that such a specialist should have.

Now you are not faced with the question: “Who is this speaker?”

Requirements for the quality of speaker's speech

In order for public speaking to be as effective as possible, you should have the following principles:

• Know who his target listener is;
• When speaking to a mass audience, present people only with useful information that will bring them maximum benefit and moral satisfaction from attending a lecture or seminar;
• Have the ability to convey information to the listener, as well as induce him to take certain actions;
• Be able to agitate the audience;
• Be able to put listeners into a certain psychological state;
• Be an example to the listener not only in words, but also be an authoritative representative of your own views.

Pros and cons of the profession

In this section of the article I would like to analyze the profession to identify the pros and cons of the activities that accompany speakers in their work activities.

Positive factors:

• Self-expression and the opportunity to feel like a leader;
• The ability to find your followers;
• No dependence on the office;
• Public speaking skills increase personal self-esteem;
• Good wages or lucrative business contracts.

Negative sides:

• Oratory takes a lot of energy;
• You need to find your listener;
• The speaker does not have the right to make mistakes and weakness, since you can lose your audience very quickly.

Oratory of Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome revealed to the world many theorists of eloquence, whose names are still known and do not leave history textbooks. State issues of this period were resolved exclusively at popular assemblies or in court. The image of the orator of Ancient Rome was equated with God. One of the most famous representatives of art of this period is the brilliant orator and philosopher Marcus Fabius Quintilian (36–96 AD).

Marcus Quintilian was a predecessor and admirer of Cicero's work. He organized a school of rhetoric in Rome, where he became a famous teacher of oratory and participated in the education of his students. Marcus Fabius Quintilian was a famous literary reformer of that time; the main works of his life were the books “On the Causes of the Decline of Eloquence” and “Education of the Orator.” Quintilian made enormous contributions to the development and analysis of eloquence and to the development of these skills in children.

Quintilian considered the speaker's main duty to have beautiful and pure speech and to observe ethical and moral duty. He believed that an orator, sophisticated in eloquence, is a sage, versed in the sciences and the art of speech, who must be one with nature and continuously practice.

Quintilian developed a special system of education. He said that in order to master the art of oratory to perfection, it is necessary to develop special character traits in a child from childhood. Quintilian devoted a separate chapter on the education of an orator to the work of a teacher, offering special exercises and a list of recommendations for reading literature. The philosopher considered the rules of rhetoric not obligatory for the speaker. Quintilian proposed changing them depending on the speaker and the prevailing circumstances, deviating from long-established rules for word construction.

Marcus Fabius Quintilian divided rhetoric into five parts that every charismatic speaker must adhere to:

• Pronunciation;
• Memory;
• Presentation;
• Location;
• Invention.

Quintilian considered the most important thing for an orator to be the absence of arrogance in speech. The presentation should be modest and extremely clear.

What should a speaker be able to do?

In order to truly justify the title of speaker, a specialist must have a set of certain knowledge and skills.

These include the following points:

1. Be able to effectively express your thoughts in public;
2. Have clear and intelligible speech;
3. Possess public speaking techniques. It's worth noting that some people get this naturally;
4. Have a pleasant speech rate that does not disturb the comfortable perception of others;
5. Possess the principles of persuasion, convey a thought so that it has followers;
6. Have the skills to write texts for performances and perform in public;
7. Use the intonation of your voice and focus the audience’s attention on what is important.

The speaker's speech is a monologue that is aimed at a mass audience. That is why the speaker must structure his speech as effectively as possible in order to be as clear as possible to the audience.

CALL A LAWYER
HE WILL SOLVE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR FREE Moscow, region 8 (499) 577-00-25 ext. 130 St. Petersburg, region 8 (812) 425-66-30 ext. 130 Federal number 8 (800) 350-84-13 ext. 130

Content

• What a speaker should be able to do
• What is the basis of oratory?
• Development of public speaking skills
• Composition of oratorical speech
• How to structure a speech according to the rules of oratory. A clear structure of the speech.
• Competent and expressive language
• Objective and useful information
• Balance between emotions and facts
• Laconic speech
• Appropriate pauses
• Portrait of the audience
• Improvisation
• Prepared jokes, quotes, stories
• Sense of humor
• Narrative style

Types and styles of oratory

Oratory speech is divided into the following types:

• Socio-political;

The speech is aimed at solving social, economic and political issues, and represents the definition of tasks and goals. The speech provides the audience with practical recommendations for action. Political speakers organize reports or diplomatic speeches on relevant topics, enter into discussions with rivals, observing ethical standards and rules of conduct.

• Academic;

The speech is aimed at considering new facts, ongoing research, tests. The presentation takes place as a scientific report or lecture.

• Judicial;

Speech influences court decisions and forms the appropriate mood of judges and the public in the courtroom. The purpose of speech in a trial is to make a lawful decision, observing the rules that constitute the ethics of a judicial speaker. Judicial speech is divided into accusatory, lawyer, public and speech of the accused.

The ethics of a judicial speaker must correspond to the standards of morality and quality, since the words of the speaker have a direct impact on the fate of the accused, prove or disprove involvement in the case. The court speaker is solely responsible for the content of the speech.

• Household;

The speech illuminates the everyday life of the individual in a free style of presentation. The performance is held at anniversaries, feasts, and birthdays.

• Church.

The oldest form of eloquence, with a rich history. Church speech reflects interest in the spiritual world of man and touches on the topic of habits.

An oratorical speech is carefully prepared using book and scientific sources that determine the speech style of the speech. The following styles of oratory are distinguished:

• Business oratorical style of speech is aimed at conveying information to the audience. The main goal of the scientific style is to convey and prove the truth of the spoken information to the public.
• The artistic style is aesthetically oriented.
• Conversational style is very different from book style. Its goal is communication.
• Orally, the speaker reveals everyday and personal topics during his speech.

Oratory of the Renaissance

Oratory moved to a new stage of development during the Renaissance. The Renaissance was the heyday of judicial oratory and commercial eloquence. The art of rhetoric of the Renaissance period was expressed in literary works and supplemented by live speech, further moving away from the use of book Latin.

The personality of the speaker in the rhetoric of the Renaissance was of fundamental importance. The idol for the public was the philosopher and brilliant orator Cicero.

The main conditions for a person performing for the public in the Renaissance were benevolence and charity. These qualities helped to win over the audience, there was complete mutual understanding and the formation of public trust in the speaker. For speeches, a speaker's platform was used. The Renaissance became a new stage in the development of people's spiritual life.

How to influence your audience

There are several techniques that can help you manage your audience more effectively. These include:

• respect for the values ​​of the audience (the speaker must take into account the opinion of the public when speaking, show interest in their questions, then the main points of the speech will be better received);
• unity when the speaker and the audience are similar (you can achieve consistency even in terms of style: this contributes to a better perception of the text);
• the speaker’s feeling of the mood of the people in the hall (in order to feel the audience, the speaker must ask them questions and respond to correct exclamations from the audience);
• results, decisions and conclusions are briefly presented to the audience at the moment when they become interested in the issue under discussion: then the effectiveness of the presentation will be much higher;
• breaks (a person cannot maintain attention for more than 30 minutes. To prevent listeners from getting tired, the speaker must take short breaks at regular intervals, during which a dialogue with the audience takes place, an exchange of opinions or bringing personal experience to the issue).

It is important to visualize text through presentations with audio. This will help listeners understand the material better.

Speaking in front of an audience always requires careful preparation, not only in terms of familiarization with the material. The speaker also needs to know well the psychology of the public, its preferences, and the social status of those present in order to structure his behavior correctly. Only then can the speech be perceived by listeners as fully as possible.