Unit 5: Listening, Viewing, Speaking—Send and Receive the Message

Unit 5: Listening, Viewing, Speaking—Send and Receive the Message

Overview

You use speech every time you talk to your classmates and friends, your teacher, your parents, and others with whom you come into contact on a day-to-day basis. Speech helps you get your point across in class. It makes it possible for you to share confidences with a friend or ask your parents for a favor. It’s especially important when it is time to look for a job. Since you’ve been using speech since you were a small child, you may take it for granted by now. Have you ever thought about what a difference good speaking skills can make in your life? For instance, have you ever tried to speak in front of a large group and suddenly lost your nerve or gotten tongue-tied trying to explain yourself to a prospective employer? Good speaking skills can be learned and developed, but like everything they take a certain amount of practice.

This unit will offer tips on how to feel confident and comfortable when speaking in front of a group. You will learn techniques for making effective oral presentations, using body language, eye contact, and voice inflection. You will also learn how to use visual aids to enhance your presentation. This is a unit on listening and viewing as well as speaking, so you will study useful and respectful ways to participate in class discussions and debates. Anyone can take the floor and speak in a discussion. However, a good participant knows how to enhance a discussion by being a good speaker and a good listener. Listening and speaking are not just important skills for the classroom. This unit will also help prepare you for job interviews. You’ll learn what to listen for in an interview, how to respond to questions and how to convey your best qualities through verbal and nonverbal means. Effective speaking and listening skills are qualities that will serve you for a lifetime.