How to Control Nonverbal Communication

 

A speaker doesn't communicate to an audience with voice alone. The audience also receives a great deal of nonverbal communication from the speaker. Here is offered an acronym method to help you appear confident and become a better communicator.

S = Smile. It's one of your best communication tools, always helps make a good first impression, and helps make others want to listen to you.

P = Posture. How you stand or sit makes a big difference. Your physical stance tells others how you feel about yourself. Confident people stand tall and sit straight.

E = Eye contact. A person who is believable and honest "looks you right in the eye". Don't stare, but look at a person's face for at least 3 seconds before moving on to look at another person. If you are talking to a group, give your message to one person at a time.

A = Animation. Show you interest in your subject with your energy and animation. Be enthusiastic. Animate your voice by speeding up and slowing down, talking louder and softer at times. Make your face animated. "A" is also for attitude. Make sure you feel good about yourself and what you are doing.

К = Kinetics (motion). Use your arms to make gestures that support your words. Use two-handed, symmetrical gestures, and hold your hands high when gesturing - at about the chest level.

 

UNIT 14

SEMISPEECHES

Text A

A speech is controlled by the speaker. He or she knows what is going to be said. The subject matter is complete and well organized. At the end, the speaker may be asked a few questions, and if the talk runs long, the chairperson may try to speed the closing. Still, the speaker is the boss.

Control passes to others when the speaker participates in semispeech activities such as panels, debates talk shows, and interviews. Here someone else is directing the action, and other people may be talking to the same audience. These semispeech opportunities are valuable aids to public communication and should be used whenever possible.

Panel

A panel usually consists of a moderator and several people, each of whom makes an opening statement on the subject and then answers questions from the audience.

Opening statements should not last longer than five minutes. The number of ques­tions that are answered depends on the time available. Often the moderator of the panel will prepare a sizable list of questions, which are distributed to the audience. The questions are numbered. Someone who wants an answer to a question merely says, "I'd like an answer to question 16", whereupon the moderator asks a member of the panel to give the answer. Usually there are more questions than can be answered, but this procedure does permit answering the ones of most interest to the audience. In prepar­ing for this situation, it is necessary to decide in advance who will answer which ques­tions. It is your job to give your speaker the answers to the assigned questions, unless the answers are already known.

Debates

In high schools and colleges, a debate is generally conducted by teams of several speakers. Most debates in the world of public relations are not team efforts. They pit two opponents against each other, and each carries the burden of making the case of his or her side and rebutting the statements of the opponent.

In a true debate, each speaker prepares and presents his or her own case. The only questions are those asked by the opponent, and each tries to prove the opponent wrong. Each is allowed a short time to rebut the statements made by the other.

Aside from the need to know something about debating, in general there is one spe­cial warning worth heeding. This involves the situation in which a moderator may try to split the debate into two parts, with each speaker being allowed a brief period for rebuttal. A toss of the coin determines who will be first.

It is very advantageous to speak last in such a situation because the last speaker may have ten or more minutes in which to try to demolish the statements of the opponent. The rebuttal period may be only a minute or two, and this is hardly adequate to over­come the effect or a long statement. The audience is left with a much stronger impres­sion of what the last speaker said. To avoid being caught at such a disadvantage, you should insist that the debate be broken into short segments; five minutes should be a

good length. Then the debate would consist of several five-minute statements by each speaker and a short summary rebuttal.

 

□ Vocabulary:

 

moderator - ведущий дискуссию, «круглый стол»

subjectmatter - содержание, тема, суть, существо, предмет (разговора)

panel - группа специалистов, семинар, «круглый стол»; дискуссия

aid - помощь; вспомогательное средство

whereupon - после чего; (вследствие чего, тогда; на это)

assign - предназначать для кого-то; возлагать на кого-то

team - группа, команда

pit - противопоставить кого-то кому-то

carrytheburden - нести груз

rebut - опровергнуть

beworthheeding - стоит учитывать

split - разделить

toss of a coin - жребий

demolish - уничтожить, опровергнуть

overcome - преодолеть

Exercises

1) Find the English equivalents in the text. Use them in sentences of your own:

имеющееся время; ускорить что-либо; принимать участие; ценный; раздать; пронумеровать; процедура; позволять; представлять наибольший интерес; помимо чего-либо.

 

2) Find in the text the words which mean or describe the following:

 

1. someone whose job is to control a discussion or argument and to help people reach an agreement -

2. a group of well-known people who answer questions on a television or radio pro­gram -

3. to prove that a statement is false -

4.to divide or separate into different parts or groups -

5. to pay attention to someone's advice or warning -

 

3) Translate the following words and word-combination into Russian. Use them in sentences of your own:

 

an advantage

to have an advantage over smb.

to gain, win an advantage over smb.

to smb.'s advantage

to turn smth. to advantage

to take advantage of smth.

to use smth. to advantage

a disadvantage

to advantage advantageous

 

4) Match the words. Use them in sentences of your own:

 

team	matter
public-	list
subject	statement
opening	efforts
sizable	communication

5) Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. Let me introduce tonight's panel.

2. The idea has pitted farmers, developers and environmentalists against each other.

3. Finally the corporation split into three smaller companies.

4. The rioters headed downtown, whereupon they attacked city hall.

5. Homeowners are heeding the advice of mortgage lenders.

 

6) Match the words which are close in their meaning:

 

rebut	benefit
sizable	thorough
advantage	deny
speed	large
complete	hasten

 

7) Match the words having the opposite meaning:

 

rebut	short
speed	lacking
complete	drawback
sizable	agree
advantage	halt

 

8) Explain the grammatical structure of the sentences. Use it in sentences of your own:

 

1. You should insist that the debate be broken into short segments.

Make use of the following verbs:

 

to demand

to urge

to order

to propose

to recommend

to suggest

 

2. The debate would consist of several five-minute statements.

Make use of the following expressions:

 

a ten-year old boy a three-room flat

a two-mile walk a twenty-dollar note

 

9) Insert prepositions(where necessary) (for; to; in; of; on; against):

 

1. The debate would consist_____several five-minute statements.

2. Control passes______others when the speaker participates_____semi-speech activities.

3. The number of questions that are answered depends_____the time available.

4._____preparing_____the situation, it is necessary to decide_____advance who will answer____which questions.

5. They pit two opponents______each other.

10) Write questions to the following answers:

1.	? A speech is controlled by the speaker.
2.	? Control passes to others when the
speaker participates in semispeech activities.
3.	? They are panels, debates, talk shows,
and interviews.
4.	? A panel usually consists of a moderator
and several people.
5.	? Opening statements should not last
longer than five minutes.
6.	? The number of questions that are

answered depends on the time available.

11) Answer the following questions:

 

1. How do debates in high school and colleges differ from those in the world of public relations? Have you ever taken part in any debate?

2. In what way is a true debate carried out?

3. What is one special warning worth heeding?

4. Do you agree that it is very advantageous to speak last in the debate? Give your reasons.