We are given two ears and one mouth; so, are we listening?

Humans are given TWO ears and only ONE mouth—because we are meant to listen more than we talk. But the question now is: do we?

When asked, many people will reply rather defensively that yes, they do listen to what other people have to say. But when asked whether they still remember the content of the conversation, they will usually smile sheepishly and say that they remember only part of it.  

Sounds familiar? Yes, this is what we do on a daily basis subconsciously.

Imagine rushing through an assignment that has to be handed up at 4. It is already 3 o’clock and you’re only halfway through. Then your clique comes along and starts talking to you. As much as you love your clique of friends, you really need to rush through your assignment or else you will have to face the repercussions. So you just sit there, pretending to be listening to them and praying in your heart that they will be done soon so you can do your work.

This process of sitting there “listening” (and enduring) is called ‘hearing’. Hearing is simply “the act of perceiving sound by the ear”. So long as you are not one who is not hearing-impaired, hearing simply just happens. However, listening takes much more than just being there; it requires an individual to be paying attention and processing what the other party is saying through your mind. Listening often leads to learning; but, hearing does not. Even though many of us use the two terms interchangeably, the two cannot in fact be any more different.

Effective listening techniques are important as it helps “improve communication, strengthen relationships and also form stronger interpersonal skills for work and family”.  Hence ‘Active Listening’—summarizing and reflecting—should be applied in our everyday lives. Phrases such as, "As I understand it, what you are saying is ...." and "so your point is…” can be used to mimic or repeat what was said without appearing too robotic. This allows further clarification from the speaker if necessary.

There is a scene in the movie Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman asks John Travolta a very interesting question, “Do you listen? Or do you wait to talk?”

Yes, which kind of person are you?

Do you listen carefully to what someone has to say? Or are you the kind of person who already has a reply forming up in your head, even though when your friend has only 10 words out of his mouth? 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Mary Poppins(Julie Andrews) brought joy to children through magical, easy to follow, and wonderful songs such as, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", "A Spoonful of Sugar", and "Chim Chim Cher-ee". Out of all the songs in the musical film my favourite song is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It is such a fun an exciting and upbeat song with the focus on the word Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

"It's Supercalafragilisticexpialidocious, even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious, if you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Umdiddle umdidllei, Umdiddle umdidllei..."

In relation to commmunication concepts, the assigned meanings of words actually depends on the society and people who use the word. After the release of Mary Poppins in 1964, the use of "supercalafragilisticexpialidocious" was popularised. Both children and adults used it to sound precocious. It gave them the sense of happiness and content by frequently using the word to show their new vocabulary

Thought to be a nonsense word, but "supercalafragilisticexpialidocious" actually contains elements of real Greek and Latin roots:

super - above, over, extreme
cali - beauty
fragilistic - delicate
expiali - to atone, to make amends
docious - educable, able to learn

Piecing the pieces together, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious translates roughly to "atoning for educability through delicate beauty" or atoning for extreme and delicate beauty while remaining highly educable. It is an awesome word to use when you are loss for words or even when you are playing games like hangman.

So what is/are your favourite word(s)?



More people fear giving a presentation than dying. Unbelievable?

According to J. Douglas Jeffery’s, in his “Enhancing Your Presentation” speech, speaking to a group is ranked No. 1 in the list of Top Fears.  Standing in front of a large group or just sitting with colleagues across the conference room table can intimidate even the most experienced speaker. Being perceived as credible, and conveying your thoughts in a clear and concise way can not only enhance your personal image, but that of the group you are representing. Contrariwise, being perceived as awkward or ill-prepared can be detrimental to your grades and yourself.

Since most of us will be conducting presentations for various projects very soon, here are 5 habits you can follow when preparing your own presentations.

1)    Know your PAL (Purpose, Audience and Logistics):

-    If the objective of your presentation is to educate, you will need to provide new and useful information. However, for persuasion purposes, you then need to get your audience to believe in your message. You have to be clear about your intended results.

-    You also have to find out about your audience. How old are they? What prior knowledge do they have about the topic you are about to deliver? The “right” information to the wrong topic limits your chances of achieving your objectives.

-     You have to understand your logistics before you begin to speak too. What equipment is at your disposal? Do you have a time limit? What is your audience size? The answers to these questions are critical factors which will aid you in tailoring your presentation.

Once you have determined your PAL, summarize your overall objective. This helps you maintain focus during the preparation process.

2)      Create a user friendly final draft of your speech: Imagine this: your masterpiece has gone missing on the day of your presentation! To avoid such unfavorable situations, always save it in various mediums and print extra copies. This user-friendly final draft should be in outline form on note paper, minimal 18 point boldface. Highlight the important points in different colors. Avoid using note cards; they can cause you to do too much shuffling. Only write on the top two thirds of the page, otherwise your eyes and voice will drop, and possibly lose your audience's attention.

3)           Techniques of delivery: To be an effective speaker, you want your audience to be receptive to the communication signals you will be sending them. The three V's -- Visual, Verbal and Vocal. The credibility of your message will be determined by your mastery of the three V's.

Visual – There is an old adage that "Clothes make the man" or woman. First impressions count. If you are presenting at a business meeting, formal attire is obligatory. If you have been invited to speak at an "off-campus" event, check with the event organizer. But you can never be faulted for looking "too professional". Ensure that your attire does not hog the limelight from your delivery. Girls, avoid accessories like jangling bracelets or earrings.

Your body language will also send the audience a message. Don't cross your arms or fidget. Use gestures to emphasize points, but don’t overdo it. The most effective stance is a simple forward lean. Effective speakers maintain eye contact with audience members as it gives them the impression that you’re honest with them. Nodding to emphasize a point also forms a bond with the audience. The audience might just nod back at you. Try it!

Vocal -- If you listen to people speaking monotonously, you lose interest easily. There are six vocal cues to remember: pitch, diction, volume, rate, punch, and pause. It is also important to speak clearly with proper enunciation. If you're not sure how to pronounce a word, look it up or substitute it! If you rush your delivery or speak softly, the audience will struggle to understand you. Vary your tone and speed. Keep your chin up while speaking. Emphasize certain words for added effect. Pause occasionally to allow your audience to ingest your last point.

Verbal -- There are three verbal communication rules to remember:

Use descriptive, simple language; short sentences; and avoid buzz words and jargon.

4)          Handle Q&A with tact: Having prepared your speech thoroughly, you can tackle most questions. Answer them as briefly and concisely as you can. Paraphrase the question before answering it. This will help to clarify it in your mind and impress the audience you understand it. You may encounter someone whose only objective is to stump the speaker or put you on the defensive. If you don't know the answer, just be honest and admit it.

5)            Positioning yourself: Get out from behind the podium. Remove this physical barrier between you and your audience. They’ll appreciate it and like you better.

Here’s an example of a well-prepared presentation! 

Good Luck for your upcoming presentation! Cheers! (:

Aslam Shah - Humour Round - Singapore Can Speak Champion

Renaissance Meets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT)

Interesting fact:

The fictional characters of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are named after prolific figures of the Renaissance Period.

• Leonardo (Leo) the courageous leader and devoted student of martial arts, Leonardo wears a blue mask and wield two Katana. Leonardo was named after the Italian polymath, scientist, engineer, inventor, anatomist, and painter, Leonardo da Vinci.

• Raphael (Raph) the team’s bad boy, Raphael wears a red mask and wields a pair of Sai. He is named after the Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino.

• Michelangelo (Mike or Mikey) easy-going and free-spirited, Michelangelo wears an orange mask and wields a pair of Nunchaku. He is named after the Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer, Michelangelo Buonarroti.

• Donatello (Don or Donny) the knowledgeable scientist, inventor, engineer, and technological genius, Donatello wears a purple mask and wield the staff. He is named after the early Renaissance Italian artist and sculptor from Florence, Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi.

It is amazing how cartoon characters can actually be named after important figures of the Renaissance Period. Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi are crucial figures in the history of rhetoric because they had immense influence in the way people communicate and think. Therefore, development and progress of rhetoric during that period of time (400-1600 _A.D.) pivoted around their work and achievements.

During the Renaissance period, the style of rhetoric differed to that of the Classical period; the work of rhetoricians and Renaissance leaders focused on religion and afterlife. Rhetoric held religious meaning and shifted the paradigms of the mass. Even though many are amazed at the achievements of the Renaissance period, rhetoricians and communication theorists were critical and found that rhetoric became fragmented and lost its distinct and defining characteristics it had in the Classical Period. Rhetoric became prescriptive.

So what do you think, the naming of these cartoon characters, is it a form of appreciation or mockery?   

Facial displays

Have you ever thought that your own facial displays are partly learned and partly inborn? Using the facial displays in the right situation is very important especially in one’s workplace because it affects your relationships with people; and people might discriminate you because you have displayed socially unacceptable facial displays.

 




Depending on the different situations, we are taught to alter our expressions and this differs in different situations and cultures. For example, Air stewardesses are taught to smile regardless of how irritated and frustrated they are.

We intensify some emotions and de-intensify others. For example, a saleswoman who just made a major sale might intensify her positive expression by smiling more broadly and raising her eyebrows. In addition, we learn to neutralize our emotions in certain situations; such as, when we did better than our friend in a test, we would not boast about our results. Instead, we would be much more tactful around them.

Finally, we sometimes mask our emotions which is to conceal what we are really feel by displaying and showing other emotions. For example a customer service representative might express concern and care in her facial expression, when in reality she is annoyed by the customer. Another example which many of us would be familiar with would be of how the first runner-up for a beauty pageant contest would always appear joyful and rushes up to hug the winner even though she must have felt really jealous or disappointed.

 Take a look at this video of Miss America. Observe how the first runner-up reacted when Miss Wisconsin was announced as the winner.

While showing the right facial displays is important,  what and how we convey verbally is also significant in maintaining relationships with people. Therefore we should be mindful of both our facial displays and our verbal behavior in all situations.

Effective Powerpoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is a great tool used for so many things: presenting a project at school, showing your employees your expectations or plans. You can put videos on, music, just about anything! It’s very fun, creative, and useful.

The most popular uses of power point presentations are in modern days learning, corporate training sessions, business and marketing meetings, and sales gatherings. It’s a way of attracting audience towards your views and arguments.

Some Guidelines to make a PowerPoint slide effective:

•  Your presentation should be to the point and focusing over actual purpose. 
• There should be a professional look deciding your organizations identity.
• There should be less text, and maximum possible graphics in presentations. 
• There should be uniform colors and font appearance throughout the presentation to avoid in-convenience.
• You need to practice properly before delivering a presentation in any seminars.
• Take care of your time, user’s positive responses, and their ease; don't make people bored with longer duration presentations.

"There's something in the air." With these five words, Steve Jobs opened the 2008 Macworld conference && his presentation was so appealing and now Apple is the top selling product.

Here’s an interesting video about Steve Jobs presentation.  

WHY STUDY DRAMA?

              

Drama by itself is a form of communication. It involves both verbal and non-verbal. Dramatic exploration can provide us with a passage for emotions, thoughts, and dreams that they might not otherwise have means to express.

                                            

Drama can be used to promote active learning in any subject--to give learners a kinesthetic and empathetic understanding as well as an intellectual understanding of a topic.

Kinesthetic is a learning style in which learning takes place by the student actually carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or merely watching a demonstration and Intellectual understanding is how you understand the topic and think logically.

Drama can also help to build responsible citizens. For example, an actor can play Hitler without becoming a Nazi. But he cannot play Hitler without understanding from his point of view; without empathy. In today's increasingly polarized and intolerant culture, the ability to understand others' motives and choices is critical. Thus, it helps to build responsible people.

Not just that, Drama actually helps in several other ways. It helps make a person positive, confident and also to a proper speaker. The fact that drama cannot be acted out only by one person, it also helps build team spirit as one has to cooperate with the rest of the cast.                                              

In conclusion, Drama is also a form of communication. It helps us to improve in our various communication skills. Can you think of any verbal or non-verbal communications that drama helps to improve?

                                           "Tell me and I will forget.

                                             Show me and I will remember.

                                            Involve me and I will understand."

                                                         Chinese Proverb