HOW TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC WITH CONFIDENCE: FLUENCY
January 25th, 2012The King is alive – long live the King! Finally, I got round to watching the Kings Speech this weekend! And yes, I have to agree, it was fantastic. Colin Firth’s performance was extremely convincing and I very much enjoyed Helena Bonham-Carter as his wife. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like for him to have to take on the role of King with such a challenging speech impediment and by all accounts, he was also a shy man. He worked hard to adapt to this unexpected role, particularly during the difficult years of World War Two and visited Allied armies on several battle fronts. It does show that with the right help and persistence, anything is possible. He was a courageous man.
According to an article in the Telegraph last week and I quote:
“Traditional elocution lessons are making a comeback as jobseekers attempt to “soften” their regional accents and boost public speaking skills to get ahead in the workplace, according to research. Figures show the number of people seeking voice coaching has more than doubled in a year in response to the depressed jobs market. Some tutors put the rise down to the popularity of The King’s Speech, saying it prompted a renewed focus on the personal benefits of speaking clearly and effectively. Others said they had been inundated with calls from parents who fear their children are struggling to articulate themselves after spending too much time on the internet.” See link below for the full article.
Personally, I am delighted on several fronts. Firstly, having been brought up to speak English correctly – my Mother was extremely hot on correct pronunciation, enunciation and grammar - woe betide my sisters and me if we were sloppy with our speech – I am delighted that after what seems like decades, we are finally realising that speaking well is not just a nice-to-have but a must-have. Hurrah!
Secondly, of course, as I also train people in the art of public speaking and communication, it is, in my opinion, extremely important that people are able to speak clearly in order to get their message across. Whether it is for an interview, a business presentation, a social speech or just one-to-one meetings, speaking clearly and effectively can make the difference between being listened to or not.
As if to confirm the veracity of the article, I received a telephone call from a Mother this morning regarding her 15 year-old son. She wants him to improve his communication skills as he already has to give presentations at school and she is aware that he does not present anywhere near as well as she would like. He plans to go to university and wants to be a banker, so any coaching which he receives now will stand him in good stead.
So many thanks to the Kings Speech and Colin Firth, in particular. www.kingsspeech.com/.