Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

I have only ever acted once. I was the genie in the lamp in a play about “Mrs Wishy Washy“ at the Alangula Theatre Club on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1979. I only had three lines and had to appear out of the cloud of fire extinguisher ‘smoke’ and speak several words.

The woman producing the play and I had words on several occasions about the fact that genies don’t have beards. I told her that my beard was a permanent fixture and that the genie either did have a beard or this particular genie wouldn’t be a genie at all. I prevailed.

I liked being a genie, particularly because a naughty little boy ran away from his mother and came up to the edge of the stage and started being rather silly. So as I spoke the words from my script, I looked down at the little boy and enunciated them in a very loud voice. That frightened the little boy and he started to howl and ran back to his mother and stayed port.

That was my first and only foray into acting.

Public speaking is an altogether different scenario for me. Over the years I’ve done a lot of it. I was an Advanced Toastmaster at the gold level as a member of the Toastmasters organisation. I also did quite a bit of emceeing and won several speaking competitions in the Northern Australian Eisteddfod held each year.

I taught speech and speaking to students and had them entering into competitions – not bad for children aged 9, 10 and 11.

I have developed material which I’m willing to share with anybody on aspects of listening speaking and evaluation.

It is quite comprehensive and covers pretty well every aspect of this important subject – being able to speak, listen, evaluate and appreciate self and others in this domain.

I attach the index of what I’ve developed and am happy to share material cost free to anyone who wants it. All I need is an email address from anyone interested to be sent to henry.gray7@icloud.com

SPEECH AND SPEAKING INDEX

Some general thoughts that may be useful as speech and speaking remembrance or reminders.

Includes listening and speaking.

Intended to have use or merit in particular situations.

1. Speak to be remembered.

2. Speak from the heart.

3. Don’t overdo notes.

4. When speaking, don’t shuffle.

5. ‘Thank you’ may be redundant. (The audience should be thanking the presenter.)

6. Avoid fillers.

7. Sincerity counts.

8. Speech first, paper later.

9. Do as I do.

10. It’s your message that counts.

11. Self reflection and evaluation.

12. Socratic Discussion.

13. Consider a critical colleague.

14. A mission statement focuses vision.

15. The importance of audience.

16. Be dignified, respected and positively remembered.

17. Points to ponder.

18. Speeches need meaning and intent.

19. Three points to remember.

20. Punctuate speech.

21. Boring, boring voice.

22. Eye contact

23. Gesture,

24. Visuals supporting your presentation(s)

25. Speak clearly.

26. Language theory and practice – the disconnect.

27. Eyes – the most important organs of communication.

28. Facial muscles support gesture.

29. Interact with the audience.

30. Speech development too often discounted.

30A Make presentations clear and succinct.

31. Today it would be counted as discrimination.

32. Word usage and pronunciation (1).

33. Word usage and pronunciation (2).

34. Word usage and pronunciation (3).

35. Word usage and pronunciation (4).

36. Word usage and pronunciation (5).

37. Word usage and pronunciation (6).

38. Word usage and pronunciation (7).

39. Know your subject.

40. High and mighty.

41. Study others and improve (Voice).

42. Study others and improve (Eyes).

43. Study others and improve (Gesture).

44. Self study and improve (‘Traits’).

45. Offer to improve others (Presentation skills).

46. You cannot ‘hoodwink’ audiences.

47. More to ‘ums’ than ‘ums’.

48. More on the ‘um’ factor.

49. Impromptu speaking.

50. Don’t discount speech impressions.

51. Send staff for speech development.

52. Speech development too often discounted.

53. Speak conversationally to audience.

54. Eye contact (Revisited and extended).

55. Gesture revisited.

56. Intonation (emphasis) makes a difference.

57. Language – the theory and practice.

58. Evaluating speech.

59. Worthwhile considering.

60. Post presentation – looking at how you have done.

61. Feedback by device.

62. Idiosyncrasies and peculiarities remembered.

63. Face to the audience.

64. Same, same (Avoid repetition).

65. Glass of water,

66. Hands free.

67. Don’t rely on props.

68. Scrabbling around with props (Defocussing).

69. ‘Uno’

70. Death by PowerPoint (1).

71. Death by PowerPoint (2).

72. ‘Kiss’ Principle.

73. Address the audience context.

74. The burden of notes.

75. Palm cards (1).

76. Palm cards (2).

77. Meet audience members.

78. ‘Recommendation’ can enhance the future for presenters.

79. Presentation in a nutshell.

80. Punctuate and pause.

81. Loud, lustreless voice is a turnoff.

82. Eyes wide shut.

83. Discordant head movements.

84. Repetition for emphasis (1).

85. Repetition for emphasis (2).

86. Highlighting words for emphasis.

87. Keep a note (Post evaluation).

88. Feedback sheet.

89. Avoid off-putting gesture.

90. Vocal tone a sincerity indicator.

91. Watch out for laughter.