Speech Training: Speech Disfluencies

Speech Training: Speech Disfluencies

Aug. 30, 2007 by

Um and His Cousin Er I hate speech coaches who don’t let you say “Um!”  I listen to a lot of speakers, and a few “Uhms” don’t bother me.  They make the speaker seem normal and conversational. On the other

Effective Speaking: Keeping Attention

Effective Speaking: Keeping Attention

Aug. 27, 2007 by

Back in the days before Gutenberg, it took months or years for a few dedicated scribes to create a single copy of a single book.  A literate medieval person, provided he or she was not interrupted by the Inquistion or

Speaking Anxiety: Gestures Help you Think

Speaking Anxiety: Gestures Help you Think

Aug. 23, 2007 by

Trying to master a mental task? Acting it out can help.  In a study reported in Cognition, when kids were told to use gestures as they learned to do a type of math problem, the lesson stuck.  Embodiment gives you–literally–another