how can speech writing help me in my everyday life

How to Be More Articulate in Everyday Speech & Storytelling

Here’s how to be more articulate when speaking in everyday conversations and telling stories. This guide will help you formulate your thoughts and improve your speech and vocabulary. I’ve geared the advice in this guide toward adults who want to be better at expressing themselves in everyday situations.

How to be more articulate in everyday speech

How to be more articulate when telling stories, 1. speak slower and use pauses.

If you tend to talk fast when you’re nervous, try slowing down and taking a breath for two seconds at the end of each sentence. Doing this helps you gather your thoughts. It also projects confidence, which is a nice bonus.

A quick hint: I look away from the person I’m talking to when I pause. It helps focus my mind and avoids the distraction of wondering what the other person is thinking.

2. Seek out chances to talk rather than avoiding it

The only way to master something is to do it over and over again. Like Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “ The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. ” Fear is paralyzing – do it anyway. Go out to that party where you only know a few people. Keep making conversation for a few more minutes rather than ending it prematurely, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Speak louder than you’re used to so everyone can hear you. Tell a story regardless of whether you think you’ll mess it up.

3. Read books out loud if you find pronunciation hard and record it

I have a friend who’s a soft talker. She reads books out loud and makes sure to project and enunciate her words. She also records herself.

You can do this too. See how you sound at the beginning of your sentence and the end. Those are the parts where soft talkers tend to begin too quietly, or they trail off and disappear. Also, pay attention to your pronunciation. Use the recording to see what you could do to speak more clearly. Then take a look at our advice below on emphasizing the last part of each word as you say it.

4. Write in discussion forums online to practice conveying a point

Write answers in the subreddits Explainlikeimfive and NeutralPolitics . Doing this will give you practice getting your idea across, and you’ll get instant feedback in the comments. Also, the top comment is usually so well written and explained you can learn a lot about getting your point across from it alone.

5. Record yourself talking in everyday situations

Put your phone on record when you’re talking with friends and have your headset in so you can hear yourself. What do you sound like when you play yourself back? Do you sound pleasing or annoying? Alarming or boring? Odds are, how you feel will be the same as those listening to you. Now you know where you need to make changes.

6. Read the classic “Plain Words”

This time-honored style guide will help you get your ideas across effectively. Get it here . (Not an affiliate link. I recommend the book because I think it’s worth reading.) Here is a preview of what you’ll find in this book:

• How to use the right words to say what you mean.
• When writing and speaking, think about others first. Be brief, precise and human.
• Tips on how to make your sentences and vocabulary more efficient.
• The essential parts of grammar.

7. Use simple rather than complicated language

I tried using more complicated words to sound more articulate and polished. That backfired because it made it more difficult to talk, and I just seemed like a try-hard. Use the words that come to you first. Your sentences will flow better than if you are continuously searching for words to appear smart. One study even found that using overly complicated language makes us come off as less intelligent.[ 1 ]

Conversely, if you love words, do what comes naturally in your speech. Talk like you write. If you find you’re talking ‘over the head’ of your audience, use more accessible words.

8. Omit filler words and sounds

You know those words and sounds we use when we’re thinking like: ah, uhm, ya, like, kinda, hmmm. They make it harder for us to be understood. Instead of defaulting to those filler words, take a second and collect your thoughts, then proceed. People will wait while you think, and they will be interested to hear the rest of your thoughts.

Think of it as an unintentional dramatic pause. It’s human nature to want to know what comes next.

9. Project your voice

When needed, can you make yourself heard from 15-20 feet (5-6 meters) away? If not, work at projecting your voice, so people have no problem hearing you. In noisy environments, a loud voice will make you appear more articulate. When you talk with your full vocal range, you speak from your chest rather than your throat. Try “moving down” your voice to your belly. It’s louder, but you aren’t straining or yelling.

Have a look at this article for more tips on how to make your quiet voice heard .

10. Use high & low pitch

Alternate your pitch from high to low and back again to keep people interested. This adds drama to your stories. If you have a hard time imagining it, the opposite is speaking in a monotone. Try listening to great speakers like Barack Obama and actors like Cillian Murphy to see what we mean by high and low pitches drawing you into the story.

11. Use short and long sentences alternately

This allows you to provide impressive detail in long sentences and emotions in short sentences. Try to avoid several long sentences in a row. It can overwhelm people with information, which may confuse them, causing them to check out of the conversation.

12. Talk with assurance and confidence

Project confidence with your body language and your tone of voice. Try not to use qualifying words like maybe, perhaps, sometimes etc. Even if you second guess yourself internally, speak with conviction. People are wired to discern when others are believable.[ 2 ] You can achieve that with your delivery.

13. Slow down and pause

When you want to emphasize a point or a word, slow your pace down and take a breath. People will notice the change and will follow you more closely. You can speed up your pace when you are covering things your audience already knows.

14. Vocabulary do’s & don’ts

Meet your audience where they are. Use words that are accessible to everyone, and you’ll reach more people. Using big words can get you in trouble if you’re trying to impress others, and the words don’t come naturally to you. You’ll feel uncomfortable, and your audience will lose faith in you, or they’ll move on because it’s above their pay grade.

15. Visualize being great at speaking to a group of people

If you’re like me, you’re uncomfortable being the center of attention, and when you are, you’re probably worried you’ll screw up. Remember what you heard about self-fulfilling prophecies. Use that knowledge to imagine talking to a group of people and killing it. Those are the images you want in your head. We fear the unknown, but if you beat fear to the punch, and think about what you do want, you’re halfway to making it happen.

16. Speak with harmony

You know you’ve mastered public speaking when you’ve perfected this habit. To speak with harmony, you must combine what you learned about short and long sentences with high and low pitches. Doing this will create a natural and pleasant flow that draws people in. It’s almost like music. Go back to speakers like Barack Obama, and you’ll see why he’s so effective. It’s because he punctuates his speech with high/low pitches, short, impactful sentences and long, detailed ones. His addresses are mesmerizing as a result.

See what’s considered the speech that made Obama here .

1. Think through the broad strokes of the story before you start talking

Storytelling has three main components: a beginning, middle, and end. Think about how each section fits into the whole before you start telling the story.

Imagine you just got a promotion at work and you want to let your friends know. These would be the broad strokes:

• Say how long you’ve had the job – gives context.
• Was being promoted a goal of yours? If it was, this tells us if it was hard-earned or not.
• Tell them how you found out about the promotion and your reaction.

They want to know how you felt and to relive the event as you tell it.

Knowing how you want to tell a story before you begin will make it better.

2. Try telling a story in a mirror

Joe Biden used to have problems being articulate when he was a child. He attributes overcoming it to reading poetry in the mirror. This technique is excellent to practice telling stories and also to see how you look and sound. If you worry that you’re too quiet or you don’t command attention, try being animated and enunciating your words. It’s a practice run, see what works.

3. Read fiction books to improve your vocabulary

Reading is a must to become a great communicator. When you read you:

• Improve your vocabulary
• Become better at writing and speaking
• Learn from experts how to tell a good story

Have a look at these books for inspiration.

4. Join Toastmasters

You’ll meet regularly, give a speech, and then get feedback from others on that speech. I was intimidated by Toastmasters at first because I thought everyone there would be amazing speakers. Instead, they’re people just like us – they want to be more articulate and conquer their fear of public speaking.

5. Ask yourself what the audience may not know

Include the critical parts of the story when you tell it, making sure to fill in all the necessary plot lines. The Who, What, Why, Where and When:

• Who are the people involved?
• What are the important things that happened?
• Why did it happen?
• Where did it take place? (If relevant)
• When did this happen (If required for understanding)

6. Add excitement to the delivery of your story

Add drama by telling the story with excitement and suspense. It’s all about the delivery. Things like, “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me today.” “I turned the corner, and then Bam! I ran right into my boss.”

7. Omit what doesn’t add to the story

If you love detail and pride yourself on your extensive memory, this is where you need to be brutal. Avoid information dumping. Think of your audience, just like a writer does. They won’t mention how someone coughs unless it’s a sign of a plot-affecting illness. In the same way, you only want to say things that are important to your story.

8. Journal daily events to practice your narration

Try journaling to practice formulating your thoughts. Pick out the things that made you laugh or get angry. Try describing an event. Fill the page with the details of the story and how it made you feel. Then read it back to yourself, both that day and a week later. See what works and what doesn’t. When you’re happy with how you wrote it, try saying it out loud in a mirror. If you want, read it aloud to a friend.

9. Emphasize the last letter of each word

I know this sounds weird, but give it a go. You will see how it makes you enunciate every word. Try saying this out loud: Talki ng slow er an d emphasiz ing the las t lett er o f ea ch wor d mak es yo u a mo re impac tful speak er . If you’d like to hear an example, listen to Winston Churchill’s speeches. He was a master of this technique.

• Oppenheimer, D. M. (2006). Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity: Problems with using long words needlessly . Applied Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition , 20 (2), 139-156.
• Sah, S., Moore, D. A., & MacCoun, R. J. (2013). Cheap talk and credibility: The consequences of confidence and accuracy on advisor credibility and persuasiveness . Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes , 121 (2), 246-255.

David Morin is the founder of SocialSelf. He's been writing about social skills since 2012. Follow on Twitter or read more .

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“Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity”…! I love this. As Orwell would say, “this mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose, and especially of any kind of political writing”.

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Realistic Dialogue: 16 Observations Writers Should Know About Real Life Talk

by Joe Bunting | 113 comments

Realistic dialogue can make your story. In fact, as Shakespeare knew, you can tell a whole story just through authentic, realistic dialogue. You're probably thinking: “Easier said than done.” What makes dialogue difficult to do well?

Good stories are about real people, and people in real life love to talk to each other. We are biologically disposed to receive pleasure from conversation.

If you want to write good stories, learn how to write effective dialogue. In this article, you'll learn sixteen  dialogue tips that will help you take everyday conversations and turn them into stretches of dialogue that benefit your story.

Dialogue is a Skill

Writers can learn how to take bad writing riddled with unnecessary or bad dialogue in their manuscripts and write ordinary conversations in their manuscripts that grab readers and significantly impact the plot .

When I first started working seriously on my writing, I would go into coffee shops, eavesdrop on a real life conversation, and write down everything people said. This helped me begin to understand how normal speech worked—but it wasn't enough.

Before I could write lines of dialogue well, I had to ask  WHY casual conversations mattered.

Realistic Dialogue in Everyday Life

Why did this person say this thing? Why did that person reply like that? How did they get on this subject in the first place?

I eavesdropped on conversations for months. It was actually a little creepy. But it taught me so much about how real dialogue works, and how I can take a conversation to inspire natural dialogue and nuanced conversations in my creative writing.

1. Real People Say Random Things

As writers, we want our characters to talk about things central to our plot, but humans are weird. In real conversations, people don't talk about important things. More often than not, they talk about mundane things like the weather.

To write realistically random dialogue without losing track of your plot, have your characters begin a conversation about something random, and then circle around to the important parts of your plot.

2. Real People Bicker

I'm sure some people manage to be nice to each other all the time, but in my experience, the closer you are to someone, the more you bicker.

In fact, bickering can become part of an everyday conversation—as unfortunate as that is.

Bickering rarely turns into full arguments. It's more like a constant buzz of tension.

And while bickering can add tension to your scenes , make sure characters don't bicker just because. Use these conversations in your story to impact the plot or develop a character trait.

3. Real People Don't Give Long Monologues

I know you want to show off your exquisite writing skills with a long speech, but in normal situations, real people don't like making speeches. They feel uncomfortable when they're the only one talking for a long time.

If you want to write a speech, you need to create some kind of excuse for your character to give the speech. Perhaps they just won an award or their about to go on a long trip or they are dying and want to share their last words.

And if you do need a long speech, make sure you don't just write dialogue alone. While long speeches might work in movies, especially if they're written by a dialogue genius like Aaron Sorkin , books do better to break up long speeches with action.

4. Real People Don't Always Hear You

Real people are hard of hearing. Real people have lawnmowers go by them in the middle of their conversations. Real people say, “What's that? Huh? What did you say? Come again? Sorry, what?”

In your stories, could you create tension by having certain characters ask questions—and maybe even leaving them with unanswered questions.

Dialogue through subtext can be just as powerful as actual dialogue—and getting a character to ask a question can draw a reader's attention to the importance of information. Authentic dialogue is full of these unspoken messages. 

5. Real People Refuse to Repeat Themselves

Sometimes, when the other person can't hear and says, “Huh? What did you say?” Real people don't repeat themselves. They say, “Nothing. It's not important. Never mind. I'll tell you later. Forget it.”

Sometimes, this leads to bickering. Or an awkward silence.

This technique is especially effective if a character has just said something vulnerable. People will rarely repeat something embarrassing or hurtful or vulgar. You can draw attention to their vulnerability by having them refuse to repeat themselves.

6. Real People Don't Always Reply

Sometimes, someone will say something like, “Man, it's a beautiful day,” and then wait for the other person to respond. Usually, the other person says, “Yeah, gorgeous, right?” But sometimes the other person doesn't say anything. They just grunt or roll their eyes or stare out the window.

People learn how to do this as teenagers, and it's a good way to show underlying tension.

7. Real People Use Nicknames

No one calls you by your first, middle, and last name. So don't use whole names in your dialogue.

Maybe you want to introduce a character by their first and last name early in the book with description, but after that, trust that the reader knows who they are. Especially since other characters won't address them by their formal name unless it's a specific character trait that speaks to the kind of person they are.

8. Real People Cuss

Some people are very sensitive to curse words, and I get it. But real people pepper curse words throughout their speech, and if you want to write realistically, you need to think seriously about interjecting an occasional  cuss word in your dialogue if it fits the character and situation.

Obviously, you'll want to be aware of genre and market if your characters use profanity. But sometimes bringing characters to life means showing their colorful language patterns that reflect their life experiences. 

9. Real People Speak in Tangents

A paper needs proper grammar, but it's not uncommon for incomplete sentences to occur in everyday speech. Let the grammar rules go when you're writing dialogue. Seriously.

10. Real People Lose Track of Time and Their Surroundings When They Talk

Don't intersperse your dialogue wit a lot of description or action. Your characters aren't noticing what they're doing or what they're seeing. They're paying attention to the conversation. If you're using any kind of deep viewpoint (i.e. third-person limited ), your narration should be paying attention to the conversation, too.

11. Real People Exaggerate

Real people don't tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They don't exactly lie either. They just leave things out and exaggerate to make themselves look better. It might be morally questionable, but it's very human. (And you're writing about humans, aren't you?)

12. Real People Tell Stories

The only time you can write long speeches is when your character is telling a story. People love to tell stories, especially stories about themselves. Sometimes, people will even listen to them.

William Faulkner, Joseph Conrad, the author of Arabian Nights , and many others have exploited this with the literary technique of the Story within a Story .  Heart of Darkness is basically one long monologue about an experience a sailor had on his travels (in fact, it's a monologue about a monologue). 

The majority of Arabian Nights  is a woman telling stories to her murderous husband. Often, in these situations, the author allows us to forget we are actually reading dialogue. All the speaker tags would get really old.

Every once in a while, though, another character will make an interjection and remind us.

13. Real People Have Accents

But remember, writing in an accent can be extremely annoying to read, not to mention distracting. It can be difficult to be consistent and to keep it from turning the character into a caricature. 

Feel free to experiment with accents, but don't be surprised if your readers don't appreciate it. (And study dialogue examples written this way.) Be especially careful if you are capturing speech patterns outside your own culture.

14. Real People Talk When No One is Listening

Even when people don't reply, real people keep talking anyway. This is a great way to show annoyance, if your character's lecturing someone, or insecurity, if they can't stand the sound of silence, or even social awkwardness, if they can't pick up on social cues.

15. Real People Don't Talk at All

Sometimes, real people are too mad or too nervous or too sullen or too much of a teenager to talk. Don't make your characters talk if they don't want it. Body language and silence can be just as effective in communicating at times.

16. Real People Say Less Than They Feel

In the end, natural dialogue isn't the best tool for developing a plot because real people are unpredictable. They rarely speak about the things closest to them. They rarely speak about their vulnerabilities.  They often talk about the most superficial, irrelevant subjects.

Real people talk less, which makes it very difficult to get character emotion, sentiment, and transformation across through fictional dialogue.

The key is to get your characters into a situation where they're so broken, so destitute, so screwed up that they'll say anything. And perhaps that's why we read fiction anyway, to hear people say exactly what's on their mind.

What are your favorite observations about realistic dialogue?  Let us know in the comments .

Write a piece of dialogue using the observations above.

Write for fifteen minutes . Afterward, ask yourself whether it sounds like the way real people talk. Is it realistic or are you trying to get your characters to say what you  want  them to say?

When you're finished, post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop here . And if you post, please give some feedback to a few other writers about whether their dialogue sounds realistic or not.

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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The importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate

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What does articulation mean?

6 benefits of becoming more articulate, 5 tips for improving articulation, why is good speech so important, moving forward.

Being able to effectively express your needs, goals, and feelings is a skill that can have a big impact on every part of your life. If you’ve ever struggled to share an idea with your coworkers or convey feelings to your loved ones, you know how important good communication is. 

Getting your point across without articulate speech can be frustrating. Filler words can distract from your point and lead you to try to explain yourself three or four times. Fortunately, you can learn how to speak articulately with a little time and effort.

Becoming more articulate with your words will serve you well in every interaction, from the office to holiday dinner with your family. We’re here to teach you how to be more articulate an d tell you about the benefits of being a stronger speaker. 

When we define articulateness, we mean someone who uses the right words, at the right pace, so others can understand what they're trying to communicate. That means both that the listener can understand the actual words that they're saying, and that the words represent the meaning in the clearest way possible.

Not sure of the difference? Have you ever listened to a college professor, lawyer, or maybe minister who spoke very clearly — you heard all the words that they were saying — but you had no idea of what they meant? Perhaps there were so many words and their connection wasn't obvious.

People who use big words and many caveats and modifiers might be technically correct, but they won't necessarily be articulate.

To some degree, articulateness is in the ear of the beholder. Think carefully before you start assessing whether someone is articulate or not. Context matters. 

 An articulate speaker is comfortable with their own voice and can speak coherently to the intended audience. 

They can slow their words down when they need to and use proper grammar and pronunciation. Rather than always speaking in the same tone, their speaking skills lead them to enunciate and emphasize differently depending on the topic, setting, and audience. 

That said, did you know that articulation isn't only about our words? Great speakers go beyond what comes from their mouths. Our body language skills also need to be in tune with our words to be most effective. Even though it can be difficult to make eye contact and use the correct hand movements, these nonverbal cues contribute to how articulate we are. 

Syncing your body language and speaking skills can take time. As you set your goals, you can start by identifying your strengths and weaknesses.

There’s a reason why public figures go through media training. Being well-spoken and articulate can bring lots of benefits besides knowing proper grammar. 

Here are six benefits of becoming more articulate. Notice how these benefits aren’t just for your workplace but also your personal life.

• Being articulate helps you appear more understanding and competent.
• Articulation skills can make you more comfortable in any environment where you have to talk to people.
• You’ll find you have greater confidence when you explain your thoughts and stand up for yourself .
• Being articulate can help others see you as a leader .
• Asking for feedback (or giving it) will be less challenging if you are able to communicate more clearly and succinctly.
• You’ll stand out compared to your other friends and colleagues, which can be great for career opportunities.

There are a wide variety of strategies for improving how eloquently you speak. Some people need to focus on getting past a fear of public speaking , while others need to pace themselves better while speaking.

No matter what is blocking you from being articulate with your speech, here are five tips for how to improve articulation.

1. Record yourself speaking

It’s awkward and cringe-worthy to listen to a recording of your own voice. But when you listen back to yourself, you’ll be able to identify your bad habits. Do you only speak in long sentences? Are you using too many filler words? You might find that you need to use pauses, slow it down, or vary your sentence length.

After listening to yourself, you can focus on improving specific areas of your speech. Rather than wasting time improving on things you already do well, you can hone in on exactly what’s giving you trouble. 

2. Think about your final sound

Your final sound is how you finish your sentences and speech. It’s your closer and what you leave your listeners with. To become more articulate, try completing your thought without mumbling or trailing off. 

Think about pitch variation and how you can emphasize certain words to drive home what you’re saying. Begin to think about pronouncing each syllable in your words. This will help you use them properly and ensure that everyone understands what you’re saying.

3. Be confident in yourself

To be a better speaker, you need to believe in what you’re saying. When we’re confident in ourselves, our words come out more smoothly. Even if you’re asking a question about something that confuses you, make sure to ask it with confidence. 

Sometimes it can be daunting to put yourself out there and speak up. However, it’s better to use your words rather than be confused and regret it later. 

4. Watch how others do it

If you’re looking for inspiring examples of articulation, you have plenty of options to choose from. You can read books to help you study proper grammar. Or you can listen to podcasts and listen to the hosts’ speech patterns. Try to think about how they create their sentences. 

If you’re looking for help with your body language skills and want to see how public figures do it, try watching TEDTalks. Taking time to stop and study examples helps you know what you’re working towards achieving. 

5. Be mindful of your speed

Speaking shouldn’t be a race. When you rush through your words for no reason, you’re more prone to mistakes. That said, you don’t want to speak too slowly and lose your listeners’ attention either. 

Try to identify when it’s important to talk faster versus slower. Speaking faster can show passion and excitement, while speaking slower is often deliberate and serious. Start to make a conscious effort to have an appropriate speed of speech and remember to pace yourself.

A supportive person can be helpful as you strive to become more articulate. For example, a BetterUp coach can remind you that becoming an articulate speaker will help fill your professional and personal life with clear, concise conversations. They can help you stay on track and make a real impact on your personal growth. 

Having good speech is important for every aspect of your life. Skills like articulation never go out of style, but they can still be hard to come by. Being articulate can truly make you stand out personally and professionally.

Articulation has endless benefits for your career. For example, speaking well can help you give better presentations at work. It can also help you create more connections with colleagues and clients . 

Besides helping you professionally, being a great speaker helps your personal life. It can boost your self-esteem and help you better communicate with those around you. 

For example, if you’re talking to someone about how they’ve hurt you emotionally, articulation will help you communicate your sadness, anger, or frustration in a way that is heard. You want to be vulnerable while also taking time to listen to the other person. Being articulate in situations like this will help you resolve conflict , solve problems, and support others.

As you do your be st to learn how to be more articulate, re member that you’re harnessing one of your most valuable tools: your own voice. Be proud of how you sound and what you have to say.

Learning to be an articulate speaker isn’t always easy. It’ll take time and some mishaps along the way. Make sure that you appreciate the small wins and use them to empower you to keep getting better. 

Pay special attention to the first time you had a conversation where you made eye contact the entire time, or when you learned a new word and used it well. It’s all a learning curve, but remember that you’re strengthening a skill that will serve you well for the rest of your life. 

Ready to find a coach to help you through this journey? At BetterUp , we have coaches who are communication specialists (they can also help you through the ups and downs of life that sometimes show up in our speech and self-presentation . When you can articulate your thoughts, ideas, and feelings, you'll be that much closer to feeling in control of your own potential.

Elizabeth Perry

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How to write a speech

• James Haynes
• October 6, 2022

Table of Contents

Introduction.

So you want to learn how to write a speech. Maybe it’s for a speech for work, or maybe it’s for a school project. You know that professional speakers don’t just make stuff up. They don’t write a few thoughts on a notecard and then shoot from the hip for an entire presentation. They take the time to write and carefully craft their material. And you’re ready to do that! You have an idea of what you want to speak about, but how do you actually create your talk? How do you give a speech? And what makes a talk “good”?

In this post, you can read answers to all of those questions. You’ll learn tips to go through the process to create a great speech from idea to completion. And you’ll learn how to write and give an inspiring speech. Ready to learn more? Read on!

Before you start to write your speech

A speech is simply a talk meant to get your audience to learn, understand or do something. 

The best speakers on the planet only have one or two talks they do and those talks are insanely good. Start by developing just one, really amazing talk that resonates deeply with your intended audience. The best marketing for your speaking business is a great talk, so it is worth it to put in the hours for this part. Yes, even if your first speaking gig is a free talk at a community center.

Keep in mind: Your audience is always going to be asking two questions: “so what?” and “now what?” So what means, what does this have to do with me? Now what is what you want the audience to do as a result of your talk. Give them action steps to implement what you taught them. If they hear you speak but literally don’t do anything differently, what’s the point?

Giving a speech is almost like mapping for a road trip. If you are going to go on a road trip, it’s easier to have a paper map or Google Maps to tell you where you’re going. But if you just get in the car and you start driving, and people are in the car asking you where we’re going, you’re in trouble! But by organizing and structuring your talk, you can lead the audience to your conclusions. And you can effectively answer those two questions: “so what?” and “now what?”

Free Download: 6 Proven Steps to Book More Paid Speaking Gigs in 2024​

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Want to learn how to write a speech? Read on for 3 steps to make it unforgettable:

1. Begin with the end in mind and tell a story

Have you ever been left at the end of a speech wondering, “What was the point of this talk?” Don’t do that to your audience. When creating your talk, determine the destination that you want to take them to. Once you pick a point, then you can work backwards and reverse engineer how to get your audience to that place.

The best way to do the point of your talk is to find where your audience’s needs converge with your passions. Think about what problems you like to solve and what topics you want to talk about and look out into the world. Who is asking for solutions to those problems? Become the expert on that audience and commit yourself to meeting their needs. (for more on finding your big idea, check out this episode of The Speaker Lab podcast)

Okay, so now you have your topic, the idea you want to communicate. Now what? One of the best ways to create a memorable, relatable talk is by integrating first-person stories . You don’t have to have lost a limb or scaled Mount Everest. Keep an eye out in your everyday life for little moments that can contribute to your message. Write them down and integrate them into your talk. As you get more speaking gigs, you will very quickly learn which stories are a hit and which are total flops…which is all part of the process!

Humans relate to stories. We connect to stories. Funny stories. Sad stories. Inspirational stories. We love stories. So tell them. Lots of them. Stories will keep your audience engaged and are also easier for you to memorize. Telling stories that you lived and experienced generally makes the story better for you and the audience. For the audience, they can often times find themselves in your story. For you as the speaker, it’s much easier (and more powerful) to tell a story that you lived versus one you read in a book.

2. Write out your speech from beginning to end

As Grant Baldwin discusses in this video on preparing your talk , you want to write out your talk to have a basic structure: beginning, middle, and end.

In the beginning, you’re going to want to introduce the problem that your talk is going to solve and ultimately start to capture the audience’s attention. One thing that’s important to remember is there’s a difference between an audience that wants to be there and an audience that has to be there. When you get on stage, you want to be able to answer for the audience: Who are you? Why should I pay attention? Why does this matter? What am I supposed to do with this information? Can I trust you? You want to give the audience a reason to engage with you and where you’re going with the speech.

The next part of the process is the main body. This is where you will provide the solution to the problem or elaborate on the idea you’ve presented, and then share the action items that transform the audience. These action items should be specific, tangible, actionable, and realistic. You want to give something that the audience can leave with knowing exactly what to do now. So you want to make it specific, tangible, actionable, and realistic – not something that’s just vague or squishy, but something that they can actually understand.

The last part of the process is the closing. The purpose of the closing is to transition the audience to your main call to action. Remember, your audience is always asking themselves two questions: “So what?” and “Now what?” And this is where your closing comes in. Your closing is so important because the audience will remember what they learned and heard from you in the final minutes of your talk.

3. Structure your speech

Types of structures for writing your speech.

Another step Baldwin recommended on our podcast on creating your talk is to break your talk into sections beyond the beginning, middle, and end.  As you internalize your talk’s message, you can break the talk into sections that you either deliver in order or out of order.

But regardless of how you break it up, you should determine what the point of each section is. It may be to tell a story to illustrate some key thoughts. Practicing that section could include practicing telling the story aloud, delivering the punchline, and transitioning out of that story into the next point that you’re trying to make. This will make it easier to memorize your speech.

Each section should stack on to what you’ve already learned. So once you learn paragraph one, then you can practice paragraph two. Then you can go back and practice one and two together – again, everyone has their own technique, but oftentimes out loud is best! (Another tactic here is to record yourself and listen back to help you to not only learn the material, but to also help decide if the material works.)

Sequential structures

One method Grant Baldwin discusses in our podcast on how to write your speech is to use different types of structures. For example, a sequential structure for memorizing your talk can take the main themes you want to speak about and put them in a sequential form, so that it’s easier to remember the order. Grant gives the example of a talk he gave for college audiences called “Life is a Highway,” where he talked about an imaginary road trip. 

As Baldwin said, the way the talk was structured was to talk in the beginning about the past, and where the audience has been, then talk about the future, where they’re going, and to end by talking about where they are, right now. “It needs to almost happen in this certain sequence,” Baldwin said, “which also makes it easier for you to memorize because they need to go in this specific order.”

When you use this structure, you can deliver your speech in any order, Unlike a singer, whose audience may know all the lyrics to the song she sings, if a speaker goes out of order, it may be impossible for the audience to notice – after all, they don’t have a script!

Modular structures

Another type of structure you can use to write your speech is a modular structure. This allows you to go in order, but it also allows you to jump around. This could be especially helpful if you’ve got a couple of main thoughts or ideas and they don’t necessarily have to go in a certain order. You can kind of mix and match them around, similar to how a band at a concert can switch songs around in their setlist.

Baldwin gives the example of topics he covered in a book talk for high school students, answering questions such as, should I go to college? how do I pay for college? What classes do I take? What do I major in? Job interviews, resumes, internships, credit cards, budgets, taxes, etc.

Similar to the sequential structure, it may be helpful for you to think of the content as telling a story, so that you don’t leave anything out. If you have five key themes, for example, that you’d like to cover, they could be five elements of a story you would like to tell. Remember: stories will keep your audience engaged and also make it easier for you to write your speech.

By following these steps, you can set yourself up for success. Many external variables help make a speech go well. Beyond working these steps before giving a speech, you should try to put as many of those variables in your favor as possible. Don’t stay up late the night before at a reception. Don’t eat a massive pasta bowl before you go on stage. Try to avoid speaking during a slot when most of the audience will be distracted. If all the variables are stacked against you but you crush your talk, it can still come across as “meh” to the audience.

Keep in mind: Speaking is like playing jazz – you don’t have to give a talk the same way every time. You can improvise and mix it up sometimes, and you don’t need to plan out every hand gesture or movement or exact line you’ll use. Some of that is fine, but also be present enough with the audience that you can play jazz when the moment calls for it.

If you have a dream to inspire others with your message, you’ve probably considered taking your passion to the stage. Becoming a speaker might sound like a charmed life in many ways. And while it does take hard work, it totally is. 

What Type Of Speaker Are You?

Click below to discover your Speaker Archetype and how to start getting booked and paid to speak!

In the meantime, here are a few rapid fire FAQs about speeches. Happy speaking!

How much money can you make as a professional speaker?

The runway to a successful business is often slow. But many professional speakers make 6+ figures a year within a couple years of starting their speaking business!

What degree you need to become a professional speaker?

It does not matter! You can have no degree or a PhD in whatever field you like and still be a great speaker.

Can anyone become a professional speaker?

Absolutely.

How long does it take to become a professional speaker?

This may vary quite a bit, primarily based on your state in life.

• Last Updated: February 29, 2024

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The power of language: How words shape people, culture

Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Studying how people use language – what words and phrases they unconsciously choose and combine – can help us better understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do.

Linguistics scholars seek to determine what is unique and universal about the language we use, how it is acquired and the ways it changes over time. They consider language as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon.

“Understanding why and how languages differ tells about the range of what is human,” said Dan Jurafsky , the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford . “Discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.”

The stories below represent some of the ways linguists have investigated many aspects of language, including its semantics and syntax, phonetics and phonology, and its social, psychological and computational aspects.

Understanding stereotypes

Stanford linguists and psychologists study how language is interpreted by people. Even the slightest differences in language use can correspond with biased beliefs of the speakers, according to research.

One study showed that a relatively harmless sentence, such as “girls are as good as boys at math,” can subtly perpetuate sexist stereotypes. Because of the statement’s grammatical structure, it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.

Language can play a big role in how we and others perceive the world, and linguists work to discover what words and phrases can influence us, unknowingly.

How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally

New Stanford research shows that sentences that frame one gender as the standard for the other can unintentionally perpetuate biases.

Algorithms reveal changes in stereotypes

New Stanford research shows that, over the past century, linguistic changes in gender and ethnic stereotypes correlated with major social movements and demographic changes in the U.S. Census data.

Exploring what an interruption is in conversation

Stanford doctoral candidate Katherine Hilton found that people perceive interruptions in conversation differently, and those perceptions differ depending on the listener’s own conversational style as well as gender.

Cops speak less respectfully to black community members

Professors Jennifer Eberhardt and Dan Jurafsky, along with other Stanford researchers, detected racial disparities in police officers’ speech after analyzing more than 100 hours of body camera footage from Oakland Police.

How other languages inform our own

People speak roughly 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there is a lot in common among languages, each one is unique, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it.

Jurafsky said it’s important to study languages other than our own and how they develop over time because it can help scholars understand what lies at the foundation of humans’ unique way of communicating with one another.

“All this research can help us discover what it means to be human,” Jurafsky said.

Stanford PhD student documents indigenous language of Papua New Guinea

Fifth-year PhD student Kate Lindsey recently returned to the United States after a year of documenting an obscure language indigenous to the South Pacific nation.

Students explore Esperanto across Europe

In a research project spanning eight countries, two Stanford students search for Esperanto, a constructed language, against the backdrop of European populism.

Chris Manning: How computers are learning to understand language​

A computer scientist discusses the evolution of computational linguistics and where it’s headed next.

Stanford research explores novel perspectives on the evolution of Spanish

Using digital tools and literature to explore the evolution of the Spanish language, Stanford researcher Cuauhtémoc García-García reveals a new historical perspective on linguistic changes in Latin America and Spain.

Language as a lens into behavior

Linguists analyze how certain speech patterns correspond to particular behaviors, including how language can impact people’s buying decisions or influence their social media use.

For example, in one research paper, a group of Stanford researchers examined the differences in how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online to better understand how a polarization of beliefs can occur on social media.

“We live in a very polarized time,” Jurafsky said. “Understanding what different groups of people say and why is the first step in determining how we can help bring people together.”

Analyzing the tweets of Republicans and Democrats

New research by Dora Demszky and colleagues examined how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online in an attempt to understand how polarization of beliefs occurs on social media.

Examining bilingual behavior of children at Texas preschool

A Stanford senior studied a group of bilingual children at a Spanish immersion preschool in Texas to understand how they distinguished between their two languages.

Predicting sales of online products from advertising language

Stanford linguist Dan Jurafsky and colleagues have found that products in Japan sell better if their advertising includes polite language and words that invoke cultural traditions or authority.

Language can help the elderly cope with the challenges of aging, says Stanford professor

By examining conversations of elderly Japanese women, linguist Yoshiko Matsumoto uncovers language techniques that help people move past traumatic events and regain a sense of normalcy.

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How To Be More Articulate: Tips To Be A Better Speaker

Speaking in front of others might come naturally to some people, but for many it’s their worst nightmare. But when it comes to speaking articulately, this is a skill that’s very important to possess. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be that well-spoken, learning how to be more articulate in everyday speech can help you be a better speaker overall.

The Basics: How To Be More Articulate in Everyday Speech

Learning how to be more articulate is a process, and it won’t happen overnight. But, if this is a goal that you have for yourself ⁠— whether it’s because you want to make more friends, participate more in the classroom, overcome your fear of public speaking, or make yourself stand out more at a job interview — there are several steps you can take to improve your speaking.

Imitate Speakers You Admire

Who is a speaker that you like to listen to? Think of someone that you admire for their way with words and how they are in front of an audience. A smart first step in becoming more articulate is to imitate speakers that you like. Watch them and listen to them, and notice what they do to capture an audience. Then, try to replicate that the next time you’re speaking with others.

Use of Pauses

Another good trick to help you learn how to become more articulate is to use pauses at the right moments when you’re speaking. Whenever you want to emphasize a sentence, phrase, word, or even a feeling, using a pause before or after will do that for you.

Watch Your Sentence Length

Using long sentences can not only lose your audience, but it can make you out of breath! While it’s okay to use long sentences every so often, try to break them up with shorter sentences to maintain the pace of your speech.

Use Rhythm, Pitch Variation, and Voice Projection

There’s nothing more exhausting than listening to a monotonous speaker. Therefore, it’s important to use rhythm and tempo when you speak. Your intonation is really what captures your listeners, and if you can have a beat to your tone — going up and down when necessary — you’ll sound like a very experienced speaker.

You’ll also want to use a variation in your pitch, as well as train yourself to project your voice or quiet your speaking depending on what emotion you want to evoke in your audience.

Image by Michelle Koebke from Pixabay

The Secret To Being Well-Spoken

Any person can practice for a speech or a presentation in order to sound less nervous. But the secret to being well-spoken in everyday speech takes a lot of practice in order to perfect it and allow you to naturally be more articulate. By following a series of steps, you will be well on your way to becoming more well-spoken.

First, Listen To Yourself Speak

In addition to listening to and imitating a speaker you admire, you should also listen to yourself speak. Although it may be cringe-worthy for some individuals, recording your voice with an audio recorder or video camera and then listening to/watching yourself speak can do wonders.

When you hear it, ask yourself what you’d like to improve on. And, if you’re brave enough, ask a friend, mentor, or teacher to listen, too, because sometimes it’s helpful to get tips from someone else who may hear your speech differently than you do.

Understand Your Audience

The next step in becoming a better speaker is to understand your audience. When you’re speaking, it’s important to adjust your speech depending on who you are speaking to.

For instance, if you are speaking to a class of kindergartners, you’re going to want to use the appropriate-level vocabulary, with a higher pitch and more excitement in your tone overall. But when you’re speaking to someone that’s interviewing you for a job, you’ll want to make yourself sound intelligent, serious, but also approachable.

Slow It Down

Sometimes when we are nervous, we tend to speed up our speech, which can be the one thing holding us back from sounding more articulate. So, when you speak, remember to slow down. Use pauses to help with this, or take a breath between longer sentences.

Eliminate Filler Words/Keep It Simple

When we’re nervous, we tend to insert filler words to fill the spaces in between what we really want to say. Words and phrases like “umm”, “like”, “so”, and “you know” , can easily find their way into speech when what we really want to say isn’t coming out as clearly as we’d like. Try to avoid using these filler words at all costs. And, if you’re struggling to find a word that’s just not coming to you, then remember that keeping it simple is best for everyone.

Enunciate the Final Sound/End of a Word

It’s very common in speaking that the last sound of a word or sentence tends to get mumbled out. While this isn’t necessarily wrong, making sure to enunciate the final sound can make you sound firm and confident in your speech. This will naturally help you sound more articulate. Be sure to always check your pronunciation and hear for those final sounds when speaking.

Show Off Your Confidence

If you are not confident about your speaking, your audience will be able to tell. Even if you don’t necessarily feel confident, try to pretend that you are. Make eye contact with your listeners, and try and carry yourself in a way that exudes confidence. Take Your Time

You should always think before you speak. If you take a second to think about what you want to say before just saying whatever comes to mind, you’ll be able to be more careful with your words.

Not only will this make you more articulate (since you’ll be able to avoid using filler words), it will help you to be more mindful of another person’s thoughts and feelings.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

How To Be Articulate and More…

Learning how to be more articulate takes time and practice. But, once you’ve perfected your speaking, you can always take it to the next level. Depending on which aspects of your articulateness you’d like to improve, there are some strategies to help you get there.

How To Be More Articulate and Intelligent

To be more articulate and intelligent, speaking slowly and carefully to give yourself enough time to think of the right word or phrase before going ahead. Also, it’s worth it to improve your vocabulary so that you can use these words while speaking. Familiarize yourself with diverse topics in order to broaden your knowledge in terms of things you can speak about.

How To Be More Articulate and Polished

Next, to sound more polished when you are speaking, do not answer questions with simple answers. Always give supporting information and evidence, and address the person you’re talking to with specifics and with their name.

How To Be More Articulate and Confident

A lot of what makes a person seem confident when they speak has actually nothing to do with the words coming out of their mouth. In order to sound more articulate and confident, maintain good posture, try to avoid habits like swinging your legs or wringing your hands while speaking, and command the room with a positive presence.

How To Be More Articulate and Powerful

Lastly, to sound more articulate and powerful, avoid using loose descriptive words and superlatives. When you talk about something, talk about it for what it is, and never beat around the bush. Be direct and to the point, and use facts and information to support your points.

Additional Speaking Tips

When it comes to learning how to be more articulate, some speaking tips will resonate with some people more than others, depending on what your specific issues are with speaking and what you want to improve on.

However, there are some additional speaking tips that can help you with speaking in everyday life.

Don’t Sound Like a Know-It-All

Though it’s good to sound more powerful, confident, and articulate, you want to be very careful that you don’t come off as pretentious or a know-it-all. This can be a big turn off to your audience. Never talk down to others, belittle them, or assume they don’t know what you’re talking about. And, also, be sure not to interrupt others and to give them a chance to speak as well.

Build a Database to Pull Stories From

Sometimes, being an articulate speaker also means that others can relate to you; that they find you personable, funny, etc. You don’t always have to be an expert on a topic to be seen as well-spoken or to have others pay attention to you. You just need to be a good storyteller! By building up a database of stories in the back of your mind, you can pull from these depending on the situation.

Don’t Overthink It!

Finally, the most important piece of advice when it comes to being more articulate is to not overthink it! We are all just human, after all, and speaking is just another form of communicating so we can connect with others.

Sure, being well-spoken and articulate can make you a better student, a better entertainer, and a better candidate for the workplace. But, at the end of the day, all that matters is that you stay true to yourself and who you are.

Going to school and earning your degree is a great first step in learning how to be more articulate. University of the People offers degree programs tuition-free, and the skills you learn and experiences you have in school can help make you an expert speaker.

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Although it may appear at first that the people who have the most to benefit from writing are writers, managers, businessmen, journalists, or keynote speakers, that cannot be further from the truth.

Each and every one of us can take away something from developing and honing our writing skills, even if it’s just a simple practice of keeping a journal.

As human beings are social animals, we need to communicate with each other on a daily basis.

Although the majority of that interaction is carried out verbally or non-verbally , a great deal of communication requires us to write. The most obvious example of this is posts or messages on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. This also includes text messages we send each using our smartphones, or through platforms like Skype, Viber, and WhatsApp.

Of course, emails still have their place and some even still hold on to the lost art of writing letters . These are all instances where we are required to write, but what about benefits of writing just for the sake of writing? How can we make use of that?

The following list contains eight reasons why good writing skills can improve your life, and make you a well-rounded, happier individual.

1. Writing Helps Your Clear Your Mind

We've all sometimes felt the need to vent and speak our minds in order to get our point across.

Well, writing can help you do that.

Try and write down all of your thoughts, grievances, doubts, fantasies, and pretty much everything else that crosses your mind. Just write, without thinking about what lands on paper or your computer screen. It may seem like the end result is something pretty chaotic, but that’s not the point.

The point is for you to clear your mind, so that you can go about your day, working, solving problems, and just enjoying life. Without all those thoughts in the back of your head distracting you, you will find it easier to work and focus, no matter what your profession is.

2. Writing Will Help You Recover Memories

You will be surprised at how writing is able to bring back old and almost forgotten memories.

Start writing down those which you do remember. Before you know it, a certain word or a phrase you’ve put down on paper will trigger some other memory you would never have thought of otherwise. Some of those memories won’t be pleasant, but you will be able to look at them from a distance and put them perspective, and ponder how much you have learned from those experiences.

On the other hand, happy memories will put a smile on your face, and you will remember events and people you care about, driving you to get in touch with them again.

3. You Will Be Able to Stockpile Ideas

It is a good rule of thumb to always write down ideas that pop up out of nowhere because you will be less likely to forget about them that way.

You can try and keep them inside your head but, seeing as we live in a digital age, we process an insane amount of information. We are bound to forget most of them, and that includes some great and precious ideas.

However, when you write them down, you will not only save them from being forgotten, but it will be easier for you to develop them and connect them with one another. You can even come up with new ones through brainstorming.

4. Put Your Life Events into Perspective

One of the most basic examples of this is keeping a journal, but it’s not the only way of putting things into perspective.

Writing fiction will also help you analyze things and look at them from a different point of view. You will be able to draw parallels between those fictional events and situations, and those which took place for real in your life. This will help you look at them in a more objective light.

Another effective way of doing this is to start a blog. This will make you think long and hard before you write anything down since your work will read by an audience.

5. Improve Your Verbal and Written Skills

When you are writing something down, you become more careful in choosing the right words. This means your writing will be more eloquent, concise, and elegant than your actual speech.

But, if you keep at it long enough, plenty of those beautifully put together words, phrases, and sentences will begin to find their way in into your verbal communication skills . You will start to use an expanded vocabulary, which will leave a better impression of you on the person you are communicating with. Both your personal and professional lives stand to benefit from this.

6. You Will Feel like You Have Accomplished Something

You know that pleasant sense of accomplishment after building or fixing something, or winning a simple game?

You will also get that feeling once you finish writing a short story, your daily blog post, or your latest journal entry. Those who are more ambitious can take on writing a novel, or a book, which is even more satisfying and brings a greater sense of accomplishment. But, for the time being, stick to shorter forms and, who knows, you might even be able to publish some of your work down the line, or earn some money on the side thanks to your writing skills.

7. It’s a Great Mental Exercise

Keeping in shape doesn’t just apply to exercising your body regularly. You can do the same for you mind as well. Writing activates a number of different cognitive processes, and unleashes your creativity.

All of this will keep your brain sharp and active, and it can even act as a preventative measure against some mental illnesses, such as Alzheimer's or dementia. You can even join an online writing course to hone your skills and practice.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways in which you can benefit from writing on a regular basis, even if you are not a professional writer. All of these tips will lead you to become a more accomplished, eloquent, and satisfied person.

Great writing skills go a long way toward establishing you as a more complete person too. You will be able to improve your social life, and become a better professional.

Start writing today and reap the benefits.

About the Author

After a few years being a freelance teacher, Laura decided to become a freelance writer and editor instead.

She has worked many happy years as a writer, where she helps to edit the work of some of their most diligent and professional writers.

She one day hopes to own a ranch in Texas and has already started saving for the deposit.

Continue to: How Writing Can Make You a Better Person Journaling for Personal Development: Creating a Learning Journal

See also: Lifelong Learning | How to Write a Letter Writing your CV or Resume | Gender Neutral Writing

Simplify, Multiply, and Thrive!

16 Short Speeches About Life

At first, I set out to craft a speech about life . But as I delved deeper into the topic, I realized that summing up the vast tapestry of life in a single speech is a tall order. Life is not just one color or a single note; it’s a vibrant spectrum, a rainbow of experiences, moments, highs, lows, lessons, and memories. Each hue represents a different chapter, emotion, or milestone that contributes to our unique stories.

I also recognize that high school students might come across these words. I fondly recall my own school days when teachers would challenge us to pen down our thoughts on life. Such assignments, seemingly simple on the surface, often pushed us to self-reflection and growth.

With these memories and audiences in mind, I present to you not just one, but multiple speeches on life. Through these, I aim to touch upon the myriad facets of our existence, hoping that each reader, regardless of their age or journey, finds a sliver of resonance, a hint of inspiration, or a moment of reflection.

Speeches About Life

Speeches about life resonate with all of us because life, in its vastness and complexity, is the shared journey we all navigate. It’s filled with rainbows of experiences, highs and lows, and tales of courage, fear, triumphs, and setbacks.

Through these speeches, we get a window into the varied perspectives, learnings, and stories of others. They offer a mirror to our own experiences, sometimes teaching us, sometimes validating our feelings, and often inspiring us to see our path in a new light.

Moreover, life speeches bridge the gap between generations.

From a teenager in high school to a professional in their prime, everyone can find a piece of wisdom or an echo of their own story in these words.

By discussing life, we unite in our shared human experience, finding solace in the thought that we’re not alone in our struggles or joys. This universality, this binding thread, is what makes speeches about life timeless and impactful.

I have delivered these speeches in Toastmasters . I share these speeches when I teach about life and leadership. I have written them in the hope that you too will be inspired to write your speech about life and be an inspiration to others.

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A speech about life aims to provide insights, share personal experiences, motivate the audience, or encourage introspection about the various aspects of human existence.

They can be both. Some speakers draw from their personal journeys and lessons learned, while others tap into universal truths and shared human experiences.

No, everyday experiences can provide profound insights. It’s about the message and the perspective, not necessarily the drama of the events.

Using storytelling, anecdotes, humor, and asking thought-provoking questions can make your speech more engaging. Ensure that the content resonates with the audience’s experiences and emotions.

Focus on authenticity, clarity of message, and audience engagement. Also, incorporating relatable stories or analogies can make the content memorable.

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About the author.

Jef Menguin

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What are the Benefits of Public Speaking?

August 18, 2017 - Dom Barnard

Public speaking is a great way of  building personal development  on many levels, since improving communication skills is helpful in almost every area of life. Whether your goal is to engage in political debate, make a career as a motivational speaker or gain confidence in front of an audience, public speaking can help you meet your goal.

We’ve listed the top benefits of public speaking, which will encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and sign up to speak at a few events in the future.

1. Career advancement

Effective  public speaking skills  can help with career advancement, as they indicate creativity, critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, poise, and professionalism, qualities which are very valuable for the job market.

Speaking at events and conferences is a good way of building credibility. The more well known the event the better, as you can add these speaking achievements to your resume.

Public speaking can also help you stand out at work. You’ll learn to speak up in meetings, to promote your ideas, and to present yourself as a professional. Speaking skills can also help you  excel in job interviews .

After speaking at a few events, people will remember you and begin to see you as an authoritative figure on your area of expertise. You’ll find yourself getting new client and business from people who watched you speak. All sorts of new business and speaking opportunities will open up for you.

2. Boost confidence

Public speaking can significantly boost your confidence. Overcoming the fears and insecurities that accompany public speaking is empowering. Furthermore, connecting with audiences can be a strong reminder that you have valuable insights and opinions to share with the world.

Your confidence levels will grow as you go from speaking to small groups of people up to large audiences. This will benefit you not just on stage, but in everyday life as well, whether it be in a meeting or on a date.

A study by  North Carolina Cooperative Extension  of people aged 9 to 18 who participated in a public speaking program found that public speaking increased confidence. The study found that meeting a goal was an important factor when it came to increasing the students confidence.

While the nervousness that comes with speaking in front of a crowd won’t entirely disappear, it will teach you how to deal with your fears and turn your weakness into strength.

3. Critical thinking

Public speaking is an excellent way to build critical thinking skills.  Writing a speech  requires a great deal of careful thought, from the audience analysis to the closing sentence. It’s not enough to have a message, you also need to figure out how to tailor the message to fit the needs of your audience.

How can you make your points relevant to your listeners? How can you help the audience understand your views? If you start thinking critically about your speaking style, you may find ways to improve your general communication style at home and at work.

4. Personal development

Communication skills are crucial for personal and professional success and improving this area is one of the greatest benefits of public speaking. Preparing a speech forces speakers to take a step back and think critically about  effective ways to communicate . In everyday life, it’s easy to fall back on communication habits we formed many years ago.

5. Improve communication skills

When you write a speech, you have to think carefully about the best framework, persuasive strategy, and diction to communicate your message to the audience. This type of thinking can help you improve your communication skills in other areas of your life.

Personal relationships, social interactions and work situations require you to communicate ideas to other people. Public speaking focuses on communicating ideas. You can learn to calmly take up an opposing view, to present your ideas in an organized and coherent manner, and to defend your views to others.

6. Make new social connections

Public speaking engagements are good places to meet other people who share your interests. You’ll find that people approach you after your presentation to engage in conversation. It makes it much easier to make  new social connections . Try to mingle with the audience for as long as you can after your speech, answering questions and seeking fresh perspectives on your topic.

Give audience members the option of getting in touch with you at a later date by listing contact information on handouts or slides. If you have a website, direct audience members to find more information there.

If you are part of a speaking line-up, reach out to your fellow presenters. Congratulate them or, if you miss a talk, ask how it went. There are lots of opportunities for networking in the realm of public speaking, so plan ahead and make use of them.

7. Personal satisfaction

Public speaking is a  very common phobia , right up there with spiders and heights. Many people would prefer to do almost anything instead of standing up and talking in front a crowd of people. Delivering a speech can feel intimidating and risky.

Fears and insecurities tend to multiply as the speech draws closer: “What if I forget my speech?” “What if I can’t answer the audience’s questions?” Public speaking is a way of showing yourself that, with practice, you can do the things that scare you the most. What starts out as a nightmare can turn into a personal boost.

8. Expand your professional network

Another benefit of public speaking is that when you speak at an event, you will suddenly find that everyone wants to talk with you. This is a valuable opportunity for making friends, building business contacts and generating business.

Not only this, but you also get the opportunity to network with other speakers, some of whom may be very difficult to contact normally. Speaking events may also have guest rooms for speakers where they are given food and drink and can network together.

9. Learn to persuade

Public speaking has a long history as a catalyst for nonviolent activism and  political change . It is a powerful way to unite people under a common cause and motivate them to take action. It’s no secret that people throughout history have used the power of public speaking to make a difference.

You’ll hardly ever have a better opportunity to speak to a captive audience about what really matters to you. You’ll get a chance to influence your peers. You won’t change the world with every speech, but you can easily impact someone in some small way.

10. Build leadership skills

If you let others do your talking for you in the past or found it hard to express what you wanted to say, that will fade. Not only will you be able to fluently speak your mind but you’ll find yourself doing it for others too.

In standing up and speaking in a way that is powerful, you’re speaking in a way that will change people’s minds about something. If you’re able to master that skill, changing hearts and minds and learning how to persuade, you will be already honing one of the major aspects of leadership.

If you’re able to do it in public to a group of people, chances are you’ll be able to do it in a more individualized setting. Leaders require the capacity to drive change, public  speaking skills are vital  in learning that ability.

11. Learn performance skills

You’ll have become conscious of timing, when to pause and how long for. You’ll know about vocal variety, how to shift through changes of volume, speech rate and tone. Your articulation will be clearer. As you become more confident you’ll know about mime, using props and storytelling. All of these  acting skills  enhance your speech.

12. Develop your vocabulary and fluency

You’ll know the effect of the words you choose to express your message and you’ll also know they need to be different for different audiences. As well as having a flexible vocabulary, you’ll no longer use  common filler words  we hear in everyday conversation indicating that the speaker may be unsure about what they’re saying or anxious about speaking.

13. No fear of impromptu speaking

When called upon to say a few words at a moment’s notice at a wedding, awards ceremony or other special occasion, your heart will not pound. Instead you’ll find yourself graciously accepting the opportunity for an  impromptu speech . This is a huge benefit of public speaking and you’ll stop constantly worrying at formal events about being asked to speak.

14. Learn to argue

When you present, you often need to put forward a well thought out argument. In the preparation, in the practice and on the actual stage, you will learn much about the art of argument, especially if you get to engage with your audience in some form of question and answer.

15. Helps you drive change

Who do we listen to more, someone talking to us in person or an email? The person speaking is always going to be more convincing than a note sent across the internet. You could spend your time going from person to person, if that’s your comfort zone.

But think about how many more people you could reach if you stood up on stage and had them all gathered together in an audience. If you’re speaking to an audience of 300 versus one-on-one, then you’re driving serious change. The more people you’re able to speak to, the more change you can implement.

16. Be a better listener

Listening may be a lost art, but a public speaking course actually teaches you to become a  better listener . When you attend conferences, you’ll hear several different types of speeches about a wide variety of topics, from people who may be very different from you. This will passively build your listening ability and note taking.

These benefits of public speaking make getting out of your comfort zone and giving a speech absolutely worth it. You’ll be nervous the first few times you speak, however you’ll quickly learn to enjoy the experience.

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35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now

By Francesca Paris and Larry Buchanan April 14, 2023

• Share full article

“It’s like collaborating with an alien.”

“Everything is becoming much easier.”

“It feels like I’ve hired an intern.”

“What used to take me around a half-hour to write now takes one minute.”

“It’s enormous fun.”

The public release of ChatGPT last fall kicked off a wave of interest in artificial intelligence. A.I. models have since snaked their way into many people’s everyday lives. Despite their flaws , ChatGPT and other A.I. tools are helping people to save time at work, to code without knowing how to code, to make daily life easier or just to have fun.

It goes beyond everyday fiddling: In the last few years, companies and scholars have started to use A.I. to supercharge work they could never have imagined, designing new molecules with the help of an algorithm or building alien-like spaceship parts.

Here’s how 35 real people are using A.I. for work, life, play and procrastination.

People are using A.I. to …

Plan gardens.

John Pritzlaff Gardener

Mr. Pritzlaff is building a permaculture garden in his backyard in Phoenix, where he uses drought-resistant trees to give shade to other species.

“I do these ultra-high-density planting arrangements,” he said. “And I’ve been employing ChatGPT to give me inspiration on species that wouldn’t have otherwise occurred to me, and for choosing the site for each tree: the best part of the yard with regard to the sun at different times of the year.”

Taking into account his geographical location, it suggested, for example, that he might use a moringa tree to provide shade for a star apple.

Plan workouts.

Louis Maddox Data scientist

Mr. Maddox finds ChatGPT the perfect companion for his workouts. For example, one day he pasted in his workout notes and said:

Give a concisely formatted summary of this workout and the muscle groups activated. Note any muscle groups that were missed and suggest how to cover them with extras/replacements.

After summarizing the notes, ChatGPT said:

Missed Muscle Groups & Suggestions: Quadriceps: Add leg press, squats or lunges. Calves: Add standing or seated calf raises. Glute Activation: Consider adding glute bridges or hip thrusts for better glute focus.

From there he asked ChatGPT what to prioritize if he didn’t have much time for the gym, and to sketch out roughly how long it might all take.

It’s not perfect, he says, but it gets the job done. Mostly, he says, ChatGPT helps him get going under time constraints, and not let the busywork “become an excuse not to do it.”

Plan meals.

Kelsey Szemborski Stay-at-home mother of three

Ms. Szemborski is a busy mom who is “always on the lookout for something that will make my life easier.” So when she found ChatGPT, she tried asking it for a gluten-free meal plan. And she added:

It needs to be both budget-friendly and also kid-friendly for kids who are picky eaters and we need to avoid peanuts. Please include a grocery list. Thank you!

And ChatGPT obliged. Here’s the first day of a week’s meals:

Breakfast: Gluten-free oatmeal with banana and honey Snack: Fresh fruit (apples, bananas, oranges) Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich on gluten-free bread with tomato soup Snack: Gluten-free crackers with hummus Dinner: Slow-cooked beef stew with gluten-free biscuits

“It completely eliminated my normal meal-planning process that involved searching for recipes, trying to think of meal ideas, configuring a list of all of those ideas, and then making a list of the ingredients I need, too.”

Make a gift.

Matt Strain Technology and innovation consultant

Mr. Strain used ChatGPT to create a custom book of cocktails based on the tenets of traditional Chinese medicine written in the style of the J. Peterman catalog. He took the idea further the next day, using DALL-E to generate images of the cocktails for the final book, which he gave to his girlfriend for Valentine’s Day.

Design parts for spaceships.

Ryan McClelland NASA research engineer

Mr. McClelland’s job is to design mission hardware that’s both light and strong. It’s a job that has always required a lot of trial and error.

But where a human might make a couple of iterations in a week, the commercial A.I. tool he uses can go through 30 or 40 ideas in an hour. It’s also spitting back ideas that no human would come up with.

“The resulting design is a third of the mass; it’s stiffer, stronger and lighter,” he said. “It comes up with things that, not only we wouldn’t think of, but we wouldn’t be able to model even if we did think of it.”

Sometimes the A.I. errs in ways no human would: It might fill in a hole the part needs to attach to the rest of the craft.

“It’s like collaborating with an alien,” he said.

Organize a messy computer desktop.

Alex Cai College sophomore

“I had a lot of unsorted notes lying around, and I wanted to get them sorted into my file system so I can find them more easily in the future. I basically just gave ChatGPT a directory, a list of all my folder names, and the names of all my files. And it gave me a list of which notes should go into which folders!”

Write a wedding speech.

Jonathan Wegener Occasional wedding officiant

Mr. Wegener and his girlfriend were officiating a friend’s wedding in December, but he procrastinated.

“A few hours before, I said, ‘Can GPT-3 write this officiant speech?’” he recalled. “The first version was generic, full of platitudes. Then I steered it.”

Adam is a great lover of plants

“The speech came back with these beautiful metaphors. It nailed it.” It was just missing one important part.

Can you add that thing about in sickness and in health?

Write an email.

Nicholas Wirth Systems administrator

Mr. Wirth uses ChatGPT to simplify tech jargon when he emails his bosses: “My organization specifically pays me to keep the computer’s internet online, and my own literacy is limited. I work with C-level executives, and their time is not to be wasted.”

He also gets it to generate first drafts of long emails. He might say:

I need a midsized summary email written pertaining to data not being given to us in time.

He also asks for a bullet-point list of the concerns that have to be addressed in the email.

And ChatGPT starts a reply:

Subject: Data not received in time – Phone and internet provider information Hello [Name], I want to bring to your attention an issue we are facing with the data that was supposed to be provided to us by [Date.] As of now, we have not received the following information that is critical for our project …

Get a first read.

Charles Becker Entrepreneurship professor

“So I’ll have a paragraph I might be putting into a test for a student, or instructions. I say:

Where might people have trouble with this? What’s unclear about this? What’s clear about this?

“I generate a lot of writing both for my work and for my hobbies, and a lot of time I run out of people who are excited to give me first-pass edits.”

Play devil’s advocate.

Paul De Salvo Data engineer

“I use ChatGPT every day for work,” he said. “It feels like I’ve hired an intern.”

Part of Mr. De Salvo’s job is convincing his bosses that they should replace certain tools. That means pitching them on why the old tool won’t cut it anymore.

“I use ChatGPT to simulate arguments in favor of keeping the existing tool,” he said. “So that I can anticipate potential counterarguments.”

Build a clock that gives you a new poem every minute.

Matt Webb Consultant and blogger

“Yes, programmatic A.I. is useful,” he said. “But more than that, it’s enormous fun.”

Organize research for a thesis.

Anicca Harriot Ph.D. student

Anicca Harriott has been powering through her Ph.D. thesis in biology with the help of Scholarcy and Scite , among other A.I. tools that find, aggregate and summarize relevant papers.

“Collectively, they take weeks off of the writing process.”

Skim dozens of academic articles.

Pablo Peña Rodríguez Private equity analytics director

Mr. Rodriguez works for a private equity fund that invests in soccer players. And that means reading a lot.

“We use our own data sets and methodology, but I always want to have a solid understanding of the academic literature that has been published,” he said.

Instead of picking through Google Scholar, he now uses an A.I. tool called Elicit. It lets him ask questions of the paper itself. It helps him find out, without having to read the whole thing, whether the paper touches on the question he’s asking.

“It doesn’t immediately make me ‘smart,’ but it does allow me to have a very quick sense of which papers I should pay attention to when approaching a new question.”

Cope with ADHD …

Rhiannon Payne Product marketer and author

“With ADHD, getting started and getting an outline together is the hardest part,” Ms. Payne said. “Once that’s done, it’s a lot easier to let the work flow.”

She writes content to run marketing tests. To get going, she feeds GPT a few blog posts she’s written on the subject, other materials she’s gathered and the customer profile.

“Describing the audience I’m speaking to, that context is super important to actually get anything usable out of the tool,” she said. What comes back is a starter framework she can then change and build out.

… and dyslexia, too.

Eugene Capon Tech founder

Imagine yourself as a copywriter that I just hired to proofread documents.

“Because I’m dyslexic, it takes me a really long time to get an article down on paper,” Mr. Capon said. “So the hack I’ve come up with is, I’ll dictate my entire article. Then I’ll have ChatGPT basically correct my spelling and grammar.

“So something that was taking like a full day to do, I can now do in like an hour and a half.”

Sort through an archive of pictures.

Daniel Patt Software engineer

On From Numbers to Names , a site built by the Google engineer Daniel Patt in his free time, Holocaust survivors and family members can upload photos and scan through half a million pictures to find other pictures of their loved ones. It’s a task that otherwise would take a gargantuan number of hours.

“We’re really using the A.I. to save time,” he said. “Time is of the essence, as survivors are getting older. I can’t think of any other way we could achieve what we’re doing with the identification and discoveries we’re making.”

Transcribe a doctor’s visit into clinical notes.

Dr. Jeff Gladd Integrative medicine physician

Dr. Gladd uses Nabla’s Copilot to take notes during online medical consultations. It’s a Chrome extension that listens into the visit and grabs the necessary details for his charts. Before: Writing up notes after a visit took about 20 percent of consult time. Now: The whole task lasts as long as it takes him to copy and paste the results from Copilot.

Appeal an insurance denial.

Dr. Jeffrey Ryckman Radiation oncologist

Dr. Ryckman uses ChatGPT to write the notes he needs to send insurers when they’ve refused to pay for radiation treatment for one of his cancer patients.

“What used to take me around a half-hour to write now takes one minute,” he said.

Write an insurance rebuttal to an insurance company about treatment of the primary prostate tumor and single site of metastases. Make the tone polite but assertive. Use the terms ‘medically necessary’ and ‘would render the patient without evidence of radiographic disease.’

Write Excel formulas.

Mike Jungbluth Video game animator

“I could ask a specific question on the type of formula I wanted, and then I could reword my question based on the answer it gave me. This allowed for a more interactive and iterative process towards finding the answer than I found through tutorials, articles or random message board posts.”

Mr. Jungbluth had needed a formula that would assign time estimates when he picked out a combination of variables. With a few prompts to ChatGPT, eventually he got it:

=IF(OR(C263=”GroupAType1”, C263=”GroupAType2”, C263=”GroupAType3”, C263=”GroupAType4”), IF(D263=”GroupASize1”, Key!$K$3, IF(D263=”GroupASize2”, Key$K$4, IF(D263=”GroupASize3”, Key!$K$5, “NA”))), IF(OR(C263=”GroupBType1”, C263=”GroupBType2”), IF(D263=”GroupBSize1”, Key!$K$8, IF(D263=”GroupBSize2”, Key!$K$9, IF(D263=”GroupBSize3”, Key!$K$10, “NA”))), “NA”))

Get feedback on fiction.

Paul Gamlowski Microfiction author

“After I finish 98 percent of a story, I prompt ChatGPT with:”

Summarize the meaning or symbolism of this story I wrote. Mention any plot twist. Speculate on the moral of the story. Analyze how well the story reads to an average reader grammatically and structurally. Analyze if the title matches appropriately.

If ChatGPT misses the point, or the moral, “that tells me as a writer probably many readers will miss it too.” And he’ll give it another shot. “So I just adjust a few words or a phrase and have it re-analyze and it gets it. It doesn’t take away from the story because I still write in a literary symbolic way, but it helps me get insight into what a future reader might get or miss.”

Get homework help.

Maya Upadhyay High school student

Ms. Upadhyay takes advanced placement math classes, like statistics and calculus, and says when she’s confused with a homework question, she’ll feed it into ChatGPT.

It will give her an answer, but also step-by-step instructions on how it got there — a kind of self-guided tutoring process that she once used math apps or Khan Academy videos for.

“Sometimes if I’m still confused, I can ask the A.I. to put it into simpler terms. It’s just become another option for me to use and it’s been really helpful to have whenever I need it.”

Learn Chinese.

Jason Phang Ph.D. student in data science

“My Chinese teacher has actually recommended I use ChatGPT to supplement my learning. ChatGPT generally writes more fluently/formally than I can.”

Mr. Phang uses it as a two-way street, sometimes writing a paragraph in Chinese, then asking ChatGPT to clean up his work. Other times he asks ChatGPT to write the paragraph first, then he combs the paragraph for phrases or sentence structures and writes from there.

Get help when English is your second language.

Ronald Mannak Entrepreneur

“If I can’t think of a particular word, for example, it is super easy to just describe the word, and GPT almost always knows what I mean, even if the description is really bad.”

Create an app when you’ve never coded before.

Ethan Mollick Professor at the University of Pennsylvania

“I wondered if I could make a button on my computer that, when I hit it, will automatically summarize a document for me. I said:

Can you do that?

“And GPT-4 said:

Sure! Here’s a Python program.

“I pasted in everything it told me to paste in. Now I have a button on my computer to summarize documents. And I can’t code, by the way.”

Fix bugs in your code.

Roman Pshichenko Software engineer

When his code doesn’t run, Mr. Psichenko’s go-to fix is ChatGPT. He pastes in his code, and he often gets a decent suggestion for how to rewrite it.

“It’s like if you had a good, mostly respectable co-worker, that can give you the time to make their suggestions match your tools, your environment, everything that couldn’t possibly be addressed in one of those generic posts online.”

Play Pong …

Pietro Schiarno Developer and designer

“It did it in 60 seconds. I asked it:

Give me Pong.

“It spat out the code. All I had to do was copy-paste, run it, and it worked.”

… or 3D games.

Ammaar Reshi Design manager

Mr. Reshi first tried using GPT-4 to make the game Snake, and that was too easy. So then he tried something in 3D: SkyRoads, one of his childhood favorites.

It took time, and help from another chatbot (Anthropic’s A.I. assistant Claude ), but ultimately Mr. Reshi — who does not himself know how to code — was able to replicate a simple version of the game.

Build entirely new games.

Daniel Tait Hobby game designer

Mr. Tait was playing Sudoku, and got a little bored. It occurred to him that ChatGPT might have a few ideas for a new game. So he asked:

Can you create me a puzzle game like Sudoku?

“Instantly, it came up with some pretty good puzzle game ideas,” he said. “I found one I was happy with.”

Then he wrote:

Can you code me a playable version of this?

“Lo and behold, a couple seconds later, I had a playable version of the puzzle .”

He even let the A.I. name the game.

Teach people to curl like a pro.

Levi Lelis Assistant professor

Mr. Lelis trained an A.I. to come up with the best curling strategy, and now he’s figuring out the best ways to use its results to teach players. His most recent research shows that the program can make a decent coach. The key, he says, is that the program doesn’t just give the player the answer — where exactly to aim the stone — but also the justification. It shows you a similar but not quite identical scenario, and tells you how much worse that placement would be.

He found that it was an effective teacher, but it has one shortcoming. It doesn’t adapt to the skill level of the person it’s teaching. “We only focus on strategy,” he said. “We do assume the person would be Olympic level.”

Create new proteins in minutes.

Christoffer Norn Senior Researcher at BioInnovation Institute

Two years ago researchers cracked the code on using A.I. to predict the shape of proteins .

Creating new proteins can be a critical scientific endeavor: In the past, humans have been able to make insulin analogs for diabetics and immune cells that fight cancer.

But all of that is hard. Building a new protein requires determining how a sequence of amino acids will fold up into a final molecular structure, to figure out how the protein actually functions.

“Beforehand, we had to draw out a blueprint of how we wanted the new protein to look, and then we’d spend a lot of time having the computer generate examples and, rarely, those examples worked,” Mr. Norn said.

Now A.I. can do it. He used it recently to make a light-generating firefly-esque protein while at the University of Washington. Other researchers have used A.I. in the search for a malaria vaccine , and for Parkinson’s research .

“We can only test so many hypotheses in a day,” he said. “I can have an idea, maybe a protein of a particular structure, but I have not memorized all the protein structures. The algorithms have. They’ve looked at all of them, and generalized rules for how to put together new structures. It’s pretty amazing.”

He has done protein research for a decade. This, he says, is the most efficient he has ever been.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “Everything is becoming much easier.”

Identify diseases in banana plants.

Michael Selvaraj Scientist at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture

There are a lot of ways a banana plant can die, from Xanthomonas wilt to banana bunchy top virus. And the farmers responsible for producing more than 100 million tons of bananas each year aren’t trained as diagnosticians.

“Classification of disease is really difficult,” said Mr. Selvaraj, a senior scientist at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture.

He trained an A.I. on nearly 20,000 pictures of all kinds of banana plants: sick, healthy, young and old. Now farmers across India, Latin America and Africa can use his app, Tumaini, to take pictures of their crop and get a diagnosis.

“If we know the disease is coming, this will be helpful for scientists, stakeholders and government,” he said.

Draw like Sol LeWitt.

Amy Goodchild Generative artist

The famed artist Sol LeWitt’s instructions were prescriptive and specific, the kind you might want to hand over to an A.I. model. So Ms. Goodchild did, seeing if A.I. could create art by carrying out Lewitt’s instructions and generating Javascript code.

With OpenAI’s older model, GPT-3, it was mostly a flop. But GPT-4 did OK — on some of them.

On a wall surface, any continuous stretch of wall, using a hard pencil, place 50 points at random. The points should be evenly distributed over the area of the wall. All of the points should be connected by straight lines.

Describe entire Dungeons & Dragons worlds.

Jackson Green Dungeon master

When you run a Dungeons & Dragons game, Mr. Green says, you have to be creative, but that almost always means pulling from existing fantasy literature.

“The game is sometimes wholesale lifted and reskinned, like a kind of collaborative plagiarism,” he said. And ChatGPT is great at it.

Describe a fantasy medieval city that has an enormous network of canals for travel. What factions and guilds are there?

The city of Venoria is a bustling metropolis located on the shores of a great inland sea. It is known for its impressive network of canals, which crisscross the city and serve as the primary means of transportation for its residents. Boats and gondolas ply the waterways, ferrying people and goods from one part of the city to another. Venoria is a city of many factions and guilds, each with its own interests and agendas. The Merchant's Guild is a powerful force in the city, controlling much of the trade that flows through its ports. The Artisans' Guild is also influential, with its members producing everything from fine jewelry to intricate clockwork mechanisms ...

Make a Spotify playlist

Jonathan Soma Journalism professor at Columbia University

Mr. Soma wanted “on-demand, vibes-based” playlists. All Sum 41 songs, with none of the slow ones, for example. So he hooked up GPT-3 to Spotify.

Now he can just type:

Give me songs that are acoustic but energetic.

Play the Cars but none of those boring slow songs.

And he gets back his playlist.

Play with language.

Bethany Grace Howe Writer and comedian

Ms. Howe doesn’t actually try out jokes on ChatGPT. But the A.I. is useful when she needs a creative boost.

“Sometimes I have an idea about something that I think might be funny, and so I will get ChatGPT working on alliteration or words that rhyme or synonyms that start with a certain letter or whatever, so that I can kind of build a joke.”

It’s particularly helpful for bizarre acronyms, like this:

Please tell me the words I could use to create the acronym ‘BIBERE’ to identify an organization dedicated to getting together after work to hit the bar — without saying we’re going to the bar in a workplace email.

ChatGPT offered:

Break, Indulge, Brainstorm Escaping, Relax and Enjoy

Explore Our Coverage of Artificial Intelligence

News  and Analysis

OpenAI unveiled Voice Engine , an A.I. technology that can recreate a person’s voice from a 15-second recording.

Amazon said it had added $2.75 billion to its investment in Anthropic , an A.I. start-up that competes with companies like OpenAI and Google.

Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee signed a bill  to prevent the use of A.I. to copy a performer’s voice. It is the first such measure in the United States.

French regulators said Google failed to notify news publishers  that it was using their articles to train its A.I. algorithms, part of a wider ruling against the company for its negotiating practices with media outlets.

16 Most Life-Changing Motivational Speeches & What You’ll Gain from Them

It’s all very well reading about ways to get ahead in life, but no account will ever reach you in quite the same way as hearing someone speak about their own experiences. While these people may be household names now, it wasn’t always that way, and this collection of some of the best motivational speeches will move you and inspire you to make your own dreams come true.

From Arnold Schwarzenneger talking about how he filled every moment of every day with steps to fulfil his ambition of becoming Mr. Universe, to J.K. Rowling’s life as an impoverished single mother, these speeches will fill you with the drive and determination to reach your full potential, and not let anything stand in your way.

Some are long, and some last just a few minutes, but each one will make you want to grab life with both hands and go for what you want, whatever it is.

“Most people have done all that they’re ever going to do – they raise a family, they earn a living, and then they die.”

That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Wrong! Life is made for greater things, and you are meant for greater things.

When Les Brown was a child, he was labeled ‘educable mentally retarded’, and until a chance encounter with another teacher, he believed that he would amount to nothing. But this one teacher planted the seeds in Les’ head which would blossom and grow, and eventually make him one of the best motivational speakers of all time.

This speech will give you permission to rise above other people’s opinions, to break free of their prejudices, and make a success of whatever you do. Watch ‘It’s Not Over Until You Win! Your Dream is Possible’ and take those first steps towards following your passion and making your dream come true.

“Stress doesn’t come from the facts, stress comes from the meaning that we give the facts.”

Life is about choices. Every day we’re faced with hundreds of choices, and this speech by Tony Robbins will help you see that it’s the choices, not the conditions, which shape our lives.

Take a moment during this speech to pause and reflect on some choices you have made in the past, and really think about the direction your life took because of them, both good and bad. Tony Robbins explains in his inimitable way that we have the choice to focus on what we want, and that when we focus, we can achieve whatever we want.

Part of Tony’s speech explains how, when the economy is down, some people thrive and some people crash and burn, and the COVID 19 pandemic is the perfect example. Small businesses took a huge hit, and while some of them threw up their hands in despair and said ‘that’s it, it’s over for us’, others adapted, and saw it as an opportunity to expand, diversify, and turn the situation to their advantage.

And that’s the cornerstone of this video – how we react, how we adapt, and how we choose is the difference between success and failure.

“So every rep that I do gets me closer to accomplishing the goal to make this goal – this vision – into reality.”

Be inspired by Arnold Schwarzenneger as he talks about his goal of becoming Mr. Universe. Never wasting a second of his day, Arnie worked in construction, spent 5 hours in the gym, and went to acting classes, all of which took him further along his journey to making his dream come true.

We all have a propensity to waste time, but if you have a goal, if you have a passion that smolders away, take a leaf out of Arnie’s book and make sure that everything you do propels you forward.

And don’t be afraid to fail.

“Your conviction and your convenience don’t live on the same block.”

If you are a fan of The Secret, you will be familiar with Lisa Nicholls. In this video, Lisa tells Tom Bilyeu how she was willing to leave everything and everyone behind in order to grow into the version of herself that she knew she wanted.

Lisa explains how, as a young mother, she was forced to wrap her baby in a towel for two days because she had no money for diapers, and how it was at that moment that she vowed never to be that broke or that broken again.

Change, success, drive…they’re all inconvenient and disruptive, and Lisa Nicholls demonstrates that wonderfully in this emotional and highly motivating interview in which she declares “your story is not meant to be your fortress, your story is meant to be your fuel.”

Eric Thomas had a dream, a goal, and that goal was to be the best motivational speaker in the world. He didn’t achieve this by giving 70%, or 80%…he didn’t achieve it by staying in bed late in the mornings. He achieved it by giving 100% every minute of every day.

Listen to Eric’s words, hear the passion in his voice, and feel the lessons he is giving to you if you want to be the best at whatever you do.

“If we don’t take control of our environment, it takes control of us.”

This short piece by Tony Robbins has been designed to show you that you are in control of your own environment. Whether you realize it or not, what goes on around you has a massive influence on the way you feel and the way you act.

By taking leadership of your own life, you can defy outside influences and set your own tone for the day ahead, regardless of whatever or whoever is exerting pressure from the outside.

Follow Tony’s example of taking 10 minutes for yourself at the start of every day – for gratitude, prayer or wishes for family and friends, and a recap of what you want to accomplish that day, and your day will continue on that same path of thankfulness, hope, and goals.

“Your mind doesn’t know the difference between something you vividly imagined and something that’s real, literally!”

If you want to emulate the way successful people behave, take these 10 billionaires’ habits and adopt them yourself for 21 days.

Billed by Jim Kwik as being ‘like a magic pill’, these habits will rewire your brain into thinking and behaving like some of the world’s most successful people.

In this 8 minute clip, Jim shares how, for instance, your brain reacts the same way when you imagine your dog walking in as it does when your dog actually walks in, and this can apply to anything. What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

As much as this applies to positive things, it also can be applied to negative things, so if you imagine failure, that’s what you will get. Fill your mind with thoughts of success and that’s what will happen.

None of these habits are difficult to accomplish, but in doing so you will change your entire mindset into one of a hugely successful person, no matter what you want to achieve in life.

“Don’t leave crumbs.”

If this sounds more like a housekeeping hint and less like a motivational affirmation, you’re 50% right. Our lives do need housekeeping, and not leaving crumbs – i.e. regrets – which will come back and rob your tomorrow of joy, is one of the chores you need to do on a daily basis.

Matthew McConaughey delivers a powerful speech in a gentle way at the University of Houston Commencement Address.

Discussing the five rules he lives by, he will show you how to avoid falling into a trap of entitlement, and why ‘Unbelievable’ is the stupidest word in the dictionary.

With some invaluable life lessons contained inside a highly watchable speech, Matthew McConaughey is an unlikely but very inspiring speaker who has stayed humble despite all his successes.

“There are a lot of sharks in the world; if you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them. So if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”

Spoken with eloquence and quiet assuredness, this six-minute speech draws on US Navy Admiral William McRaven’s experience of survival in the Navy Seals.

He explains how making your bed, while seemingly insignificant and even pointless, will set a series of tasks in motion which will ensure that at best, the first job of the day is done, and at worst, you have a neat, tidy bed to fall into at the end of a trying day.

The world is full of people who want to bring you down (the sharks) but if you stand your ground, they will eventually swim away, leaving you to go on to bigger and better things.

“Sometimes life’s gonna hit you in the face with a brick…don’t lose faith.”

Steve Jobs, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Apple Inc. was hit in the face with more than one brick during his 56 years on earth. From being given up for adoption as a baby, to being fired from the very company which he founded, he never let anything get in his way.

In this commencement speech at Stamford University in 2005, Steve explained how his love for what he did spurred him on to rebuild his life in spectacular fashion.

Life dealt a further blow when, in 2003, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This speech focuses on three stories which, when combined, show how life offers opportunities for change and growth, no matter how dire the circumstances.

Steve Jobs never graduated college, but when he died in 2011, aged just 56, he had a net worth of US$7 billion. He achieved this by doing what he loved, and in this speech he will inspire you to do the same.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously than you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default.”

Let J. K. Rowling inspire you with this 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University. Extolling the virtues of failure and imagination, she tells the graduates how being at rock bottom set her free to pursue her dreams of being an author.

As poor as it is possible to be without being homeless, she created the world of Harry Potter and went on to amass a fortune of £795 million, but that without her failures in life, she would never have had the opportunity to do so.

Let her words become your own mantra, and view every failure in your life as a future success.

“We shine, because baby you just can’t dim the sun.”

A beautiful antidote for anyone who has ever felt or been told that they are ‘too much’, Gina Hatzis’ winning Speaker Slam speech of 2018 will give you permission to be unashamedly you.

Although written by a woman for women, this powerful and sometimes humorous speech about being your own authentic self will inspire anyone – man or woman – to shine and never dim their own light to suit other people.

“The first step you need to take is just that…step.”

If you are in need of a short, sharp burst of motivation, listen to this speech by ex Navy Seal, Jocko Willink.

Running for less than three minutes, this recording will inspire you to take a step into whatever you want to achieve. Awarded both the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for service, Jocko Willink is no stranger to taking those brave steps, having come face to face with Iraqu insurgents in Ramadi. He will spur you on to put one metaphorical foot in front of the other, and will leave you in no doubt as to what you need to do to achieve your goals.

“On the other side of your maximum fear are all of the best things in life.”

If you like your motivation with a side order of laughter, watch Will Smith as he talks about fear. Agreeing to skydive on a night out with friends, Will realizes that he actually has to go through with it.

Discussing how fear ruins things (he couldn’t sleep or eat before the jump), Will also discloses that beyond fear was the most blissful experience of his life, and how that principle can be applied to anything in life.

“Only those that can see the invisible, can do the impossible.”

Tyrese Gibson knows success, and in this speech he talks about how it can be achieved, by anyone who wants it.

Actor, singer, author, model…Tyrese seems to have the Midas touch, but he didn’t get it by luck. Follow his words as he gently but passionately guides you along the path you need to take if you have goals and dreams in life.

“I refuse to be another man who lived and died, and wasn’t significant’”

“If it is written, so shall it be.”

When Steve Harvey’s teacher crushed his dreams of being on TV, the one person who believed in him was his father. He told him to put a piece of paper with his dreams on in his drawer, and to read it every morning and every night.

His dreams came true.

It didn’t always come easy for Steve Harvey though – he spent years living in his car when he had nowhere else to go, but the one thing he never lost was his ambition and determination to see his dreams through to fruition.

A firm believer in the Law of Attraction, Steve still has vision boards and still commits his dreams to writing, and encourages you to do the same in this speech that made Obama cry.

These motivational speeches, and many more like them, show how having guts, determination, and a vision will get you anywhere you want to go, no matter your beginnings in life. These inspirational speakers have suffered loss, sickness, and unbelievable hardships, but the one thing that got them through was their desire to win and their belief that they could.

Immerse yourself in their words of wisdom, and take that next step into your best life.

More on Motivation

• 8 Rituals to Cultivating True Self-Motivation That Lasts
• 10 Monday Morning Habits for a Successful Week
• Motivational Quotes

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• Apr 4, 2022

What Exactly is Expressive Writing and How Can It Help You?

What do you think of when you think of writing? If you’re like me, by default, I think of essay writing. And before, as a high school student, I was quite terrified of essay writing. It all started in eighth grade when my English teacher highlighted all my grammar mistakes and told me I needed to do better (without really telling me how).

After that incident, I only wrote when I absolutely needed to. It wasn’t until I started journaling that I realized writing could be fun and enjoyable. Realizing that journaling was therapeutic and has health benefits, I researched the different ways of writing for mental health and stumbled upon the technique of expressive writing .

Expressive writing is a simple technique in which people write about an upsetting or stressful experience for 15 to 20 minutes a day for three to four times a week. Unlike other forms of writing or journaling, expressive writing is deeply personal and is focused on disclosing thoughts and feelings rather than grammar, style or spelling.

What are some forms of expressive writing?

There are several approaches to expressive writing. Here are some that I’ve personally tried:

Standard expressive writing: Writing about your deepest thoughts or feelings from a stressful or emotional event. You can write about the same or different topics over the week.

Example: My grandmother was recently hospitalized. The doctor said her kidneys were failing and she might not have longer than two weeks to live. It was a particularly stressful and emotional time for me. It was hard to find words to grieve, but simply writing down all my emotions helped me feel lighter

Cognitive processing: Writing to derive understanding and insights regarding an event. Why did the event provoke those feelings? What did you learn from the event?

Example: This form of expressive writing is particularly helpful for me to understand events that I feel anger or sad by. When the pandemic started, I wrote about my frustrations and realized I was particularly anxious when it comes to dealing with uncertainties i.e. not knowing when I would be able to travel and visit my family again.

Exposure: Promoting emotional habituation or adaptation through writing about your thoughts and emotions. What made the event stressful? What feelings did it provoke?

Example: I rarely get angry so writing about events that anger or irk me helps me identify what exactly triggers the emotion. What are some emotions you would like to work on? Try focusing on the emotion and write about an event that brings about that feeling.

Benefit finding: Focusing on the positive aspects of an event that occurred e.g. how you’ve grown or changed as a person and how you may deal with similar situations in the future.

Example: Similar to cognitive processing, I tend to use benefit finding for seemingly negative events, whether that’s an ending of a relationship or a work project that didn’t go so well. Although you might have felt pain or hurt, what are some lessons you’ve learned? How have you grown and evolved as a person?

Best possible future self: Writing about your vision of your future self and life. What is your ideal life? What does success look like to you?

Example: A fun exercise for you to visualize your ideal life! Writing about your possible future self helps you ground down to your values and what really matters. It keeps me motivated and aligned with my everyday doing.

So, how does expressive writing actually help?

Expressive writing improves your emotional state. As you become more self-aware and are better able to understand your stresses, you are able to more easily identify the sources of stress and how you can deal with them.

By writing it down, you also open yourself up and disclose the stressors in your mind that you may not share with others. This practice also boosts your learning, creativity, and problem solving. Instead of judging my emotions, I often practice reframing and re-evaluating past incidents that provoked certain feelings.

To give you an example, I was working on a project for work and was feeling drained by it. I started writing about what I worked on, my feelings after working on it, and why I think I felt the way I feel. I realized I was feeling unsupported by my project partner and felt like I wasn’t able to speak up about it. However, after processing the situation, I was more at ease and ended up talking to my project partner. We had a great conversation and were able to open up to each other. This drastically improved our working relationship.

What does the research say?

Several studies have shown that participants who wrote about a stressful or traumatic experience rather than a neutral topic have improved their physical health as their stress and anxiety levels reduced. A study by John Weinman at King’s College London showed that participants’ wounds “healed much faster among people asked to write about emotional topics.” Crazy, huh? Researchers theorized that by disclosing secrets or stressful information on paper, you reduce inhibition which in turn improves your immune function.

I’m convinced! I want to try expressive writing now. How should I start?

Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes, then spend that time writing down your deepest emotions and thoughts about a challenge or upsetting experience that is affecting your life. When you write, ignore spelling, grammar, or structure. Write whatever comes to mind. If you feel stuck, write about the most recent event that was stressful for you. Repeat this practice for at least four days.

Build this into part of your daily ritual. If you're a morning person, write as part of your morning ritual. Stack it with your current habits whether that's writing after your morning run or meditation. If you're a night person, write before you go to bed. It may help you wind down and release any anxious or overwhelming thoughts

Set up a relaxing environment to write. Sit in a quiet and cozy spot. Get as comfortable as you can! You can write in your journal or use a pen and paper. Remove any distractions - turn off your TV, flip over your phone, or put it on silent.

You may feel upset right after you finish writing. It’s completely normal. After writing about a stressful or traumatic experience, you may feel many emotions resurfacing. Stop writing if you are feeling very overwhelmed by your emotions. You know yourself best, so do what you are comfortable with. This practice is for you.

While writing can sound daunting, it is one of the best ways for you to reflect and process your thoughts and feelings. Through expressive writing, I was able to dig up various limiting beliefs and stories I told myself. I hope that by writing, you will be able to shine a light on your whole self with love and kindness.

**While research shows that expressive writing is beneficial for physical and mental health, the practice is not therapy or a substitute for therapy. We highly recommend you seek professional help if you are feeling the symptoms of any mental illnesses.**

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The Benefits of Speech Therapy

What to expect, frequently asked questions.

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help you with speech, language, and swallowing. They provide speech therapy to children and adults who may have speech or language disorders.

People with certain medical conditions may also benefit from speech therapy. Medical conditions that may cause speech or swallowing impairment include traumatic brain injury , stroke (brain damage due to a blood vessel blockage or bleed), and dementia (decline in memory and thinking functions).

This article looks at the various uses for speech therapy, what to expect during a session, and the techniques involved in this type of therapy. 

Verywell / Theresa Chiechi

Speech therapy can help with a variety of conditions.

Speech Disorders

Speech therapy may help with speech disorders like:

• Stuttering : Stuttering may involve repeating parts of words, prolonging words, or struggling to get out certain words. You may be more likely to have a stutter if you have a family history of stuttering.
• Apraxia : This motor speech disorder makes it difficult to move the tongue and lips to make sounds required for speech. In some cases, people with apraxia cannot speak at all. Causes for this disorder include brain tumors, dementia, stroke, and any other condition that causes brain injury.
• Voice : Voice disorders can be temporary or permanent and make it hard to speak. Chronic voice disorders include chronic cough, vocal fold paralysis, vocal polyps (growths on the vocal cords), and spasmodic dysphonia (vocal cord spasms).
• Dysarthria : People with this speech disorder have muscle weakness that makes it difficult to talk. They may slur or mumble their words. Dysarthria can happen due to brain injury or chronic degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease .

Language Disorders

A language disorder ( aphasia ) is a condition that makes it difficult for a person to read, write, speak, or understand speech or other modes of communication. 

Someone with this type of disorder may struggle to:

• Use incorrect words for things
• Say complete sentences 
• Understand what other people say
• Understand jokes
• Read or spell 

Brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, and degenerative disorders that affect cognitive function can all cause aphasia.

Feeding and Swallowing Disorders

Feeding and swallowing disorders can occur in both children and adults. A feeding disorder involves trouble with eating, sucking, drinking from a cup, or chewing. The specific term for swallowing disorders is dysphagia . Children or adults with dysphagia have trouble swallowing food or drink. 

Problems swallowing or feeding may or may not be related to a medical condition. Conditions that may cause a swallowing or feeding disorder include:

• Cleft palate or cleft lip
• Asthma and other breathing issues
• Heart disease
• Premature birth
• Nervous system disorders
• Reflux 
• Muscle weakness 
• Sensory issues
• Autism  
• Behavior problems
• Certain medications

Speech therapy begins with an evaluation to assess your difficulties and whether any structural issues contribute to your speech, language, feeding, or swallowing problems. An evaluation may involve a standardized test to help determine what you most need help with. Informal conversations may also help figure out your needs. 

A speech-language pathologist will then work with you to help improve your ability to speak, converse, or swallow. This may involve:

• Educating you on how to do certain things like articulating or pronouncing sounds
• Teaching you language skills
• Providing you with educational materials
• Giving you exercises to help strengthen your muscles 
• Giving you exercises that help you breathe better
• Participation in group therapy sessions 

You should also expect to practice the skills and exercises you learn in speech therapy sessions at home. Your speech-language pathologist may provide you with workbooks, worksheets, or virtual apps for at-home practice.

Speech Therapy for Adults

Depending on the reason you’re seeking out speech therapy, a speech-language pathologist may:

• Help you learn to move your muscles correctly to make sounds if you have apraxia or dysarthria
• Teach you how to use your breath to speak louder if you have dysarthria
• Help you learn to manage stuttering by teaching you to lower stress levels in certain situations
• Help you strengthen your mouth muscles to make it easier to swallow and eat if you have a feeding or swallowing disorder due to a brain injury or disease

Speech Therapy for Children

A speech-language pathologist’s approach will depend on the child. When working with a child who has a feeding or swallowing disorder, they might focus on:

• Strengthening the muscles of the mouth
• Helping the child with chewing
• Encouraging the child to try new food and drink
• Changing food texture to make it easier to swallow food 
• Helping with sensory issues related to food

Other skills a speech-language pathologist may work on with a child include:

• Language complexity : For example, they might teach words like "and" and "or" to connect ideas within sentences.
• Conversation skills : This may include role-playing to help the child with socialization and improve their read of social cues. 
• Vocabulary : They may use games or storytelling to help build the child’s vocabulary. 
• Phonological awareness : This recognition of the sounds that make up words is an important skill for reading. The SLP may work on helping the child identify sounds and rhymes in words to build this skill.

Healthcare professionals will also test your child’s hearing to see if hearing loss may be contributing to language and speech issues.

If you or your child is getting speech therapy from a qualified speech-language pathologist, you might wonder how likely it is that you’ll see improvement in speech, language, or feeding. 

Results will depend on the individual. It’s also essential to follow the exercises, tips, and strategies provided by the speech-language professional. Regular visits and keeping up with practice activities and exercises make it more likely to see an improvement in yourself or your child. 

A speech-language pathologist works with children or adults who have speech, language, or feeding and swallowing disorders. Typically the first session will involve an evaluation to determine the areas that are causing you the most problems. 

From there, they may teach you exercises and strategies to improve your speech, language, or ability to swallow and eat. 

A Word From Verywell

Think you or your child would benefit from speech therapy? Get in touch with your primary healthcare provider and ask for a recommendation. You can also use the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA)  Find a Certified SLP Tool . 

Not all children develop at the same rate, but if your child has issues understanding language, doesn’t use gestures, or doesn’t seem to be learning new words, you might consider having them evaluated by a speech therapist. 

While this may depend on the individual and the cause of speech-related problems, research suggests that speech and language therapy can significantly improve speech and language issues.

One example of a typical speech therapy technique is articulation therapy. This technique teaches the person to make specific sounds, sometimes by showing them how to move their mouth or tongue.

A language delay is when a child has difficulty in speaking and understanding speech that is unusual for their age.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Stuttering .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Apraxia of speech in adults .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Voice disorders .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dysarthria .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Aphasia .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Feeding and swallowing disorders in children .

Brainline. Speech therapy .

Understood for All. What is speech therapy .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Languages and speech disorders in children .

Broomfield J, Dodd B. Is speech and language therapy effective for children with primary speech and language impairment? Report of a randomized control trial . Int J Lang Commun Disord . 2011;46(6):628-640. doi:10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00039.x

Nemours Children's Health. Speech-language therapy .

By Steph Coelho Steph Coelho is a freelance health and wellness writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience working on content related to health, wellness, mental health, chronic illness, fitness, sexual wellness, and health-related tech.She's written extensively about chronic conditions, telehealth, aging, CBD, and mental health. Her work has appeared in Insider, Healthline, WebMD, Greatist, Medical News Today, and more.

What Can I Do to Improve My Speech and Communication?

About 75 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience changes in speech and voice. These changes usually come on gradually and can vary from mild to severe. In the newest Parkinson’s Foundation educational book,  Speech and Swallowing , we cover the symptoms, tools and exercises that can help you or a loved one better understand and manage speech, swallowing, voice, communication and cognitive problems in PD.

In addition to seeing a speech-language pathologist, there are some strategies that you, your family and your friends can use to improve communication.

About 75% of people with Parkinson’s experience changes in speech and voice.

Practice good “voice hygiene” with these tips:  

• Drink plenty of water or other liquids each day (non-caffeine and non-alcoholic).
• Do not strain your voice by shouting over loud noise when you talk.
• Rest your voice when it is tired. Like other muscles in your body, the muscles controlling your speech need a break sometimes.
• Reduce throat clearing or coughing.
• If the air is dry in your home, consider using a humidifier.

Posture is important for voice and speech. Keeping an upright posture and a straight neck (and slightly lifted chin) helps you to move air from your lungs through your vocal cords, which then vibrate to produce the sound waves that make your voice. Motor changes associated with PD (and aging) can make it more difficult to maintain an ideal posture.  Exercise , stretching and yoga can help.

Keep Talking

The best way to practice talking is to talk! The saying “use it or lose it” applies to speech, too. If you don’t have a companion to talk to, talk out loud to yourself.

Singing and Voice

Singing uses the same muscles that are used for speech. Singing your favorite songs out loud is not only great exercise — it can help you feel good emotionally, too. Be careful not to strain or force your voice beyond what is comfortable.

TIP: To find a speech language pathologist or a speech-related program near you, call the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline 1-800-4PD-INFO (473.4636).

Tips for Family and Friends

Remember a good conversation takes two (or more). Social engagement and maintaining social ties are important for both emotional and cognitive health. While there are steps that the person with PD can take, it is important that conversation partners also improve their conversation skills.

• Have important or more challenging conversations when the person with PD is well-rested and at their ‘best’ time of day.
• Get face-to-face. Minimize having conversations between rooms. Make sure that the lighting is optimized so that you can see your partner’s face and mouth movements clearly. 
• Reduce background noise. Turn off the radio and TV, close car windows and shut doors to noisy areas.
• Learn to look for signals that your conversation partner is having difficulty engaging — requests for repetition, fidgeting or being distracted.
• Be aware that people with PD may not accurately express their emotions through facial expressions because of  rigid facial muscles .
• Be patient. Allow ample time for the person with PD to communicate.
• Minimize talking ‘for’ the person with PD or filling in their responses unless they ask you to do so.
• Provide help and repeat or rephrase what you said (without elevating your volume or excessively slowing your speech rate).

Read our newest book  Speech and Swallowing  online now or  order your free copy today .

• Watch our Expert Briefing: Communication Strategies for Optimal Success
• Listen to our Podcast episode: Alleviating Voice Challenges with PD
• Download our fact sheet: Swallowing Changes

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