Five Strategies for Sharpening your Communication Skills in College
November 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under College And University
Chris Stout asked:
Communicating in college is crucial. You have to be able to voice your opinions clearly and effectively on a daily basis. Here five tips for sharpening your communication skills in college.
1. Speak up
If no one can hear you, it won’t matter what you say. Make your points like you mean it. Clear your throat and address the class confidently. Be certain that you’ve thought for a moment before you opening your mouth. Once you’ve mentally organized what it is you want to say, execute the verbal expression of your thoughts as clearly as possible. Don’t go overboard with the volume (you don’t want to be a disturbance), but be sure that you can be heard by everyone.
2. Outside of the classroom, practice reading aloud to someone.
This tactic works wonders. When you read aloud to someone, you practice so many things. You get to hone your ability to speak loud and clear. You gain comfort you’re your ability to vocalize the text, and you can calm any concerns you may have about speaking in public. This latter part is why you have to take turns reading aloud to another person. Reading aloud by yourself is too easy. With another person present, the reading becomes a practical presentation.
3. Become well-informed.
Do you are homework as instructed, and read the assignments before you get to class. Communicating in your classes is difficult when you haven’t properly prepared. The more informed you are, the more pertinent you analysis will be. Don’t just speak so that you can hear yourself talk, have something valuable to say. The more work you’ve done, the more comfortable you will feel expressing your ideas.
4. Have educated debates outside of class.
Discuss what you are learning with others, and let others share what they have learned. You are not going to be able to take every single class that you want, so learn form other peoples experiences. Ask questions and exchange ideas. Practice articulating your positions in a comfortable environment. This way, when it’s time for you to speak up in class, you’ll have already had experience articulating you thoughts out loud.
5. Meet your professors during office hours.
If you want a better handle on the material you’re studying, go see your professor during office hours, You’ll learn added insights and extra contexts. You’ll be able to frame your ideas more effectively, because you will have added familiarity with the subjects you are studying. If you can debate your professors in their office, you can certainly voice your opinions in class.
Take college as an opportunity to hone your communication abilities. Practice writing, arguing, sharing and defending your ideas outside of class so that you can be a more effective communicator during section and lectures.
Communicating in college is crucial. You have to be able to voice your opinions clearly and effectively on a daily basis. Here five tips for sharpening your communication skills in college.
1. Speak up
If no one can hear you, it won’t matter what you say. Make your points like you mean it. Clear your throat and address the class confidently. Be certain that you’ve thought for a moment before you opening your mouth. Once you’ve mentally organized what it is you want to say, execute the verbal expression of your thoughts as clearly as possible. Don’t go overboard with the volume (you don’t want to be a disturbance), but be sure that you can be heard by everyone.
2. Outside of the classroom, practice reading aloud to someone.
This tactic works wonders. When you read aloud to someone, you practice so many things. You get to hone your ability to speak loud and clear. You gain comfort you’re your ability to vocalize the text, and you can calm any concerns you may have about speaking in public. This latter part is why you have to take turns reading aloud to another person. Reading aloud by yourself is too easy. With another person present, the reading becomes a practical presentation.
3. Become well-informed.
Do you are homework as instructed, and read the assignments before you get to class. Communicating in your classes is difficult when you haven’t properly prepared. The more informed you are, the more pertinent you analysis will be. Don’t just speak so that you can hear yourself talk, have something valuable to say. The more work you’ve done, the more comfortable you will feel expressing your ideas.
4. Have educated debates outside of class.
Discuss what you are learning with others, and let others share what they have learned. You are not going to be able to take every single class that you want, so learn form other peoples experiences. Ask questions and exchange ideas. Practice articulating your positions in a comfortable environment. This way, when it’s time for you to speak up in class, you’ll have already had experience articulating you thoughts out loud.
5. Meet your professors during office hours.
If you want a better handle on the material you’re studying, go see your professor during office hours, You’ll learn added insights and extra contexts. You’ll be able to frame your ideas more effectively, because you will have added familiarity with the subjects you are studying. If you can debate your professors in their office, you can certainly voice your opinions in class.
Take college as an opportunity to hone your communication abilities. Practice writing, arguing, sharing and defending your ideas outside of class so that you can be a more effective communicator during section and lectures.
Listening Skills Development: How Listening Skills Can Make You Successful In Life
June 4, 2009 by admin
Filed under Self Improvement
Jeremy Gislason asked:
People are always moved by good speakers. Orators, politicians, members of the debate team… After all, they command a certain air of respect and the people love listening to what they have to say.
However, they may also tend to overlook the importance of improving listening skills. With listening skills development, you can build better relationships and enhance your way of life.
Have you ever heard of the expression, “He’s all talk?” Well, it’s not something you’d like other people to say about you, that’s for sure! So maybe sometimes, it’s better to cease talking for a while and start putting in more effort to just listen.
Listening is often depicted as a passive form of action. However, it is no less powerful. People who know how, and when, to listen properly can go a long way. I’d even go so far as to say that listening skills development can lead to a wealthier and more successful life!
So how did listening get so powerful?
Well, listening leads to having a lot of useful information. Wherever you go, people talk. They talk about the latest news or the latest gadget that’s out on the market right now. All these details might not make a lot of sense at first, but you could find them useful one way or another.
In the workplace, listening is a desired skill. How many assistants have been fired because they didn’t know how to listen? How many employees have screwed a project up because they were blabbing more and more about their own thoughts than listening to the thoughts of their superiors?
Remember that listening is different from just hearing. When you listen, you also try to understand and analyze the words that are coming out of the speaker’s mouth. For example, your company sends you off into a conference. Listening properly means absorbing what is being said, and connecting that with what is happening in your own company. It’s more interactive than most people realize.
In personal relationships, listening also goes a long way. How many fights have you had wherein your partner claims that you don’t know how to listen? Sometimes, you need to talk less and listen more. The more you talk, the more aggravated both parties can become. Listening, on the other hands, helps you process your emotions and stops you from doing or saying something you might regret later on.
So how can you become a better listener? Well, you start with being aware of yourself. If you know that you talk too much, you’ll have a much easier time holding your tongue. In conversations, you don’t always have to say something. In meetings, you don’t always have to speak too much of your mind.
It might be a little challenging for someone who’s used to doing all the talking, but try it one step at a time. Or at least, try it out for the shock value. Imagine just how surprised people will be when you choose to listen to them this time around. Besides, by talking less, you might be surprised at how brilliant other people’s ideas are.
Another way to develop your listening skills is by giving yourself a self-exam. At a meeting, try your best to listen to the speaker and then summarize what he or she has said afterwards. Doing this will also help you improve your memory.
Indeed, listening is an important skill to have in life. However, you must also be careful not to end up listening to the wrong things. Gossip, for example, is one of them. Of course, sometimes you just can’t help but listen to what other people say about person x or person y; but don’t let unverified information get to your head. Keep that piece of information stowed somewhere where you won’t accidentally let it out.
Despite being a basic human skill, you’d be surprised at how many people fail to listen to others properly. This could have something to do with their actual attitude or about their life in general. Don’t be part of that group of people who don’t care about what others think. Be the person who listens. Be the person who can make a difference in the workplace.
People are always moved by good speakers. Orators, politicians, members of the debate team… After all, they command a certain air of respect and the people love listening to what they have to say.
However, they may also tend to overlook the importance of improving listening skills. With listening skills development, you can build better relationships and enhance your way of life.
Have you ever heard of the expression, “He’s all talk?” Well, it’s not something you’d like other people to say about you, that’s for sure! So maybe sometimes, it’s better to cease talking for a while and start putting in more effort to just listen.
Listening is often depicted as a passive form of action. However, it is no less powerful. People who know how, and when, to listen properly can go a long way. I’d even go so far as to say that listening skills development can lead to a wealthier and more successful life!
So how did listening get so powerful?
Well, listening leads to having a lot of useful information. Wherever you go, people talk. They talk about the latest news or the latest gadget that’s out on the market right now. All these details might not make a lot of sense at first, but you could find them useful one way or another.
In the workplace, listening is a desired skill. How many assistants have been fired because they didn’t know how to listen? How many employees have screwed a project up because they were blabbing more and more about their own thoughts than listening to the thoughts of their superiors?
Remember that listening is different from just hearing. When you listen, you also try to understand and analyze the words that are coming out of the speaker’s mouth. For example, your company sends you off into a conference. Listening properly means absorbing what is being said, and connecting that with what is happening in your own company. It’s more interactive than most people realize.
In personal relationships, listening also goes a long way. How many fights have you had wherein your partner claims that you don’t know how to listen? Sometimes, you need to talk less and listen more. The more you talk, the more aggravated both parties can become. Listening, on the other hands, helps you process your emotions and stops you from doing or saying something you might regret later on.
So how can you become a better listener? Well, you start with being aware of yourself. If you know that you talk too much, you’ll have a much easier time holding your tongue. In conversations, you don’t always have to say something. In meetings, you don’t always have to speak too much of your mind.
It might be a little challenging for someone who’s used to doing all the talking, but try it one step at a time. Or at least, try it out for the shock value. Imagine just how surprised people will be when you choose to listen to them this time around. Besides, by talking less, you might be surprised at how brilliant other people’s ideas are.
Another way to develop your listening skills is by giving yourself a self-exam. At a meeting, try your best to listen to the speaker and then summarize what he or she has said afterwards. Doing this will also help you improve your memory.
Indeed, listening is an important skill to have in life. However, you must also be careful not to end up listening to the wrong things. Gossip, for example, is one of them. Of course, sometimes you just can’t help but listen to what other people say about person x or person y; but don’t let unverified information get to your head. Keep that piece of information stowed somewhere where you won’t accidentally let it out.
Despite being a basic human skill, you’d be surprised at how many people fail to listen to others properly. This could have something to do with their actual attitude or about their life in general. Don’t be part of that group of people who don’t care about what others think. Be the person who listens. Be the person who can make a difference in the workplace.
