This past November, 2008, marked the 145th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, almost an afterthought following a 2-hour speech by Edward Everett, a nationally-renowned 19th century orator.  Can you imagine not only keeping your audience' attention during two hours of speech, but keeping them enrapt as well?  And, they didn't have Power Point or an overhead projector to aid them in the process!

As a people we are not as good at listening as we used to be. ...

If you are reading this article then it is very likely you familiar with the fear of public speaking: "The day has come!, you were not sleeping well last night and your appetite was quite bad in the last few days (for some of us the opposite is true means - eating compulsively). You still didn't even started your day and already feel sweat in your hands. You smell your own anxiety – a speaking anxiety.

In days like this, you have the feeling that your whole body betray...

For anyone interested in having the opportunity to speak every week in some capacity, the answer might be Toastmasters, an international club dedicated to the practice and enhancement of one's public speaking techniques. While most clubs gather weekly, a few are scheduled for twice a month. Located throughout the world, the clubs offer various hours and days: some meet early in the morning, some over lunch breaks, and many others in the evening hours.

The value of Toastmasters is...

That which causes your voice to sound hoarse or creates a chronic sore throat is called vocal abuse. While it is common for pop singers, it also happens to many people because of speaking and/or yelling for great lengths of time. Unfortunately, vocal abuse will not go away on its own if you continue with the same techniques that have caused the problem to begin with.

What this means is that if you are a teacher, trainer, coach, public speaker, politician, or minister, for...

The Forensics Speech division is divided into two main categories of events: speaking and interpretation.  Though skills required in one do blend into the other event, they are most definitely two distinct performance styles.  Therefore, it becomes moderately alarming when in an Original Oratory round you encounter a speaker using pops and character voices in their delivery.  You begin to wonder, "Am I in the right room?  Is this some dream where I am not...

Getting a deeper voice is fast becoming a thing which most people want to do. This is because it has been proven that people who talk with a deep, strong voice tone turn to command more respect and admiration than people who have just a normal voice, or even worst, a squeaky voice.

As you might already know, your voice sounds deeper in the mornings, after a good night sleep. This is because the muscles around your vocal chords have spend hours resting and in the morning they...

Impromptu is an event where the title fully captures the mood of the competition. In mere minutes ideas are organized, processed, and a speech delivered. The preparation for impromptu is also swift. Due to the nature of the event, the Impromptu Speaker has little preparation per say. They do not have to analyze a piece of literature. They do not have to write a multi-paragraph speech to be performed every week. Nor do they memorize lines. Files for citation are not even required! This...

When you are doing an Interpretive event timing is something that can be whittled down and shaped outside of competition.  Timing is one of the lesser worries; every performance may have slight nuances, but the words do not change.  In Extemporaneous Speaking though, timing is critical.  The structure of a speech might translate across rounds, but being in control and aware of timing and structuring your Extemporaneous speech around limited time is a practiced...

Regardless of how experienced you are as a speaker, the thought of how the audience about you would have surely crossed your mind many times. If you are always worried about how your audiences think about your speech, here is a short public speaking guide to ensure that you boost your impression amongst your audience.

1.  Refrained from reading notes

It is acceptable to glance at your notes infrequently, but not all the time. When speaking, always make eye...

Did you know that you have 2 voices? The voice you use everyday and don't think about is known as your habitual voice. It is a sound that is higher in pitch than it should be, thinner in quality than it could be, and possibly nasal to boot. It is the sound you probably find unappealing on your answering machine. It may also be a liability in your career or your personal life.

However, you also have a deeper, richer, warmer voice inside which I refer to as your ‘real' voice....