(UNIT-IV)

INTRODUCTION TO ORAL COMMUNICATION

WHAT IS ORAL COMMUNICATION?
Oral communication is communicating with spoken
words. It’s a verbal form of communication where
you communicate your thoughts, present ideas
and share information. Examples of oral
communication are conversations with friends,
family or colleagues, presentations and speeches.
Oral communication helps to build trust and
reliability. The process of oral communication is
more effective than an email or a text message.
IMPORTANCE OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
In a professional setting, effective oral
communication is important because it is built on
transparency, understanding and trust. Your oral
communication skills can boost morale,
encourage and improved performance as well
as promote teamwork.
Here are some benefits of oral communication:
• It saves time by letting you convey your
message directly to the other person and
getting their response immediately.
• It’s the most secure form of communication
for critical issues and important information
 • It helps to resolve conflicts with face-to-
face communication
• It’s a more transparent form of
communication as it lets you gauge
(measure) how others react to your words
TYPES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
There are different examples of oral
communication in a business setting. You need
several oral communication skills for career
advancement. Let’s look at different types of oral
communication:
• One-on-one conversations: Conversation between
two friends, employees or with one’s manager.
• Meetings: Decision-making meetings and
information-sharing meetings, often applicable to
business meetings.
• Group discussions: Book club gathering, small
group project.
• Speeches: Political debate, motivational speech.
• Presentations: Teaching students in a classroom,
instructional presentation or elevator pitch (a brief
speech that outlines an idea for a product, service
or project).
• Electronic: Talking over the phone, listening to a
show on the radio.

Elements of oral communication

 The 5 elements of oral communication

1. Sender/source: The sender is the person who

initiates communication to the receiver.

2. Medium: The medium is the format in which the

message is being sent. For example, a voicemail, a
face-to-face conversation.

3. Channel: The channel is the platform on which the

message is delivered. For example, a podcast
(digital audio file), a telephone or a meeting.

4. Receiver: The receiver listens and decodes the

message sent by the sender. The receiver then
generates feedback for the sender in response to the
message.

5. Feedback: This final stage is the reaction of the

receiver, such as oral or written communication.
No response from the receiver is also a type of
feedback. This completes the entire oral
communication cycle.

Advantages of Oral Communication

• There is high level of understanding and
transparency in oral communication as it is
interpersonal.
 • There is no element of rigidity in oral
communication. There is flexibility for allowing
changes in the decisions previously taken.
• The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral
communication. Thus, decisions can be made
quickly without any delay.
• Oral communication is not only time saving,
but it also saves upon money and efforts.
• Oral communication is best in case of problem
resolution. The conflicts, disputes and many
issues/differences can be put to an end by
talking them over.
• Oral communication is an essential for
teamwork and group energy.
• Oral communication can be best used to
transfer private and confidential
information/matter.
Disadvantages/Limitations of Oral
Communication
• Relying only on oral communication may not
be sufficient as business communication is
formal and very organized.
• Oral communication is less authentic than
written communication as they are informal
and not as organized as written
communication.
• Oral communication is time-saving as far as
daily interactions are concerned, but in case of
 meetings, long speeches consume lot of time
and are unproductive at times.
• There may be misunderstandings as the
information is not complete and may lack
essentials.
• It requires attentiveness on part of the
receivers/audience.
Nuances / Modes of speech Delivery
There are four main kinds of speech delivery-
Impromptu, Extempore, Manuscript and Memorized.
Impromptu Speech -An Impromptu speech is delivered
at the spur (urge/direction) of the moment and is
spontaneous. It is an unprepared speech, an example
of which can be a speech at a wedding or a reception
party.
Extempore Speech - An Extempore speech is a style
used in public speaking which uses an outline for the
speech and some prior preparation. It is a mix of
spontaneous and prepared speech in the sense that
the speaker can change the speech as it goes. The
speaker may speak using main points or a brief outline.
Manuscript Speech- When a speaker reads from a
prepared speech, using a manuscript, the style of
speaking falls under this category. The entire speech
may be read out from notes or printed material. An
example would be a televised news report which a
teleprompter reads out during a newscast.
Memorized Speech- When a speaker delivers a speech
by memorising it or committing it to memory, it can be
termed as a memorized speech. This kind of delivery
has its pros and cons. Such a speech may either appear
effortless or not very natural to the audience.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
What is public speaking? Basically, it's a
presentation that's given live before an audience.
Public speeches can cover a wide variety of
different topics. The goal of the speech may be
to educate, entertain, or influence the listeners.
Often, visual aids in the form of an electronic
slideshow are used to supplement the speech.
This makes it more interesting to the listeners.
The Importance of Public Speaking
.

Over the years, public speaking in

communication has played a major role in
education, government, and business. Words
have the power to inform, persuade, educate,
and even entertain. And the spoken word can be
even more powerful than the written word in the
hands of the right speaker.

Speaking in public is especially important for

businesses to market their offers. This allows them
to get their message in front of potential
customers. Sales people and executives are often
expected to have good public speaking skills.

TYPES OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Mastering public speaking requires first
differentiating between four of the primary
types of public speaking: ceremonial,
demonstrative, informative and persuasive.

1.Ceremonial Speaking

2.Demonstrative Speaking

3.Informative Speaking

4.Persuasive Speaking
PUBLIC SPEAKING - CONFIDENCE
Confidence plays an essential role in public
speaking. One needs to be confident in front of
his/her audience to create an everlasting
impression. Remember, your audience would not
take you seriously unless and until you believe in
yourself. Nervousness only indicates either you
are lying or not sure of what you intend to
communicate.
Problems such as stage fear, nervousness
disappear when you have confidence in
yourself. Self-confidence comes only when you
know the agenda well and the purpose of the
presentation is clear. Remember, convincing
people is definitely not a cake walk. But yes, the
situation becomes easier when you are confident
enough to not only convince others but also make
them listen to you with rapt attention and also act
accordingly.
PUBLIC SPEAKING – CLARITY
How clearly do you speak? Is clarity in public speaking
an issue for you? You might be surprised at the answer.
There are times when even the most experienced
speakers can fall victim to unintentionally cluttering
up (fill a space in a disorderly way) their speeches.

Here are four top tips for a clear and clutter-free

presentation:
1. Know where you're heading
The biggest clarity mistake that speakers make is to set
off into the woods with no map. Have a great journey
planned for your audience and your words will
automatically have more direction - and more clarity.
2. Accent
One barrier to clarity in public speaking could be your
diction; the way you pronounce and enunciate your
words.
• Enunciation is pronouncing a word clearly. If you
want to make your speech clearer and easier to
understand, you might want to enunciate
better. When people speak (particularly in English,
but this applies to most languages), they don't
pronounce words exactly as they would appear in
a dictionary but instead pronounce them in a more
relaxed manner. When you enunciate, your speech
more closely resembles (or sometimes
exaggerates) the 'ideal' pronunciation.
3. Watch out for "Um..." the dreaded "filler" word.
Another way to increase clarity in public speaking is to
decrease the use of "fillers". Filler words are words (or
sounds) we use to fill the little pauses in our speech
while we decide what we’re going to say next. These
words have practically no informational value. Too
many "um's" can cause you to seem less than
professional, unprepared, or confused.

Ask friends/peers to listen to you speak. Have them

count how many times you say "um". Play the "um
game", where you and other participants try to get
others to guess a word (on a slip of paper). Your turn is
over when you say the actual word on the paper or
"um". Exercises like these can increase your awareness
and hone your clarity in public speaking.
4. Like, basically, actually avoid saying these words
almost always that usually don't actually essentially
in fact mean very much.
To gain more clarity in public speaking we need to
watch for the words that we repeat often without even
realizing. Sometimes certain words ("actually" or "in
fact") can reach essentially epidemic proportions. Be
aware of the phrases or words that you say often. Ask
yourself "Do these words bring value or clutter to my
speaking?" Words can bring power or simply be time-
fillers. Clarity in public speaking requires that we
utilize words of power.

Beware of phrases such as:

In other words...
• Basically...
• In fact...

• Actually...

• Essentially...

PUBLIC SPEAKING – fluency

Fluency is the quality of speaking so that words and
thoughts flow from your mouth in a gentle stream.
 Speech mastery would require learning how to have
control of what we say and the way we present our
message. Really, this is an essential aspect of speech
mastery. Fluency in a
language means speaking easily, reasonably quickly
and without having to stop and pause a lot. Becoming
fluent in a language can take many years, but here are
some tips to help you sound as natural as possible in
speaking exams.

• Good speakers communicate and get their message

across smoothly, even though they may make
mistakes. Communication is the most important part of
speaking and it is important to communicate your
ideas as naturally as possible. Here are some tips to
help you speak more fluently.
• Use every opportunity in class to speak English. Speak
to your classmates and your teacher in English. The
more English you speak, the easier you will find
speaking.
• Be confident about speaking in English. You do know a
lot of English – use your English and show the examiner
what you know!
• Be very clear about the message you want to
communicate. That is your goal.
• Don’t worry about making mistakes. The important
thing is to communicate what you want to say.
• Practise at home with a speaking game. ‘Speak for one
minute without stopping about ...’ Choose a topic, e.g.
video games, and talk in English for one minute about
video games without stopping.
• Use communication strategies to make your English
sound more natural.

What are the building blocks necessary to develop

talking fluency?
• Hearing
• Attention and concentration: Sustained effort,
doing activities without distraction and being able
to hold that effort long enough to get the task
done.
• Expressive (using) language: The use of language
through speech, sign or alternative forms of
communication to communicate wants needs,
thoughts and ideas.
• Receptive (understanding) language:
Comprehension of language.
• Play skills: Voluntary engagement in self-motivated
activities that are normally associated with pleasure
and enjoyment where the activities may be, but are
not necessarily, goal oriented.
 • Articulation: The clarity of speech sounds and
spoken language.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Nonverbal communication (NVC) is the
transmission of messages or signals through a
nonverbal platform such as eye contact, facial
expressions, gestures, posture, and body
language. ... Today, scholars argue that nonverbal
communication can convey more meaning than
verbal communication.
Kinesics

Kinesics communication is the technical term

for body language, i.e., communicating by body
movement. Kinesics communication is a non-
verbal form of communication.

Non-verbal communication is one of the processes

of conveying messages without writing or uttering
words.

Kinesics is all about communication through

body movements, such as gestures and facial
expressions. It is all about non-verbal
behaviour using any part of the body. It also
includes communicating using the body as a
whole.
 kinesics meant-“Facial expression, gestures,
posture and gait, and visible arm and body
movements.”

Role of kinesics in communication:

• Kinesics is one of the main powerful ways that
humans communicate non-verbally. Spoken
language and voice is only 7% to 38% of
communication.
• Nice cues (signal) like eye contact, hand gesture,
posture, and mirroring (people copying each
other’s postures during conversation) show a
person’s interest in the conversation.
“Body language is a very powerful tool. We
had body language before we had speech, and
apparently, 80% of what you understand in a
conversation is read through the body, not the
words.”
1.Eye contact - Eye contact, an important channel
of interpersonal communication, helps regulate the
flow of communication. And it signals interest in
others.

2.Facial expressions
 • The face is an important communicator. It is
commonly said that the face is the index of the
mind.
• It expresses the type of emotions or feelings
such as joy, love, interest, sorrow, anger,
annoyance, confusion, enthusiasm, fear, hatred
surprise, and uncertainty.

Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits:

• Happiness.
• Friendliness.
• Warmth.
• Liking.
• Affiliation.

Thus, if you smile frequently you will be perceived

as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable.

3.Gestures

If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be

perceived as boring, stiff and un-animated (lacking
excitement). Head nods, a form of gestures,
communicate positive reinforcement to students
and indicate that you are listening. Gestures are
movements of the arms, legs, hands, and head.
For example - a wave of the hand has a specific
meaning-“hello” or “good-bye”; a forefinger and a
thumb touching to form a circle have the meaning
-“ok”.

4.Posture and body orientation

•You communicate numerous messages by the

way you walk, talk, stand and sit.
• Standing erect, but not rigid, and leaning

slightly forward communicates to students that

you are approachable, receptive and friendly.
Speaking with your back turned or looking at
the floor or ceiling should be avoided; it
communicates disinterest to your class.
Chronemics
Chronemics is the study of the use of time in
nonverbal communication. The way that an
individual would perceive and value time, structure
our time and react to time is a powerful
communication tool, and helps set the stage for
the communication process. Across cultures, time
perception plays a large role in the nonverbal
communication process. Time perceptions include
punctuality, willingness to wait, and interactions.
The use of time can affect lifestyles, daily
agendas, speed of speech, movements and how
long people are willing to listen. Time can also be
used as an indicator of status. For example, in
most companies the boss can interrupt progress to
hold an impromptu meeting in the middle of the
work day, yet the average worker would have to
make an appointment to see the boss.