Communicating Effectively

The seven elements of the speech communication process include; speaker, message, channel, listener, feedback, interference and situation.
a) Speaker- this is the initiator of the communication process and is the source of the message to be transmitted to the listener.
b) Listener- this is the recipient of the message transmitted.
c) Message-this is what the speaker intends to communicate to the listeners.
d) Channel- this is the means used to communicate the message.
e) Feedback- this is the response given to the speaker by the listeners.
f) Interference- this refers to anything hindering accurate communication.
g) Situation-this refers to the circumstances in which the communication occurs.

The correct usage of the above elements determines the success of the speech.

Hearing refers to the form of pressure waves that reach our ears after the atmosphere is disturbed. Listening, on the other hand, entails paying attention to the source of sound and interpreting it. In order to improve one’s listening skills, three things should be considered. First, concentration will enable you to understand everything that you are listening to and to interpret it as required. Second, one should maintain eye contact with the speaker; this will minimize chances of diverting the concentration of the listener. Finally, one should avoid fidgety movements. This is because they take the listeners concentration away from the speaker. In addition to the named techniques, one may take notes during the session.
There are four methods of delivering oral presentations. Speaking from memory, that is, speaking with what one is already conversant. Its main advantage is that it is cheap as no costs are incurred during the presentation. Its main disadvantage is that it relies heavily on memory and is, therefore, subject to bias and alteration. Another method is speaking from the text, which is, using a reference source during the presentation. Advantages of this method are that one presents accurate material and minimizes bias. The main disadvantage is that it does not encourage interaction with the audience. Speaking from notes, this method is similar to speaking from text. The difference is that in the former one uses a published source, but in the latter, one uses notes individually made. Its advantage is that it is interactive. The disadvantage is that it may not cover all areas of the presentation as expected. The last method is mixing of the methods named. This method’s advantage is that it does not enhance monotony in the presentation as the speaker is switching from one method to another.
For an oral presentation, the voice and body is used to enhance the presentation. Using voice variations is one such method; it keeps the audience entertained throughout the presentation. Use of gestures is also a method used in oral presentation as it engages the audience during the presentation. Songs may be included in the presentation as well since they help to bring different moods into the presentation such as happiness or poignancy. One should also move around the stage and maintain eye contact with the audience. Some areas that I should improve on include maintaining eye contact since am shy, and in the use of variations of voices. These improvements will enable my oral presentations to be much better.