Oratory: lessons in rhetoric. A few tips for mastering public speaking What is rhetoric

Oratory- a skill that every modern person needs. In modern society, people constantly use eloquence: in negotiations at work, publicly speaking to employees or listeners, broadcasting live in in social networks. Modern society built on the basics of rhetoric: announcers, bosses, journalists, friends are constantly trying to convince of something, marketers convince of the need to purchase a product or service. For the persuasiveness of speech, everyone uses facts, arguments, arguments and reasons.

Oratory skills are characterized by the speaker's ability to publicly present his speech, correctly express his thoughts, captivating the listener, defending his point of view. Oratory includes a combination of psychology, rhetoric and.

The goal of oratory practice is to state one's position in front of the listener (opponent), using the preparation of oral speech and well-developed rhetoric techniques. Oratory, as a social phenomenon, appeared along with the need for public discussion of problems and the solution of public issues.

Rhetoric is a science that deals with the study of eloquence and the skill of public speaking. is a necessary skill that can be developed, trained and constantly improved. The ability to beautifully and correctly convey your thoughts can be useful in any situation. Real speakers can talk about any topic and the audience is ready to listen to them for hours.

The concept of oratory has three definitions:

achievement of a high degree of mastery of public speaking, high-quality speech and possession of a living word;
oratory, is also understood as science and academic discipline about the beauty of the word;
oratory is a complex mixture of skills that results in the creativity of public speech.

Domestic rhetoric identifies several areas of eloquence:

(speeches on political, economic topics);
spiritual (religious public speaking, sermons);
academic (lecturer's speeches in educational institutions);
social and domestic (everyday, drinking, funeral speeches);
(speeches delivered by participants in the trial).

Modern rhetoric occupies a strong place among the liberal arts curriculum.

Present the speech in such a way that the audience not only remembers it, but also has a pleasant time and strives to convey the words of the speaker to everyone around after the speech. Oratory and the art of speech do not have clear rules that need to be memorized; for public speech, it is important to follow the sequence.

Necessary consistent structure of oratory:

introduction (here it is important to find the attention of the listener, to attract his interest);
the main idea of the speech;
the central part of the speech (the main theses and points open here);
conclusion (speech conclusion, summing up).

The art of the orator, mainly, is to find contact with the audience. The basics of eloquence, some of them, are best learned from speakers who have extensive experience in speaking.

Use the adsense clicker on your websites and blogs or on YouTube

Public speaking requires not only knowledge of the correct construction of speech, but also other valuable qualities of the lecturer:

knowledge and skills - first of all, the speaker must be intellectually developed, have a broad outlook and be able to support a variety of topics for conversation, be able to competently answer questions;
an important point in the ability to speak beautifully is practice;
the psychological preparedness of the speaker (he should not be afraid of failure or unsuccessful performance, he should possess himself and not be led to provocations of the public);
it is important to understand the psychotype of your audience in order to be able to impress them immediately. Everything should be relevant and appropriate to the topic of the presentation.

In order for the public not to lose interest, you can apply some secrets:

constantly change the pace of speech, it would be appropriate to slow it down when approaching some key idea;
pause (a well-known method of attracting attention);
change speech intonation and tone.

Techniques of experienced speakers

The art of oratory is better to comprehend by looking at an experienced speaker, how he works, lures the listener, what techniques he uses. You can learn and learn from experience in practice.

The main tricks and tricks that all experienced speakers use:

comparison - this technique allows you to dilute abstract descriptions, since information is easier to remember and structure when a figurative projection is created in the mind;
repetition - it is necessary to repeat key phrases that will firmly sit in the memory of the listeners;
some lecturers turn to the reception of allegory, rhetorical questions, in many speeches there is a place for irony, which disposes the audience;
Compound sentences cannot be used. It is better to break them down into short phrases and easy to understand;
it is important to know your audience, study it and speak its language.

Many hosts give compliments to their audience, which greatly increases their attractiveness in the eyes of the audience.

Levels of public speaking

The success of oratory is determined by the following levels of speaker skill (there are 3 in total):

possession of the material (this includes competent presentation, vocabulary and composition of speech);
self-control (behavior, manner of speech, intonation, voice power, speech technique and the ability to find contact with the listener);
image of the speaker (appearance, posture).

The appearance of the speaker should match the topic of the speech, that is, if the speaker is conducting a seminar on the topic "how to become successful", he cannot stand in front of the audience in a cheap suit and unpolished shoes.

Training to improve public speaking skills

For practice and training is important, at home you can perform the following simple exercises:

work with a dictionary - every day you need to memorize 10 new words and their meanings, while writing them down in your pocket small dictionary. When performing this exercise, vocabulary, memory and intelligence develop, which is very important for the success of public speaking;
retelling - simple retellings of newspaper articles or pages from books, each time you need to increase the volume of the text and its complexity;
there are many exercises for the development of diction, for example, pronounce with a mouth full of nuts until the diction becomes clear and understandable to everyone around;
it is important to often perform various breathing exercises - they will help you cope with the power of your voice, understand the correct timbre, teach you to understand yourself and your inner strength.

It is necessary to try to pronounce texts at home in front of a mirror, look for your comfortable, but not defiant position, learn to hold your hands beautifully, and not put them in your pocket or fiddle with the edges of your shirt. In addition, such "mirror" workouts will help you relax and consolidate the skill of controlling your facial expressions.

The impression that a person makes on others, already in the first minutes of acquaintance, can completely change his future. Career, financial situation, relationships with friends and personal life depend on the ability to clearly and distinctly express one's thoughts, the ability to hear and listen, to convince and negotiate.

Rhetoric and oratory

Oratory is not just the ability to speak a lot and beautifully. A good speaker must master the basics of psychology and acting, philosophy and analytics. Its main goal is not just to convey certain information to the interlocutor, but also to arouse interest among the audience, to encourage listeners to perform certain actions.

10 basic rules of rhetoric

In rhetoric, 10 components are distinguished that affect the quality of speech and underlie oratory.

Objectivity

You should not present your own beliefs as an indisputable truth. The speech of the speaker must be unbiased, and the information truthful;

Conciseness

Clarity

Clarity is the ability to explain complex things in simple words present information in a form understandable to the interlocutor;

Imagery

Use as examples of real life situations, comparisons and comparisons, causes the listener to associate with familiar, well-known things. The feelings and emotions that arise at the same time simplify the perception of information and make speech more memorable;

Expediency

The main idea of what was said should be easily caught and quickly remembered;

Voltage

The interlocutor needs to be captivated, interested, and, while maintaining intrigue and increasing the degree of tension, gradually bring him to the climax of the story;

Surprise

A non-standard approach and a fresh look at the situation increase the audience's interest in the speaker and his speech;

Saturation

The listener should not be loaded with an abundance of difficult-to-perceive terms and formulations, they must be alternated with simple and understandable information;

comic effect

Humor smoothes sharp corners, causes the location of the audience, and performances, diluted with a good joke or appropriate witticism, are better remembered;

Style

You should not make pathos and lofty speeches, but at the same time, what has been said should not seem vulgar or vulgar. The choice of storytelling style depends on its content and the target audience for which the speech is intended.

The ability to speak in public has been a useful skill at all times. People who are fluent in oratory will always be in demand by society and will be able to find a job. It's no secret that there are few such people, they always stand out among others. They turn out to be successful leaders, politicians, businessmen, journalists, writers, teachers, since in many professions knowledge of rhetoric plays a crucial role. The purpose of this oratory course is to provide everyone with the opportunity to learn online materials, lessons, exercises, techniques and rules for mastering the basics of rhetoric for free.

What is rhetoric?

This word is of ancient Greek origin Greek rhetorike), and literally means " oratory". What is "oratory"? And how to develop your abilities for it?

Each of us at least a few times in his life had a chance to perform in public. And, for sure, no one doubts that to know and be able to do a lot. It can be said that the ability to speak in public reflects our intellectual development and our social skills.

Martin Luther King's famous speech

By definition Big Soviet Encyclopedia, « oratory"- this is a type of monologue speech used in a situation where the speaker addresses a large audience for the purpose of persuasion or suggestion. Oratory is often identified with eloquence, so a good speaker must be well-read, have competent speech, and be able to clearly express his thoughts. But the speaker also needs to master his diction and have a well-placed voice. In addition, it is important to master speech improvisation, be able to answer questions, maintain contact with the audience, pronounce the text with the necessary intonation, and much, much more.

Most of the described skills, which together form the art of public speaking, can be learned. To do this, it is important to work on yourself, to realize, analyze and correct the unsuccessful moments of your own and others' public speaking, and most importantly, to train your skills in practice. Our training will help you work through all these difficult steps on the way to cultivating excellent public speaking skills.

Do you want to test your knowledge?

If you want to check your theoretical knowledge on the topic of the course and understand how it suits you, you can take our test. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question.

Online rhetoric lessons

The public speaking training posted on this site is an integration of many of the techniques described by public speaking experts. Each of the lessons involves the development of a specific skill that contributes to the development of your oratory skills. Naturally, each person can master these skills differently, so try to pay attention to those lessons that seem most useful to you yourself.

Video

In this section of the training on the skill of public speech, you can watch videos of famous speeches by prominent speakers: Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, Vladimir Lenin and others. Also here you can find videos from various competitions, presentations and speeches of people in front of investors. In addition, the section contains video tutorials by leading experts in the field of public speaking.

4 rules of rhetoric

First rule. Start giving any speech with a strong desire to achieve your goal.
Second rule. Try to always prepare for the performance.
Third rule. Show confidence even if you don't feel confident.
Fourth rule. Practice more (this is true for any other skill).

These four rules of public speaking are, in fact, the foundation of any good speech. If you do not set goals for yourself to achieve great success in rhetoric, but only try to prepare for a specific speech, then they may come in handy.

If you are planning a more detailed approach to the study of the art of oratory, we will be happy to provide you with useful and interesting information in the lessons on our website.

We wish you success in mastering the art of oratory!

Conscious speech is one of the most valuable "gifts" of evolution to mankind. Having uttered the first word, the child begins active communication with society, and the task of parents is to make it effective and successful. Eloquence, the ability to speak clearly, beautifully, clearly build the logic of the narrative, needs to be developed and honed from the moment children realize their personality. A child of younger and adolescence with a high speech culture achieves his goals and integrates into society much more easily than peers who do not have the skills of fruitful communication.

Why do young children and teenagers need rhetoric lessons?

Rhetoric is a science that helps to reveal the communicative potential of a child. From the age of three to six, children already actively communicate with peers, relatives, and other adults, and this socialization directly affects the formation of the personality, its psychological “foundation”. The art of persuading and "representing yourself" in society is closely related to the ability to build verbal communication links. If a child learns to speak coherently, beautifully and to the point, it will be easier for him to enter into dialogues, convey his thought or request, convince and communicate. He will be able to study more successfully at school, university, build business communication and move up the career ladder. Great Russian scientists (I. Pavlov, M. Lomonosov) called rhetoric the basis for the formation of correct thinking and the ability to think logically. Without competent speech, even knowing the subject, the student will not be able to successfully speak at the blackboard or in the oral exam, and the adult speaker will not be able to defend his opinion in front of the assembled colleagues or the board of directors. Properly selected exercises, rhetoric lessons, built in accordance with the age and characteristics of the child, help:

learn how to convey information to any interlocutor, formulate convincing arguments, express thoughts clearly and coherently;
improve diction, make speech smooth, intonation rich, articulated;
speak clearly without raising your voice and “manage the volume” of speech for your own purposes;
during speeches, correctly reinforce words with intonation, gestures and facial expressions;
quickly find the exact wording, supplement the speech with beautiful and not “overloaded” images that suit the situation;
formulate questions in such a way as to get the most useful answer;
correctly analyze and evaluate situations that arise during communication;
make contact with little and unfamiliar, higher-ranking people (bosses, teachers, examiners);
learn to listen carefully, follow the sequence of speaking, be patient with the interlocutor;
develop your own oratorical style and avoid mistakes in speeches;
to become more self-confident, freely, without physical and psychological clamps, to speak in front of any audience.

How to learn rhetoric and public speaking

To achieve the above and other goals, rhetoric widely uses:

individual or group trainings with professional mentors, where children and teenagers learn interaction and public speaking;
special exercises for speaking, memorization, logic, reading - they are performed at home or in the classroom;
additional home activities with parents - games, reading aloud and so on.

When studying, it is important to remember the age and personality characteristics of the child. Educators and scientists believe that the best age to start full-fledged classes is 6-12 years old. For younger children, it is worth choosing specialized trainings and exercises that will help them prepare for the transition to the “next stage”. Children are different - someone is initially inclined to build complex speech turns, while others succeed with difficulty. A competent teacher will definitely talk with the child before classes, listen to the parents and form his own opinion, backed up by experience and qualifications. Based on the study of personality, a teaching methodology is formed, specific exercises are selected that parents can independently perform with their child at home. To successfully achieve the goal, lessons and "homework" should:

be regular - parents and teachers need to correctly draw up a class schedule and stick to it so that everyday small efforts “melt” into a serious, large-scale result;
communicate with a single approach and goal - consistency allows you to both formulate a problem and quickly solve it;
include not only direct lessons in rhetoric, but also exercises that develop the imagination, improve reading and writing skills, literary and stage tasks.

How to do rhetoric exercises

Before any lesson, you need to prepare the room: ventilate it, “cut off” all extraneous sounds - turn off the music, close the window or door. During classes, adults present - parents, practicing teachers - should be positioned so that the child sees all the movements that he needs to repeat. If the children are small, it is necessary to sit down, otherwise they will not consider the movements of the jaw, tongue. During the exercise you need:

monitor the position of the body - the child must straighten the body, straighten the chest;
create the right atmosphere and “mood” - for a long time and with enthusiasm, a child or a restless teenager can only talk and train in a good mood;
speak at the right pace - pronounce all the words in the exercise slowly, with an arrangement, but without unnecessary pauses.

It is worth supplementing the rhetoric course with vocal lessons and home performances. children before school age parents must definitely read aloud; for older children, stage or literary improvisation, training in memorizing the text they heard is suitable. It is important to precede training with physical training. It is specific: the jaws, mimic facial muscles, tongue with lips are “trained”. Pursuing articulatory gymnastics, children will learn to pronounce words and combinations of sounds that are difficult for them. The workout includes exercises for:

Mouth opening. The lips are stretched in a smile, the lower jaw is slowly lowered, making sure that the tongue does not strain. Keep your mouth wide open for up to 10 seconds, then slowly close it and repeat up to 5 times without changing the pace. For young children, the exercise is compared to the yawning of an animal or feeding chicks in a nest to make it more interesting for the little ones.
smile. Pupils slowly stretch their lips, making sure that they do not tuck, and the jaws do not tense up. It will take 3-4 repetitions. The exercise will help you learn how to smile beautifully, gently showing your front teeth.
Pulling lips. They need to be closed and pulled into a "tube", holding in a tense position for 5-10 seconds. The lower jaw should not move forward. You need to do 3 to 5 repetitions.

Classic home exercises in rhetoric

At home, it is recommended to perform basic exercises aimed at improving the speech and cognitive apparatus. Suitable for preschool and primary school children:

expressive reading aloud - adults pronounce the phrase, and the child repeats it, maintaining the pace and intonation;
explanation of concepts and formulation of definitions - an adult begins a phrase, and a child finishes (“an apple is a fruit that ...”);
rhyming words first, then phrases;
finding differences between objects, concepts;
"listening to silence", a description of the sounds in the room and outside the window that are heard when people are silent (birdsong, clock ticking);
pronouncing tongue twisters or chants, backed up by gestures - at each phrase, the child should rhythmically clap his hands, stamp his feet;
selection of synonyms and words related to a particular topic, and so on.

For teenagers, classic team games are relevant:

“Alphabet” (for speech associativity) - first selection of individual words, then whole phrases starting with a certain letter, and at the end - a coherent story;
“Drawing objects” (to develop the skill of gestures) - leading a story on a chosen topic, where each word is supported by descriptive gestures;
“A story on a free topic” (for creativity in speech): the host sets the beginning of the story, each participant continues it in sequence, then the next person is given a new task.

These exercises are a base, useful, but do not reveal the whole variety of situations that occur during training and in real life. Practicing under the guidance of a professional mentor is a key principle of effective practice. Only with an experienced specialist who works a lot with children individually and in groups, you will achieve a qualitative “breakthrough” in the skills of a particular child. We invite you to rhetoric lessons at the largest school of oratory in St. Petersburg - Oratoris. Here, students improve their public speaking skills, learn to think deeply. Our credo is an integrated approach to classes, which will lay the foundation for a person's success in personal communication, and will contribute to his career in the future. Studying with us, you will master the skills of oratory - an indispensable condition for self-confidence and the ability to “bloodlessly” defend your interests in conflict situations. We invite you to sign up for individual and group lessons by rhetoric and in practice to be convinced of their effectiveness.

The oratory of our modern times originates from ancient Greco-Roman times, when this type creative activity paid special attention and, when, as in no other culture, oral speech was not so perfect.

About what oratory and the art of speech is, how to improve oratory skills and become a good speaker, we will describe further. Join.

Who is a speaker

An orator is a person who has oratorical abilities, which consist in the ability to speak beautifully and convincingly, to be fluent in the tools of acting, and to have psychological knowledge.

The talent for eloquence may be innate. It is even believed that each of us has it, only it is manifested to varying degrees. This means that anyone can develop this gift, taking into account individual characteristics and working on themselves.

With the development of oratory skills, comes the ability of public speaking, which has its own properties:

special content of speech - linguistic and non-verbal, in the form of facial expressions and gestures, methods of influencing the listener;
purposefulness - getting feedback from the audience;
efficiency - as a result of the psychological state of the speaker and his authority with the public.

But you can build your speech competently if you use the rules of oratory:

And then she will have the qualities necessary for oratorical speech:

The image of a talented speaker is charismatic and is closely associated with such features and traits as self-confidence, inspiration, erudition, the ability to improvise, liveliness of thought, a strong voice, and expressive gestures.

How to learn oratory on your own, we'll talk more.

In the meantime - briefly about the basics of oratory.

The science of oratory is called rhetoric.

The art of oratory, or eloquence, is a high degree of skill in speaking to the public and influencing it.

Depending on the composition of the audience and topics, eloquence is divided into types:

Oratory speech can have different goals of influencing the listener and it happens:

informational, introduces new facts, information, knowledge;
entertaining, entertaining;
persuasive, in which the speaker seeks the consent of the listener with his point of view;
inspiring, emotionally inspiring;
calling to action, agitating to take action.

In order for a public performance to achieve its goal and leave no one indifferent, it is built according to the intention and content in a certain order, which is called composition.

The introduction should attract attention, interest, establish contact with the audience, give an idea about the topic of the upcoming message with brief description problems.

The main part of the oratory is the presentation of the material itself, argumentation, the use of facts and logical evidence.

The conclusion is intended to summarize and summarize what has been said, to emphasize main idea draw conclusions, inspire listeners.

It is desirable to approach the work on the composition creatively. Observing a clear sequence and consistency of its elements, it is important not to lose the individual style.

Features of oratory

Oratory is characterized by the following features:

Oral presentation. The process of communication with the audience occurs directly when voicing thoughts. Texts for public speaking are acquired by ear and are constructed in such a way as to be easy to understand.

The presence of feedback. A good speaker feels the audience. He distinguishes the mood, catches the reactions to what was said, guesses the emerging questions and flexibly builds a further dialogue.

The use of various means of communication. The use of gestures, pantomime, intonation and other non-verbal methods is inherent in oratory, which distinguishes it from ordinary speech.

The relationship between a text prepared for a speech and its oral interpretation. Choosing the right tone of communication helps to present information in an intelligible form and find contact with the audience.

Oratory techniques

Oratory techniques are used to improve the perception of information. They work either by orienting the listener to figurative perception, or by stimulating his mental activity.

For example:

visual comparisons, short examples-illustrations are especially appropriate when reporting numerical material;
repetition of what has already been said in other words creates a new image;
allegory clearly illustrates the ideas and thoughts of the speaker;
antithesis by opposition enhances their perception;
hyperbole exaggerates those points that need to be paid attention to;
rhetorical questions do not require an answer, but stir up interest;
insertion, when a remark made in passing draws attention to what was said;
unexpected words and actions heighten the listener's curiosity.

Is there enough theory? And now - the most interesting.

How to develop public speaking skills

To master the secrets of oratory, you can enroll in courses and trainings in rhetoric, take lessons for beginners, choose online training or study self-study on eloquence. All these options are offered to our attention by the vast Internet.

If you like self-study for the development of oratory, let's work on the technique of delivering a speech, prepare for a speech, learn how to interact with the audience and take into service some practical tips.

Speech technique

The sound of speech that you want to listen to depends on the following components:

Breath. The pace should be measured, while the breath is shorter than the exhalation. Inhale not “to the stop”, so that there is an opportunity to breathe. It's the same with exhalation. Contribute to the improvement of speech. For example, developing the ability to breathe bottom lungs will provide strength to your voice and fluency of speech.
Volume. By controlling his voice, the speaker influences the audience's perception of what he is saying. If your voice is naturally quiet, you can turn it up. To do this, read aloud expressively, count to ten as you exhale, gradually increasing.
Diction. Speaking clearly, clearly pronouncing sounds, tongue twisters will help, if you are not lazy and do not forget to load your articulatory apparatus with them.
Pace. We must try to express thoughts at an average pace, not to part with words and not to stretch them. Since the temperament and internal state of a person at the time of the performance plays an important role here, it is important to calm down and tune in to a fruitful dialogue with the audience.
Intonation. With its help, your speech will be remembered by the listener, because it will be alive. Practice, as in school, reading aloud with expression works of fiction.

Preparing for a performance

At this stage, the text of the speech is prepared. We already know what a properly composed public speech should be. In order not to read according to what is written, you should first of all learn the text, and to meet with the audience, draw up a plan and main theses.

To be ready for improvisation, it is necessary to have a developed logical and creative thinking, own rich vocabulary and broad vision. Read different literature, keep abreast of social events.

To keep the audience in the right mood, stock up on some interesting facts, light jokes, entertaining short stories.

So that you are not taken by surprise by the technical side of your speech, be aware of organizational issues: the hall, audio equipment, video materials.

Do not forget that "they are met by clothes." Make sure you look dignified and fit the moment.

Interaction with the audience

A good speaker is able from the first minutes of meeting with the audience to please them with his appearance, friendly manner of communication. With such qualities as honesty, openness, politeness, the speaker wins the trust of the listener.

He feels the audience, anticipates their reactions, manages the course of his speech and masterfully achieves his goal.

Here we will answer the most frequently asked questions.

How to learn to speak in front of an audience? Only by repeatedly speaking, you can gain experience in public speaking. At work, at home, meeting with friends, participating in various activities, one should try to develop this skill. To do this, you need to expand your horizons so that there is something to tell; train your memory to memorize unusual facts, plots.
How interesting is it to submit information? Learn to use public speaking tools. Facial expressions, gestures, body language, intonation, voice timbre will arouse genuine interest among listeners. Try it. Create a video of your performance. Assess his level. Praise yourself.
How to overcome the fear of the audience? Such a quality necessary for this, as self-confidence, is acquired with oratorical experience. A little excitement can even help you make your speech memorable and inspire the audience. Develop in yourself leadership skills, tune in to positive communication with the listener. This will help to overcome the strong excitement that arises at first.

Oratory for children

Today the rhetoric scientific discipline about oratory, is also in demand for the harmonious development of children. It develops the personal qualities of the child, teaches the ability to communicate, competently and confidently express their thoughts, conduct a dialogue using intonation and facial expressions, and acquire the first skills of public speaking.

The objectives of teaching rhetoric are:

You can work with children at home:

work on the technique of speech, pronouncing tongue twisters;
learn polite communication;
read and talk a lot different topics to increase vocabulary;
organize theatrical performances to develop acting skills;
learn and read poetry with expression;
practice speaking in front of family and friends.

These classes will help your child become more confident and not shy at public events, teach them how to establish contacts with people, and reveal their creative potential.

The power of a word

The success of mastering oratory skills will provide work. Above the setting of the voice, the content of speech, personal qualities. Try yourself, learn new skills in order to implement your plans, improve.

Remember, the word is the message. Carrying the energy of the author, it has great power.

Ignite curiosity in your listeners. Motivate them to do good deeds.