“Learning to speak publicly” Vladimir Shakhidzhanyan. “Learning to speak publicly” Vladimir Shakhidzhanyan We are silent, we think

Learning to speak publicly.

Introduction.

A person should spend the first part of his life talking with the dead (reading books); the second - to talk with the living; the third - to talk with yourself." (P. Buast)

Buast Pierre (1765-1824)- French lexicographer, moralist and philosopher.

Here is another aphorism of his:

“Thought is the main ability of man. Expressing it is one of his main needs. To spread it is his most precious freedom.”

Well said, isn't it?

You picked up the book “Learning to Speak Publicly.” Attracted and interested? Or do you want to learn how to speak in public? Not to be afraid of listeners, to speak calmly, interestingly, emotionally, contagiously? Do you want to learn how to convince others?

Are you a teacher, boss, company owner or politician?

I don’t know who is reading these lines now.

But I hope to be in good hands.

We should get to know each other.

It is always easier to talk (communicate) with a person you know. Do you agree?

So, a little about myself.

I am 63 years old. I teach at Moscow State University at the Faculty of Journalism. I lead a special seminar on “Psychology of Journalistic Creativity.”

What else should you tell us about yourself?

Born in Leningrad. And he lived throughout the blockade in the besieged city.

Why am I writing about this?

Now you will understand.

I spoke too late. Until the age of 12, I stuttered severely and was incredibly embarrassed about it. By the age of 19, I got rid of stuttering.

But he was shy. However, I wanted to communicate, speak, tell stories.

How to find the right phrase? How to take possession of the hall? How to get your word across?

I have been looking for answers to these questions for a long time.

I read various books about public speaking. Completed a stage speech course.

Later I was a lecturer, teacher, director, journalist, and worked for some time on the radio.

Today I continue to improve. You need to study all your life.

Where was my course “Learning to speak publicly” born?

On the pages of the magazine “Student Meridian”. Several times I taught classes in person.

Is it possible to learn to speak in public? The answer is clear: of course. But you need to study.

If you complete all the suggested tasks, I guarantee that you will significantly develop your public speaking abilities.

I continue to work on the book “Learning to Speak Publicly.”

I hope that in a year a more complete edition will be published, which will include a dictionary of difficult words, a section on the history of words, more exercises on developing diction, and letters from those who took my course.

That, in fact, is the entire preface to the course that you are holding in your hands.

Try not just to scroll through the pages, but to study. Then success is guaranteed. After all, our success depends only on us.

I wish you good luck and joy. Have a good workout.

And, of course, I am grateful to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, which published my work. You should always remember those who helped you.

Your Vladimir Vladimirovich Shakhidzhanyan

It all depends on you.

Be self-taught - don't wait for life to teach you. (Stanislav Jerzy Lec)

Are you really attracted to our lessons and started reading the first lesson?

The vast majority of business people dream of speaking clearly and convincingly.

Many people are confident that they speak well and are sincerely surprised to find that they are poorly listened to.

Imagine that you are not reading this material, but as if you hear me. What did you like and what didn’t you like about the first sentence?

Stop: until you answer the question, do not read further.

It's a pity. This means that you are an impatient person who does not like to think about the questions posed, you rely more on your intuition than on your efficiency and knowledge, and you are not very confident in yourself. However, this is a digression from the main topic.

It’s good that the first phrase began with a question, that is, I kind of invite you to be a co-author, cause you to react in one way or another, but at the same time, you must admit, the phrase is long and it’s better to end it on the fifth word - classes, the rest is superfluous , the usual verbosity. (Please go back to the first phrase and analyze it.)

Introduction.

A person should spend the first part of his life talking with the dead (reading books); the second - to talk with the living; the third - to talk with yourself." (P. Buast)
Who is the author of this statement?
Buast Pierre (1765-1824)- French lexicographer, moralist and philosopher.
Here is another aphorism of his:
“Thought is the main ability of man. Expressing it is one of his main needs. To spread it is his most precious freedom.”
Well said, isn't it?
You picked up the book “Learning to Speak Publicly.” Attracted and interested? Or do you want to learn how to speak in public? Not to be afraid of listeners, to speak calmly, interestingly, emotionally, contagiously? Do you want to learn how to convince others?
Are you a teacher, boss, company owner or politician?
I don’t know who is reading these lines now.
But I hope to be in good hands.
We should get to know each other.
It is always easier to talk (communicate) with a person you know. Do you agree?
So, a little about myself.
I am 63 years old. I teach at Moscow State University at the Faculty of Journalism. I am leading a special seminar on “The Psychology of Journalistic Creativity.”
I am the author of books" I'm interested in all people", " 1001 questions about THIS", "SOLO on a typewriter" and the course "SOLO on the keyboard".
What else should you tell us about yourself?
Born in Leningrad. And he lived throughout the blockade in the besieged city.
Why am I writing about this?
Now you will understand.
I spoke too late. Until the age of 12, I stuttered severely and was incredibly embarrassed about it. By the age of 19, I got rid of stuttering.
But he was shy. However, I wanted to communicate, speak, tell stories.
How to find the right phrase? How to take possession of the hall? How to get your word across?
I have been looking for answers to these questions for a long time.
I read various books about public speaking. Completed a stage speech course.
Later I was a lecturer, teacher, director, journalist, and worked for some time on the radio.
Today I continue to improve. You need to study all your life.
Where was my course “Learning to speak publicly” born?
On the pages of the magazine “Student Meridian”. Several times I taught classes in person.
Is it possible to learn to speak in public? The answer is clear: of course. But you need to study.
If you complete all the suggested tasks, I guarantee that you will significantly develop your public speaking abilities.
I continue to work on the book “Learning to Speak Publicly”.
I hope that in a year a more complete edition will be published, which will include a dictionary of difficult words, a section on the history of words, more exercises on developing diction, and letters from those who took my course.
That, in fact, is the entire preface to the course that you are holding in your hands.
Try not just to scroll through the pages, but to study. Then success is guaranteed. After all, our success depends only on us.
I wish you good luck and joy. Have a good workout.
And, of course, I am grateful to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, which published my work. You should always remember those who helped you.
Your Vladimir Vladimirovich Shakhidzhanyan

It all depends on you.

Be self-taught - don't wait for life to teach you. (Stanislav Jerzy Lec)
Are you really attracted to our lessons and started reading the first lesson?
The vast majority of business people dream of speaking clearly and convincingly.
Many people are confident that they speak well and are sincerely surprised to find that they are poorly listened to.
Imagine that you are not reading this material, but as if you hear me. What did you like and what didn’t you like about the first sentence?
Stop: until you answer the question, do not read further.
Is it difficult?
Have you started reading?
It's a pity. This means that you are an impatient person who does not like to think about the questions posed, you rely more on your intuition than on your efficiency and knowledge, and you are not very confident in yourself. However, this is a digression from the main topic.
It’s good that the first phrase began with a question, that is, I kind of invite you to be a co-author, cause you to react in one way or another, but at the same time, you must admit, the phrase is long and it’s better to end it on the fifth word - classes, the rest is superfluous , the usual verbosity. (Please go back to the first phrase and analyze it.)
Our course is a series of exercises (studies).
Complete all the (etudes) exercises, I guarantee: you will speak twice as well as you speak today.
If you don't comply, well, then claims won't be accepted. However, as I understand it, there will be no complaints, because you simply will not study.

Study 1.

Come up with your own, original beginning for speaking to those whom you would like to captivate with the idea of studying at the correspondence school “Learning to speak publicly.”
Maybe we should start with a clever quote? In this case, you are insured against failure. The intelligent thought that the speaker quotes is usually perceived by the listeners with interest, and the speaker himself immediately rises in their eyes - look what good and clever words he utters, not his own, however, he quotes, but he chose the right words and pronounces them, not looking at the paper. This means he is an educated person.
Read some quotes. Choose the one that you think is most successful to start your own performance.
François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)
We rarely fully understand what we really want.
Our mind is lazier than our body.
It is most difficult to speak precisely when it is a shame to remain silent.
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Otherwise, the words arranged take on a different meaning, otherwise the thoughts arranged make a different impression.
Eloquence is the pictorial representation of thought; if, having expressed a thought, the speaker adds some other features to it, he creates not a portrait, but a picture.
We scold Cicero for his pompous style, yet he has admirers, and in considerable numbers.
Some people speak excellently, but write very poorly: the atmosphere and friendly listeners kindle their mind and make it work more vividly than it would work without this fuel.
Sometimes, having prepared a speech, we notice that the same words are repeated in it, we try to replace them and only spoil them - they were so appropriate; this is a sign that everything must be left as it is: let envy gloat at itself, it is blind and does not understand that sometimes repetition is not a vice, because there is no single rule here.
Think: why are the years of life of those whom I propose to quote given?
Isn’t it so that you can say: “Four hundred years ago, a famous French thinker (philosopher, writer, politician) said...” and then the quote you learned will go on.
It's even better if you remember to notice:
- As you know, four hundred years ago, the famous Blaise Pascal said...
And let ninety percent of the listeners hear this name from you for the first time - believe me, they will remain silent, because everyone wants to consider themselves an educated and intelligent person, and for some reason (what a strange passage - for some reason!) it is uncomfortable to admit their own lack of education and awkward to ask : Who is this Blaise Pascal and what is he famous for?
Conduct a psychological experiment, ask your friends if they have a textbook on public speaking by the famous Indian speaker Nyanazhdihash in their library.
Write down their answers.
How many people will ask the question: who exactly is Nyanazhdikhash?
Who will briefly answer you: alas, unfortunately, no?
Just please, learn your last name properly and pronounce it loudly, clearly, with confidence in your voice.
(Usually we pronounce surnames, first names, patronymics in a tongue twister, so that it is difficult to understand. But in vain! When speaking at a meeting, board, board of directors, at a festive evening, you need to pronounce surnames, first names and patronymics as clearly as possible!)
This is a person you really know. Who? Read my last name not from left to right, but from right to left. Do you understand everything? Did you smile? Or maybe they were angry...
Make a list of questions:
What do you know about Nyanazhdikhash?
Do you have any books by Nyanazhdikhash?
How do you feel about the new system of teaching oratory Nyanazhdikhash, about whom there was recently a big TV show?
(Continue the list of questions that you will ask your acquaintances, and perhaps even strangers. Analyze their answers and try to write a humorous report on this matter.)
We will return to this topic many times - how to start a speech correctly? I think that we will devote a separate lesson, because a good start is the key to success.
Just please don’t start your speech with sentences like this:
- I want to start my speech... (You have already started, so speak straight to the point.)
- If you allow me, then I will start talking... (Why are you asking if you will start anyway, without waiting for the listeners’ answer?)
- I want to tell you... (If you want, say so, especially since you have already started talking.)
- I’m very worried, it’s difficult for me to speak... (In rare cases, if you are sure that the listeners treat you well, such a beginning is acceptable. Out of respect for you, perhaps the room will become quieter. But in such a situation, or the listeners should know you, or you are of special interest to them, they understand you.)
- Here, as you heard, many said that... (So many dirty words, they all indicate the speaker’s uncertainty and dampen the audience.)
- Almost everything I wanted to say has already been said here, but since I went to the podium... (The worst way to start, because most of those sitting in the hall will think: it would be better if you didn’t come out...)
Assignment: Please continue the series of bad starts. Write them down, remember them and try to avoid them.
Our school is designed for a long time. When and how much you will study, of course, only you decide. My advice is to study every day. Then you will master the course faster and achieve results.
The mood for serious studies is ten percent of success.
I foresee difficulty: every person, you see, dreams of quick success. You can wean (encode) a person from drinking in half an hour, if, of course, he dreams of quitting drinking and his decision to recover is firm.
But, alas, it is impossible to teach one to speak well in one day, in one month.
We all love the result, but we don’t really love the process. And without grueling (my duty as a teacher is to remind this banal truth!) work, you will not achieve a good result.
The proposed course was tested by me on the participants of the seminar “Psychology of Journalistic Creativity,” which I have been teaching at the Faculty of Journalism for more than twenty years. But there are face-to-face classes. I also conducted correspondence classes among readers of the Student Meridian magazine.
I ask you to seriously consider the few conditions that I, as a teacher, place before you. If you accept them, I guarantee success.
1. You need to exercise almost every day, at least an hour a day. You don't have to set aside a special hour for this. You can study while commuting to work, while watching television, at lectures, or while in company. The peculiarity of the course and its difference from others known to me is that it is structured as a course in practical psychology, with inclusion in life situations.
2. Complete completion of tasks is desirable. Whether you like the task or not, you must complete it. The basis is trust in me as your teacher. More faith, less criticism. Don't discuss, but do. Especially the first ten exercises.
3. Mandatory daily recording of completed exercises. It is advisable not just to record, but to analyze, that is, write down in detail how you performed the exercise: what worked, what didn’t work out and why, what did you think about when performing certain tasks?
4. Be sure to find a testing site. The testing ground can be a study group, your work team, housemates, fellow travelers in a train compartment with whom you sometimes have to travel together, and your family. It is advisable that you meet with these people relatively often so that you can test your speaking skills on them. It’s even better to find two or three people who would agree to study with you. Doing the exercises together and mutually monitoring the results will speed up the course and give greater effect.
5. Perhaps the most important condition. You will need a tape recorder. You should definitely record and listen to yourself. It is advisable to save the records.
Of course, it would be ideal to make the “Learning to Speak Public” school in three versions: on cassettes, like a regular textbook, and a textbook with audio and perhaps videotapes for listening and viewing.
I foresee the question: “What if I’m a shy person and generally get lost in company, should I study?”
Costs. I repeat: complete all the exercises, regardless of age, education, social status, you will, if not become an outstanding speaker (I do not set such a task), then at least learn to speak confidently, convincingly, calmly, so that they listen to you.
And one more task-exercise.
Please, if you have read this lesson, tell your acquaintances, relatives, colleagues, and friends about it.
If I said everything you read, it would take me sixteen minutes (one page of typewritten text takes two minutes when spoken), but you try to choose the main thing and fit your story into two, maximum three minutes.
So, re-read the assignments from the first lesson. And do them. Only then move on to the next one.

We are silent, we think.

I opened my mouth, you closed it! - In the next lesson you won’t lick me! - Go answer from your seat!
***
- Sasha, don’t babble, please... - I’m not babbling. - You're babbling... - I'm not babbling. - You're babbling! (From teachers’ phrases in class)
Even if I manage to help one person, I will be glad.
And he, that only student, will teach another. Already good.
After the publication of the school “Learning to Speak Publicly” in the Student Meridian magazine, it received about five thousand responses.
Naturally, I was pleased to feel the return.
I will be grateful to everyone who this time sends me their reports, stories, suggestions, and critical comments. Why do I need this?
My goal is not just to help those who want to learn to speak; no, she is more selfish - I would like to receive comments that I will take into account when preparing an expanded edition of the book.
One of the students asked me: how much can school help him, will he really learn to speak well if he completes all the exercises?
An incredibly difficult question. They demand guarantees from me. How to give them? (In oral speech, asking a question and answering it is an effective technique; speech becomes clearer and more emotional.)
It all depends on what level my student is at. I guarantee: if you complete all the exercises honestly (read the recommended books, complete all the tasks, constantly monitoring yourself, trust me as a teacher, discuss my recommendations less and work more), then you will improve your speaking skills compared to the level at which you are now.
You are silent. You answer questions not with words yes or no, but with a nod of your head: tilt down - yes, turn left and right - no. Some people answer this or that question with a moo (it’s difficult for me to reproduce this in letters) - yuym (yes), eee (no). After completing the course, you will be able to pronounce these words easily. (I hope that everyone understood some of the exaggeration of the example, brought to the point of paradox. Sometimes it is worth simplifying the idea, or even bringing it to the point of absurdity, so that others understand you better.)
But if you communicate normally without experiencing any particular difficulties, then after completing the course you will speak much better.
Why can we speak? Yes, we were not taught this either in childhood, or in adolescence, or at school, or at college.
However, wasn’t this done intentionally? It was convenient for the rulers - the fact that the majority does not know how to speak, is shy, is afraid to speak, is afraid to express their own thoughts.
Why do you think that for more than seven decades, rhetoric, the art of oratory, and it dates back several thousand years, remember Greece and Rome, were expelled from educational institutions in our country?
At one time I received a huge number of letters from those who wanted to study at our school. Among them there are many beautifully written ones, but the authors complain: they can write convincingly, but cannot speak.
“I have a problem,” writes N. Borovykh from the city of Vladivostok. - I talk normally with my loved ones, friends, family. But with new acquaintances, in a society where there are a lot of people, or with people whom I barely know, or after I have not seen a person for a long time and suddenly meet him by chance on the street or somewhere else, I am speechless. I’m glad to see old acquaintances, but my hands and sometimes my lips begin to shake, and I completely forget everything I wanted to say. And at this time I hate myself. I quickly say goodbye to the person, come up with some excuses and leave. I refuse invitations to celebrations, I cannot work where I would like, and in general...”
Of course, conducting classes remotely is difficult. An individual approach is needed. But I am sure that my correspondence student, as well as many others who suffer from shyness and often awkward communication, especially when it comes to speaking, will be helped by F. Zimbardo’s book, which is called “Shyness.” If you not only read this book, but work through it, then I have no doubt that success is guaranteed. I advise you to read the books of M. Litvak, N. Kozlov.
“I’m 16 years old,” reports Irina from Yekaterinburg, “I would like to learn how to speak correctly and well. Everyone tells me that I'm a terrible talker, but it seems to me that talking a lot is just as bad as talking a little. In addition, in addition to this, I have another significant speech deficiency - the inability to briefly and accurately express the desired thought. I'm pouring too much water."

Study 2

Study 4

The main thing is to do everything with passion, it greatly enhances life. (L.D. Landau)
“Vladimir Vladimirovich, well (ku-ka-re-ku, ku-ka-reku, ku-ka-reku),” my student Alexey Makridin addressed me during one of the classes; he did all three sketches, so after the word he crows, “don’t call your studies school, the word school just makes me sick.”
Each person has their own feelings about school. I personally like the word school. This is not necessarily a secondary school, but also the school of this or that scientist, a school is also a direction in science, art, and this word should not be perceived so limitedly.
“I support your course, it will be useful to me,” said programmer Alexander Dmitrevsky, who studied at my correspondence school “Learning to Speak Publicly,” which I taught on the pages of the Student Meridian magazine. - But one request: do not be so categorical in your demands on us. Don't demand 100% completion of the exercises.
My comment. I don't have to demand it. Any student is able to determine when and how many tasks to complete. And how to do it - formally or seriously.
But I can confirm once again: the result will be if you study every day, if you complete all the tasks in full, if you don’t skip around, but do everything in order. Only in this case, I repeat, I guarantee success.
Agree: when speaking in public, a friendly tone is necessary. Sarcasm, irony, sometimes even indignation - all this is possible, but in general a person should speak kindly. And many do not hear themselves, do not understand that even simple phrases sound angry and unkind to them.
Normal Hello can be pronounced with a hundred shades of intonation:
patter and with subtext: oh, leave me alone;
softly and calmly: you are here - that’s great;
so joyfully, as if all your life you had simply dreamed of seeing the person you met;
evil and unfriendly - so that the one to whom you speak back Hello, decides that it would be better to move away from you quickly;
surprised: what is this, why is he greeting me?
Try to continue this series. Who can give more definitions based on the intonation of an ordinary word? Hello?
What words can replace hello: hello, good afternoon, I'm glad to see you, oh, who am I seeing, great, bah?
Try to greet everyone as friendly as possible for three days. The words hello, I’m listening to you, good afternoon, I’m glad to greet you, how good it is that we met, and even say hello (or hello on the phone) with maximum goodwill. At the same time, smile, as if confirming with a smile the joy of the meeting.
Try to evoke a reciprocal smile from those you address.
It doesn’t matter where this will happen: at negotiations, in the classroom, visiting, in a store, office, at home with your loved ones. There should be at least a hundred such greetings. Analyze the reaction of your interlocutors, whether you know them or meet them by chance. Give yourself a grade for completing the exercise.
Record your impressions in detail in a diary.
Or maybe you would like to conduct an experiment, as did Azat Laisovich Razetdinov, who sent me a letter with the title
“I WANT TO BE ABNORMAL!”
Is it good to live alone?
Some will say it's boring. Do you think so too?
And I like privacy. When you live alone, your own shortcomings appear more clearly. I lived in a hostel for five years. From time to time I tried to start a new life: go to bed at 10 o’clock in the evening, get up at seven in the morning, take a shower, do exercises... But every time it didn’t work out, and I had to justify myself to myself: how can you fall asleep at 10 if everyone goes to bed at 12, and until then the hubbub is extraordinary!
Now I live alone. I moved into an apartment... along with my problems. I never imagined that I would come face to face with the fact that I couldn’t bring myself to do basic things. It turned out that it’s not about the environment at all - it’s about me! The shortcomings stood in front of me and silently asked: well, master, are you weak? I did not expect such impudence from them! And he declared war on them. It’s good that by that time I knew the rule: you can’t start a new life - you need to gradually correct the shortcomings of the old one.
To begin with, I told myself: I want to be abnormal! Surprised? What does it mean to be abnormal? For example, always walk with a straight back and smile. Go outside and look around: what gloomy faces! Now imagine a person who always smiles: whether he is walking down the street, sitting on a bus, or standing in line. They will think about him: crazy. Because walking around with a gloomy face is normal!
I have made attempts to behave inappropriately before, but I always stumbled over my own fear, afraid of the surprise of others. And now (the best defense is attack) I myself want to be abnormal. I want people to turn around at me, make fun of me, be surprised, and grin.
The results are amazing.
I go to the store. I had been polite to saleswomen before: I always said hello, was polite, thanked them for their service - but at the same time I did not feel a response. And this time the saleswoman, as usual, served automatically, but then suddenly looked up and... smiled widely. Her spirits lifted.
The conductor on the bus smiled. The passer-by girls smiled. And two guys in the minibus looked at me for a long time, whispered, and then burst out laughing. I laughed with them, but thought to myself: well, there was one crazy person - now there are three.
True, sometimes there were faces on which a vague suspicion was written: “Why is he smiling? What, he doesn’t have any problems at all?” I admit, such looks made me feel uneasy for a second. After all, there are people who feel bad when others feel good, and vice versa. Remember the joke: Piglet writes an anonymous letter to the tax office: “Winnie the Pooh lives well in the world.”
Nevertheless, I’ve been smiling for three days now, and I love it! It’s freezing outside, people are bundled up and hunched over, but I walk with my back straight, smile and don’t feel cold at all. It turns out that if you hunch over, the passage of blood through the vessels is difficult - and the person begins to freeze. Therefore, in severe frost, it is best to do something abnormal: straighten up to your full height.
In addition, I noticed that if you are in a bad mood, if you smile for five minutes, it will lift your mood. Don't believe me? Try it! Stand in front of the mirror and smile from ear to ear. In five minutes you will feel an incomprehensible joy.
It turns out that being abnormal is not scary at all, but fun and incredibly interesting.
Surprise people - and they will be drawn to you.
Yours, Azat Laisovich Razetdinov

Study 5

Let us summarize the results of the four studies. It's always useful to summarize. Please answer the questions.
1. Have you come up with an original beginning for a conversation with those whom you decided to captivate with the idea of studying at our school? What is it like?
2. How did the experiment with Nyanazhdikhash go? Have you made a list of questions?
3. How do you pronounce last names, first names and patronymics - clearly and calmly or in a tongue twister?
4. Have you made a list of phrases that are not recommended to be said when starting a conversation, speech, speech, message, report?
5. How much time a day do you spend on tasks?
6. Have you started keeping a diary of your activities?
7. How many people around you have you told about the “Learning to Speak Public” school?
8. Were you able to retell the first lesson in two minutes? How did it turn out for you?
9. Have you been silent for two days?
10. Have you read the recommended books?
11. Did you find an explanation for the word arguments? What dictionaries did you use? Do you consider your speech to be well-reasoned?
12. What does Lev Landau’s test mean: p, d, t, h, p, w, s..? Colleagues called this task a riddle, and journalists called it a test of unconventional thinking. Continue this series.
By the way, do you know how Landau got rid of shyness? If someone is not familiar with the name Landau, be sure to find information about this amazing person. Never be embarrassed to admit your ignorance.

Why do you wear a beard?

It is most difficult to speak precisely when it is a shame to remain silent. (Francois de La Rochefoucauld)
What does the test of the famous physicist Lev Landau mean: r, d, t, h, p, w, s..? Continue this series.
This task was in the previous subchapter. (If you have to speak to the same audience several times in a row, you should try to find a transition from the last speech to the present. By doing so, you will remind the listeners of what was discussed before, and make it clear that you yourself remember it too.)
Let's return to Lev Landau's problem: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven...
Now I think anyone can continue.
It would seem impossible to find the answer key. For example, I suffered for many days, but never solved the problem. And among my students there was always one who, after thinking for five minutes, came up with the right solution.
Non-standard thinking. Seeing everything in a new, original way is necessary for those who decide to master public speaking.
Let me give you an interesting, slightly incomprehensible story. Incomprehensible only at first. By the way, if you want to retell it to someone (and I advise you to do this), then your narrative itself should be of a slightly intriguing nature, so that the listeners want to understand what you are talking about.
A tall student walks along the embankment with his head pulled into his shoulders. The cheeks are drawn in, the short upper lip barely covers the teeth, the mouth is half-open. (What am I telling, isn’t it a detective story?) A glance from under the brows, but attentive and warm. (I would pronounce each phrase calmly and evenly, pausing between sentences a little longer than usual so that those listening could imagine the picture I am trying to paint.) There is both curiosity and painful shyness in him.
This is Lev Landau. He is incredibly timid, awkward, dressed in some kind of gray jacket, the likes of which no one wears in the Northern capital. And he really likes strong, cheerful people who behave at ease, are resourceful in conversation, and witty. He decided to overcome his timidity, to overcome it by any means necessary. But how to do this? To begin with, you can set yourself small tasks and complete them.
Here comes a self-confident gentleman, who looks like a Nepman. Leo inspires himself: you need to approach him. It's difficult, incredibly difficult. But he must overcome his shyness!
- Can I ask you to answer one question? - he says loudly.
Napman stops.
- Why do you wear a beard? - the young man, pale from tension, continues in the same amiable tone.
The next day, he gives himself a more difficult task: to walk along Twenty-Fifth October Avenue (as Nevsky was called at that time) with a balloon tied to his hat.
If you return to the fifth paragraph from the line that is now in front of you, then keep in mind: there should have been quotation marks there, because I was quoting a fragment from Maya Bessarab’s book “Landau”.
Of course, if I were speaking, I would retell this fragment close to the text, making the phrases even shorter and the pauses more unexpected. I would pretend that I was remembering, as if I myself knew the person about whom I was telling the story. Listeners don’t care whether I know Landau or not; in this situation, what is important to them is information about how Landau fought shyness, and emotional persuasiveness.

Study 6

Try to translate the quoted fragment into spoken language. Where will you pause? Where will you add your own words? How would you retell the text? Read it twice and be sure to tell it to your acquaintances, friends, and colleagues. Just find a convenient reason for this.
Let's say the conversation comes up about shyness or physicists, maybe someone will remember a similar episode - and you will casually ask: do you know how Landau struggled with shyness?
Retreat. Did you notice the words do you know? Many people use them all the time, starting with these words in almost every sentence. You shouldn't do this. You need to say them only to really find out whether they know or not what you are about to talk about. If they know, then there is no need to tell.
You know, this is a speech stereotype designed to actualize the recipient’s attention. You can formulate the situation with the use of this word.
Sounds scientific and solid. But it's not very clear. Unfortunately, some books - correct, useful, necessary - are also too scientific and difficult to study.
Try to always make your presentation clear to your audience, even if you are presenting at a scientific conference. If you use a term, be sure to expand it.
In rare cases, know is used to emphasize the significance of what follows the word itself. But not in every sentence?!
The school curriculum already includes retelling classes from the first grade. And retelling is oral speech. But how is it taught?
The teacher reads the story, then asks the students to retell it close to the text - to convey not the meaning, but the form. The same goes for telling a story based on a picture.
A picture is shown in which, for example, the following is drawn: guys are swimming in the river, someone is washing a car, a man is sitting next to him with a fishing rod. The teacher asks: what is shown in the picture?
Smart guys start composing.
Summer. It's so nice to spend it on the river. Everyone can enjoy it. If my family and I were on the river, then it wouldn’t be dad washing the car, as shown in the picture, but mom and me, and dad would be resting from the road, and my grandfather would be fishing. You just can’t fish where people swim and wash their cars...
And here, I have no doubt, many teachers would not have been able to stand it. They would interrupt the baby, explaining that it was impossible to retell it like that. You need to describe directly what is depicted in the picture: a river, near the shore a friendly family is washing a car, and a pensioner is fishing for his own pleasure.
I think no explanation is required.
What if you try to learn a story from a picture again?
Come in - it's still going on sketch no. 6- to the museum, take a closer look at the paintings that attract you, and retell their plot in as much detail as possible.
Or just look out the window. Describe what you saw. Despite its simplicity, the task is quite labor-intensive and will require your attentiveness, imagination, observation; you will have to go through many words to find the most accurate ones to express your thoughts, feelings, sensations when talking about what you saw from your window.
What associations emerged? How to combine disparate details into a story (don't forget the beginning, climax, denouement and ending)? What idea will you decide to make the main one - the grayness of the architecture, the urban landscape (if you are not familiar with the word “urban”, please look it up in the dictionary)? Or maybe you want to talk about loneliness - there are a lot of houses, people are rushing somewhere, everyone is scattered, lonely, on their own. It is possible that you will remember your childhood, how you played with your peers in the yard. Or the view from the window will give you the idea to talk about the dangers of noise in our lives, about the need to pay more attention to the environment...

Study 7

This sketch is incredibly important for shy people.
Walk along a busy street in your city and ask every third person walking towards you about something: what time is it, how to get to the station, has anyone seen a shepherd dog named Christophe running by, they say, the dog has disappeared somewhere... .
Come up with fifty questions. Let them be weird. This will only draw attention to you. But ask in such a way that you want to answer them, ask with the most friendly intonation.
It is believed that in any speech the last phrase is remembered best. That's true. In speech, the beginning and the end are important. Impact phrases are at the end, as in reprises of clowns, in jokes.

Study 8

It is common knowledge that men perceive speech differently than women. Men are more attentive, they remember what they hear faster. Women are more emotional, they always want to interrupt the listener, ask him a question, comment on the speech. So be prepared: if there are more women in the room, it is likely that there will be some noise during your speech.
Please conduct an experiment (it should last seven days): analyze how many times, while communicating with you, women interrupted you, and how many times men asked you clarifying questions, didn’t let you finish your sentence, started talking about yourself without finishing listening, asked you to repeat what you heard , referring to what they cannot remember.
I think you will see for yourself: women and men listen differently.
Why is this happening? Men perceive sounds with the left hemisphere of the brain, while women use both hemispheres.
My advice. When you have to give a speech, evaluate the room - how many women and how many men are listening to you. If there are more women, be sure to repeat the most important points of your speech twice, say them a little louder and slower.

Study 9

In the park, a young father pushes a stroller in which a child is crying, and repeats all the time: - Calm down, Lesha! Calmly! Calm down, honey! An old woman passes by and remarks: “The child can’t hear you, it’s better to take him in your arms.” To which the father replies: “You see, Lesha is me!” (From the author's observations)
Please read aloud the paragraph before sketch No. 9. Read it in one breath.
And now it will be boring, tedious and disgusting, because you need to gather your will and read carefully in order to understand how necessary it is to capture the mood of the listeners - because feedback is always needed; speaking in front of a large or small audience, each of us catches - this can be learned, and I will teach you - the mood of the listeners, quickly making adjustments to our speech, strengthening something, repeating something, saying something faster, and what -slower: it all depends on who listens to you and how...
You will most likely experience difficulty. There won't be enough breath. If you record your reading on a tape recorder, and then let someone listen to the recording, and even ask them to retell what they heard, you will most likely notice the confusion of the person to whom you asked. Why? Yes, because such a sentence is difficult to retell. The phrase is long, confusing, and it is impossible to grasp what is important and what is secondary.
Break the sentence into short phrases - the shorter the phrases, the better. Read with pauses. Always remember the difference between spoken and written language.
You can read an incomprehensible passage two or three times; the listener is deprived of this opportunity. When reading, you can stop, reflect, think about it, and read it thoroughly. The listener, alas... He didn’t understand something in the speech, he wanted to think, but other phrases are already heard, there is also something incomprehensible... One is superimposed on the other. And listening becomes more and more uninteresting and boring.
The listener’s brain automatically switches off from perception: let the speaker talk to himself, but I won’t listen. I’d rather talk to my neighbor, think about something pleasant, read a newspaper or a book, or even just take a nap.
Surely you have seen similar situations: a person speaks, but no one listens to him.
How to get people to listen to you? How to learn to concentrate the attention of the public? How to interest your interlocutors?
Try to answer these questions.
Just please don’t rush to say I don’t know. Think about it. It won’t work out the first time, force yourself to think. Take a piece of paper and start writing.
Don't know how to start writing? This is normal. (Remember how I said that a lot depends on the first phrase in a speech?) Can't find the first phrase?
Don't worry.
So write: “You have received an assignment to write about how to get others to listen to you. I can’t think of anything worthwhile yet and I’m procrastinating with my answer...”
Something like this might be the result of your first attempt to answer my questions.
Don't you like him?
Me too. But you continue to write, continue to reason, write down everything that comes to mind, analyze your state, try to grab a thought if it arises in you (if you concentrate, think on a particular topic, then a thought will definitely appear, even if it’s not the most interesting one, then you will throw it away and continue to think, most likely another thought will flash through, perhaps better than the first).
Your attempts to write something are an acceleration, a sketch, if you will, a device to force yourself to think.
And then calmly cross out everything unnecessary. I have no doubt that you will come up with original judgments, proposals, and reflections that are unique to you. And the task will be completed.
Try it this way. Agreed?
Maybe one of you will remember that it is best to concentrate attention with a gesture, another will begin his speech with an anecdote, the third...
I haven't finished the sentence, you need to continue it.

Study 10

Every speaker, speaker, participant in a particular discussion, journalist working on radio or television must feel the time. Feel it physically.
How long is a minute? When does five or ten minutes pass? Of course, you are familiar with the word regulations. Many speakers constantly do not comply with the regulations. They are stopped or given extra time, but the end of the performance in this case turns out to be crumpled.
Remember: it is best to end your speech a minute early rather than ten seconds late.
All we complain about is not lack of time. Everyday life gets stuck. No time to read, no time to go for a walk, no time to meet friends, no time to answer letters, no time to clean the apartment, no time to raise children, no time to think about your plans...
No time, no time, no time... If you had to say this phrase in front of an audience, how would you present it? Firstly, with amplification, each repetition is a little louder. Secondly, you can divide the word once into not and when (and a slightly questioning intonation with the word when). Thirdly, after the word itself there is no time to take a long pause, as if you were looking for the end of the phrase “think about your plans.”
Such repetitions in written speech are annoying, but in oral speech they help listeners understand you and make your speech more precise.
We are in a hurry, we run, we get tired, we don’t get enough sleep. We are angry with ourselves, we feel dissatisfied with ourselves, but we cannot do anything.
How to be, how to feel your power over time?
Please do an experiment, let's call it
" I feel time".
For three days, every half hour, be sure to record what you did and who you spoke to. Every half hour! By doing this you develop your memory - remember that you need to look at the clock. At the same time, ensure proper use of time. And most importantly, you begin to feel time.
Don't forget to take stock of how much time was wasted. Ask and answer questions. Why? Who is to blame for this?
Another task related to time.
Take a piece of paper and write down: 8.30, 9.15, 10.05, 11.15, 11.45, 12.30, 13.10, 14.20, 15.00, 16.00, 17.10, 17.40, 18.00, 18.45, 19.20, 20.05, , 21.15, 22.00, 22.30...
Twenty times (it can be more, it all depends on your exactingness towards yourself) this is the time you need to look at your watch. Mark twenty times by how many minutes, or maybe even hours, you were wrong.
How many times have you forgotten to look at your watch? Why did this happen: were you too carried away and forgot about the task, someone distracted you, you couldn’t check yourself because you didn’t have a watch?
The task is considered completed if your hit is plus or minus five minutes in 90% of cases. Is everything clear?
I can hear your questions:
- And if I go to bed earlier and get up earlier, what should I do?
It’s very simple - move everything an hour or two in one direction or another. Start not at 8.30, but at 6.30 if you get up at six in the morning.
- And if I don’t have paper and pen nearby, how can I count?
Try to include both a pen and a pencil. Try to be precise, careful, and not forgetful. But if you want, you can tie knots on the string.
- And if I’m watching a movie, it’s dark in the hall, should I light matches?
How many more questions like this could arise? Don't know. But I hope that you can find the answers yourself. The main thing is to be patient, become obligatory, learn to sense time. This can be learned.

Study 11

Three important sieves

The sketch itself

Our assignments are not called exercises - that's boring, school-like - but sketches. By the way, how do you understand the word etude? The sketch system is used in the preparation of actors, directors, writers; sketches are written by artists.
What will you use when preparing an answer to my question: an encyclopedia, a dictionary of the Russian language by S.V. Ozhegov, Vladimir Dahl's explanatory dictionary, a dictionary of foreign words?
But this is a prelude to performing etude No. 11. And the main thing is different - prepare your story about Socrates for two or three minutes. In this case, make two options. Write your first story using only the information you have. And the second - after specially done preliminary work by you. Go to the library (those who have access to the Internet can use search engines; I have no doubt that the best search engine on the Runet, Yandex, will give you more than a thousand links), try to get as many materials as possible - books, articles, reference books in which you find something about Socrates. Perhaps these will be the works of the famous philosopher Plato, a student of Socrates, who did a lot to not only preserve the name of the teacher in the memory of his contemporaries, but also to convey the teachings of Socrates to posterity. Perhaps you will find B. Brecht's essay “Wounded Socrates”.
It would seem that we are learning to speak publicly, to communicate, and I, your teacher, am asking (note: I am not forcing, but asking) to collect material, make notes, develop observation skills, memory, I am trying to teach you to analyze various materials that you will become acquainted with during the research process. work.
Yes, yes, preparing any speech is always research, your speech is the result of the research.
It would be just great if you wrote down all the stages of completing this etude in a diary - how you did it, what you thought, what you encountered, what happened.
May the great Socrates, the son of a stone cutter and a midwife, who was sent to death by his enemies for his own beliefs, help you in this work. And then he was 71 years old. The book's release is scheduled for mid-June 2003.

Study 12

The art of listening is almost equivalent to the art of speaking well. (Buast)
It is both simple and complex at the same time.
Every time, before answering a question or interrupting your interlocutor, please count to three, but people who are impatient, talkative, and aware of such a sin should count to five.
If you can complete, and I hope so, the proposed etude (you need to complete it for two weeks), the effect will, as they say, exceed all expectations.
I repeat: before entering into a conversation, starting a conversation, answering a question, interrupting a conversation, or asking anyone about anything, be sure to count to three. I warn you: you will be annoyed by this task, it will be difficult for you to control yourself, you will hate yourself when, forgetting about the requirement to count to three, you interrupt someone. But if you learn not to interrupt, how much easier it will become for you to communicate with other people, easier to answer their questions, and the answers themselves will be more accurate and concise. By spending just three seconds waiting, you can save hours.

The book “Learning to Speak Publicly” is based on the many years of work experience of the famous Psychologist and Journalist Vladimir

Shahidzhanyan.

The course of lessons he developed will help you speak easily and freely in front of any audience, confidently conduct a dialogue, and clearly formulate your thoughts.

Introduction.

A person should spend the first part of his life talking with the dead (reading books); the second - to talk with the living; the third - to talk with yourself." (P. Buast)

Buast Pierre (1765-1824)- French lexicographer, moralist and philosopher.

Here is another aphorism of his:

“Thought is the main ability of man. Expressing it is one of his main needs. To spread it is his most precious freedom.”

Well said, isn't it?

Are you a teacher, boss, company owner or politician?

I don’t know who is reading these lines now.

But I hope to be in good hands.

We should get to know each other.

It is always easier to talk (communicate) with a person you know. Do you agree?

So, a little about myself.

I am 63 years old. I teach at Moscow State University at the Faculty of Journalism. I am leading a special seminar on “The Psychology of Journalistic Creativity.”

What else should you tell us about yourself?

Born in Leningrad. And he lived throughout the blockade in the besieged city.

Why am I writing about this?

Now you will understand.

I spoke too late. Until the age of 12, I stuttered severely and was incredibly embarrassed about it. By the age of 19, I got rid of stuttering.

But he was shy. However, I wanted to communicate, speak, tell stories.

How to find the right phrase? How to take possession of the hall? How to get your word across?

I have been looking for answers to these questions for a long time.

I read various books about public speaking. Completed a stage speech course.

Later I was a lecturer, teacher, director, journalist, and worked for some time on the radio.

Today I continue to improve. You need to study all your life.

Where was my course “Learning to speak publicly” born?

On the pages of the magazine “Student Meridian”. Several times I taught classes in person.

Is it possible to learn to speak in public? The answer is clear: of course. But you need to study.

If you complete all the suggested tasks, I guarantee that you will significantly develop your public speaking abilities.

I continue to work on the book “Learning to Speak Publicly.”

That, in fact, is the entire preface to the course that you are holding in your hands.

Try not just to scroll through the pages, but to study. Then success is guaranteed. After all, our success depends only on us.

I wish you good luck and joy. Have a good workout.

And, of course, I am grateful to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, which published my work. You should always remember those who helped you.

Your Vladimir Vladimirovich Shakhidzhanyan

By taking the “Learning to Speak in Public” course, you will learn how to do this.

The author of the book is Vladimir Vladimirovich Shakhidzhanyan, journalist, psychologist, teacher at the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. His works include the books “1001 Questions About THIS”, “I’m Interested in All People”, “Computer Erics Are Joking”, “I+I”, the computer training program “Solo on the Keyboard”, the video course “Gymnastics of the Soul”.

A politician and a student, an academician and a schoolboy, a doctor and a teacher, a minister and a deputy, the head of a company and a manager, a journalist and an artist - everyone will find a lot of useful things in the book. The audio version differs from the paper version of the book both in content and in perception. On the disk, the author shows with examples what words and intonation should be used in various situations, and how to correctly complete course assignments.

The online course “Learning to speak publicly” will help you become an excellent speaker without leaving your home, right on our website.

The course consists of 101 studies, by completing which you will be able to win the attention of the most sophisticated listeners.

Sketches are recorded in audio and video format. Immediately after recording the sketch, the student’s speech is analyzed for the presence of dirty words, and the pace and fluency of speech is assessed. Recordings of etudes can be listened to at any time.

We have teachers who check the quality of each assignment every day and give comments: they praise for something, scold for something, and talk about what is worth paying special attention to.

Our students can get to know each other, take the course together, watch each other’s sketches and discuss how they did it.

Don’t really understand who they are - skilled public speakers, whose speeches have a magical effect on the public? You can see examples of speeches by recognized speakers in the appropriate section.

We have created several developmental tasks that help improve correct speech. We have a program called “Accents,” where you can test yourself on your knowledge of spelling norms. Our Lexicometer will test your knowledge of words. If you suddenly doubt the meaning of a particular word, you can go to the “Dictionaries” section and find the word that interests you.

In between classes, you can have fun: read a couple of jokes or listen to others read them. Reading jokes is not only good speech practice, but also a great way to cheer yourself and others up!

Work out for a month, six months or a whole year - the main thing is to see results. You can pay for the course “Learning to speak publicly” for the amount of time you need to complete the course:

1 month - 400 rubles
3 months - 900 rubles
6 months - 1200 rubles
1 year - 1600 rubles.
Unlimited - 3000 rubles.

Have fun!

The book “Learning to Speak Publicly” can be purchased at the ErgoSolo office or read online.

The CD “Learning to Speak Publicly” can be purchased.