One of the conditions for the formation of a socially active personality is the mastery of human speech - the ability to pronounce individual sounds, words, phrases. Its practical application is usually called language. What kind of speech is there? Should a person improve his speaking ability? How can speech defects be eliminated? This is not a complete list of questions that become of interest to parents as soon as their child utters the first words.
What is speech needed for?
Scientists identify several basic functions of speech that everyone should know about.
- Speech is a kind of instrument through which people exchange feelings and thoughts with each other. Language acts as a means of communication.
- Thanks to speech, the assimilation and transmission of the collective experience accumulated by humanity occurs. Through language, people understand the world in which they live.
- To achieve the results of an activity, a person must organize and plan it. This process is only possible when he has language skills.
- With the help of speech, a person is able to influence the feelings and thoughts of other people.
The listed functions fully reveal the importance of language in the life of mankind.
Communication skills
Speech always correlates with non-speech structures. These connections should be known to understand its qualities. Speech is primarily related to language. These are not analogous concepts. Speech is built from language and obeys its laws. Linguistic units are assembled into certain structures and form speech.
The communicative qualities of good speech are in its relationship with thinking. Thought is formed and expressed in speech. This gives communication logic and accuracy. Speech is related to consciousness. This helps to see what is behind the words (imagery, expressiveness, appropriateness).
Speech also relates to reality. After all, communication describes objects, phenomena and events. It also relates to the addressee. The writer of the speech usually creates it for someone. He must make the communication understandable to the listener.
Speech is related to the conditions of communication. It will be appropriate in some conditions, but not in others. This factor also plays an important role in understanding the criteria and qualities of good speech.
What kind of speech is there?
If we consider language in terms of the existence of its forms, we can distinguish oral and written. While writing or reading, written language works. What oral form does the person use? Listening and speaking are types of oral speech.
If we take into account the number of participants in the conversation, then the speech can be dialogical or monological. Translation from Greek makes it possible to understand that dialogue is a conversation between two or more persons, and monologue is a statement by one person.
From the point of view of speech pathologists, speech can be correct or incorrect. Linguists give a similar assessment of language. In their opinion, correct speech is literate speech, but it can have both positive and negative connotations. Incorrect (illiterate) contains a large number of language errors.
How to manipulate people
The ability to manipulate people is not the best quality in a person.
As a rule, this ability is associated with such associated character traits as selfishness, cunning, self-interest, lust for power, and capriciousness. And the tools of manipulation are pressure on conscience or pity, hysteria, threats, the ability to speak beautifully and convincingly. Psychologists know manipulative phrases, although even small children are capable of manipulating adults if they succeed at least once. As a rule, those who selflessly love or trust limitlessly are manipulated.
Is it important to speak competently?
The debate about what a person’s speech should be like arises quite often in the scientific pedagogical environment. This problem worries both the younger and older generations. Most people are still inclined to believe that a language should be literate, that is, beautiful.
The ability to speak correctly is not born with a person. This skill needs to be learned. The process of language acquisition begins in preschool childhood and continues throughout life. Desire alone is not enough to achieve results. It will take some effort and a lot of time.
A person who has mastered the art of speaking always makes a good impression; he stands out favorably from those around him. The figures of speech used indicate the level of his culture. It is believed that a person who knows how to control the flow of words, phrases, and sounds is able to control his mind.
So, mastery of the correct beautiful language with a positive connotation is a huge human dignity.
Lexicon
The active vocabulary of the average person is 15 thousand words. The works of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin contain about 23 thousand words, the dictionary of Vladimir Ivanovich Dahl - 200 thousand. The heroine of the novel “The Twelve Chairs,” Ellochka the cannibal, got by with 30 words. You can find out the size of your passive vocabulary here.
Passive vocabulary is words that are familiar to a person, but are not needed in speech. Active vocabulary – words regularly used by a person in communication. Speech culture involves the systematic use of at least 50% of passive vocabulary.
We suggest performing 4 exercises that will transfer your vocabulary from sleep mode to active mode.
- "Unpacking"
Take a pen, a piece of paper, a timer. Within a minute, say out loud as many nouns as you can without repeating yourself. At the same time, for each word, place a stick/dot/tick on a sheet of paper. Count the number of nouns named. Do the same with adjectives and verbs.
The norm is the ratio of nouns/adjectives/verbs – 54/46/42 words.
The number of verbs indicates the authority and ability of speech to motivate action. Adjectives make speech salient, emotional and memorable. Nouns - give definitions to objects and phenomena.
This technique of speech creativity helps to unpack the resources of the brain, memory and imagination. Practice for 7 days and you will notice how your active vocabulary increases.
- "Like Cicero."
The ancient Roman philosopher, orator and politician Cicero expanded his vocabulary by retelling sublime poetry. Moreover, he conveyed the content of what he read in the best expressions that he could find.
Follow his example. Remember, in Russian there are at least 6 synonyms for each word. Use them.
This method will not only expand your active vocabulary, but also teach you how to improvise in any situation.
- "Remember all".
Your task is to remember and describe the person you spoke with an hour ago. Stretch your memory and characterize his appearance, manner of speech, subject of conversation, and your feelings during the communication process. The more epithets you name, the better.
- “Use it!”
Reading and listening to audiobooks is a smart method of enriching vocabulary. We propose to improve it. When you find an expressive, rarely used word in a book, write it down. Make up a few sentences where it would be appropriate. For 5 days, use the word you found in live communication or in correspondence.
This way, the new word will not end up on the dusty shelf of your memory, but will enter your active vocabulary.
Practice, friends, and you definitely won’t have to reach into your pocket for words.
What are the types of speech defects?
Malfunctions in the articulation apparatus are indicators of incorrect speech. Tongue-tiedness causes a lot of troubles that can affect both personal life and career advancement, and the attitude of others towards the person.
A child who experiences difficulties in the functioning of the speech organs will certainly have problems with learning at school. They may be related to general academic performance, the formation of handwriting, spelling literacy, and mastery of reading techniques.
What kind of speech can a person have if the relevant organs are not functioning properly?
- Fuzzy pronunciation or distorted pronunciation of individual sounds - the child burrs, lisps.
- Failure to pronounce endings in words.
- Violation of the order of sounds in a word - their interchange.
- Poor vocabulary.
- Inability to construct coherent statements.
- Violation of the rate of pronunciation of words (slow or fast), stuttering.
Lexical norms
A capacious vocabulary is a sign of high speech culture. It is equally important to monitor the correspondence of the lexical meaning of the word to the situation where it is used. Here are examples of speech errors that hinder speech culture:
- Using a word in an erroneous meaning.
Example: “The rock band has released another debut album.”
Explanation: the word “debut” was used incorrectly. Debut is the first performance. From the context of the sentence it is clear that the rock band has not released its first album.
- Incorrect use of a paronym (a word that sounds similar but has a different meaning).
Example: “Katya leads a festive life.”
Explanation: the words “festive” and “idle” are paronyms. In this sentence, it is appropriate to use the word “idle”.
- Tautology (repetition of words with the same root in one sentence).
Examples: “The correspondent gives detailed details of what happened”; “Only perennial plants grow in the garden”; “Torrential downpour prevented city festivities.”
- Pleonasm (the use of words with identical meanings).
Example: “Only a small fraction of people understood what was happening.”
Explanation: a fraction is a small part. Therefore, “A small fraction” is a redundant expression.
- Violation of lexical compatibility (not all words in the Russian language can be combined with each other).
Examples: “The troops were defeated in the battle”; “Let’s raise a toast to the newlyweds”; “The state strives to improve the standard of living of the population.”
Explanation: defeat can only be tolerated, a toast can only be made, and the standard of living can only be increased.
- Incorrect use of phraseological units.
Examples: “Everything has returned to its place”; “The day is not far off when we will be rich.”
Explanation: you cannot distort the structure of a phraseological unit (it is correct to say “back to normal”) and the grammatical form of the words included in its composition (it is correct to say “not far off”).
How to minimize the number of lexical errors in speech? How to develop literacy? Here are some tips:
- Read. It is important to observe two conditions here. First: reading should be regular. One book a year will not make you more literate. The brain remembers only what is repeated often. Second: read exclusively literate texts (classics). Forums, public pages, and blog posts are replete with errors, which the brain perceives as normal when read regularly.
- Immerse yourself in the right language environment. You will imitate the speech of cultured and literate people when communicating with them.
- Do not hurry. People justify their illiteracy by the demands of the times. Many people believe that the speed of information transfer is the main thing. There is no time to follow the rules of the Russian language. A fundamentally wrong approach. The brain records distorted words that are constantly used in communication as correct, and you stop noticing speech errors.
- Learn the rules of the Russian language. You can't go anywhere without them.
A cultured, well-spoken person is distinguished by a rich active vocabulary and adherence to speech norms.
Reasons for violations
Having figured out what kind of speech happens when the articulatory apparatus is not working properly, it is worth paying attention to the reasons that could influence the problems that have arisen. And the sources of violations are very diverse.
One of the reasons that causes a malfunction of the speech organs is various types of injuries that the child could receive during childbirth or in the first years of life. This reason can be classified as the most severe. No less serious is the one that relates to hereditary predisposition.
In addition, speech disorders can occur due to insufficient development of phonemic hearing, which leads to the child’s inability to fully perceive spoken phrases. A child’s stay in a certain speech environment also significantly affects the level of language development.
His parents and close environment can have a great influence on the development of a child’s ability to speak, listen, read or write. For example, replacing live communication with watching TV will certainly lead to a delay. If adults do not pay attention to visible defects, believing that the problem will go away on its own, this can cause a significant delay in speech development.
Human voice timbre
High pitched voice
They are disapprovingly called shrill, and all sorts of shortcomings are attributed to its owners. If we remember teenagers whose voices regularly “grow”, it becomes obvious that this is a sign of poor self-control. Situationally, a voice that breaks into falsetto indicates strong excitement, excitement or fear.
Low timbre of voice
is perceived by people as a symbol of reliability, strength and dignity. In fact, its owners are distinguished by self-confidence. They know their worth, are thorough and not fussy. Typically, a low voice timbre is conducive to confidential communication, but an artificially low one seems insincere.
What is the timbre of the voice?
Where speech defects are eliminated
Before correcting deficiencies, the specialist to whom the patient turned is obliged to establish the causes of the difficulties that have arisen. The methods and techniques that will be used in the work depend on them.
If the development of speech is affected by neurological abnormalities or they are associated with an abnormal structure of the articulatory organs, then, in addition to a speech therapist, a surgeon or neurologist will be required. An integrated approach to working with people with speech development disorders gives the greatest effect.
Speech therapy classes with a child can be conducted by specialists in schools and kindergartens. Similar offices are opened at children's clinics or child development centers. The speech therapist conducts classes using numerous methods, techniques and techniques. The exercises are aimed at developing the articulatory apparatus, motor skills, and the child’s ability to observe, compare, analyze, and express his emotions.
Parents provide enormous assistance in overcoming the child’s speech difficulties by working with him at home. Doctors and teachers, having explained to adults what a child’s speech might be like during regular classes, give specific tasks. All recommendations must be followed. Only with this approach can you get a lasting positive result.
Conversational type
The conversational type of communication as a separate subtype began to develop in the 90s of the last century. It is divided into literary-colloquial and familiar-colloquial types.
A person with this style of communication adheres to a conversational manner of communication in any setting, even an official one. They are characterized by decreased speech to a greater or lesser extent.
In the literary-conversational type, communication on a first-name basis predominates, and in the familiar-conversational type, rude statements are added.
Speakers of this manner of communication have no idea what qualities good speech should have. They are used to talking at the same level as everyone around them. Finding themselves in a new environment, such people simply cannot change the way they express their thoughts. After all, they simply have no other model of behavior.
Most often, such styles are spread by television, inviting people who prefer a conversational style of communication to their talk shows.
Where they teach correct beautiful speech
If a person has a desire to improve the style of the language, its expressiveness, and expand their vocabulary, then special speech courses are perfect for this.
Many people believe that such classes are needed only for mastering foreign languages, but this is not so. Native speech is also studied with them. What can she become after training? This is demonstrated with pleasure by people who have completed the course.
To develop beautiful, literate speech, schoolchildren are given special elective classes provided for in the curriculum.
What are the goals of speech exercises?
Tasks aimed at language development can be completed together with a teacher, independently or in a group. The exercises suggested below also give an understanding of correct speech.
So what should it be like? Good speech is distinguished by conciseness and a rich vocabulary. The use of expressive means only embellishes the language.
Relativity
Defining the main characteristics and qualities of good speech is not so easy. The concept of speech culture and its qualities change even for one nation over time. Therefore, it cannot be perceived correctly, being out of date.
The standard of good speech changes geographically and socially. Each generation has its own standards, the basic qualities of good speech.
It is also impossible to single out the same qualities that good oral, written, monologue and dialogic stylistics should have.
Assessment of the quality of good speech, even in a specific Russian language, is made from the standpoint of form, style and functionality, and the conditions for its implementation.
Examples of speech exercises
- Remember the title of a movie you recently watched or a book you read. State the content in four sentences that can be written down or retained in memory. Think about which of these sentences is not so important, eliminate it. Do the same with the rest of the offers, leaving only one. Say it a few times, edit it if you think it doesn't sound right. This exercise, performed regularly, will teach you to express your thoughts concisely.
- Many people love tongue twisters - they are fun and useful. But not everyone knows what slow talkers are. The exercise helps get rid of confused, slurred speech. The task is to pronounce the phrase slowly, clearly, with pauses. But unjustified stops and prolongation of sounds should be excluded. Try to enjoy the sound of the speech. You can choose phrases for the exercise yourself or use the recommended ones.
Content
Idle talk is the first enemy of speech culture. Popular wisdom confirms this: “The age grinds, but there is no grinding,” “I call a lot, but it’s of little use,” “I said that I’ve cooked, but lo and behold, there’s nothing.”
Contentful speech must meet the following criteria:
- reliability;
- argumentation;
- novelty;
- relevance;
- benefits.
In other words, your statements must have an internal message, meaning. To determine if you're playing verbal ping-pong, ask yourself: Does my speech enrich the audience? Am I sharing useful knowledge, inspiring, instilling confidence or encouraging action? Any “speech” must have a goal and be listener-oriented.
One of the most common obstacles to cultural, meaningful speech is parasitic words and sounds. Everyone knows “well”, “in short”, “so let’s say”, “in general”, “kind of”, “as if”, “here”, “actually”, “uh”, etc. While the brain selects the right word, a pause appears in speech. This is precisely what the parasitic word seeks to fill.
We offer some tips for getting rid of junk words and sounds:
- Retelling of literary texts.
Read the selected work several times and retell it in your own words, clearly controlling the absence of filler words in your speech. This method powerfully activates speech intelligence.
- Exercise “Start over.”
You will need a partner. Prepare a short story about yourself: the simplest and most well-known facts from your biography. Start retelling the prepared text to your partner. The moment you utter any filler word, your assistant should say: “Stop. Start over." And you start reproducing the text again. Repeat the exercise until the retelling is completely cleared of useless words.
This method helps to form speech self-control.
- Punishment system.
For every parasitic word spoken, give yourself a fine... of 5 squats, for example. Or find a lucky person in your circle to whom you will pay 100 rubles for each “pancake”.
- Practice "Insert".
Take any text. For example, "The Tale of the Goldfish." Remember your favorite filler word. Start reading the text of the fairy tale, inserting a parasitic word after each normal word.
“It was as if an old man lived, as it were, with his seemingly old woman, as if by the very blue, as it were, sea.” In this way, repeat the story three times. The fourth time you feel a clear rejection of the parasitic word. Internal resistance will help you not to use junk words in your speech in the future.
- Tests without answer options.
Find any test on the Internet. For example, psychological. Read the question and formulate your answer yourself, without looking at the suggested options and without using useless words/sounds.
Parasitic words impoverish speech and are crutches on which a person relies. Feel free to refuse them. Learn to speak clearly and concisely.
