Read the suggestions for making an English speech.
a. Looking at and talking to one person in the audience (觀眾) helps keep you natural, but it feels foolish talking to only one person. Speak to that person as long as 15 seconds and then change another one.
b. The audience have a hard time understanding what they hear. They need your help. Slow down, pause(停頓) and guide the audience through your talk. Remember that you should help the audience understand what you are saying.
c. Make your voice a little lower than normal. Listeners like to listen to a relatively(相對) deep voice.
d. When you talk, try to be as natural as possible. Don’t try to memorize your words and read or recite(背誦) them to your audience. You can use short notes to help you remember the important points.
e. You should know you and most of the people you talk to are different in many ways. Some of them may not know what you are talking about. Then speak to them on their terms and in their languages.
f. Concentrate on what you want to say. If you are always paying attention to gestures(手勢),you will feel uncomfortable.
g. It’s true that there are some differences between American English and British English, but they’ll not cause much difficulty for listeners, so just speak the way you’re used to.
Choose a suggestion for each of the following students according to their problems.
【小題1】Paul: I don’t think I can talk fluently(流利) because it’s difficult for me to remember all the words.
【小題2】Billy: When I come face to face with the audience, where should my eyes fall upon? Do I have to look front, or look around from time to time?
【小題3】Amy: When I am talking, I can’t help waving(揮動)my hands, for I think it can help me express what I want to say better. But my classmates say I look funny and foolish by doing this.
【小題4】Betty: I know that it’s not right to speak fast. But I am afraid that I can’t finish my talk in the given time if I speak slowly.
【小題5】Tony: Should I talk in American English or British English?
