Importance of Speaking English

By Adrienne Robertson While most newcomers could probably list about a hundred things that scare or worry them about leaving home and moving to a new, unfamiliar place, all of these issues finding a job, choosing a doctor, making friends are influenced by our ability to communicate within our communities. True, many people settle in areas near family or other immigrants from the same part of the world so the language is easier, but there comes a time when every newcomer needs to step out of his or her safety zone. Learning and speaking English is an important step in the settlement process because it helps newcomers obtain better jobs, get involved in their communities, participate in events, vote with confidence and express themselves. According to Statistics Canada, the 2006 Census showed that 98 percent of the population can speak one or both official languages. In addition, English or French is spoken at least regularly at home by 94 percent of Canadians. English or French is spoken most often at home by 89 percent of the population, sometimes in combination with a non-official language. On the other hand, only 80 percent of the population report English and French as their mother tongue (58 percent and 22 percent respectively). The remaining 20 percent have a mother tongue other than English or French (these include Aboriginal languages). The lack of English can make it difficult to become an active, happy member of Canadian society. While there are many close-knit groups in cities like Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver and plenty of newcomers who thrive within their own communities, these people may not have all the same opportunities as other Canadians. Ibrahim Absiye, Executive Director of CultureLink, a Toronto-based settlement agency for new Canadians, says communication "opens the door for employment, integration and education." In Toronto, speaking English can be the first step to clear, effective communication. Absiye identifies "5 Cs" for new immigrants; they are five major challenges, all starting with the letter C:

1. Colour: barriers as related to race and appearance. 2. Cultural Confusion: newcomers may expect one thing of Canada and experience something different. 3. Climate: it is often shocking to newcomers that up to seven months out of the year are spent indoors. 4. Computers: many new immigrants are not as experienced with technology as we expect them to be and this can prevent them from accessing some information. 5. Communication: not being able to converse with the people around you can lead to frustration, isolation and missed opportunities.
Absiye calls communication a key step to settlement and considers language barriers one of the biggest problems newcomers will face when they move to Canada. According to a 2005 study by Statistics Canada, one in four newcomers found learning English or French to be one of the biggest challenges in their settlement process. They considered it the second

biggest difficulty only after finding an adequate job, which can also be affected by a newcomers ability to speak English. Analyses of data from the 2006 Census on immigration and citizenship, conducted by Stats Canada, showed that 70 percent of the foreign-born population does not speak English or French as a first language. This group is formed mainly by immigrants who arrived in Canada between 2001 and 2006 close to 1,110,000 newcomers. Ticket to Employment The employment rate of immigrants increases with their ability to speak English. Newcomers with stronger English are also more likely to find jobs related to their preferred fields. This is why it can be so beneficial to attend an ESL class, join a discussion circle or seek out a settlement agency for help with the English language, especially when these services are both excellent and free. The skills newcomers can learn in these classes will also make day-to-day life easier, like communicating with a doctor. Although the Canadian government guarantees this freedom (equal access to health care) among others, like the right to a fair trial, it is not always possible to find a translator, particularly at the last minute. This is why newcomers can benefit from arming themselves with English language skills. "There are healthcare providers who try to accommodate their patients as much as possible, but these cases are more the exception than the rule," says Dr. Marco A. Fiola, an Associate Professor with the School of Graduate Studies at Ryerson University. In cases like that, it is obvious how valuable independence can be. It is a blessing not having to seek a translator every time you need to buy new clothes or do some banking. Many newcomers make an effort shortly after their arrival in Canada to learn English. According to Canadas 2006 Census, six months after arriving in Canada, 58 percent of immigrants reported being able to speak English well or very well. After living here for four years, 69 percent said they could speak English well or very well. This may be due in part because 45 percent of newcomers take training in English. This is not to say that these newcomers are as fluent in English as those who have spoken it all their lives for some immigrants, English comes easily in some situations but not in others. "For example, they will be completely fluent in English for their work purposes, but once they are home, they revert to their home language, or once they are at the doctors office, they need the services of an interpreterthey dont know the words for things or concepts that go beyond a certain area of their lives," says Dr. Fiola. While more research is necessary in this area, it is apparent that newcomers who seek help with their English skills will have a better quality of life in Canada, particularly if they wish to be free of language barriers in day-to-day situations. Dr. Fiola believes many newcomers who can maintain their native tongue and culture while learning English and experiencing life in Toronto can be extremely happy. Learning English does not mean giving up culture, background or a native tongue, its simply adding a new and valuable skill that will make the transition much smoother for most newcomers.

English
Curriculum Leader - Mrs N Kemmitt
Curriculum Resources for English are available on the School Intranet | English pages.

The study of English benefits a students progression in subjects across the whole curriculum and its competent use is a life skill which is required in all aspects of work and leisure. The aim of the English department is to promote the development of all pupils and to enhance their ability to use language effectively. We aim to do this by recognising the equal importance of active learning as well as preparation in examination skills.

SKILLS Speaking and listening

Students will develop their ability to: communicate clearly; adapt talk to different situations; use Standard Reading Students will develop their ability to: read with insight and engagement; distinguish between fact and opinion; follow an argument; understand how writers use linguistic, structural and presentational devices Writing Students will develop their ability to: communicate clearly; adapt their writing to a range of purposes and audiences; organise ideas into sentences, paragraphs and whole texts; demonstrate accurate spelling and punctuation; present work neatly; use standard English and a wide vocabulary to express meaning with clarity and precision. to achieve their effects. English; participate in discussions; listen to and understand varied speech.

Key

Stage

English at Key Stage 3 is organised around the national curriculum requirements and students are assessed in line with its objectives. Knowledge about language, punctuation and grammar are taught alongside reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Each year students complete a series of assessments and an end of year examination in each subject. Students study a range of texts including: prose, poetry, drama, media and non-fiction. The units of work facilitate students skills acquisition and progression through the levels of the nation

How to Communicate Effectively

edits by:Samuel, Nathan Wong, Lauren Lewis, Wes Platt (see all) Article EditDiscussHistory

Have they really understood the message?!

Developing good communication skills is an important part of living a fulfilled life. Effectively communicating your career, personal, and everyday needs in a way that comes across clearly, persuasively, and thoughtfully is crucial; and yet, not everyone knows how. It isn't innate, and many bright, talented, and dedicated people don't get where they should, all because they fail to adequately communicate their point. Don't let that be your fate. No matter what your age, background, or experience, effective communication is a skill you can learn (no matter how you might feel about it now). With a little self-confidence and knowledge of the basics of good

How To develop the good communication skills

1. Know what communication really is. Communication is the process of transferring signals/messages between a sender and a receiver through various methods (written words, nonverbal cues, spoken words). It is also the mechanism we use to establish and modify relationships. Ads by Google Create a Free Slideshow Create a free stunning slideshow from your travel photos. Start now! tripwow.tripadvisor.com/slideshow

2. 2
Manifest constructive attitudes and beliefs. The attitudes you bring to communication will have a huge impact on the way you compose yourself and interact with others. Choose to be honest, patient, optimistic, sincere, respectful, and accepting of others. Be sensitive to other people's feelings, and believe in others' competence.

3. 3
Make eye contact. Whether you are speaking or listening, looking into the eyes of the person with whom you are conversing can make the interaction more successful. Eye contact conveys interest, and encourages your partner to be interested in you in return. In less intimate settings, when giving a speech or when in front of several people, holding the eyes of different members of your audience can personalize what you are saying and maintain attention.

4. 4
Be aware of what your body is saying. Body language can say so much more than a mouthful of words. An open stance with arms relaxed at your sides tells anyone around you that you are approachable and open to hearing what they have to say. Arms crossed and shoulders hunched, on the other hand, suggest disinterest in conversation or unwillingness to communicate. Often, communication can be stopped before it starts by body language that tells people you don't want to talk. Appropriate posture and an approachable stance can make even difficult conversations flow more smoothly.

5. 5
Have courage to say what you think! Be confident in knowing that you can make worthwhile contributions to conversation. Take time each day to be aware of your opinions and feelings so you can adequately convey them to others. Individuals who are hesitant to speak because they do not feel their input would be worthwhile need not fear; what is important or worthwhile to one person may not be to another and may be more so to someone else. In a world so very big, someone is bound to agree with you, or to open your eyes to an even deeper perspective. The courage to say what you think can afford you the opportunity to learn more than you knew before.

6. 6

Speak clearly enough to be heard. When you are saying what you think, have the confidence to say it so as to be heard. An appropriate tone and volume can inform listeners that you mean what you say, you have thought about what you are saying, and what you are saying is worth hearing. Using proper inflection helps ensure that your listeners hear exactly what you are saying, and reduces possibilities for misunderstanding.

7. 7
Practice. Developing advanced communication skills begins with simple interactions. Communication skills can be practiced every day in settings that range from the more social to the more professional. New skills take time to refine, but each time you use your communication skills you open yourself to opportunities and future partnerships.

8. 8
Develop effective listening skills. Not only should one be able to speak effectively, one must listen to the other person's words and engage in communication on what the other person is speaking about. Avoid the impulse to listen only for the end of their sentence so that you can blurt out the ideas or memories that come to your mind while the other person is speaking.

Top 7 Ways to Communicate Effectively

By Pablo Golub

[ Print | Email This | Bookmark ] According to Dale Carnegie, author of the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, 85% of success on the job is due to ones ability to lead people and personality. Only 15% of success is due to ones technical knowledge (18). Therefore, the ability to communicate with people is vital from engineering to business, and is essential in increasing your success tremendously. For this reason, having proper communication skills is not something you should leave to chance in your business career, as well as in your personal life. So following are seven ways/tips that will help you to succeed in communicating with others. 1. Have self-worth Self-worth is analogous to self-confidence. The better you feel about yourself (i.e. the more you think youre worth), the more confident youre going to be. With self-

worth, you can get what you want out of every conversation. Without self-worth youll be stuck in small-talk. In order to get what you want out of a conversation, you must give the other person a chance to believe that youre worthy of their time and effort. 2. Get interested in other people People have two stations which other people can listen to, WIFM (whats in it for me) and WIFO (whats in it for others). WIFM is boring for people to listen to. Most people are interested in themselves. People want to be flattered, and you can do this by letting the other person talk about him or herself, by changing the channel to WIFO. By changing the channel to WIFO, you have just led the person to feeling good about themselves. Since you were the one who made them feel good about themselves, they will be indebted to you and will want to pay you back by helping you out with what you wanted them to do for you. 3. Open up a persons heart You can do this five different ways(1) Ask open-ended questions that really get the other person talking a lot. How was your day/weekend/week? What are your hobbies? What do you think of this town? If there is one wish you could wish for, what would it be? The last one might really get them thinking. Dont limit yourself to just talking about the weather. Ask questions that make them think, that they would be interested in answering, as they feel good about themselves sharing their life with someone. In this case, you! Warning: Dont just shoot many questions in a row without sharing a little bit about yourself. Doing this may make them feel uncomfortable, as they think youre like a police officer or detective trying to solve a crime. (2) Compliment them! However, be specific; dont just say you look nice. That doesnt mean anything, but if you say, you have a beautiful dress, it really compliments your skin color, then you have a genuine compliment. (3) Ask a persons name when you first meet them and remember it. From then on, address them by their name at all times. (4) Smile, you can never smile too much. (5) Have a good sense of humor. 4. Listen at least two times more than you talk You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Therefore, you should listen twice as much as you speak. To show that youre listening effectively, you must ask follow-up questions. A follow-up question shows the other person that youre listening, and perhaps equally important extends the length of the conversation in a good way. For example, somebody tells you they love to hike. Ask, why do you like to hike? What is it like to hike? I was interested in hiking; could you give me some basic advice on hiking? By showing you listen, and by extending the conversation, you really open up a persons heart. 5. Diversify yourself Learn about sports, dancing, even television shows, etc. This gives you subjects to talk about, as well as chances to meet new people. In cases such as dancing, where you meet people as you perform the activity, youre actually killing two birds with

one stone. You get the chance to meet new people, plus the chance to diversify yourself, as well. It also gives you status, essential for getting the most out of any conversation. For people are more attracted to somebody who is diversified, and has a lot to talk about. Being diversified is an important commodity for anyone to have. 6. Understand that your worth never changes Follow alongIn my hand I am holding a check for a million dollars. I crumble it up. Its still worth a million dollars. I step on it, its still worth a million dollars, I start rubbing it on the floor with my shoe, and its till worth a million dollars. You are worth a lot more than a million dollars. In fact, your worth is immeasurable. Therefore, there is no such thing as rejection as youre always worth the same no matter what. Nobody can reject you because nobody can change your worth. Moreover, dont be afraid of something (rejection) that doesnt exist. Take risks, ask for what you want, and eventually you will get what you want. 7. Follow the step-ladder to success Imagine wanting to become the heavyweight champion of the world. First you have to beat, the lower-ranked fighters, then the contenders, and then finally rise up to face the champ. In order to face the champ you have to take those three steps in the order stated in the previous sentence. If you would try to face the champ before the contenders/lower ranked fighters, youll be too green, or immature as a fighter in order to be able to hurt the champion. Follow these steps in order (i.e. lower-ranked fighters, contenders, and champion), you wont be guaranteed success but youll give yourself your best chance. Same goes with conversational skills. First you have to approach your second or third choice of date, before youre able to gain the courage to face the champion, your top choice date. You have to first be able to interact with fellow employees, and lower-level managers, before you can learn to deal with the CEO. Again, just like in boxing, you wont be guaranteed success, but youll give yourself your best shot. Pablo Golub is the author of the book Its All a Damn Game which can be purchased at http://www.7-Ways.com . This book is an eye-opening look into the game of life. In it you will find out how to succeed in life, money, and happiness.

The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have

by Andrew Dlugan Oct 31st, 2007

Inspired by 25 Skills Every Man Should Know, I pondered a list of the25 essential skills every public speaker should have. How did I do? Every public speaker should be able to: 1. Research a topic Good speakers stick to what they know. Great speakers research what they need to convey their message. 2. Focus Help your audience grasp your message by focusing on your message. Stories, humour, or other sidebars should connect to the core idea. Anything that doesnt needs to be edited out. 3. Organize ideas logically A well-organized presentation can be absorbed with minimal mental strain. Bridging is key. 4. Employ quotations, facts, and statistics Dont include these for the sake of including them, but do use them appropriately to complement your ideas. 5. Master metaphors Metaphors enhance the understandability of the message in a way that direct language often can not. 6. Tell a story Everyone loves a story. Points wrapped up in a story are more memorable, too! 7. Start strong and close stronger The body of your presentation should be strong too, but your audience will remember your first and last words (if, indeed, they remember anything at all). 8. Incorporate humour Knowing when to use humour is essential. So is developing the comedic timing to deliver it with greatest effect. 9. Vary vocal pace, tone, and volume A monotone voice is like fingernails on the chalkboard. 10. Punctuate words with gestures Gestures should complement your words in harmony. Tell them how big the fish was, and show them with your arms. 11. Utilize 3-dimensional space Chaining yourself to the lectern limits the energy and passion you can exhibit. Lose the notes, and lose the chain.

12. Complement words with visual aids Visual aids should aid the message; they should not be the message. Read slide:ology or thePresentation Zen book and adopt the techniques. 13. Analyze the audience Deliver the message they want (or need) to hear. 14. Connect with the audience Eye contact is only the first step. Aim to have the audience conclude This speaker is just like me! The sooner, the better. 15. Interact with the audience Ask questions (and care about the answers). Solicit volunteers. Make your presentation a dialogue. 16. Conduct a Q&A session Not every speaking opportunity affords a Q&A session, but understand how to lead one productively. Use the Q&A to solidify the impression that you are an expert, not (just) a speaker. 17. Lead a discussion Again, not every speaking opportunity affords time for a discussion, but know how to engage the audience productively. 18. Obey time constraints Maybe you have 2 minutes. Maybe you have 45. Either way, customize your presentation to fit the time allowed, and respect your audience by not going over time. 19. Craft an introduction Set the context and make sure the audience is ready to go, whether the introduction is for you or for someone else. 20. Exhibit confidence and poise These qualities are sometimes difficult for a speaker to attain, but easy for an audience to sense. 21. Handle unexpected issues smoothly Maybe the lights will go out. Maybe the projector is dead. Have a plan to handle every situation. 22. Be coherent when speaking off the cuff Impromptu speaking (before, after, or during a presentation) leaves a lasting impression too. Doing it well tells the audience that you are personable, and that you are an expert who knows their stuff beyond the slides and prepared speech. 23. Seek and utilize feedback Understand that no presentation or presenter (yes, even you!) is perfect. Aim for continuous improvement, and understand that the best way to improve is to solicit candid feedback from as many people as you can. 24. Listen critically and analyze other speakers Study the strengths and weakness of other speakers. 25. Act and speak ethically Since public speaking fears are so common, realize the tremendous power of influence that you hold. Use this power responsible.

Better Public Speaking & Presentation

Ensure Your Words Are Always Understood

iStockphoto/Viorika

There are many things you can do to ensure that your verbal messages are understood time and time again. Although somewhat obvious and deceptively simple, these include: Keep the message clear.

Be prepared. Keep the message simple. Be vivid when delivering the message. Be natural. Keep the message concise.

Preparation is underrated. In fact, it is one of the most important factors in determining your communication successes. When possible, set meeting times and speaking and presentation times well in advance, thus allowing yourself the time you need to prepare your communications, mindful of the entire communication process (source, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, feedback and context). By paying close attention to each of these stages and preparing accordingly, you ensure your communications will be more effective and better understood. Of course, not all communications can be scheduled. In this case, preparation may mean having a good, thorough understanding of the office goings-on, enabling you to communicate with the knowledge you need to be effective, both through verbal and written communications.

Being prepared: Guidelines for Thinking Ahead:

Ask yourself: Who? What? How? When? Where? Why? Who are you speaking to? What are their interests, presuppositions and values? What do they share in common with others; how are they unique? What do you wish to communicate? One way of answering this question is to ask yourself about the 'success criteria'. How do you know if and when you have successfully communicated what you have in mind? How can you best convey your message? Language is important here, as are the nonverbal cues discussed earlier. Choose your words and your nonverbal cues with your audience in mind. Plan a beginning, middle and end. If time and place allow, consider and prepare audio-visual aids. When? Timing is important here. Develop a sense of timing, so that your contributions are seen and heard as relevant to the issue or matter at hand. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. 'It's better to be silent than sing a bad tune.' Where? What is the physical context of the communication in mind? You may have time to visit the room, for example, and rearrange the furniture. Check for availability and visibility if you are using audio or visual aids. Why? In order to convert hearers into listeners, you need to know why they should listen to you and tell them if necessary. What disposes them to listen? That implies that you know yourself why you are seeking to communicate the value or worth or interest of what you are going to say. Be concise. Be brief. Use short words and sentences. Where appropriate, support these with short, easy-to-understand examples, which help demonstrate your message.

Better English speaking skills

Improving your English speaking skills will help you communicate more easily and effectively. But how do you become a more confident English speaker? Practise where you can, when you can. Any practice is good whether you speak to someone who is a native English speaker or not. It's important to build your confidence. If possible, use simple English sentence structure that you know is correct, so that you can concentrate on getting your message across. Try to experiment with the English you know. Use words and phrases you know in new situations. Native English speakers are more likely to correct you if you use the wrong word than if you use the wrong grammar. Experimenting with vocabulary is a really good way of getting feedback. Try to respond to what people say to you. You can often get clues to what people think by looking at their body language. Respond to them in a natural way. Try NOT to translate into and from your own language. This takes too much time and will make you more hesitant. If you forget a word, do what native English speakers do all the time, and say things that 'fill' the conversation. This is better than keeping completely silent. Try using um, or er, if you forget the word. Don't speak too fast! It's important to use a natural rhythm when speaking English, but if you speak too fast it will be difficult for people to understand you. Try to relax when you speak you'll find your mouth does most of the pronunciation work for you. When you speak English at normal speed, you'll discover that many of the pronunciation skills, such as linking between words, will happen automatically.

Remember, when speaking English

Try to become less hesitant and more confident. Don't be shy to speak the more you do it, the more confident you'll become. Remember to be polite use "please" and "thank you" if you ask someone to do something for you.

Elements Of An Effective Speech

by Lenny Laskowski
1997 LJL Seminars http://www.ljlseminars.com

CLICK HERE for our BRAND NEW Public Speaking Audio CD Special!

"Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't; the other half have nothing to say and keep saying it." Anyone can give a speech. Not everyone can give an effective speech. To give an effective speech there are 6 elements you should consider. 1. Be Prepared - Being prepared is by far the most important element. How many times do you practice your speech? As a general rule, you should spend about 30 hours of preparation and rehearsal time for every hour you will be speaking. Use a tape recorder or videotape yourself. This will help you to get an accurate picture of how you speak. 2. Give of Yourself - Use personal examples and stories in your speech whenever possible. Make sure your stories help to emphasize or support your point. The stories must match your message. Use examples from your personal and professional life to make your point. In either case be willing to give of yourself by sharing some of yourself with the audience. 3. Stay Relaxed - To stay relaxed you should be prepared. Also, focus on your message and not the audience. Use gestures, including walking patterns. Practice the opening of your speech and plan exactly how you will say it. The audience will judge you in the first 30 seconds they see you. 4. Use Natural Humor - Don't try to be a stand up comedian. Use natural humor by poking fun at yourself and something you said or did. Be sure NOT to make fun of anyone in the audience. People will laugh with you when you poke fun at yourself but don't over do it. 5. Plan Your Body & Hand Positions - During the practice of your speech look for occasions where you can use a gesture. Establish three positions where you will stand and practice not only how to move to them but where in your speech do you move. Pick three positions, one on center stage, one to your right, and one to your left. Do not hide behind the lectern. When you do move maintain eye contact with the audience. 6. Pay attention to all details - Make sure you have the right location (school, hotel, room & time). Make sure you know how to get to where you are speaking. Ask how large an audience you will be speaking to. Make sure you

bring all your visual aids and plenty of handouts. Arrive early so you can check out where you will be speaking and make any last minute adjustments. It is very important that you pay attention to even the smallest details. You can never overplan. Remember, "He who fails to plan is planning for failure"

Lenny Laskowski is an international professional speaker and the author of the book, 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking and several other publications. Lenny's products can be purchased "on-line" from this website at: http://www.ljlseminars.com/catalog.htm . Lenny is also available for hire to speak to your organization, college or association. Lenny also provides inhouse seminars and workshops. Why not contact Lenny today for your next function or event. You can reach Lenny at 1-860-559-0202 or E-mail him at:Sales@LJLSeminars.com.

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stablishing and developing effective communication is important in order to be heard and change your environment according to your own thoughts. No one will guess what you want or what you think if you dont tell them, and nothing is going to change if you do not propose a change. The purpose of this essay is to discuss four important skills that will help you communicate effectively. Such skills are not to be afraid of speaking, always defend what you want to say, express exactly what you mean to say, and listen while you are not speaking. The first aspect to communicate effectively is not to be afraid of speaking. Anytime you need to say something, go ahead and do it. Most of the times people are afraid of speaking because they are not sure if it is the right thing to say and/or the right moment to say it. Be sure, say what you want to say, and do not regret it. If you speak you will be heard and taken into account. You are important so you need to be heard. There is one thing you

should not do somehow: Do not say something that will hurt somebodys feelings. Unless that something has to be said inevitably, say it, but as softly and gently as you can. Never hurt anyone intentionally. Always think twice before saying something. You choose what to say, just be sure to say the right thing at the right time. If you do that, you wont regret a thing. Second, if you want to communicate effectively, defend what you say. Once you have said something you can never go backward; you must back it up. The worst thing that you can do when speaking is to hesitate. Hesitance means self-insecurity and this means weakness. The strength of your words will surely determine their effect on the listener. The way that you speak and the content of your speech tell a lot about yourself and your personality. A conversation allows speakers and listeners to get to know each other better. Besides, people will only know what you say; they cannot go any further if you do not let them. It is only by means of intelligence, strength, and security that you will be able to change the world around you. And, it is also by means of intelligence, strength, and security that you will be heard and taken into account. The third main aspect of effective communication is to express exactly what you mean to say. Pick up the words that will express exactly what you are thinking of. Do not forget that one half of a word belongs to the listener and the other to the speaker. The listener gets his or her own version of what is said. However your job is to express yourself clearly, so that you can avoid misunderstandings. Although, avoiding misunderstandings is a hard task (not impossible), when it is achieved you will be expressing yourself effectively. Everybody will be able to identify exactly what you say, what you think, and what you want. Words are double edged weapons which can be used either to defend or to attack. If you make a good use of them, you will be able to do almost everything. The fourth main point to effective communication, and probably the most important of all, is the listening part. Listen and do not interrupt when it is no longer your turn to speak. You will surely learn new things from listening to others. If a person is speaking, its because she or he wants to be heard. Effective communication is based on both listening and speaking. If communication were based only on speaking, it would be an absolute tyranny. Nevertheless, communication is the means through which you express yourself in order to be heard and change your environment according to your own version of reality. Thus, it would be impossible to change anything if there were no one to listen, learn, and accept new ideas.

Listening is a gift, and good listeners are always very appreciated because there are only a few. Effective communication will help you to express yourself better, allow you to let other people express themselves, and help you to change your environment toward your own thoughts and beliefs. Words inspire no fear. Speak them. Words make you strong. Support them. Words show what you are and what you think. Do not let yourself be misunderstood. Words are valuable. Listen to them!