Speaking: Public Speaking & Presentations C1 - Lesson 5: Developing a Strong Personal Speaking Style

Speaking: Public Speaking C1

Developing a Strong Personal Speaking Style

Listen to the "Monotone vs. Dynamic" examples.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to analyze the components of a speaking style (prosody, rhetoric, authenticity) and begin to develop your own unique, confident, and memorable style.

Beyond "Correct" Speaking

At the B2 level, the goal is to be correct and fluent. At the C1 level, your goal is to be effective and memorable. A strong personal style is what separates a speaker who is just understood from a speaker who is trusted, admired, and persuasive. It's the difference between delivering information and making an impact.

MONOTONE (Information) monotone

"Our company's new policy is important. We must all work hard. This will ensure our future success."

DYNAMIC (Impact) ✨

"This isn't just a new policy; it's a new direction. [pause] I know it will be a challenge, but I also know... [louder] ...we will succeed. Why? Because we always do."

The Three Pillars of Personal Style

Your unique style is a combination of three key elements. You must master all three.

1. Authenticity (The "Who")

Are you naturally funny, serious, data-driven, or a storyteller? Don't copy another speaker. Use your personality as your greatest strength. Your style must feel true to you.

Find Your Anchor: Are you...
...The Analyst? (Uses logic and data)
...The Storyteller? (Uses anecdotes and emotion)
...The Inspirer? (Uses passion and a strong vision)

2. Vocal Dynamics (The "How")

Your voice is your instrument. A C1 speaker controls it perfectly to create emotion and emphasis. Focus on the "3 P's":

• Pace: Speed up to show excitement. Slow down to build suspense.
• Pitch: Go high to ask engaging questions. Go low to show seriousness.
• Power: Get louder for a key point. Get softer (whisper) to draw the audience in.

3. Rhetorical Choices (The "What")

These are the language *devices* you use to make your message stick. They are conscious choices.

• Anaphora (Repetition): "We will fight for this. We will not give up. We will succeed."
• Rhetorical Questions: "So, what is the solution? What can we do... *today*?"
• Metaphor/Analogy: "This project isn't a sprint; it's a marathon."

Fluency Tip: Master Your Prosody

🗣️ Prosody: The Music of Speech

Prosody is the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech. This is what makes a speaker sound "robotic" or "natural." To develop your style, you must master it.

Don't just stress one word. Stress the *idea*.

• "I didn't say he stole the money." (You said someone else did.)
• "I didn't say he stole the money." (I only implied it.)
• "I didn't say he stole the money." (He stole something else.)

Changing the stress changes the entire meaning. A C1 speaker does this intentionally to guide the listener's understanding.

Practice Your Style 🎯

Practice Quiz: Choosing the Right Technique

Read the flat sentence and the desired goal. Choose the *best* technique to achieve that goal. Click "Check Answers" when done.

Goal: You want to make your audience feel emotionally connected to your story about poverty.

Flat sentence: "Poverty is a big problem for many people."

Best Technique:

• A) Use complex data and charts to show statistics.
• B) Tell a short, personal story (anecdote) about one person you met who is affected.
• C) Speak very loudly and quickly to show you are serious.

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Goal: You want your team to remember the three most important goals for the year.

Flat sentence: "Our goals are growth, quality, and efficiency."

Best Technique:

• A) Use Anaphora (repetition): "Our first goal is growth. Our second goal is quality. Our final goal is efficiency."
• B) Speak very softly so they have to listen carefully.
• C) Give your opinion: "I think growth is the best goal."

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Goal: You are about to reveal a surprising new product, and you want to build suspense.

Flat sentence: "We have been working on a new project."

Best Technique:

• A) Say the sentence as fast as possible to show excitement.
• B) Use a strategic pause and lower your pitch: "For six months... we've been working on something new. [pause] Something... different."
• C) Ask a simple question: "Do you want to see the new project?"

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

• Authenticity (Noun) | ភាព​ពិត​ប្រាកដ
  The quality of being genuine and true to your own personality or values.
• Prosody (Noun) | សុ​សម្ពន្ធ​
  The rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech (the "music" of your voice).
• Inflection (Noun) | ការផ្លាស់ប្តូរសម្លេង
  A change in the pitch or tone of your voice to express emotion.
• Rhetorical Device (Noun) | ឧបករណ៍វោហាសាស្ត្រ
  A technique using language to persuade or impress an audience.
• Anaphora (Noun) | ពាក្យផ្ទួន
  The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
• To Resonate (Verb) | បន្ទរ / ធ្វើអោយ​រំជួលចិត្ត
  To connect with an audience emotionally; to be received with sympathy.

Your Mission: The "Style Analysis" Challenge ⭐

Your mission is to move from being an *imitator* to an *analyzer* and *adapter*.

1. Find a short (1-2 minute) speech or presentation on YouTube by a speaker you admire (e.g., a TED talk, a company leader, a politician).
2. Analyze their style. Write down answers to these questions:
   • Authenticity: What is their anchor? (Analyst, Storyteller, Inspirer, etc.)
   • Vocal Dynamics: How do they use pace, pitch, and power? When do they pause?
   • Rhetoric: Do they use repetition? Rhetorical questions? Metaphors?
3. Record yourself delivering a 30-second section of *their* speech, but using *your own* natural style. Don't copy their voice. Adapt their *words* to *your* authentic delivery.

This exercise forces you to separate the *message* from the *delivery* and helps you find your own unique voice.