MUET MOMENTS: Lesson 12: Speaking Skills II

By Dr Koh Soo Ling

SPEAKING SKILLS II                                             
When carrying out this task, one of the students in the group can assume the role as of the leader. He is the one who spearheads the discussion, guides its flow of the discussion and concludes the discussionit. As students listen to other candidates presenting their individual speaking tasks, they can take down notes for task B. Always remember that it is necessary to come to a consensus at the end of the discussion. Decide which suggestion that has been put forward is the best.

In the course of putting forth suggestions, make use of the following skills:
1. Ask for clarification.
2. Give your reasons for suggesting an idea.
3. Reject other suggestions politely.
4. Repeat your strongest point.
5. Get everyone in the group to come to a decision.

Situation:
Many young people yearn to feel more confident in various situations in life. Suggest ways to  overcome shyness and build self-confidence.

Task A
CANDIDATE A
Explain the importance of taking action and getting things done. Give reasons to support your view.

CANDIDATE B
Explain the importance of facing your fear. Give reasons to support your view.

CANDIDATE C
Explain the importance of making mistakes. Give reasons to support your view.

CANDIDATE D
Explain the importance of preparing yourself. Give reasons to support your view.

Task B
Discuss which of the following would be the best solution for overcoming shyness and gaining confidence:
i. taking action and getting it done
ii. facing your fear
iii. making mistakes is part of learning
iv. preparing yourself

Next week: Distinguishing facts from opinions

ANSWER:
Candidate A:
Taking action and getting it done.

Be present. This will help you snap out of over-thinking and just go and do whatever you want to get done. This puts you in a state where you feel little emotional resistance to the work you will do.

Lighten up. Do not take what you do too seriously. If you relax a bit and lighten up, you often realise that those problems and negative feelings are just something you are creating in your own mind. With a lighter state of mind, your tasks seem more manageable and become easier to get started with.

Candidate B:
Facing your fear.

Be curious. When you are afraid, you create barriers between you and others. You tend to. When you shift to being curious, your world just opens up. Curiosity is filled with anticipation and enthusiasm. When you are open and enthusiastic then you have more fun things to think about than focusing on your fear.

Realise that fear is often based on unhelpful interpretation. As humans, we like to look for patterns based on one or two negative experiences. Try to think of good experiences instead and take on new challenges.

Candidate C:
Making mistakes is part of learning

You learn. Instead of seeing failure as something horrible, you can start to view it more as a learning experience. Ask yourself what you could learn from that situation. Ideally, you probably want to learn from other people’s mistakes and failures. However, sometimes you just have to fail on your own to learn a lesson and to gain an experience no one can relate to you in mere words.

You become stronger. Every time you fail, you become more accustomed to it. You realise more and more that it is not the end of the world. Even though you failed, you will know that at least you took a chance.

Candidate D:
Preparing yourself.

Preparing yourself and  Educating yourself is an advantage. By for example rehearsing and rewriting what you need to say, for example, over and over you can pretty much learn it by heart. By doing research, you can find breathing techniques that can you calm down.  Simple visualisation techniques can make you feel more confident and positive.

Preparing yourself will help you feel more comfortable and confident. Do not just remain in the  preparation phase and use it as a way to avoid taking action.

Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times