Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-27
Learning to Talk Well in Public.

DO tell me how to learn to talk
get SO frightened when | hear the sound
of my own voice that | become confused
and say the wrong things How does
one learn TO speak easily and well? Can
| cultivate the art of social conversa-
tion2"
In answer to the foregoing question,
which is asked with pathetic frequency,
it can only he said that good takers are
sometimes born, and sometimes made,
and that the only way to make one is
practice.
To have a ready answer always at the
end of the tQugue is not given to every
one. y quick Wit is so foreign to the
workings of some minds-and those not
always of the meanest caliber. either
that sparkling repartee would never be
attainabe, though practiced night and
day
If one has not that gift naturally, and
finds it too labori0us to cultivate. no
tears need be shed: for it is after all
but the froth and foam of talk Real
conversation goes deeper. 1t can be car
ried on without Il display OF mental fire
works, however these may relieve the
monotony of existence
Unfortunately, real conversation is not
the sort Of thing most in vogue. Very
few people converse. They chatter, ar
que, dispute, question, answer. ilatter
and gossip. But they do not converse.
They are hubbling over with small talk;
but launch them in any company where
something is really bein" said-when ac-
tual thought is finding expression; where
a real idea is being tossed around from
mind to mind. and they are hopeleSSly
unable to contribute anything to the JOY
of theroccasion.
A certain amount of small talk is
quite essential TO any but recluse. One
must know how to complete a coherent
sentence without burning red in the face
and flounderng helplessly to an unin-
tended ending. And the way to do this
is to know just what you are going to
say before YOU begin.
Unless very sure Of yourself, never
open your mouth without a definite no
ton of what you mean to say. Other
wise the end of the sentence will surprise
even yourself. and not always pleasantly.
Concise thinking is a splendid help to
concise talking. Loose, tnbby sentences,
too weak ard lacking in force to com
mand attention. are the result of loose,
dabby thinking.
Have your idea definitely in mind
then. Next force yourself to enunciate
H. At first the effect may be as mechan-
ical as a parrot. But persist in think
ing of something to say, ana in saying it,
directly and clearly. 1t scarcely matters
how small thing it is. You are teach
ing yourself to talks and must. like all
beginners, practice on primary lessons.
Don't ask pointed questions: nor fatty
express opinions; nor reveal your private
affairs; nor make unkind comments
These are the pitfalls into which the am
ateur talker most often falls.
What to talk about? Oh. well, that
perennial topic. the weather; the books
YOU have read: the plays; what is in TIE
newspapers; ideal vacations: pictures.
music work recreation--indeed there are
SO many impersonal things. the wonder
is people so often get stranded on per-
s0naliteS.
Above ALL practice, Force yourself to
say something.
Mans mind grew simply by expressing
1t in signs and language. Thought pro
duced words, rand words in .heir turn,
produced moro thoughts. Y; this reac-
tionary process the human being has
evolved a mind. while in the brute. shut
off from all expires 'ion, thought has not
developed,
So. just as you learn to express your
thoughts. you will find them grow more
and. more coherent and thus thought will
act on speech. and speech react on
thdught. until practice finally helps you
f. fluency in hoth.-Eychange.