Spoken English is extensively used in business, industry, government research and education for day-to-day dealings. It is also an instrument of intellectual discussion and social interaction among the members of the educated class. To achieve success in one’s career, particularly in a country like India with many languages and dialects, it is necessary to acquire the ability to speak English effectively as it serves as a link language. The British statesman Gladstone had aptly remarked, “Many a professional man now in obscurity might have risen to the highest rank if he had been far-seeing enough to train his voice.”
Though spoken English finds a place in the English language syllabi of many universities and is also included in the training and executive development programmes of institutions, its teaching leaves much to be desired. One of the main reasons is the paucity of relevant and adequate practice material and detailed guidance on how to use it effectively. The authors claim that this book is designed to meet this need.
The book covers the technique of acquiring a correct pronunciation as well as the art of public speaking. The text has been divided into two parts. Part one discusses the fundamentals of speech production and the principles of public speaking. Part two contains practice material, which has been divided into 116 units and arranged in six chapters, each concentrating on a set of specific skills required at a particular phase of development. Every unit begins with a note, giving practical units and providing the proper context, wherever necessary, to help the learner use the material with success.
The authors suggest ways of organising one’s speech. They say when wanting to make a speech, we should first determine how we are going to handle the three fundamental parts of a speech, namely, the introduction, the body and the conclusion. This way the ideas fall automatically into place and follow each other logically. They say that the body of the speech should contain the main parts and help in deciding in what order to present them. A lot will depend on how you unfold the ideas, with the points you have made to serve as points on which to expound your statements.
The book caters to specific needs and requirements of learners of English as a second language and also provides numerous specimens, examples and illustrations.
(Macmillan Publishers India Ltd, 2/10, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110 002.)
