| There are some who would argue that the power | | | | Taking the concept of the importance of speech |
| of the press and the new venues available to the | | | | and public speaking skills one step further, imagine |
| media today have minimized the importance of | | | | a doctor, a lawyer or a businessman without the |
| speech in modern life. After all, who needs public | | | | ability to give dictation. Their letters and charts |
| speaking skills when all they have to do is put | | | | would be a jumble of half-finished thoughts and |
| their thoughts on a billboard or a newspaper | | | | poorly formulated ideas. The ability to speak |
| headline and display it for the whole world to see? | | | | clearly to a single individual or, in many cases, into |
| The widespread accessibility of television, radio | | | | a tape recorder is an acquired one, and often |
| and, perhaps most significantly, the Internet, | | | | more difficult that standing up in front of a large |
| coupled with the proper presentation, has made it | | | | but still largely anonymous crowd. The |
| so that the most awkward of public speakers can | | | | self-consciousness that stands between the |
| inspire and make their voice heard. | | | | speaker and success still exists, perhaps more |
| These individuals would be wrong. The spoken | | | | acutely because there is nothing to draw the |
| word, properly presented and supported with | | | | focus of the speaker away from the words he is |
| strength and conviction, still holds sway in every | | | | speaking and onto the passion and the motivation |
| aspect of life as strongly as it did when the | | | | behind them. |
| nations weren't connected by the World Wide | | | | Even military leaders, men chosen more often |
| Web-perhaps even more so, because international | | | | than not for their skill on the battlefield rather |
| relations are now as commonplace as sitting down | | | | than their skill with their colleagues, are not |
| in the morning to a bowl of cereal. Imagine a | | | | exempt from the need for clear, concise public |
| treaty or a trade agreement in the League of | | | | speaking skills. The excerpt below is from a letter |
| Nations being conducted by men and women | | | | sent from the office of the Adjutant-General at |
| without any ability in public speaking. It would be a | | | | the beginning of the Civil War. |
| nightmare! No one would be able to sway the | | | | "A great number of men have failed at camp |
| conviction of anyone else to their point of view. | | | | because of inability to articulate clearly. A man |
| The arguments would go on for hours with | | | | who cannot impart his idea to his command in |
| nothing being accomplished. | | | | clear distinct language, and with sufficient volume |
| Imagine state legislatures consisting of | | | | of voice to be heard reasonably far, is not |
| representatives who cannot speak, lawyers | | | | qualified to give command upon which human life |
| without the ability to present a convincing | | | | will depend. Many men disqualified by this handicap |
| argument, teachers who cannot explain a lesson | | | | might have become officers under their country's |
| concisely, business negotiations conducted | | | | flag had they been properly trained in school and |
| between two people who cannot make their | | | | college. It is to be hoped therefore that more |
| point. Any time that two or more people are | | | | emphasis will be placed upon the basic principles of |
| together, the importance of speech in modern life | | | | elocution in the training of our youth. Even without |
| is made abundantly clear. Take that speech away, | | | | prescribed training in elocution a great |
| and what you're left with is a jumble of ideas | | | | improvement could be wrought by the instructors |
| without any substance. | | | | in our schools and colleges, regardless of the |
| These interactions cannot be done with a piece of | | | | subjects, by insisting that all answers be given in a |
| paper or a cleverly designed website. These | | | | loud, clear, well rounded voice which, of course, |
| mediums, while unarguably useful for presenting | | | | necessitates the opening of the mouth and free |
| ideas on a wide scale, don't allow for the | | | | movement of the lips. It is remarkable how many |
| interchange of ideas that is so vital for progress. | | | | excellent men suffer from this handicap, and how |
| Yes, the Internet has chat capability. Yes, the | | | | almost impossible it is to correct this after the |
| telephone and the fax machine are marvelous | | | | formative years of life." |
| inventions. There is still nothing like a conversation | | | | Every man, woman and child, whether they be |
| held face to face, looking into the eye of your ally | | | | teacher, mother, General, doctor, lawyer, waiter |
| or adversary as you state your case. It is far | | | | or negotiator, needs proper public speaking skills |
| more difficult to deny a well formatted argument | | | | and an understanding of the importance of |
| spoken in a clear, passionate voice than a screen | | | | speech in modern life. It isn't enough simply to |
| or a page decorated with the latest graphics | | | | believe in an idea, or to be able to write it down. |
| capability. Speech is what gives these ideas the | | | | For an idea to grow and thrive it must first have |
| impetus that moves them from the mind out into | | | | behind it a voice to make it understood and |
| society. | | | | believed. |