I teach my students to make eye contact with members of their audience when they deliver a speech. Such contact helps to forge a connection with the audience. It contributes to the overall success of their speaking efforts.
Yet it’s not natural for many students to make eye contact. They may lack confidence or be afraid. Making direct eye contact with others may be contrary to the norms of the culture in which they were raised. They have to learn to make and sustain eye contact nevertheless, and the process of learning to do so can take time.
What I often see gets in the way of eye contact is over reliance on written text. That may take the form of putting too much copy on a PowerPoint slide, or detailed notes. The individual may even write out their entire speech. In these instances students may read their copy off the text or screen. That may inhibit their ability to maintain continuous eye contact with audience.
I understand that words matter. My students only want to assure that they share every word that they’ve written. They want to do a good job. They want to be thorough. They want to impress their supervisor (or me). I cannot fault them for doing so.
Moreover, there are instances where every word matters. In those instances speeches should be read. Some students likely will encounter such situations.
Yet most speaking opportunities do not require a written text, at least in my experience. Perhaps more importantly, the need to read from a text does not preclude making eye contact. It takes a commitment to learn how to do so, for short periods at a time, and lots of practice.
The bottom line is that audiences want to connect with the speaker. They want to get a sense of the person making the speech. They don’t want to be read to. Eye contact is critical and I’d consider it indispensable for having the impact you desire.
No comments:
Post a Comment