Teaching Public Speaking by Correspondence
By C. C. Lewis
I AM going to take as my text a sentence written in an exercise by one of our Correspondence School pupils in public speaking: “In this age, when so much is spoken that deserves forgetfulness, and when so much that is good is spoken in such a manner as to defy remembrance, the pleasurable duty of continual improvement in effective speaking is manifest to all.” It is indeed true that the world is teeming with speakers whose thoughts are not worth remembering—“deserve forgetfulness.” At the same time, there are some whose thoughts are worth while—deserve remembering; but they are spoken in such a scattering, disorganized form that it is difficult to grasp them—they “defy remembrance.” Surely, then, it is important to study two things—how to improve our thinking, and how to improve our manner of expressing our thoughts. QUALITIES OF GOOD SPEAKING
The author of a recent work on public speaking tells his readers that there are four qualities of good speaking: 1. Clear organization of the ideas in the mind of the speaker. 2. Retention of these well organized ideas during delivery. 3. Mastery of the language. 4. Technical control of voice in speech and of body in gesture. He begins with the matter of clear thinking and organization, and says: “If I were to ask you suddenly to tell me immediately all your ideas about trade-unions, a great, unorganized number of impressions would seek haphazard expression. You might say: ‘Labor unions start strikes. Sometimes there is disorder and even bloodshed. They have walking delegates. I know a union man who received financial help from his organization when he was ill. Unions try to get more pay for the members. There is a local chapter of the building trades in my neighborhood. I visited one of their meetings once. Unions try to get an eight-hour day,’ etc. But if you were given some time for reflection, you would organize your thoughts somewhat as follows: “1. What labor unions are: They are organizations of laborers for mutual protection and improvement. “2. What they seek to accomplish among their members: (a) social improvement, (b) sick benefit, (c) life insurance.719 “3. What they seek to exact from the employer: (a) shorter hours, (b) better pay, (c) better working conditions, such as ventilation, safeguarded machines, clean rooms, etc., (d) exclusion from the shop of nonunion men. “4. Results of unionism: (a) good results, (b) bad results, etc., (c) means they use to accomplish their objects. “5. Our consequent attitude towards unions. “Such an arrangement or organization of thoughts does three things. First, it insures a thorough and clear grasp of each idea by the speaker. We often let hazy and untrustworthy impressions hold sway in our careless thinking of everyday life. However, if an idea is to be put into an organized form, the very act of classifying it, makes us inspect it more closely. Therefore carefully organized thinking about a topic leads to a clearer understanding and approval of every idea involved. Second, the plan puts the speech in an order easy for the audience to grasp and retain. Ideas thrown out haphazard do not form part of a well arranged whole; they are confusing. Certainly all cannot be remembered. Third, the organization helps the speaker himself to stick to his topic and to develop all of it.” Following this instruction, the author sets forth a variety of exercises, with directions for carrying them out, designed to aid the student to secure organization of his ideas. “SWINGS HIS ARMS AND HOLLERS”
It would seem that a book filled with such instruction would be helpful to any speaker. Yet there are people who say that public speaking cannot be taught effectively through correspondence lessons based upon good textbooks, such as that from which I have quoted. Evidently their idea of public speaking is similar to that of the boy who said he liked to hear a real preacher. When asked what he meant by a real preacher, he replied, “Oh, one that swings his arms and hollers!” Those who think that the student cannot learn anything worth while about public speaking through correspondence, doubtless suppose that because the teacher cannot see his pupils swing their arms and hear them “holler,” there is no other avenue open by which he may improve their speaking. This, however, is not the opinion of those who have pursued studies in public speaking through the Fireside Correspondence School. They are unanimous in the opinion that they receive much benefit, even though their instructor is not present to criticize their oral work. It is doubtless true that they would also receive benefit from oral criticism; but as they are not able to obtain such criticism, they feel themselves well paid for pursuing, through correspondence, other instruction just as important, while embracing opportunities to improve their delivery and their gestures through observation of good speakers. If any of my readers are interested in the matter of instruction in public speaking through correspondence, I would invite them to write to the Fireside Correspondence School, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C.