Introduction Communication is about expressing and conveying your thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas to another person or persons.

Good communication skills can help you keep your head and confidently take charge of unfamiliar situations. People are more likely to listen to you, whatever you have to say, if you can express yourself well, and this is particularly useful in influencing and negotiating important personal, social or business matters. It also comes in handy in resolving conflict and dealing with difficult people. Some people are born with effective communication skills; others need to develop them. Developing effective communication skills requires repeated practice, which you can do by putting yourself frequently in situations where you have to interact with a variety of people.

The Importance of Speaking English Well There were many advantages to a person who can speak well in English . If a person can speak well in English he or she can communicate well with other people especially with foreigners.When we can speak well, people will understand what we are trying to convey and this will avoid confusion and misunderstanding.By speaking well in English also can build condidence in ourselves.For instance, if we are going to attend an interview which will be conduct in English.When we can speak well we feel confidence to speak to other people.English is an international language, it is spoken on a global scale.By knowing how to speak well in English, we can be more competent in this era of globalization. Everyone knows that English is an international language.It is used globally and were spoken in almost in every country in the world.It has been estimated that out of the roughly 6 billion people that are live today, about 350 million speak English.In Malaysia, although English is used as second language,the number of people speaking English and using English in their daily life is increasing. It is very important to speak English well especially in communicating.If we can speak English well, we can expressed our thought using correct words and the person listening to us will be able to understand us.Very often miscommunication occur if we dont speak English well. Speaking English well can also created a lot of opportunities.To became successful we need to have a strong command of the English language.Many jobs offered nowadays need the candidates to speak English well.If we can speak English well, we will get all the opportunities that had been offered.If we compared a person who is poor in speaking English, person who speak English well have a higher chances of being offered the job.By speaking English well we can help ourselves to advance our career in any job sectors. Confidence building is another reason that a person need to speak English well. When we feel comfortable during communicating we can be more confident in expressing our opinions.Rising level of confidence is good for us.It is that not only that our levels of confidence risen but also

the people who is listening to us will be more confidence on us.From my own opinion speaking English well is importance to us especially when communicating

Oral Communication

Oral Communication is the ability to use speech to give and exchange thoughts and information. We use this skill to greet people, take messages, reassure, persuade, seek information and resolve conflicts. Oral communication describes any type of inter-action that makes use of spoken words, and it is a vital, integral part of the modern business world. "The ability to communicate effectively through speaking as well as in writing is highly valued and demanded. The types of oral communication commonly used within an organization include staff meetings, personal discussions, presentations, telephone discourse, and informal conversation. Oral communication with those outside of the organization might take the form of face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, speeches, teleconferences, or videoconferences.

For oral communication to be effective, it should be clear, relevant, tactful, and informative. Unclear, inaccurate, or inconsiderate business communication, on the other hand, can waste valuable time, alienate employees or customers, and destroy goodwill toward management or the overall business. Oral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, typically relies on both words, visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the conveyance of the meaning. Oral communication includes discussion, speeches, presentations, interpersonal communication and many other varieties. In face to face communication the body language and voice tonality plays a significant role and may have a greater impact on the listener than the intended content of the spoken words.A great presenter must capture the attention of the audience and connect with them.

The Communication Cycle Effective communication is a two-way process, perhaps best expressed as a cycle. Signals or messages are sent by the communicator and received by the other party. He sends back some form of confirmation that the message has been received and understood: this is called feedback.

Message SENDER Feedback RECEIVER

The Stages of Communication Process

SENDERS ACTIVITY Impulse to communicate Encoding the Message Relay of Message

RECEIVERS ACTIVITY Decoding the Message Feedback

Interpersonal Communication

Developing interpersonal communication skills is vitally important in todays workplace. Almost all kinds of work require communicating. Most people have colleagues with whom they need to communicate in order to be successful at their job.When we communicate, we don't actually swap ideas, we swap symbols that stand for ideas.

Our personal communication skills would be largely dependent on our cultural background and unique histories. This resulting the possibility that when two of us get together there are chances that we are less effective at communicating with each other than we would like.

How to improve our interpersonal skills?The answer is quite simple. Everyone can do a better job at communicating with others. No one is perfect and thats a relief. Every one of us can benefit from improving our interpersonal skills.

The ability to ask questions and listen are vital to good interpersonal skills. In fact empathetic listening is the number one skill that can help you build relationships.Its not the great talkers who build the best relationships its those who remember that they have two ears and one mouth and try to listen and ask questions more often that they are trying to get their point of view across or simply be heard. "Try to be listening to the other party twice as much as you are speaking" is one tip that we have heard time and time again.

Top Ten Tips for Good Interpersonal Communication Skills

1. Listen first. Communication is a two-way process; getting your message across depends on understanding the other person. 2. Be interested in the people you are communicating with. Remember people are more attracted to those who are interested in them, and will pay more attention to what they are saying. 3. Be relaxed. Bad body language such as hunched shoulders 4. Smile and use eye contact. Its the most positive signal you can give. 5. Ask questions. Its a great way to show people that you are really interested in them. 6. If the other person has a different point of view to yourself find out more about why they have that point of view. The more you understand the reasons behind their thinking the more you can understand their point of view or help them to better understand your point of view. 7. Be assertive. By this we mean try to value their input as much as your own. Dont be pushy and dont be a pushover. Try for the right balance. 8. When you are speaking try to be enthusiastic when appropriate. Use your voice and body language to emphasis this. 9. Dont immediately try to latch onto something someone has just said.Make sure you ask enough questions of them first. 10. Learn from your interactions. If you had a really good conversation with someone try and think why it went well and remember the key points for next time. If it didnt go so well again try and learn something from it.

Small Group Communication

Small group communication is the communication that is carried out within a small group. A small group is generally defined as a group that consists of at least three members and at the maximum around twelve to fifteen members. A group that has just two members or more than fifteen members would not come in the category of a small group. For a small group to operate smoothly, there must be open and effective team communication. The members belonging to it will have a common bond or interest or goal that brings them together. Fostering effective team communication in your small group You can foster effective team communication in your small group by a mix of old-fashioned. Make your points in a clear, logical manner. Include facts and details, and make sure they are all accurate,good manners, good attention and open-mindedness. Here are a few tips

Ask if everyone understands what the team goals are. Ask input and feedback from all members. Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Don't interrupt until someone has finished talking. Give feedback on what they've said. Speak slowly and clearly. Make sure every member of the group gets the chance to speak. Be open minded. Try to understand what the other people try to convey When responding to question or statement, ensure that you really understand it If you are taking a certain stand, take full responsibility for it. Watch your body language. Don't make rash decisions or issue any statements when you are angry,cool down first. If there are any misunderstandings, clear them up in a calm manner. If you don't understand any point, speak up and ask questions. Get it clarification. If you have an opinion, express it clearly Be polite at all times.

Public Speaking

Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, to simply telling a story. Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them. Public speaking can also be considered a discourse community. It contains elements of a discourse community that exist in many mediums and forms that serve different purposes for society and business among other areas of communication.

Tips for Successful Public Speaking

Know the needs of your audience and match your contents to their needs. Know your material thoroughly. Put what you have to say in a logical sequence. Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention. Practice and rehearse your speech at home or where you can be at ease and comfortable, in front of a mirror, your family, friends or colleagues.

When you are presenting in front of an audience, you are performing as an actor is on stage. How you are being perceived is very important. Dress appropriately for the occasion. Present the desired image to your audience. Look pleasant, enthusiastic, confident, proud, but not arrogant. Remain calm. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Speak slowly, and show appropriate emotion and feeling relating to your topic

Body language is important. Standing, walking or moving about with appropriate hand gesture or facial expression is preferred to sitting down or standing still with head down and reading from a prepared speech. Use audio-visual aids or props for enhancement if appropriate and necessary. Master the use of presentation software such as PowerPoint well before your presentation.

Speak with conviction as if you really believe in what you are saying. Persuade your audience effectively. The material you present orally should have the same ingredients as that which are required for a written research paper.

Do not read from notes for any extended length of time although it is quite acceptable to glance at your notes infrequently. Speak loudly and clearly. Maintain sincere eye contact with your audience. Have direct eye contact with a number of people in the audience. Use your eye contact to make everyone in your audience feel involved.

Speak to your audience, listen to their questions and respond to their reactions. Remember that communication is the key to a successful presentation. Always be prepared for the unexpected.

Pause. Allow yourself and your audience a little time to reflect and think. Don't race through your presentation and leave your audience, as well as yourself, feeling out of breath.

Add humor whenever appropriate and possible. Keep audience interested throughout your entire presentation. Remember that an interesting speech makes time fly, but a boring speech is always too long to endure even if the presentation time is the same.

When using audio-visual aids to enhance your presentation, be sure all necessary equipment is set up and in good working order prior to the presentation. Check out the location ahead of time to ensure seating arrangements for audience, whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, location of projection screen and sound system that are suitable for your presentation.

Have handouts ready and give them out at the appropriate time. Tell audience ahead of time that you will be giving out an outline of your presentation so that they will not waste time taking unnecessary notes during your presentation.

Know when to stop talking. Just as you don't use unnecessary words in your written paper, you don't bore your audience with repetitious or unnecessary words in your oral presentation. To end your presentation, summarize your main points in the same way as you normally do in the conclusion of a written paper. Leave your listeners with a positive impression and a sense of completion. Thank your audience and sit down.

Conclusion

Success doesnt come in a short period of time.To success ones need to spend a lot of time and sacrifice a lot.Remember English is a very important language that we need to master to be success in our career. Dont worry, by learning to speak English wont turn you into an Englishmen/women or will demolished our own language.Look at the future and we will see how important English is.Provide ourselves with all the opportunity to learn and mastered English.

References :

Amrit Hallan. HOW TO SPEAK WELL? http://www.nonstopenglish.com/reading/articles/How-to-speak-Well.asp Anita D'Souza,10 tips to improve the way you speak English. http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/sep/02accent.htm Ahmed .Speaking English Well. http://www.helping-you-learn-english.com/speaking-englishwell.html Amy Nutt.The Secret Behind Speaking English Well. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-SecretBehind-Speaking-English-Well&id=1429531 Faizarul Madznan,What is Public Speaking and Why is Public Speaking Important http://www.bestprofessionalspeaking.com/tustps-index-2.html Michael Patrick.Speaking English: How to speak English well. http://www.helium.com/items/1097285-speaking-english Michael Lee, Tips On Public Speaking: Preparation Is Key For Effective Public Speakinghttp://www.positivearticles.com/Article/Tips-On-Public-Speaking-Preparation-Is-KeyFor-Effective-Public-Speaking/49913 Unknown Author, What is Public Speaking? http://www.my-self-development.com/publicspeaking/what-is-public-speaking.htm