If you want to be articulate like world-class podcasters, speakers, and leaders, I’m going to share a seven-stage journey that has taught me to speak with greater exactness and clarity. This includes understanding three problems invading your speech, the aha moment that will immediately improve your choice of words, and three thinking modifications that brought verbal freshness and intelligence to my sentences.
Understanding the Problems
1. Addiction to Overusing Dead Phrases
Dead phrases are overused expressions that have lost their impact, such as “pursue that avenue,” “Achilles heel,” and “secret sauce.” These phrases save time but deaden and dull your sentences.
Rule #1: Articulacy increases when you practice conscious selection with your words. Avoid using dead phrases and strive to create fresh, homemade sentences.
2. Small Surface Lexicon
Your surface lexicon consists of 500 to 1500 words you use effortlessly. Beneath it lies your deep lexicon of 20,000 to 35,000 words you recognize but don’t use.
Rule #2: Effortless articulacy is limited to the size of your surface lexicon. Enhance your surface lexicon by incorporating a variety of words, even if they are ordinary.
3. Thought Retention
Inability to retain a thought for longer than 10 seconds leads to superficial and scrambled speech.
Rule #3: The longer you engage a thought, the greater depth you achieve with words. Hold on to your thoughts and peel away their layers to understand them better.
The Aha Moment
After researching articulate speakers, I realized the importance of language inputs. The quality of your speech is a product of your language environments. Your surface lexicon is shaped by the language you encounter daily.
Rule #4: The quality of your speech is a product of your language environments. Expose yourself to articulate and intelligent language sources to improve your speech.
Thinking Modifications
1. The 3×5 Language Diet
Spend three 5-minute sessions daily focused on enriching your language:
- First 5 minutes: Read an article or book chapter at least one level above your current language input.
- Second 5 minutes: Read poetry aloud to learn rhythm and cadence.
- Final 5 minutes: Consciously attune to the word choice in any podcast or audiobook you consume.
2. Reducing Dependence on Dead Phrases
Avoid using dead phrases as they put you in a state of mental anesthesia. Increase the consciousness per sentence by being on guard against dead phrases and pausing before speaking to allow for conscious selection of words.
Rule #5: Sentences sound articulate when words flow and fit into eloquent molds. Practice creating vibrant and intentional sentences.
3. Intellectual Humility
Admit your limitations and be honest about them. This practice, known as intellectual humility, supercharges your responses and builds confidence.
Rule #6: An admission of limitation is often the most articulate answer. Cultivate intellectual humility to enhance your communication.
Conclusion
By understanding these three problems and implementing the thinking modifications, you can improve your articulacy and speak with greater clarity and intelligence. Remember, the quality of your speech is a reflection of your language environments and conscious word selection.
FAQs
Q1: What are dead phrases?
A: Dead phrases are overused expressions that have lost their impact, such as “pursue that avenue” and “Achilles heel.”
Q2: How can I improve my surface lexicon?
A: Enhance your surface lexicon by incorporating a variety of words and exposing yourself to articulate language sources.
Q3: What is the 3×5 language diet?
A: The 3×5 language diet involves three 5-minute sessions daily focused on reading enriching content, reading poetry aloud, and attuning to word choice in podcasts or audiobooks.
Q4: Why is intellectual humility important in communication?
A: Intellectual humility involves admitting your limitations, which can enhance your responses and build confidence.
