Body language tricks that will make your child a great public speaker

Public speaking is a skill which does not come easily to everyone. A great public speaker is someone who has the charisma to intently engage an audience, raise their spirits and effectively convey a message. Without a doubt, it is a skill which comes in handy when social situations present themselves before kids in school, or at a birthday party, or at an elocution competition. It is important to encourage your child to participate in public speaking, because the sooner she gains exposure to this activity, the more comfortable will she be in the future when such opportunities present themselves.  

There are certain aspects to public speaking which distinguish a great orator from a mediocre speaker. It is not merely a verbal activity gesticulation and body language communicates immensely too. Here are some gestures and body language tricks which you can make your child aware of in order to enhance his public speaking skills. 

Explain to her the importance of eye contact 
Eye contact conveys a great deal of confidence in a speaker. Encourage your child to make it a habit to maintain eye contact in daily conversations as well, not just as a public speaker. This also shows that a speaker is actively engaged in speaking and also making sure others are being heard. 

Remind him to stand up straight 
A slouchy, withered posture reflects disinterest and a lack of confidence. Remind your child to have an upright posture and face the audience while on stage. This will do wonders in helping him feel confident as well as command the attention of his audience.  

Ask her to use gestures 
Gestures are a non-verbal form of communication. Emphasise the use of these when your child is practicing public speaking. Using hands to emphasise certain words, nodding one’s head occasionally, smiling, etc. will add more vibrancy to her speaking. A lack of these gestures could make her speech dull and robotic.  

Help him calm down to instil fluidity 
Going up on stage to speak is evidently a nerve-wrecking task. The jitters can cause your child to make erratic, fidgety, abrupt movements unconsciously. So, before he goes on stage, ask him to breathe deeply, stay calm and mindfully draw attention to his body movements. A fluid presence on stages keeps the audience at ease.