Lesson 81 - Reading - Speaking with Power and Confidence

Which of the following is NOT one of the four changes suggested for speaking with greater power?

• Using definite language

• Avoiding hesitations

• Speaking more quietly

• Turning pasts into presents

Fill in the blank: One way to speak with greater power is to avoid _________.

• hesitations

• gestures

• expressions

• intonations

How did President Woodrow Wilson convince Congress to enter the war?

• By using the present tense and projecting certainty.

• By promising immediate peace negotiations.

• By threatening to resign if Congress refused.

• By offering economic incentives to Congress members.

Read the passage below and answer the question: Speaking with power and confidence can make people seem more self-assured and knowledgeable, leading audiences to be more likely to listen and be persuaded. To speak with greater power, new research suggests four specific changes: ditching hedging language, using definite language, avoiding hesitations, and turning pasts into presents. These changes can help speakers project confidence and increase their impact and influence. True or False: Using hedging language is recommended for speaking with greater power.

• True

• False

The main idea behind speaking with power, according to scientists, is:

• Projecting confidence and authority in your voice.

• Speaking as loudly as possible.

• Using complex vocabulary to impress others.

• Interrupting others to dominate conversations.

Listeners can be persuaded more easily by communicators when:

• the communicators are credible and trustworthy.

• the communicators speak very quickly.

• the communicators use complex jargon.

• the communicators avoid eye contact.

Hedges in language are words or phrases that lessen the impact of a statement because they make the message less direct or assertive.

• They are words or phrases that lessen the impact of a statement by making it less direct or assertive.

• They are words that make statements more powerful and direct.

• They are grammatical errors that confuse the reader.

• They are punctuation marks used to end sentences.

Select the words you should use instead of hedges to project confidence.

• Direct and assertive words

• Vague and uncertain words

• Apologetic phrases

• Filler words

Hesitations weaken what you say more than hedges because:

• they make you seem less confident and unsure of your message.

• they clarify your position more clearly.

• they strengthen your argument.

• they make your speech more persuasive.

Instead of using verbal tics like 'uh,' 'um,' and 'er,' what can you do to appear more confident and controlled?

• Pause silently to collect your thoughts

• Speak faster to avoid pauses

• Use more filler words

• Change the topic quickly