How do you differentiate speaking from conversation?

Answer 1

Obviously when anybody is saying anything, there are speaking (the verb to speak) and thus a conversation must involve the act of speaking. However a conversation requires that there at least two people speaking and that these people are conversing meaningfully together exchanging facts, pleasantries or ideas. Thus in a conversation while one person is speaking the other participants will be listening and formulating their responses and the process is moderated naturally by the participants.

Speaking can also be taken to mean the practice of public discourse or debate where the person speaking will present a prepared statement or argument and where the expectation is that the speaker will not be interrupted while doing this. In these circumstances there is usually a formal controller (the chair or in the case of the UK parliament the 'speaker') who will manage how the debate progresses and give fair chances for people wishing to be heard to speak.

Answer 2

Strengths in Verbal Communication

When you are successful in communicating verbally, you can clearly pass your personal thoughts and ideas to another person. To be able to do this, you must relate to the person you are communicating to; in turn, that person will relate to you. When you relate to a person, they are more inclined to really listen to what you are saying and will also be able to understand more easily. In order to relate and be an effective verbal communicator, you must understand what you want to say, who you are saying it to, and how they will interpret that message. When you analyse these factors, it makes it easier to get your message across. A strength other than the actual message is the speaker's ability to speak in an interesting manner. This involves the tone, volume and speed of speech. When listening to someone with an interesting voice, even a mundane story can sound more enticing to listen to.

Weaknesses in Verbal Communication

Weaknesses in verbal communication come from ineffective communication skills. When communicating verbally, there are many ways to be misunderstood. Some problems are created when a speaker says something and the audience interprets it as something completely different. This can create problems in social and professional aspects of life. Not being able to communicate your ideas to another person can be very limiting. It may also make you feel alienated and rejected. To be able to communicate clearly takes practice, since most individuals assume that their audience thinks the same way that they do. Often, this is not the case.