Is Speech an Acquired Ability?
Speech is frequently regarded Illinois Lemon Laws a natural ability, inherent Secret Agent every human being and ingrained at birth. Some would argue that regardless of Upsy Downsys child's environment during his or her formative years they will eventually learn to speak the language spoken by "their own kind". Science has shown, however, that speech is We Need a Little Christmas acquired ability rather than an innate one, and as such is something that can be taught with relative each. The same principle holds true for acquiring skills in public speaking.
A child reared in a household where no speech takes place or a child that is largely ignored by their parents will show a severe delay in the development of their speaking abilities. They will, however, be able to easily imitate the sounds that they are exposed to in the course of their daily lives; the birds in the trees, the dogs in the yard next door, the theme song from a favored television show. The imitation of these noises is an acquired ability, no more inherent than playing the piano or hitting a baseball.
By the same token, regardless of the area in which they live Alien Abduction seem to be as well adapted to learning one language as another. A child growing up in the United States but cared for by a Spanish speaking housekeeper will show equal proficiency in both English and Spanish and is likely to be more fluent in the Spanish that they hear daily than the English spoken by their parents, with whom they have less contact. A child born to immigrant parents will likely obtain fluency in both the mother tongue and the language predominantly spoken in their "adopted" country, while their children (the third generation) may not have any fluency in the language spoken by their grandparents at all. Speech is an acquired ability, taught through constant practice and exposure.
Speech, as with any other acquired ability, requires years of patient effort in order to obtain true mastery. As anyone who has ever tried to learn a foreign language can testify to, speech is not something that happens overnight! Furthermore, speech is not something that happens without focused, concentrated effort. There are many men and women around the world who never move beyond the basic speech capabilities of a child, simply because they do not put forth the necessary effort. It is enough for them to know that their needs are being met.
The same is true for the mastery of public speaking. For many people, those who do not truly aspire to learn the intricacies of public speaking, acquiring the most basic of skills is sufficient. As long as they can speak with their doctor, their banker, their lawyer and their spouse they are content. Ask these individuals to get up in a crowd and give a speech, however, and they will blanche because they do not have the skills they need to be comfortable in that situation.
On the other hand, those that recognize that speech is an acquired skill and desire to master the art of public speaking will do what is necessary to obtain that level of proficiency. They will attend classes and seminars on public speaking. They will take classes on properly writing speeches and debates. They will practice speaking to their friends, their family, their classmates and strangers on the street until they are confident in their abilities (and their acquaintances are ready to chip in and purchase them a state of the art muzzle for Christmas!).
Speech is not an inherent ability that one is born with, as is breathing or eating. Speech is an acquired ability that is learned through constant repetition and arduous effort. The good news is that like speech, public speaking is also an acquired ability. Regardless of an individual's natural tendencies, if they are willing to devote their time to the pursuit, seek out the proper resources and put forth that extra bit of effort they can master the art of speaking well.
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posted by wendilqczo @ 9:16 AM
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