[originaltext] Students in American schools learn from an early age to give

Students in American schools learn from an early age to give presentations as part of their regular classroom activities. Children as young as five years old often give brief talks about objects they bring into school—called "Show and Tell". This training is a basis for later public speaking. Even so, many native English-speaking adults are afraid to speak or give presentations in front of a large group. Speaking English in public meetings is necessary for many students and employees. The best way to improve is to practice public speaking in a friendly environment. Learners need to receive feedback about what they are doing well and about their mistakes. One group that gives members the chance to practice is Toastmasters, which is an international organization that holds weekly meetings. At the meetings, members each give a speech and give others advice about their speeches and speaking styles. Charles LeBeau is a public speaking professor and consultant. He began his career in Japan in 1982. Currently, he teaches at two universities and at the Toshiba International Training Centre. He has also written books on the subject. English language learners around the world use his book Speaking of Speech, which tells about a method of teaching public speaking for non-native speakers. Mr. LeBeau says a simple approach helps English learners, which is to simplify and break it down. First, if we look at presentation, what’s going on, there are basically three messages that the presenter is giving the audience, all simultaneously. The first is physical message. Physical message is basically body language. It’s the way that our body, as a speaker, is talking to the audience. And then there’s also the visual message. The visual message is the slides that we now make and show the audience. The third message is the story message. The story message is the content of our presentation. So another way we can think of the story message is that it’s the verbal message; it’s what we say to the audience. The story message also includes how we organize our ideas to present to the audience.
    Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
    23. What’s the best way to improve English speaking?
    24. What’s Mr. LeBeau’s approach to teaching public speaking for non-native speakers?
    25. What’s the story message?