From the course: Public Speaking for Non-Native English Speakers

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Varying your pace

Varying your pace

From the course: Public Speaking for Non-Native English Speakers

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Varying your pace

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- Your pace is the relative speed at which you speak. Now, we all vary our speaking rate depending on a variety of factors. The average rate for native English speakers in the United States is between 140 and 170 words per minute. For those who speak for a living, podcasts, on the radio, talk shows, conversational speech can be even faster. As a non-native English speaker, you may have been told to speak more slowly. I don't think that advice is as helpful as it should be. Instead, think of varying your pace and using pauses to help your audience parse out the meaning of your phrases. We'll practice in a moment. Your individual speaking rate depends on two factors. First, how fast your first language is, and second, if you're naturally a fast talker. I'm a fairly fast talker. You probably are already aware if you are too, and I am aware of slowing myself down when I speak to non-native speakers. Now, my speed for…

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