Julian Treasure's Ted Talk: An Overview
Have you ever had an experience like when you are talking, but no one seems listening? In Julian Treasure's talk, the expert shares tips for powerful speaking, from some practical vocal exercises to speaking with empathy. Julian Treasure's TED Talk, "How to Speak So That People Want to Listen" contemplates the power of the human voice and how we can use it more effectively to communicate and create change.
Treasure makes a very valid point in saying that voice might be the most influential instrument, which can declare war, whisper love, yet many of us struggle to be heard or understood. People often fail to communicate powerfully because of their negative habits of speaking.
There are 'seven deadly sins of speaking' according to Treasure, which include gossip, judging, negativity, complaining, excuses, exaggeration, and dogmatism. These habits hinder effective communication in ways that allow the other to listen. Thus, we need to give up these habits if we truly want to build connections and engagement. Additionally, Treasure presents a positive framework for effective speaking called 'HAIL,' which stands for: Honesty (speaking the truth), Authenticity (being yourself and standing in your truth), Integrity (aligning your words with your actions), and Love (speaking with a genuine desire to wish others well).
In addition to the foundational principles above, Treasure describes various vocal techniques to enhance engagement in speaking, such as adjusting register, enhancing timbre, utilizing prosody (the rhythm and pitch of speech), and controlling pace, pitch, and volume. These tools can significantly increase the impact and clarity of one's speech when used effectively. Moreover, he also underscores the importance of vocal warm-ups before speaking to ensure the voice is ready for powerful communication. He demonstrates several exercises, including deep breathing, lip trills, and tongue rolls to prepare the voice for effective use.
Ultimately, Treasure calls for a world where people speak consciously, listen attentively, and create environments conducive to meaningful communication. His message is a call to action for individuals to harness the full potential of their voices, not only to be heard but to foster understanding and make a positive impact in the world.
This article analyzes Julian Treasure's TED Talk using the linguistic concepts of Theme and Rheme. It explores how information flow is structured to enhance clarity and engagement, highlighting how Treasure uses these concepts to guide understanding, maintain interest, and build connection. The analysis demonstrates the crucial role of Theme and Rheme in creating effective communication.
Theme and Rheme: Definition and Its Function
Theme and Rheme, or Theme system focuses on how information is structured within individual sentences (clauses), and how this structure contributes to the overall organization of a larger text. The theme system corresponds to a structure in which the clause is divided into just two main constituents: a Theme and a Rheme (Emilia, 2014). The Theme is the element or elements that appear first in the clause. This represents the point of departure of this message in relation to the previous one. The rest of the clause is referred to as the Rheme, where new information is usually found (Gerot & Wignell, 1995).
There are three types of themes, which includes Topical or Ideational Theme, Interpersonal Theme, and Texttual Theme. Topical Theme may be nominal group complexes, adverbial groups, prepositional phrases, or embedded clauses. In the unmarked case, the Topical Theme is also the subject. A Topical Theme which is not the Subject is called a Marked Topical Theme. To make it clear, see the examples below.
Unmarked Topical Themes
- Nominal group or group complex as Theme
- Topical Theme: Jack and Jill
- Rheme: went up the hill
- Embedded clause
- Topical Theme: (What Jack and Jill did)
- Rheme: was go up the hill
