Speaking in public meetings is necessary for many students and employees. As well, it is a difficult task for them, especially for non-native speakers. A great many researchers have made efforts to help foreign language learners to improve the approaches.

    Charles LeBeau is a public speaking professor and consultant. Currently, he teaches at two universities and at the Toshiba International Training Center. He has also written books on the subject. English language learners around the world use his book Speaking of Speech.

    In Speaking of Speech Mr. LeBeau says a simple approach helps the learners. So, the professor divides public speaking into three parts: the physical message, the visual message, and the story message. He says, “The central thing to remember about public speaking or presentation is that it's a very complex communicative activity. For non-native speakers it's a really scary activity. So to make that more simplistic and easy for them, the approach that I've taken 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 at the same time. There's what I call the physical message, namely body language. It's the way that my body, as a speaker, is talking to the audience. Then there's also the visual message. The visual messages are the slides that we now make and show the audience. The third message is the story message, which is the content of our presentation. The story message is the verbal message, what we say to the audience. The story message also includes how we organize our ideas to present to the audience.”

    He says the simple approach to breaking down the parts of public speaking has proved itself. He says learners improve quickly and do a good presentation after a few days of study.

    Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it?Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind.How can you use this to increase your brain power?Start writing.

    By putting thoughts into words,you are telling yourself the logic behind what you think,feel,or only partly understand.Often,explaining a thought is the process of understanding.In other words,you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power”.

    Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember.Many,if not most,highly productive people are always taking notes.You can try keeping it all in your head,but if you keep a journal of your ideas,the next time you're working on a big project,you'll probably have more success.

    Want to understand a topic?Write a book about it.That's an extreme example,but if you are learning something new,write a letter to a friend about it,and you will understand it better.Want to invent something?Write an explanation of the problem—why you want to solve it,and why it is worth solving,and you're halfway there.

    Writers don't always write because they clearly understand something beforehand.Often,they write about something because they want to understand it.You can do the same.Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

    Day tripping: discover the Thames Valley by train this summer

    Footloose and fancy-free fun is what summer is all about and there's no better way to go on a stress-free day trip than by train. Here's our pick of festivals and events that are an easy hop from London Paddington.

    May 26-28

    Blenheim Palace Food Festival        Nearest station: Hanborough

    Sink your teeth into local cheeses, slurp local ales（麦芽酒）and get inspired to cook with Oxfordshire produce at live demonstrations during this annual food festival, Better still, gather some goodies and go for a picnic within its beautiful parklands. Flowers more your thing? The Blenheim Palace Flower Show also takes place here, from June 22 to 24.

    June17

    Marlow Dragon Boat Festival                Nearest station: Marlow

    Head down to the banks of the Thames early to bag a good spot to see the teams go head-to-head at this colourful dragon boat racing spectacle in Marlow. The free event, which is part of the wider ticketed Marlow Town Regatta（划船比赛）and Festival, promises to be a lively day out. There will be food stalls and free entertainment, too, to keep the cheering crowds amused.

    August 24-26

    Wokingham Festival            Nearest station: Wokingham

    Hop on the free shuttle bus from Wokingham train station to join in the good-old-fashioned fun at this charming community festival in Berkshire. Centering around Cantley Event Field, it promises a beer festival, live music, food stalls, and plenty to keep the little ones happy, from face painting to circus（马戏团）skills. Kids go free.

    What's On?

    Happy Reunion

    July 17—27(not on Saturdays and Sundays), 7: 30 pm PG Theater

    Presented by theater director Li Tsung-hsi, “Across the Sea to See You” tells a story of a couple who have a touching reunion after years of separation on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Li says the idea of the drama comes from the story of his grandmother. She reunited with her sister when cross-strait relations became warmer. Following the performances in Shanghai, it will tour around China.

    Post-War Art in Rome

    August 7—27(closed on Mondays), 10 am-8 pm Prada Rong Zhai

    Over 30 paintings and sculptures by Italian artists including Carla Accardi and Afro Basaldella are on display in the “Roma 1950-1965” exhibition at Prada Rong Zhai. The exhibition explores the cultural and art scene that developed in Rome after World War II.

    Storage Memory

    July 8—18, 11 am-7 pm Power Station of Art

    The solo exhibition of works by French artist Christian Boltanski aims to inspire emotional connections through a series of videos, sounds and shadow theater. Boltanski has had a far-reaching influence on the development of contemporary art in Europe.

    Traditional Operas

    August 20, 7: 15 pm STA Experimental Theater

    Classic excerpts(节选) from “The Palace of Eternal Youth” and “The Orphan of Zhao” will be performed in memory of Peking and Kunqu Opera artist Yu Zhenfei. Performers include Peking Opera artist Shang Changrong and Kunqu Opera artist Cai Zhengren.

    For years I have had no idea what I have been doing with my life. I was a 30-year-old lawyer in New York. But being a lawyer was never my dream or goal in life. I honestly wanted to be a writer. I have a great imagination and would write amazing stories in my head. But I always knew that being a writer was never possible for me because it was a better financial decision to stay a lawyer.

    Recently, I couldn't fall asleep at my usual time of 10 p. m. and when I did fall asleep I had the same dream over and over again. The dream starts with me in the ocean trying to go for a swim and I'm searching for something, but I start to drown and have no control over my body. Then a light shines through the waters and when I look up all I can see is myself in a bright white room writing a novel. Then I hear a voice say repeatedly, “Now is the time to try something new!”

    It wasn't just a dream; it was my opportunity to make something good out of my life. That afternoon, I quit my job at the law firm and I couldn't have been any happier. My life started at 30, and every day since that point I haven't stopped enjoying life. I started to write and have been on the best-sellers list for the last two months. Things have definitely turned around.

    Change is a good thing; it gives us an opportunity to take a chance. So my two favorite words I live by and so should you are “change and chance”.

    Last week I did something that scared me. I stood in front of nearly 200 financial planners and I talked to them about why financial blogs are a good thing. I'm a confident writer. I've been doing this long enough that I know my strength and my limitations. I'm less confident as a speaker. I don't have time to pause to collect my thoughts. I'm not able to edit. I'm afraid of being trapped in a corner without being able to talk my way out. Basically, I'm scared to speak.

    It would be easy to simply refuse the chances that come my way. When somebody asks me to speak in front of a group, I could say "no". When radio and television stations call for an interview, I could say "no". But for the past two years, I've been following my own policy to say "yes" to new chances.

    To say "yes" is to live in fear. My goal is to continually improve myself to become better than I am today. One way to do that is to do the things that scare me, to take them on as challenges, and to learn from them—even if I fail.

    In mid-November, a local station asked me to appear on live television. "I realize it's short notice," the producer wrote, "but we'd love to have you on the show if you're available tonight." I was frightened. I thought about recent taped television interviews that I had hated. I was afraid of what might happen.

    But I also thought about the things that had gone right. I thought of how my speaking skills had improved over the past year. And then I thought of the book I was reading, a book that I had bought for $1.29 at the local store. The Magic of Thinking Big was a huge bestseller during the 1960s. Written by Dr. David Schwartz, a professor at Georgia State University, the book contains dozens of practical tips on how to take risks to achieve big goals. Schwartz argues that nobody will believe in you until you believe in yourself.

    So when the television producer asked if I wanted to appear on his show, I thought big. "Sure," I said. "I'll do it." I acted confidently, but on the inside I was frightened. What I needed was techniques to build up my confidence and to overcome my fear.