Chilean Speech Patterns and Effective Communication

Chilean Speech Characteristics

How Chileans Speak

• Voice Tone: Often high-pitched (voz de pito).
• Aspiration: The 's' sound is often aspirated.
• Word Endings: The ends of words are frequently dropped.
• Rapid Speech: Speaking quickly is common, leading to poor coordination between speaking and breathing.
• Vocal Fatigue: The rapid pace can cause vocal fatigue.
• Anxious Speech: Speech can sound more anxious.
• Pronunciation: Mispronunciation with little mouth opening is common.
• Volume: Speaking loudly is typical.
• Assertiveness: In recent years, Chileans have become more assertive and feel safer, leading to louder speech (akin to shouting).
• Noisy Environments: Talking at high volume, especially in noisy environments, strains the vocal apparatus.
• Vocal Abuse: Vocal abuse leads to vocal emission disturbances.
• Dysphonia: Dysphonia is a primary reason for consultation.
• Monotony: Loss of tonal inflections results in monotony when expressing emotions, along with a less rich vocabulary.

Reducing Nervousness in Public Speaking

• Know the Subject: Thoroughly prepare your topic. The better you know your subject, the more confident you will be.
• Training: Practice regularly. The more you practice, the more secure you will feel. Seize every opportunity to speak in public.
• Use Adequate Media: Prepare and check any auxiliary media you plan to use. This will give you added confidence.
• Start Slowly: Arrive calmly and concentrated at the location where you will speak. Move calmly and confidently before you begin.
• Clear Objectives: Always keep your goal in sight. This will help you stay on track and avoid the temptation to say everything at once.

The Importance of Eye Contact

• Whether addressing a single person or a large audience, maintain eye contact. This fosters sympathy and confidence, demonstrating your interest and self-assurance. A smile accompanying this gesture enhances its effect.
• If the audience is very large, you cannot look at each person individually. Instead, look at groups of attendees. Pause briefly on each group before moving to another. At the beginning, seek support from familiar or smiling faces.
• Avoid creating or reinforcing hierarchies by continually directing your gaze to one person, such as your boss.
• Looking permanently into the void, at the window, or at the ceiling, or not raising your head from your papers, conveys insecurity or disinterest.
• Looking too openly at the public can be misconstrued as arrogance or unfriendliness, or it may make you feel inferior or guilty.