Communication Strategies 7 Fluency basics: Eliminating non-word sounds

woman with hand over mouth

Say more by saying less

Many non-native speakers say "uh" or "um" too much while they are speaking. Eliminating these non-word sounds is also one of the quickest ways to sound more sophisticated in presentations, meetings and even everyday life. 

Introduction
  1. What impression do these sounds give the listener when you speak?
  2. When you are the listener, what effect do these sounds have on you? 
Warm Up

Answer this tough question, and focus on not saying any non-word sounds. Your instructor will be strict about this.

Language

There are a couple ways to deal with the issue of non-word sounds:

  1. The first and most obvious strategy is to say nothing. But that doesn't mean allowing long, awkward pauses. We will work on pausing effectively. Discuss this with your instructor. 
  2. If you need a little longer to think, then use fillers like, "Let me see..." or, "How can I put it...", as well as any other filler phrases that show you are thinking.
Practice

Now let's practice some more questions. Focus on avoiding non-word sounds.