For most of us, the faculty of speech is something we acquire through the years as we mature, though there are those who seem more adept at it than others.  Why is it your next-door neighbor finds it so effortless to articulate his disapproval of your dog relieving itself in his backyard or your car blocking his driveway, whereas you think that the very act of talking, in any form or kind, is an exercise in futility?

Let’s face it.  If we were all born conversationalists, then there would be no such things as miscommunication and misunderstanding in the world.  So don’t be disheartened. If ease in speaking doesn’t come naturally to you, this e-book is here to help you hone your skills. Knowing how to be a great conversationalist can be quite handy, too.  It can help you land that dream job you’ve been eyeing for years, or it can give you the confidence to finally approach that person you’ve been attracted to since third grade.  So if you’re serious and willing to learn and apply this skill in your daily life, this course is for you.

The Microsoft® Encarta® Dictionary defines conversation as “a casual talk; the activity of talking, especially informally.”  It sounds so easy, and yet so many people do it wrong, albeit unknowingly.  Still, for others, the very idea of conversing is so dreadful that it is enough to leave their insides, not to mention their tongues, in knots.

Communication is a natural and very essential part of life.  Even animals do it.  Humans, however, have evolved from the grunting and groaning of our prehistoric ancestors to the complex speech patterns and individual nuances of today’s many languages.  And along with that evolution came deterioration, eventually.  Truly, the quality of conversation these days is nothing compared to the so-called ‘verbal jousts’ of yore—healthy, lively banter among peers and strangers alike.  Indeed, French Renaissance writer Michel de Montaigne thought of conversation as ”the most fruitful and natural exercise of our mind.”  So why the seeming decline?

In fact, many of our present-day conflicts stem from either miscommunication, or a total lack of communication altogether.  When we also take into consideration a person’s culture, circumstances, and state of mind when issuing a certain communication, what may be harmless to some could actually be quite offensive to others.  For instance, a joke that you find hilarious may be considered in bad taste for another.  When a supervisor barks an order, you may either take it personally or just assume they’re having a bad day.

Today’s fast-paced, technologically advanced but emotionally detached lifestyle plays a huge part in this misunderstanding, as well as in the decline of quality conversation.  Because there is an overabundance of hi-tech, though impersonal, ways of communicating—texting, email, instant messaging—face-to-face discussion has been rendered practically obsolete.  Or if not, it is largely deemed an inconvenience.  Really, why talk in person when all it takes is a few clicks or keypad presses to state your message?  And so, many people have lost touch with that human connection that was once innate in all of us.