Publish at July 03 2024 Updated July 03 2024
Public speaking, or the ability to express oneself well in public, has been treated since antiquity as an inherent part of the human species. It's the ability of an individual to manipulate his or her voice, limbs, eyes, lips, silence etc. to convince an audience, usually that of his or her human alter ego. But what about its relationship with other animal species, or communication with other animals? Do we need to convince or persuade other species?
Public speaking is the result of two main components of language. It "is the act of sending a message in words (oral or written) and non-verbally (through the body) to someone and/or receiving one from someone, with a purpose". (Ameline and Lavennier, 2021). Although this definition specifies that communication is between people, a foray into communication with animals shows that the tools of public speaking are called upon to communicate with dogs, cats, parrots and so on.
The dog is one of the most popular pets. It's one of man's most loyal companions. He often needs to be convinced by his master before he can carry out his orders. But how should the master take it? Whether they're dogs for company or dogs for security, man needs to communicate with them. Dogs obey commands, and for a command to be successful, certain conditions must be met. The main one is voice intonation:
"We communicate with your dog through our voice. However, the intonation of our voice sometimes betrays our feelings involuntarily. It tends to reveal our emotions, whether positive or negative, and animals are very receptive to it. That's why it's so important to pay careful attention to this intention when teaching an assistance dog various commands" (Handichiens website ).
Hearing is the second most developed sense in dogs, and therefore the main channel of communication with the dog. So, if you want to convince your dog to carry out a command for you, make sure you manage your voice and intonation well. While with dogs, voice can take precedence over gestures, this is not the case with cats, who communicate more through gestures and sounds.
Dogs communicate with humans by barking, looking, wagging their tails and so on. This gestural language is more prevalent in cats. To communicate better with your cat, you need to understand its gestures. On the Ouest France website, in an article on communicating with your cat, particular emphasis is placed on gestures and sounds: understanding meows, interpreting tail movements, appreciating purrs, observing your cat's eyes, talking to your cat at the right moment.
All these tricks are also tricks used in human-to-human communication, with the exception of meowing. When they're not voice-related, they take into account gaze, timing and gesture. The only thing missing is argumentation. Communicating with your cat means better understanding his movements: "If his tail is still, he's calm, confident and serene / If his tail vibrates, he's happy to see you. He does the same to mark his territory." (Coralie Diedrichs, 2024).
Beyond gestures, you need to talk to your cat. And how do you make yourself understood? Address him as you would a baby, because even babies need convincing. Marilyn Pattin refers to a study carried out at the University of Nanterre in her article " Parler à son chat comme à un bébé : bien ou pas bien?" ( Talking to your cat like a baby: good or bad?), which states that "experience has shown that cats start to listen and pay attention to their owners attentively, when the latter speak to them in baby language. In concrete terms, the feline perks up its ears, its pupils dilate and it stops its grooming to turn towards its master or even move towards him."
Just as man can teach man to express himself better, he can also teach parrots to express themselves better. To do this, you need to create a bond of trust, just as you do with your opposite number. Choose the right words to use when speaking to him, as these are the same words he will use. You also need to be careful about what you say, and use repetition. These are just some of the points we've drawn from the article " How to teach a parrot to talk " by Hugo T.
Communication between humans and animals is as old as the hills. If we can be sceptical about man's ability to communicate with totems or men who transform into animals, we can't be sceptical about communication between man and many other animal species, even octopuses.
It's a difficult form of communication, requiring knowledge of both verbal and non-verbal tools. Animals also need to be convinced or persuaded to communicate better with humans. As a result, the tools of public speaking are called upon: voice, gestures, timing, gaze, among others.
Seen from this angle, a good orator would be better able to communicate with animals. Certainly, there are no eloquence contests between animals or between animals and humans yet, but their communication requires a certain dexterity and aesthetics.
Image: ImageGenerator Chat GPT
" In a public market; a dog smells the victuals and the master waits for his verdict"
References
Understanding your dog or how to communicate well with him. - Handi Chiens
https://handichiens.org/comprendre-son-chien-ou-comment-bien-communiquer-avec-lui/
"Communiquer avec son chat : 6 trucs et astuces pour y arriver!", Le mag du Chat,
https://lemagduchat.ouest-france.fr/dossier-755-communiquer-chat-trucs-astuces.html
Diedrichs , Coralie, (2024), "How to communicate better with your cat",
https://jardinage.lemonde.fr/dossier-5423-comment-mieux-communiquer-avec-son-chat.html
Sylvie , Ameline , Muriel, Levannier, (2021), Chapter 3, "Verbal and non-verbal communication", DEAS (2021), pages 496 to 499.
https://www.cairn.info/deas--9782311660791-page-496.htm
How do you learn to make a parrot talk? Hugo T. Mister Cooky
https://mister-coocky.fr/Blog/Bird/comment-apprendre-parler-perroquet.html
Wisdom of the Octopus - Netflix Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwfGPlTrcoQ
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