In the field of learning and development (L&D), it’s easy to focus solely on what we teach; the semantics, the frameworks and the learning outcomes. Of course, these are essential elements to ensure learners leave engaged and inspired, but communication doesn’t land because of content alone. Ultimately, it lands through delivery — how we say it, the energetic resonance behind the words and the unconscious linguistic cues we send as facilitators.

Public speaking, especially for L&D professionals, is where linguistics meets embodiment. It’s about phonological clarity, prosodic modulation (i.e., tone, rhythm and stress) and semantic precision, but it’s also about how we energetically project our voice and hold a room. Whether you’re delivering training in person, online or in a hybrid format, your voice and your presence are both a vehicle for information and a channel for building trust and relationships.

Let’s delve into why communication skills are essential for L&D professionals, the linguistic considerations when delivering in different locations, and how you can build the speaking muscles needed to be an effective and adaptable communicator.

Public Speaking as Somatic Syntax: Why It Matters

The human nervous system is tuned for meaning, not just message. When you speak with clarity and intention, you’re doing more than explaining concepts, you’re co-regulating learners’ attention and priming them to absorb knowledge. The cadence, pitch and rhythm of your speech become part of the creation of a safe and learning environment.

For example:

• A warm, modulated tone activates openness and trust (limbic safety)
• Clear enunciation supports cognitive processing at the phonological level
• Strategic pauses give the brain time to encode and consolidate meaning

From a linguistic standpoint, effective public speaking is about aligning micro-level choices (i.e., intonation, word choice and pacing) with macro-level goals (i.e., engagement, retention and transformation).

Your impact comes when you respond to the needs of others and let your natural depth of knowledge guide the session.

Delivery Across Modalities: What Are the Linguistic Considerations?

In person: Use the full spectrum available to you.

In live, in-person instructor-led training (ILT), your entire semiotic system is active including spoken language, body language, spatial dynamics and even the unspoken “field” you hold.

To make use of the full spectrum of communication tactics, use:

• Kinesics (i.e., intentional gestures, posture) to reinforce key points.
• Proximity (i.e., your physical distance from learners) to signal intimacy or authority.
• Eye gaze as a relational anchor: This co-creates connection and regulates group energy.
• Different learners understand how different people process information and adapt your presentations to meet people where they are at.

Virtual: Vocals are your primary tool.

Online, the paralinguistic features of your speech carry the most weight with the audience.

Pay attention to:

• Phonetic articulation — don’t blur consonants or rush vowels.
• Rhythm and patterns — the rise and fall and variation in tempo.
• Discourse markers — use intentional transitions, not filler words.
• Pace — use a measured pace that allows the audience time to process and follow.
• Your AVK — make use of the audio, visual and kinesthetic (AVK) parts of your voice.

During virtual training, physical feedback is limited so interaction must be designed linguistically. By drawing on rhetorical questions, invitations for input, and linguistic mirroring in the chat box, you can understand how your content is resonating with your audience even when you’re not in the room.

Hybrid: Enhance your ability to code-switch between worlds.

Here, you’re essentially speaking to two audiences via one linguistic channel. The challenge is managing multiple frames simultaneously so you are able to engage all audiences. It’s not an easy task!

Strategies that can aid you include:

• Verbally flagging audience shifts (“For those of you online…”) ensures the virtual audience feel included in the moment.
• Repeating key content to ensure multi-channel encoding
• Alternating your gaze between camera and room to maintain shared presence

How Can You Build Your Speaking Muscles?

Ultimately, effective speaking and delivery is not something we are all instantly good at. In fact, it takes constant reinforcement as the expectations and needs of different learners shift, so it is essential that you build in space for reflection and communication skills development. It’s the key to becoming an impactful communicator.

1. Practice and playback to improve performance.

No one likes listening back to themselves speaking, but it is an important element of building your speaking muscles. This will help you to understand areas for improvement and practice delivery. Rehearse out loud and use your phone to record yourself. When you play it back, focus on these areas to analyze:

• Articulation
• Breath control
• Sentence rhythm
• Filler words or hesitation markers

Ask yourself: Am I embodying what I’m teaching? Your voice should match your message. You could also play it back to trusted connections that can offer tips to improve. If it’s a session they have never heard before, you’ll be able to grasp whether the key elements are landing as you intended.

2. Feedback is real-time linguistic data.

When you do invite learner feedback, whether this is in advance of or after the training session, do not just ask “Was it good?”, as this provides limited constructive points for you to improve upon. Instead, ask questions about:

• Emotional resonance: What did the session make you feel? What will you take away from this session?
• Clarity of metaphors and examples: Which reinforced the key points the most?
• Auditory engagement: Did my tone keep you listening? Was the delivery too fast/too slow/clear?

External feedback helps you calibrate your “projection field.” When you enter the room, virtual or in person, the audience is expecting you to be the expert and deliver solutions. Feedback will help you understand how to build this aura-level dynamic.

3. Augment your practice with tech.

Emerging technology can also be useful to enhance your training delivery. You could draw on tools like:

• Yoodli: for linguistic metrics (pace, filler words, clarity)
• VirtualSpeech: to simulate live delivery environments
• Linguistic analysis tools: to really dig into how you speak (such as tools like Praat or ELAN)

Speaking Is Influence, Embodied

Public speaking and communication in L&D isn’t just about delivering content. It’s about encoding change through voice, presence, and resonance. You are the syntax through which learning flows.

It is when you’re aligned with your learners and are able to be present and communicate with clarity, that you stop performing and start transforming as a trainer. Public speaking gets you to that point and beyond, so ensure you use the full communication and vocal spectrum available to you to resonate with your audiences, whether they are in the room or across the globe.