Mastering a skill as an adult can feel challenging — especially when it comes to communication. Whether you’re aiming to improve your public speaking, develop a confident and authentic voice, or refine your professional presence, it’s easy to feel stuck or unsure of how to practice effectively.
The good news? Just like mastering a golf swing, playing an instrument, or learning a new workout routine, communication skills can improve with the right strategies and approach.
Because adults learn differently than children, effective communication training requires intentional strategies that build on life experience and existing knowledge. Setting clear goals, practicing skills in realistic situations, and connecting new techniques to what you already know are all proven ways to accelerate learning and make new skills stick.
These strategies align closely with motor learning principles — proven methods for building and refining movement-based skills. Athletes practice precise movements to perfect their form, musicians break down challenging pieces into smaller parts, and skilled presenters rehearse their delivery to improve timing and expression. In each case, progress comes from targeted practice, thoughtful adjustments, and consistent effort — all core ideas in motor learning.
By applying these same principles to communication, you can practice smarter, improve faster, and feel more confident in real-world situations.
Speech as a Motor Skill: Why It Matters
Speech may seem effortless, but behind the scenes, it’s a highly coordinated motor activity — a complex dance of breath, sound, and muscle coordination all working together to deliver your message. Much like playing an instrument or tweaking a golf swing, speech requires precise control of multiple systems.
The foundations of communication include:
Breath Control: Managing airflow to support volume, pitch, and vocal strength.
Sound Production (Phonation): Using your vocal folds to create sound, much like guitar strings vibrating to produce music.
Articulation: Coordinating your tongue, lips, and jaw to shape sounds into clear words.
Resonance: The way sound passes through the spaces of the throat, mouth, and nasal passages to shape the tone and quality of your voice.
But speech isn’t just about mechanics — it’s also deeply tied to cognition. Taking in new information, organizing your thoughts, and forming clear messages are all part of the process. Much like a basketball player anticipating their next move or a musician mentally rehearsing a complex piece, speakers must process information and plan their delivery in real-time.
By understanding that speech is both a motor skill and a cognitive process, you can better appreciate why practice strategies make such a powerful difference.
Practice Makes Progress
Effective practice isn’t about repeating something endlessly — it’s about practicing with intention.
Blocked Practice: Repeating the same skill or phrase multiple times in a row is great for building muscle memory and confidence.
Random Practice: Switching between different skills or speaking scenarios during practice encourages flexibility and improves long-term retention.
Repetitive Practice: Revisiting key skills frequently — even in short bursts — reinforces learning and strengthens neural pathways.
For example, a public speaker preparing for a conference might repeat their opening statement several times (blocked practice), then switch between practicing different parts of their presentation (random practice) to build adaptability.
Mental Practice: A Powerful Tool for Learning
Elite athletes, musicians, and performers often use mental practice — and you can, too. We now know that mentally rehearsing a skill can activate the same neural pathways as physical practice.
If you’re preparing for a presentation, mentally walk through your delivery: picture yourself entering and standing confidently in the actual room you’ll be presenting in, mentally listen to how it sounds as you pause for emphasis, and hear yourself projecting your polished and steady voice clearly. If you’re developing a gender-affirming voice, imagine your ideal pitch, vocal tone, and pacing. This type of visualization builds stronger motor pathways and can improve performance — even without speaking a word. Pairing mental practice with physical practice can maximize learning and build confidence.
The Role of Feedback in Learning
Feedback is key to improving communication skills, but not all feedback is created equal. Getting the right kind of feedback is essential for refining skills and ensuring you’re on the right track (and no, we’re not talking about that barrage of unhelpful self-criticism). Knowing when and how you receive feedback can make all the difference.
Immediate Feedback offers in-the-moment guidance, ideal for fine-tuning technical details like adjusting your intonation or adding emphasis to key points.
Summary Feedback steps back to provide a broader view, helping you spot trends in your progress and identify patterns that shape long-term growth.
Knowledge of Results tells you whether you achieved your goal (e.g., “Your message resonated well with the audience.”).
Knowledge of Performance dives deeper, focusing on how you achieved that result (e.g., “Your pacing improved when you paused more frequently.”).
In addition to when you get feedback, where it comes from also matters:
Intrinsic Feedback comes from your own senses — like noticing when your voice feels stronger or your breathing feels more controlled during a presentation.
Extrinsic Feedback comes from an outside source — like a coach pointing out that your relaxed and open body language reinforces the approachable tone you desire.
By combining these feedback types, you can make targeted improvements in the moment while building strategies for sustained progress.
Skill Transfer: Applying What You’ve Learned in Real Life
True mastery isn’t just about performing well in practice — it’s about adapting and applying what you’ve learned across different settings.
Practice in varied conditions that mimic real-life settings.
Challenge yourself by presenting to different audiences or practicing conversations in social situations.
Reflect on what strategies worked well and apply them in new contexts.
For example, practicing your presentation in various contexts, like in a virtual meeting room or in a conference room, builds adaptability. Rehearsing your voice in casual conversations, professional settings, and social interactions strengthens consistency. Incorporating background noise or unexpected questions during practice trains you to stay composed under pressure. Just like a tennis player who practices their serve in different weather conditions, varied practice prepares you for real-life communication challenges.
Taking the Next Step
Whether you’re working on public speaking, refining your professional communication style, or aligning with your vocal identity, success comes from smart practice and effective feedback.
At SpeechAppeal, we recognize that adults learn differently. Our clinicians apply proven motor learning strategies to individualize your approach, and help you build confidence, precision, and clarity in your speech.
Book an appointment with us today to take your communication skills to the next level! Ontario residents only.