Good diction is about the art of speaking clearly so that you are understood to the fullest. Good diction is more about the tone of voice, the distinctiveness of speech and the pronunciation as opposed to choice of words or sentences.
Many problems can contribute to poor diction such as low level of voice, repeating words and phrases, using filler phrases such as “you know what I mean” and strong accents.
However, research shows that one of the most common causes of having poor diction is the use of filling words such as “um”, “uh”, “so” and similar. English speakers are particularly keen users of these filler words and the equivalents in other languages are also used regularly.
This exercise helps delegates practice reducing the frequency of saying “um” and thereby helps them to improve their diction.