Does the expression "given a talking to" convey positive feelings for you? I bet it doesn't. Nobody likes to be <em>talked to</em> and being <em>talked at</em> is almost as bad. Both imply that the speaker has power over the audience or that the speaker is superior in some way.

On the other hand, if someone is <em>talking with</em> you, there's a conversation going on. There's some give and take, even if it's not verbal. Speakers who are talking with an audience are paying attention to what the audience needs, they are responding to cues and they are engaging the audience's attention.

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