Oral Communication Units and Activities
WARMING UP THE VOICE
Unit(s): Oral Interpretation
Purpose:
To demonstrate the difference in breathing, pitch, rate
Objective:
The student will be able to demonstrate a more flexible speaking voice.
Materials:
Handout on warm up exercises for the voice
Procedure:
- Explain the importance of warming up the voice before any vocal presentation.
- Pass out warm up exercises.
- Arrange students so that they may stand comfortably.
- The first time you go through these exercises you will want to take your time
so that students understand the proper procedure.
- These exercises may be done before any presentation.
Vocal Practice
Breathing:
- For public speech you inhale more deeply, or more rapidly or both, than in ordinary
breathing. You need more air to build a volume of voice and to sustain tones. The
actual amount of air used in speech is not large, but you need a reserve to prevent
running out of breath at the end of a phrase. (In such cases the voices drops at the
end and sounds cannot be heard.)
- For public speech you exhale more forcefully and with more control than in ordinary
breathing. In breathing-for-speech you hold the air in the lungs and
regulate the output so as to create speech sounds. Some sounds take
more air than others. For example, a wide-open vowel like "ah" takes more air
than a slightly open vowel like "ee."
Exercises:
- Test your control of exhalation. Draw a comfortably full breath and count in groups
of three: 1,2,3--4,5,6--7,8,9--etc. Do not try to see how long you can count in one
breath but how smoothly and evenly you can sustain the
sounds.
- Force the abdominal muscles outward. While the muscles are still tense, inhale as
deeply as possible, then exhale.
- Take a position so that the weight is on the balls of the feet. Touch the fingers lightly
to either side of the breastbone. Inhale slowly and gently through the nostrils. The
breathing should not be audible. Hold the breath during 8 counts and exhale during
8 counts.
- Inhale slowly and hold the breath for 15 counts, and then exhale in one count on the
sound of "ha."
- Inhale slowly, hold 15 counts, and exhale slowly on "ah."
- Inhale, relax the throat, and exhale by counting from 1 to 10.
Continue this
exercise and extend the count to 20, then to 30, and then as far as your breath
supply will go. Do not force the last few counts, and always stop before your
breath supply is exhausted. Try this for a week, twice daily, and see how far such
practice will extend the count.
- Inhale as you would speaking. then exhale, making the sound of "s-s-s." See who in
the class can hold this sound the longest. Repeat using "z, f, v, sh, zh, and th."
- Inhale as you would in speaking. Then sound the following vowels: "ee" (as in eat),
"i" (as in it), "e" (as in egg), "a" (as in at), "a" (as in ah), "a" (as in awe), "o" (as in
go), "oo" (as in look), and "oo" (as in soon). First, sound each sound separately.
Note that for each one your jaw is progressively lowered from "eat" to "ah," and
then progressively raised from "a" to "soon." second, after you have sustained each
sound separately, inhale and sound the whole series of vowels. Try to hold a full
tone through the whole series.
Pitch of Voice:
- Lower pitch ranges of voice are used most often for speech.
- Using varied pitch levels communicates meaning more clearly and interestingly.
"we often use the monotone to describe a voice with almost unvaried pitch. It would be
more accurate to say monopitch. . . . How does a speaker sound to you? Bored?
Unenthusiastic? weak? Uninformed?
"Meaningless variety is no better than a monopitch. this practice is seldom a problem when
we speak informally; but sometimes a reader or speaker, in a struggle for variety, goes up
and down without any reason whatsoever. This just creates a barrier to understanding. . . .
Inexperienced readers often begin every sentence on a medium to high pitch, then
gradually drop to a low pitch for the end of the sentence. a listener may go to sleep."
Exercises:
- The following paragraph has sentences that are fairly uniform in length and structure.
Read it once using the standard high-to-low pitch pattern for each sentence. Then
read it again getting as much variety as possible without distorting the
meaning:
Many students are reluctant to try to change their voices in any way. They have listened to
themselves so long they can't imagine another sound. They are persuaded that their vocal
apparatus is suited only for the way they speak. They listen to flexible voices every day on
television and the radio. But they think pleasant and effective voices are only for
professionals. These students must learn to try new ways and habits. We can all improve
our voices with a little time and effort and desire.
- Practice saying only the one word in bold type to communicate the variety of
meanings given below it. If you have listeners check you, don't let them see your
facial expression. try to do it all with voice.
Uh-huh
- So, that's what you've been up to! (angry)
- I'm trying to be polite, but I want to concentrate on this book.
- Yes, indeed! I love it!
- You didn't think I knew that, did you?
Maybe
- There's a good chance we can go!
- I don't really have any hope.
- What do you mean "maybe?" I'm positive!
- Don't bother me right now.
Sure
- I don't believe you for a minute.
- Definitely
- How can you doubt it?
- I'm trying to think positively, but I'm doubtful.
Jane
- Come here, please.
- Is that you?
- Of course she's the winner.
Rate of speech:
- Rate is related to phrasing of groups of words.
- Rate should be varied to express thoughts expressed by the phrases.
"Your rate is determined by the length of the sounds, as ell as the length of the silences
between sounds. You can slow down by pausing between words, or you can slow down
by lengthening the sounds. Obvious defects of rate are talking too fast or too slow. . ..
"Sometimes a speaker will make the appropriate phrasing but rush too much within
phrases. The result is a jumble of words, followed by a definite break, and then another
jumble of word. (To get that effect, read the preceding sentence saying all the words fast
but pausing at the commas.) Such speech is both monotonous and hard to understand.
Some speech lacks smoothness generally and creates a staccato effect, so that words
sound like jabs.
"Effective speakers are not afraid of silence. They make good use of a pause. You can
emphasize a word or an idea by pausing before or after it. A pause can also build
suspense. When used by an expert . . . a pause is a fine device for comedy."
Exercises:
1. Read the following sentences at the rate indicated: F=fast, S=slow. Then read them
again doing the opposite of what is indicated. Be sure to lengthen the sounds, not
the pauses, when you go slow, and work for clarity when you speed up.
- There are too many students in here already. (F)
- It's so quiet and peaceful out here in the back yard. (S)
- I'm already late and the car won't start. (F)
- No one is to leave without permission. (S)
- Late in the evening the rain came slowly, pelting softly on the fresh-turned earth. (S)
- The traffic is awful in the middle of the day,
especially at this corner. (F)
2. Distinguish between the following pairs of sentences by reading them with proper
phrasing. This exercise is not for exaggeration. Think of the meanings as you say
them.
- What? Have you told him already?
What have you told him already?
- He wore a bright, green shirt.
He wore a bright-green shirt.
- The papers which Cecil drew up have been lost.
The papers, which Cecil drew up, have been lost.
- The family has been told. I'm exhausted.
The family has been told I'm exhausted.
- The teacher said the principal is an idiot.
"The teacher," said the principal, "is an idiot."
- Please don't! Stop!
Please don't stop!
