Use your voice
Sunday, September 5th, 2010AN individual’s voice is the most effective and personal communication tool.
It requires no technical support to effectively deliver a message, or to impart one’s thoughts, beliefs, bias, disposition or attitude to an issue.
Used with purpose, the voice can attract and sustain attention, engender deep emotions, bring a listener to laughter or to tears, stir a crowd of factory workers to go on strike, silence a howling mob, settle a rowdy kindergarten class, sooth a crying child, and even call a nation to war.

In a teaching situation, the voice imparts information that provides understanding of difficult subjects, and encourages learners to explore further, in order to “own” what is being learnt to lift their personal goals and self-belief.
Alternatively, the moment people open their mouths, immediately a “signal” is sent to a listener as to whether or not they are a competent communicator.
In turn, the voice can bore to tears and make learning an auditory misery.
The primary key to pronunciation is voice production.

If the listener cannot hear what is being said, the significance of the subject matter is totally lost.
Volume, i.e. audibility and loudness, becomes the first prerequisite of quality, effective speaking.
Loudness in itself, however, is not the only requirement.
Instead, the desirable presentation mixes volume with variation, vibrancy of personality and voice, coupled with a constant visual contact with as many listeners as possible.
Maintain attention
The art of public speaking and effective communication requires a positive outcome.
That outcome centres on listeners having heard what was said, understanding it and having the opportunity and time to “digest” it.
This outcome requires the ability, on the part of the speaker, to maintain attention in order to achieve maximum retention.
A superior speaker focuses not only on the subject matter but also on delivery.
Delivery raises issues such as one’s visual presence, listener-perceived personality, method of presentation and displayed performance. Importance must also be given to other factors such as intonation and tone.
Intonation is the sound pattern produced by variations in the voice. It is the rise and fall of the voice pitch, which is also known as modulation.
When there is unchanging intonation, the delivery becomes monotonous.
Tone is the quality of a person’s voice. It can be defined as a person’s manner of speaking. For example, The interviewing detective began the interrogation of the suspect in a conversational tone.
Tone of voice can show what the speaker is feeling, e.g. There was a note of uncertainty in the suspect’s voice as he tried to explain where he was at time of the robbery.
Speakers should ensure that the subject matter presented has the potential of being introspective for the listener.
This requires the substance of the subject to be meaningful and relevant to the listener.
by Keith W. Wright.
Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2010/9/5/education/6882269&sec=education


