WEEK 9

THTR10019
Clear Speech and
Communication
 WEEK 9 LEARNING AREAS

• Presence

• Non-Verbal Communication
– Hand gestures
– Facial expressions
– Eye contact

• Vocal Health
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PRESENCE
 PRESENCE
“… presence is the energy that comes from you and connects
you to the outside world. It is the heart of intimacy between
people and … critical not only to your well-being but also to
the well-being of everyone around you. It is an act of
community. It is an act of personal intimacy with others. It
enables not only the success of the individual but also the
success of a family, society and team.”
Patsy Rodenburg
Presence (2009)
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 PRESENCE
How to be fully present when communicating with others:

• Keep breathing!

• Speak purposefully and passionately

– know your content (what are you saying and why)
– know your methodology (how to say it)
• Learn to listen!
– give others your undivided attention when they are speaking
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 PRESENCE
How to develop your vocal presence:
• Tone of voice
• Volume
• Pitch
• Pace
• Pause
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 PRESENCE
What can diminish your presence:
• Not properly warming up your body and voice before your talk
• Constantly relying or reading from your script/notes/slides
• Fidgeting or moving around without a purpose
• Using fillers like “uh”, “um”, “like”, “so”, “you know”
• Adding new content at the very last minute/second
• Over-thinking... and trying to be (or sound like) someone else
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 NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
What constitutes non-verbal communication?
• Postural alignment (stance/pose)
• Hand gestures
• Facial expressions
• Eye contact
• Tone of voice
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 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Postural alignment checklist:

• Have you stretched the muscles in your head, neck, torso?
• Is your head and torso light and free?
• Are your shoulders and arms relaxed?
• Do you feel centred or balanced?
• Can you move around and gesture freely when you need to?
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 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

How to practice hand gestures:

• Mark down in your script where hand gestures can be used
• Choose gestures that you feel comfortable with
• Commit to a gesture when you’ve decided on one
• Stop gesturing when you stop talking
• Record yourself practicing with those gestures
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 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

How to practice facial expressions:

• Smile periodically but without force
• Play with different facial expressions in front of the mirror
• Communicate with your voice AND your eyes
• Change your facial expression to change your tone of voice
• Record yourself rehearsing with those facial expressions
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NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Amy Cuddy

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Taken from: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Sir Ken Robinson

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Taken from: https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Nancy Duarte

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Taken from: https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Barack Obama

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Taken from: https://fortune.com/2017/05/10/barack-obama-leadership-power/
 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Hilary Clinton

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Taken from: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/hillary-clinton-biden-has-great-choices-running-mate-help-defeat-n1236244
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

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 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

How to practice eye contact:

• Keep your focus on the camera lens (≥90%)
• Occasionally glance at your screen (at your audience)
• Only glance at your notes when it is absolutely necessary
• Don’t blink when talking about something important
• Practice speaking to your camera so you get used to it
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 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Why tone of voice is so important:

• Your tone of voice expresses the emotions through words
• It can move your listeners; make them like or dislike you,
to have pity on your or to empathize with you
• It shows how connected you are with what you are saying
and your desire to share your message with your listeners
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 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
“A good deal of what we communicate is through body
language, eye contact, posture and tone of voice. […] in fact,
tone of voice can convey your intention even more effectively
than the words that you choose. Only 7 percent of our
meaning is conveyed through the words we use. Tone of voice
conveys a whopping 38 percent of meaning, and body
language the remaining 55 percent.”

Kate DeVore & Starr Cookman

The Voice Book (2009) 21
 VOCAL
HEALTH
 VOCAL HEALTH
Why is it important to maintain our vocal health?
• Your voice is your primary instrument for verbal
communication
• Improper care of the voice will also affect the rest of your
physical and your mental state
• You perform better if your voice and your entire being is in
good shape
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 VOCAL HEALTH
Good habits that we should adopt on a daily basis:
• Maintaining healthy alignment and regulating the breath
• Take regular sips of water to hydrate the body and voice
• Get enough rest so you can function optimally the next day
• Eat a healthy diet, stretch and exercise regularly
• Adopt a healthy/balanced lifestyle
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 VOCAL HEALTH
Habits that we should try to avoid at all cost:
• Excessive yelling/screaming, especially in crowded spaces
• Smoking, taking recreational drugs and excessive drinking
• Sleeping after having a heavy meal
• Burning the midnight oil (not getting enough rest/sleep)
• Using your voice when you are unwell
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 VOCAL HEALTH
Home remedy to rejuvenate/rehabilitate your voice?
• Gargle with warm salt water twice a day
• Get a steam inhaler or boil a pot of water
• Drink a concoction of honey and lemon or honey and
ginger with warm water
• Get lots of rest, especially when you’re feeling under the
weather
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 VOCAL HEALTH

When to seek out professional (medical) assistance:

• Frequent hoarseness and loss of voice
• Persistent sore throat (and coughing)
• Loss of vocal range (missing notes)
• Burning sensation in the throat (acid reflux)
• Tightness in the throat and chest
• Difficulty in breathing 27
THANK
YOU!