EL 104 (UNIT 1): SPEECH ARTS – AN OVERVIEW
CONCEPTS OF SPEECH AND COMMUNICATION 2. Demonstrative Speech
Speech- Its Nature and Functions
Speech
- is a God-given faculty that sets apart human beings from animals.
- the major medium of communication of daily experiences is speech.
- Men communicate their thoughts, ideas, desires, and feelings using
intelligible words – by means of speech.
- The faculty of speech must be employed and developed by human beings for
mutual understanding and appreciation. The ability to articulate is essential to
emotional maturity, inner harmony, and balance.
- The speech reflects men’s countless aspirations and frustrations, their
proudest achievements, and ignoble failures.
- It would be very difficult, if not impossible, for men to coordinate their activities
without speech.
- Speech is a vehicle for personality development, being the means of
acquiring a pleasing and acceptable personality. The way we articulate
instantly reveals our background, training, self-discipline, and education.
- The impression we make depends much on the ease and liveliness with
which we talk, how we advance or defend our convictions and principles, and
how attractive our voice is.
- Effective speech communication implies not only a well-modulated voice
but an articulation that is easily understood because the production of
individual sounds and the selection of words are accurate.
- Speech is a way of self-expression without a brush or pen. It is essential to
men’s growth and eventually paves the way for their self-discovery. It is, thus,
something that should be pursued to perfection.
Types of Speech
1. Informative Speech
The purpose of this speech is to provide the audience with interesting
and useful information.
Examples:
a. A college professor lecturing on a specific topic during a class.
b. A doctor talking to a group about ways to avoid heart disease.
It is a type of speech in which the speaker shows or demonstrates to the
audience how to do something or how something works.
Examples:
a. How to bake the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
b. How to cook Adobo
3. Persuasive Speech
The speaker's main objective in this speech is to persuade the audience
to accept a specific point of view or take a specific action. It employs evidence,
emotional appeals, and logic to construct an argument and persuade the
audience to agree with the speaker's position.
Examples:
a. A politician giving a campaign speech to convince voters to support their
political platform.
b. A salesperson attempting to persuade potential customers to purchase a
product.
4. Entertaining Speech
It is a type of speech that is designed to entertain the audience while also
conveying information or a message. It can include humor, storytelling, and
other elements that engage and delight the listeners, with the goal of leaving
a lasting impression and making the experience enjoyable for everyone.
Examples:
a. Stand-up comedy routine
b. A parody or satire on current events
Objectives of Speech
People communicate because of varied reasons. It could be personal,
social, or utilitarian. From the different theories which were held by authorities,
three of these are widely supported. These are in consonance with the
fundamental objectives of speech.
1. We speak for self-expression.
We communicate our thoughts, feelings, and opinions to others by
speaking. It enables us to share our unique perspectives and experiences, as
well as express ourselves in meaningful ways. Through speech, we can also based on feedback from your listeners. Spoken communication provides
establish and assert our identity, as well as connect with others and build numerous opportunities for interaction.
relationships based on mutual understanding and respect.
However, there are some disadvantages to using verbal communication.
2. We speak to communicate. It's important to remember that once words are spoken, they can't be taken
back. As a result, certain aspects must be considered whenever we use our
Speech is essential in our daily lives because it enables us to voices and engage in verbal communication.
communicate our needs, wants, and desires, as well as negotiate, persuade,
and motivate others. In addition, we use speech to convey our messages to Aspects of Description
others, understand their messages, and build relationships based on mutual Voice Usage
understanding and respect.
Volume Loudness or softness of
3. We speak to control human behavior. voice.
Pitch How high or low is the voice
Speech is a weapon by which human beings can be controlled. It is a
is.
substitute for physical force which is demonstrated by our wish to argue or to
persuade. It is a means by which the diverse activities of men are coordinated Rate How fast or slow words are
with each other for the attainment of a common or reciprocal end. In coming out of one’s mouth.
conclusion, men do not speak simply to relieve their feelings or to air their Quality How well voice is projected.
views but to awaken a response in their fellows and to influence their attitudes
and acts.
Pauses Small breaks in between
Communication necessary phrases and
sentences.
The word communication comes from the Latin word “communis”
Emphasis Stress on important words or
meaning commonness. It is a process wherein knowledge, ideas, information,
phrases.
attitudes, feelings, and the like are transmitted.
Variety Words and phrases used are
Communication can be broadly defined as the exchange of ideas, varying (not using the same
messages, and information between two or more people via a medium in such words and phrases
a way that the sender and receiver understand the message in the same way, repeatedly).
that is, they develop a common understanding of the message.
Communication is a two-way process by which information is exchanged When engaging in verbal communication, you also need to consider the
between or among individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, following:
and behavior (Martinez 1).
Types of Communication • Appropriateness of the language used to the environment or
occasion (i.e., formal or informal)
1. Verbal Communication • Brevity or being more direct with words used. An effective speaker
avoids fillers and unnecessary expressions (e.g., “uhm”, “you know”,
Verbal communication is the use of spoken words to express thoughts,
“like”, etc.)
feelings, and ideas. It could be a simple conversation between friends, a
meeting with your coworkers, or a presidential speech. It can be formal or • Clarity or the ability to clearly state you message and express your
casual. It is an effective tool that accepts input from all aspects of the social ideas and feelings.
communication model and has an immediate impact. • Ethics or carefully choosing words in consideration of gender, roles,
ethnicity, preferences, and status of the person or people you are
Verbal communication also makes it easier for communicators to ensure talking to.
understanding because they can easily address objections and clear up any • Vividness or using words that vividly or creatively describe things or
misunderstandings. You can also change the message as you communicate feelings to add color and spice to communication.
 • Pronunciation or the ability to combine vowels, consonants, Type Description Example
syllables, and accents to emphasize a specific word.
• Articulation or the process of forming meaningful oral symbols
through the manipulation of articulators— the tongue, soft and hard Kinesics Refers to the study of • An employee straightens
palates, teeth, gums, lips, and jaws. hand, arm, body, and up his back whenever his
face movements as a supervisor passes by his
• Dialects or differences in language.
form of communication; workstation.
•
Nonverbal Communication the most well-known The eye contact you make
type of nonverbal and your facial expressions
Nonverbal communication refers to an interaction where behavior is communication. while talking to someone.
used to convey and represent meanings. It is also described as the transfer of
meaningful information from one person to another by means other than
written or spoken language. (Vaughan and Hogg, 1998) Refers to the study of • Giving your friend a tap on
communication through the back when he/she is
Verbal message is important in communication, but how we touch. feeling lonely.
communicate nonverbally is equally, and sometimes more, important. What Haptics
we say isn't always as important as how we say it, especially when • Holding hands,
communicating feelings and attitudes. It is not very convincing if someone's hugging, kissing,
words do not match their nonverbal behaviors. We often mistrust words and etc.
instead rely on nonverbal cues. For example, we may say we're "fine," but then
avoid contact or interaction with other people. Proxemics Refers to the study of • Giving up personal space
how space and distance in crowded public
influence transportation just to get to
Three Main Categories of Nonverbal Communication communication. school on time.
Sign Language: This includes all codes in which numbers, words, and
punctuation signs have been replaced by gestures. Examples include Chronemics Refers to the study of • The CEO of the company
American Sign Language and British Sign Language. how time affects can be late for a meeting
communication. but not the employees.
Action Language: encompasses all movements that are not solely used as
signals. When you scratch your head when you're confused or cover your face
when you're embarrassed or ashamed Vocalics Refers to the vocalized • Girls tend to use a higher-
but not verbal aspects than normal pitch when
Object Language: it includes all intentional and unintentional displays of of nonverbal speaking with their
material things. Consider how people tend to buy and wear branded clothing communication crushes.
to demonstrate their wealth. (paralanguage)
Other forms of nonverbal communication are listed in the table below:
Nature of Communication

1. Communication is a process.
Communication as a process denotes a step-by-step activity that is
essentially two-way and requires the active participation of both the sender
and the receiver. It is the act or process of communicating with another person
by using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange
information. Communication is a dynamic process influenced by the
communicator's mood and thought processes.
2. Communication is much more of an ART than a science.
There is no right or wrong way to communicate, no set of absolute rules
to follow, but there are underlying principles that can help us communicate
effectively.
3. Communication has a sender and receiver.
Communication occurs when two or more people act as the speaker or
receiver of the message. In other words, it is a two-way process of mutual
understanding in which participants create and share meaning as well as
exchange (encode-decode) information, news, ideas, and feelings.
Communication, in general, is a means of connecting people or places.
4. Communication is verbal or non-verbal.
Communication can be in the form of spoken words (verbal) or actions
(nonverbal) or both. Communication is not all about sending or receiving facts
in words. It does involve ideas and emotions that are expressed through signs,
symbols, and gestures.
5. Communication is inevitable.
Inevitability means communication is taking place even when someone
does not want or intend to communicate. This “does not want to communicate”
feeling of someone actually does communicate something. What does this
mean? It simply means that you cannot avoid communicating. Why? The truth
is, we are communicating constantly because even when you do not want to
communicate, you are communicating.
6. Communication is irreversible.
This means that nothing you've said can ever be taken back. Irreversibility
occurs the moment you click the "OK" button on a social media comment or
post, and it is too late to reverse it once many people have reacted and
commented on it. The same thing happens when you are angry and say
something hurtful or offensive to your adversary.
7. Communication is Unrepeatable.
Unrepeatability implies that a communication act can never be duplicated.
We may say the same thing several times, but the effect of what you said the
second, third, or fourth time will be different from the first time you said it.
Basic Functions of Communication
1. Control
It is the formal or informal exercise of restraint or direction. This is
especially common among members or acquaintances.
2. Social Interaction
Communication enables us to act and react to the behavior of those
around us. We elicit reactions from others by revealing our thoughts and
feelings.
3. Emotional Expression
Communication allows for the release or unloading of emotions, which
results in catharsis. It makes it easier for people to express their feelings and
emotions.
4. Motivation
The energy that influences a person's behavior in various ways as he
pursues his goal or objective. It encourages people to live better lives.
5. Information dissemination
It is the most basic function of communication that provides data and
information for the effective completion of tasks, solution of problems, and
elimination of uncertainty.
7C's of Communication
The seven C's of communication are a set of guidelines that we should
follow in all of our communications. Their purpose is to ensure that the person
with whom you're communicating comprehends what you're saying.
1. Clear
Communication should be simple and easy to understand. Avoid using
technical jargon or complex vocabulary that may confuse the audience. Also,
ensure that the message is organized and logically structured.
2. Concise
Communication should be brief and to the point, with a focus on the most
important details. Remove any unnecessary information or details that could
detract from the main message. You can keep the audience's attention and
make it easier for them to absorb and retain information by being concise.
3. Concrete
Communication should be specific and use concrete examples and
evidence to support the message. To make your message more persuasive
and convincing, use concrete facts and data rather than vague or abstract
language.
4. Correct
Communication should be accurate and error-free. Verify the information
before presenting it to the audience. This can help to avoid misunderstandings
and maintain the credibility of the speaker.
5. Considerate
Communication should consider the audience's needs and perspectives.
Respect the audience by avoiding condescending or negative language and
try to anticipate their questions or concerns. This can help to establish rapport
and trust with the audience.
6. Complete
Communication should include all of the information required for the
audience to fully comprehend the message. Ensure that the message is
comprehensive and covers all relevant points. Leaving out important details
can lead to confusion and misinterpretation.
7. Courteous
Communication should be polite and professional, avoiding any negative
or hostile tone. Show respect for the audience by using a friendly and
courteous tone, and avoid using language that may offend or upset them. This
can aid in the development of a positive and respectful communication
environment.
LEVELS OF CONTEXT OF COMMUNICATION
Communication has multiple levels that vary depending on the situation and
the people involved in the discourse. Intrapersonal, interpersonal, group,
public, and mass communication are all levels of communication contexts.
➢ Level 1: Intrapersonal Communication
Also referred to as self-talk or thinking. It refers to the various
ways in which we communicate with ourselves. We are both the
sender and the receiver. Intrapersonal communication can be
beneficial or unfavorable, and it has a direct impact on how you
perceive and react to situations, as well as how you communicate with
others.
We typically employ intrapersonal communication to organize
our lives, act out scenarios, and tell ourselves what to do or not do.
➢ Level 2: Interpersonal Communication
It is usually done by two people. The most common
communication level encountered in many settings. Each person
alternates between being the sender and the receiver. It might be
intimate and personal, or formal and impersonal.
Interpersonal communication somehow demonstrates the
degree of closeness and intimacy with which we communicate, or fail
to communicate, with others determines how our relationships
develop, continue, or end.
➢ Level 3: Group Communication
It is a very dynamic procedure that engages small groups in
dialogue. It usually involves three to eight persons conversing. The
larger the group, the more likely it is to break off into smaller groups to
facilitate communication.
Age, likes, dislikes, culture education, sex, and demographic
characteristics are some of the criteria used to understand group
discussion participants. Group discussions can be mutual at times or
one-sided at others. However, the following are the various types of
group talks.
➢ Level 4: Public Communication
It refers to public talks that we give in front of large groups of
people. Public communication serves three primary functions: to
entertain, persuade, and/or inform.
It differs from other types of engagement in that it needs more
planning and preparation from the speaker and includes less direct
interaction. Audience members continue to interact with the speaker
mostly through nonverbal symbols, but there is less give and take than
in one-on-one talks.
➢ Level 5: Mass Communication
It refers to any form of media used to communicate with large
groups of people. Books, television, radios, films, social media,
magazines, and newspapers are all examples of mass media.
Mass communication is responsible for providing us with
perspectives on events, situations, and individuals from cultures other
than our own. It allows us to learn about what is going on in distant
parts of the world and to understand the perspectives of people and
cultures with whom we have no direct touch.
What are the similarities and differences between Public and
Mass Communication?

➢ SIMILARITIES
• One to Many Communication - The communication starts
from a single source to multiple recipients.
• Unequal Amount of Speaking - The main sender mostly
talks leaving the receiver to an uneven exchange.
• Not a One-Way Communication - The information is
transferred in one direction only, from the sender to the
receiver. Having said that public and mass communication
posit limited verbal feedback, one way communication
happens without any facility or expectation of feedback from
the receiver.
➢ DIFFERENCES
• Public Communication - Sender focused and typically
occurs when one person conveys information to an audience.
• Mass Communication - Occurs when messages are sent to
large audiences using mass media.
MODES OF COMMUNICATION
With the advent of internet-based applications that enable information to
appear on people's devices, technology has significantly altered how
individuals store information, which was formerly written on paper. The
civilization in which we live certainly disseminates information in a variety of
modes. The way we communicate with each other involves different processes
called modes. These modes are our means of communicating and creating
meaning, just like reading, listening, speaking, writing, and viewing. A mode
serves a crucial role in our daily lives, allowing us to communicate well and
clearly with others. There are also different ways that texts can be presented;
it depends on how someone would like to communicate a message to a reader
or listener. But what are these modes of communication all about? How can
we be sure that modes of communication have a significant role in our lives?
According to the New London Group, there are five modes of
communication these are the visual, aural, gestural, linguistic, and spatial
mode.
1.Visual mode
The visual mode refers to the images and characters that people see. In this
mode, meaning is conveyed using pictures and other symbols. It uses Images,
videos, color, visual layout, design, font, size, formatting, symbols, graphic
organizers, and animations. For example, pictures, drawings, signs on the
road, and other visual things we see in our everyday lives. Signs, when we
saw some signs on the road or in the street, we already adapted the meaning
of that sign because we already knew the meaning behind it. For example, a
no-smoking sign does not consist of words or written words, but we determine
it’s meaning by viewing or seeing it. Drawings or paintings—every drawing has
a meaning; every artist draws or paints a specific canvas for us to evaluate or
determine the meaning of those canvases. And lastly, just like drawings or
paintings, pictures convey their meaning through the image itself.
Photographers do not just take photos for fun; they take photos to capture the
hearts of the viewers and enlighten them to the message of the pictures.
2. Aural mode
It is the second mode of communication. This mode focuses on the sounds,
but not primarily on the sound itself. Music, sound effects, ambient noises,
silence, tone of voice in spoken language, volume of sound, emphasis, and
accent are all examples of aural modes. This mode of communication sends
messages via sounds and other sound devices. So it means that this mode
not only focuses on the music that we know, like music in our gadgets and
songs, An aural mode, one that relies almost entirely on sound, could be the
recording of a public speech delivered orally to a live audience, a radio
address, or a podcast.
3. Gestural mode
It refers to how movement is interpreted. Gesture modes include facial
expressions, hand gestures, body language, and interpersonal interaction. In
this mode, meanings are conveyed through body movements as you put
across a particular message. This mode has a crucial role in a daily
conversation because with its help, we can communicate well and express our
emotions and feelings through body language, facial expressions, and
emotions. It helps to provide detailed information to the receiver of the
messages. This mode is most likely to be used in theaters and in
conversations with your friends, family, or loved ones. This mode works better
when we mix it in linguistic, visual, aural, and sometimes spatial modes. In its
simplest terms, gestural mode refers to the way movement is interpreted.
4. Linguistic mode
It refers to words that are written or spoken. The mode includes word choice,
written or spoken text delivery, word organization into sentences and
paragraphs, and the development and coherence of words and ideas.
Linguistic is not always the most important mode in a text; this depends on the
other modes at work, the type of text, and other factors. This mode requires a
person to communicate using words and speak out loud the message that they
are trying to convey. This mode is also the most widely used because it can
be read and heard on both paper and radio. Examples of this mode in oral or
spoken language are a daily conversation, singing songs, telling a story,
reading books and reporting in front of the class. This example is done through
speaking to convey messages. The other is written language; examples of this
are letters, newspapers, magazines, and academic essays. This example is
done through a written or a lettered symbol to create meaning or to
communicate with the readers.
5.Spatial mode,
As its name suggests, deals with how objects are arranged in space. It involves
the arrangement of things as well as the proximity of people and things to one
another. By training the positions of people and objects, meanings are
conveyed through the position of certain objects in space. The best example
of this mode is the chair and table arrangements. Consider how a teacher
might convey her views on learning through the design of her classroom. In
this way, the configuration of the desks and chairs can be "read" as conveying
information about teaching and learning.
REVIEW ON THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between
individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.
Communication is vital to everyone because without communication we can’t
communicate with one another. It also builds relationships by allowing us to
share our experiences and needs. Imagine if we have a brilliant idea but we
are not able to communicate and we don’t have the power to pass that idea,
we have strong desire but cannot express it. Our life would certainly be
monotonous.
What is the Communication Process?
It is a dynamic method where the sender first conceptualizes a message and
sends it to a receiver over a medium in return for which feedback from the
receiver is expected and achieved over the same medium. It is an ongoing
process and requires an extreme understanding of the elements in it to make
it an effective one. It is a series of steps involved in successfully
communicating an idea, information, or message between a sender and
receiver via a physical or virtual channel of communication. It helps us
construct and deliver our message to the best of our ability. Communication
process can help us ensure you construct and deliver our message to the best
of our ability. There are many different communication process models in
history, but we are using the Shannon-Weaver model. This model or diagram
is first to be published by Shannon Weaver model and it was developed by
Claude Shannon and was published with an introduction by Warren Weaver in
1948.
Let us look at the 8 elements that are used to transmit information from sender
to receiver while following the communication process.
1. Sender- person who initiates the communication processes.
2. Message- a command, a request, a question, or simply a statement
for a normal discussion can be sent by the sender.
3. Encoding - message must be encoded by the sender in the form of
images, words, or even gestures.
4. Media or Channels of Communication - Once encoded, the
message must be sent to the other side via some kind of channel. This
channel is the message's medium, and it can be anything from email
to phone calls.
5. Decoding - Once the message has arrived at the other end, it must
be decoded. This is only possible if the person on the other end is
familiar with the signs used by the sender to encode the message. For
example, if the sender sends a message in English, the person on the
other end can only decode it if he or she knows English.
6. Receiver- The receiver is the person on the other end who receives
the message and decodes it in order to understand and continue with
the communication processes.
7. Feedback- The receiver comprehends the message and provides
feedback to the sender in the process.
8. Noise - Noise is an inevitable component of communication
processes. This primarily refers to impediments to effective
communication, such as phone network outages or other issues that
result in incorrect decoding of the message received by the receiver.
There are four types of noise:
• Psychological Noise (comes from within us),
• Physical Noise (distracts us),
• Environmental Noise (Comes from our environment)
• Semantic Noise (created by the sender)
•
How does the communication process work?
● The sender would first develop an idea to be sent.
● The sender will then encode the message.
● The sender will then choose the channel of communication
● The message would then travel through the channel of
communication.
 ● The receiver will receive the message.
● The receiver will then decode the message.
● The receiver will share feedback if needed.
REVIEW ON SPEECH SOUNDS: PART ONE
Speech Sound
Speech sounds are an important part of speech development, these are the
vocal sounds we use to make up the words of English language. Speech
sounds are produced to be transmitted and heard that is why saying the right
sounds in the right order is crucial because it will allow us to communicate
effectively.
The scientific and systematic study of speech sounds is known as phonetics.
Speech sound are also called phoneme and it is defined as the smallest part
of spoken language that makes difference in meaning. Remember that a
phoneme and a letter are two different things, phonemes are speech sounds
while letters are used to represent a sound (ex. the word book has four letters
b, o, o, k, but has three phonemes /b/-/oo/-/k/).
The English alphabet has 26 letters that are used in different combinations to
represent between 42 and 44 different speech sounds, this includes 20 vowels
sounds and 24 consonant sounds.
A E I O U are used to represent at least fourteen different single sound vowels
called monophthongs and at least five dual sound vowels called diphthongs.
Vowels are phonemes that are produced without any appreciable constriction
or blockage of airflow in the vocal tract. When we say a vowel sound there is
ᵋ
nothing from when the air leaves our lungs all the way up until the sound leaves
our mouth that is blocking the airflow, if there was a blockage say with our lips
/
or with our tongue then we would be producing a consonant sound. Vowels
are made by moving the tongue, sometimes we use our jaw. But tongue is
mainly responsible for creating the different vowel sounds so we consider that
the primary articulators.
Here's a list of the 14 different monophthong vowels and the additional
diphthong vowels. /і/, /I/, /e/, / /, /æ/, /u/, /℧/, /o/, /ↄ/, /a/, /∧/, /ɚ/, /ɝ/ the
diphthongs are /aɪ/, /aʊ/, /ɔɪ/, /ɪə/, /oʊ/, monophthongs have only one vowel
sound in a syllable and diphthong is the combination of two vowel sounds
together. We can describe vowels by labeling their tongue height, their tongue
advancement whether they're rounded or unrounded or whether they're tense
or lax.
Tense vowels can end stressed open syllables and lax vowels cannot.
Rounded refers to if the lips are rounded or if they're unrounded. Tongue
heights refers to how high or how low the tongue is in the mouth. Tongue
advancement refers to how far forward or how far backward the tongue is in
the mouth. Tongue advancement can be divided into how far front the tongue
is how central and how far back. Tongue height can be divided into how high
the tongue is if it's mid position and how low the tongue is.
REVIEW ON SPEECH SOUNDS: PART TWO
Have you given your mouth any thought? Thinking about it, it’s incredible.
People have a large array of articulators— moving parts — that work together
to produce the sounds we use for language. The previous discussant tackled
about what is speech sounds and the vowel sounds. As you can recall, we
already tackled this topic in EL 100 last semesters in the lesson phonetics and
phonology. From the title of our report, review on speech sounds, this topic is
for you to recall and recognize speech sounds. On this section we will talk
about the three criteria in describing consonant sounds: voicing, place of
articulation, and manner of articulation.
Let us first briefly define the difference between vowel sounds and consonant
sounds. We can simply say that in consonants, there is some constriction of
the airflow in the vocal tract whereas, with vowels there is no constriction. Now
that vowel sounds is already discussed, we will now focused on consonant
sounds.
Linguist use three criteria in describing consonant sounds which are voicing,
place of articulation and manner of articulation. Now let us talk about voicing,
voicing for consonants has two types: the voiced and voiceless.
Voiced (+v)- voiced sounds are sounds that make our vocal cords vibrate
when produced like the sound /z/. Try putting your hands where your vocal
chords are and you will feel the vibration, any sound that makes your vocal
chords vibrate are voiced sound.
Voiceless (-v)- Voiceless sounds are sounds produced from air passing
through the mouth at different points like the sound /s/. When producing this
sound you won’t feel any vibration in your vocal chords but you will feel the air
passing through the mouth.
Just remember that voiced sounds make your vocal chords vibrate and
voiceless .Making English sounds is difficult if it is not your first language. Even
though some words in our native language have similar sounds in English,
there’s still a chance that our first language does not include all of the sounds
of English. With that, we need to learn where and how the sounds of English
occur. The where of making sounds is the place of articulation and the how of
making sounds is called manner of articulation. Now let us first tackle the place
of articulation.
Place of Articulation
- Refers to where the sound is made in the mouth.
 It is important to learn the place of articulation because you must know
where to produce sounds to pronounce them correctly. If the place of
articulation is not correct, then the sounds you are pronouncing is most
likely incorrect too.
Bilabial
- Bi- means two and lips is labials, here the articulators are the two lips.
Sounds inluce: /p/ /b/ /m/
Example words with /p/ /b/ /m/ sound: /p/ pure, /b/ back, /m/ mad
Notice that when you produce these sounds, the contact is between
your lower and upper lip.
Labio-Dental
- Formed with the bottom lip (labio-) and the top teeth (dentals). In labio-
dental we use only our lower lip and the upper front teeth to produce
sounds.
Sound includes: /f/ /v/
Example words with /f/ /v/ sound: /f/ fro, and calf, /v/ vine, and have
Dental
- Formed by putting the tongue between (inter-) the teeth (dentals) In
producing dental sounds, our tongue must touch the upper teeth.
Sound includes: /ð/ / θ/
Example of word with /ð/ or the letter o with x above is the, and for /θ/
the one with horizontal line inside is thick.
Alveolar
- Contact between the tongue and the alveolar ridge. The alveolar ridge
is the gum live above the top teeth.
Sounds include: /t/, /d/, /n/, /s/, /z/, /l/
Example words with /t/, /d/, /n/, /s/, /z/, /l/ sound: /t/ tab, /d/ dip, /n/ no,
/s/ suit, /z/ jazz, /l/ luck
Palatals
- Sounds produced when the tongue reaches the upper surface of the
mouth.
Sounds Include: /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /tʃ/ /dʒ/ /j/
Example words with /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /tʃ/ /dʒ/ /j/ sound: /ʃ/ ship, /ʒ/ pleasure, /tʃ/
cheap, /dʒ/ jump, /j/ yogurt
Velar
- The back of our tongue is moving up and touching the soft palate.
Sounds include: /k/ /g/ /ŋ/
Eaxmple words with /k/ /g/ sound: /k/ curl, /g/ girl, /ŋ/ song
Glottal
- Glottal sounds are produced more through vocal chords than the
mouth, the air is passing from the windpipe through the vocal chord
like in the sound /h/ in the word “hi”.
Manner of Articulation
- Refers to how the sounds are made.
It is important to know how sounds are made so that you can
pronounce sounds correctly and speak more clearly. So, we have here
six different ways, or manner of articulation that we will discuss.
Stop
- When the airflow is stopped or blocked completely before being
released. We build pressure of air then release it, it is a sudden burst
of air
Sounds includes: /p/ /b/ /d/ /t/ /k/
Examples words with /p/ /b/ /d/ /t/ /k/ sounds: /p/ pick /b/ bed /d/ dine
/t/ team /k/ code
Fricative
- Air is blocked by a narrow passage formed by different parts of the
mouth and tongue but is not completely stopped. To better undertand
it tries to imagine a river of water flowing, then there’s a large rock in
the center of the river. What will happen to the water? The flow of the
water would change because of the large rock, but the water would
still flow around it. That is how you describe fricative sound, there is a
flowing river of air and you partially block it with your tongue, teeth or
lips.
Sounds include: /f/ /v/ /s/ /z/ /h/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /ð/ /θ/
 Example words with /f/ /v/ /s/ /z/ /h/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /ð/ /θ/ sound : /f/ fish /v/ van
/s/ sun /z/ zip /h/ hello /ʃ/ ship /ʒ/ vision /ð/ these /θ/ thin
Affricate
- These sounds are produced by combining a stop with a fricative. The
air pressure is built up, like in a stop, but instead of exploding out, the
air flows through a little passage, like a fricative. So affricates start with
a stop then transitions into a fricative.
Sounds include: /ʧ/ /ʤ/
Example words with /ʧ/ /ʤ/ sound: /ʧ/ cheap and /ʤ/ rage.
Nasal
- Nasal sounds are produced when the oral passage is closed and the
air passes via nasal chanel instead.
Sounds inlude: /m/, /n/, / ŋ/
Example words with /m/, /n/, / ŋ/ sound: /m/ mode /n/ neck / ŋ/ song.
Liquids
- Sounds produced by closing the mouth passage but at the same time
allowing air to exit smoothly. We let air stream on the sides of our
tongue.
Sounds include: /l/ /r/
Example of words with /l/ /r/ sound: /l/ leg /r/ rock
Glides
- Sounds produced with the tongue in motion (or “gliding”) to or from the
position of a vowel or sometimes called semi-vowels. We move our
mouth constantly from a articulation to a vowel sounds.
Sounds include: /w/ /j/
Example words with /w/ /j/ sound: /w/ we and /j/ you
FOCUS ON THE SUPRASEGMENTALS AS TOOLS FOR SPEECH AND
THEATER- STRESS, PITCH, VOLUME, ENUNCIATION
Suprasegmentals are reversed to a phonological property of more than one
sound segment. Simply put, Suprasegmentals are speech techniques or focal
effects that apply to multiple segments. There is another term for
Suprasegmentals, and that is non-segmental and prosodic features.
Stress - the emphasis placed on a specific syllable or word. Longer English
words than one syllable usually alternate between stressed and unstressed
syllables. Stressed syllables stand out more than unstressed syllables. And
what distinguishes them is that they are louder, longer, and have a higher pitch
than unstressed syllables. Stressed words are CONTENT words such as
nouns, principal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. The non-stressed words
include determiners, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and
pronouns.
Volume - refers to how loud or soft your voice is when you speak or make a
sound. It all comes down to projection (projecting your voice), which is defined
as the fullness or quantity of voice and tone. It can also be defined as the
volume of a sound produced by a speaker.
Speech volume is important whether you're delivering a message to a large
group of people or simply conversing with a friend.
Enunciation - the act of enunciating, announcing, proclaiming, or making
known; open attestation; and declaration, whether countable or uncountable,
and whether singular or plural enunciations. It is time to speak up or say
something significant. It is either the mode of utterance or the mode of
pronunciation, especially in terms of fullness, distinctness, or articulation.
Singers, actors and public speakers recognize the value of enunciation and
fostering understanding through clear speaking. Many of us, even native
speakers, make common enunciation mistakes.
• Speaking too quickly
• Dropping consonants
• Using slang
• Muttering
• Mumbling
People with excellent enunciation (also known as diction) are likely to end up
broadcasters, announcers, actors, or in other jobs that require public speaking.
Politicians need to have good enunciation. People who mumble or speak too
quickly have poor enunciation: it's hard to understand them, becausee their
words slur together.
Proper enunciation is essential for the audience to understand what the person
is saying during speech. The act of pronouncing words is known as
Enunciation. Your words should be clear and distinct if you have good
enunciation. What you're saying is understandable to your audience.
Enunciation is basically, Clarity.
Pitch - It is raising or lowering the voice on a particular word. It is also called
the tone of sound. During speech it is continuously changing and there is no
steady state which is throughout its syllable in normal conversation, It always
goes up and down. Just like when you're singing, the notes go up and down
and that is how pitch affects our speech.
For example, probably the best-known tone language is Mandarin which has
five different tones.
• level high- [mā]- "mother"
• mid rise- [má]- "linen"
• fall rise- [mâ]- "horse"
• high fall [mà]- "scold"
• neutral- [ma]- "end of a question"
Looking at these 5 words, you can see that they contain the same segments,
but it's the tones that distinguish their meaning.
Thus the two words spelled "anden" can be pronounced [ɑ́nden] "the duck" or
[ɑ̀nden] "the spirit".
Above we noted that when words are combined into utterances, lexical
stresses can move or change. The same is true of lexical tone.
SPEECH ARTS: SUPRASEGMENTAL AS TOOLS FOR INTONATION,
JUNCTURE, RHYTHM, AND LENGTH
Prosodic or prosody means study of all the elements of language that
contribute toward acoustic and rhythmic effects, while speech is the power of
speaking; it is the form of communication in spoken language. There are two
types of speech: segmental and suprasegmental. Segmental are the individual
units of speech, these are consonants, vowels, and diphthongs. While
suprasegmental are speech features that accompany consonants and vowels.
Suprasegmental is made up of two words: the prefix "beyond" and the word
segment.
Suprasegmental or prosodic features of speech are the stress, pitch,
intonation, juncture, volume, enunciation, rate of speech, and length. But I will
only focus to rate of speech, juncture, intonation, and length.
1. Intonation - the variation of pitch in the spoken language. There are two
basic intonation patterns: the rising-falling intonation and the rising intonation.
A. Rising-Falling Intonation (2-3-1 Pattern) - start with the normal pitch (2),
then go up on the accented syllable (3), and then go down (1) on the last
syllable in the sentence.
There are two types of the 2-3-1 pattern: the shift and the glide. In shift, the
voice is raised on the stressed syllable and goes down on the other remaining
syllables in the sentence. While in glide, the stressed syllable is the last
syllable in the sentence and there is movement within the syllable.
B. Rising Intonation (2-3-3 Pattern) – the voice starts with
the normal pitch, then goes up on the accented syllable and
remains up till the end of the sentence. This pattern is used
for questions that are answerable by yes or no.
C. Falling Intonation – describes how the voice falls on the
final stressed syllable of a phrase or a group of words. It is
very common in why- questions.
2. Juncture – the interruption or break in continuous flow of speech.
It is also called as “pauses in speech.” We use slant line (/) to indicate
short pause, two slant lines (//) for long pause, and octothorpe (#) for
stop and period.
For examples:
a.) Mother / thought Dad / was already home. #
b.) Mother thought / Dad was already home. #
In the first sentence, it is the mother who was already home. While
in second, it is the father who was already home.
c.) James / the player / had an accident. #
d.) James / the player had an accident. #
In first sentence, James is a player, and he had an accident. While
in second, someone is informing James that the player had an
accident.
Uses of Pause:
❖ It builds up suspense and emphasize the word or sentence
that follows.
❖ Gives listeners time to assimilate the word particularly for
dramatic effects.
❖ Increase the impact of feeling projected.
❖ Breaks the continuity of thought that makes the listeners
bored.
3. Length – is the time it takes to pronounce a phoneme. It is how long
will you pronounce the vowel in the sentence.
4. Rate of Speech – the speed of speaking in words per minute from
slow to fast. The important words are lengthened; unimportant words
are.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Public Speaking
Public speaking is a speech or verbal communication made to a live
audience. Although spontaneous speeches are frequent, the occasion is
typically formal or orchestrated and can be a turning point in one's career.
The Power of Public Speaking
All professions, including accountants and architects, instructors and
technicians, scientists, and stockbrokers, recognize the value of such a
competence. When choosing who to hire and promote, companies
consistently prioritize communication skills above technical expertise—even in
highly specialized industries like civil and mechanical engineering. Since
excellent communication skills are so highly valued, employers are more
frequently asking recent college graduates to present during their job
interviews.
The requirement for public speaking hasn't diminished despite the
emergence of the Internet and other modern technology. In order to remain
effective, you must have "the ability to stand on your feet, either on a one-to-
one basis or before a group, and deliver a speech that is credible and
relatable," says businessman Midge Costanza. "There are more avenues to
reach people than ever before, but there is no substitute for face to face
communication."
In community life, the same holds true. One essential tool for civic
engagement is public speaking. It is a means of expressing your opinions and
making a difference in social concerns. It has the capacity to—and frequently
does—have an impact on issues that people care deeply about. What most of
us want to do in life is to make a contribution, to influence the world in some
tiny manner, and that is the essential phrase here: "make a difference."
Speaking in front of an audience gives you the chance to change something
that is very important to you.
The Tradition of Public Speaking
It is not unexpected that public speaking has been taught and
researched for thousands of years given its significance. Nearly every culture
has a word that is a close counterpart to the English word "orator" to describe
someone who is particularly skilled at public speaking. The earliest papyrus
text on effective communication was created in Egypt about 4500 years ago.
Ancient China, Africa, India, the Aztecs, and other pre-European cultures of
North and South America all placed a great value on elocution.
Public speaking was essential to education and public participation in
ancient Greece and Rome. It was also thoroughly researched. Many of the
ideas in Aristotle's Rhetoric, which was written in the third century BCE and is
still regarded as the most significant work on the topic, are still used by
speakers and writers today. The renowned Roman orator Cicero, who spent
weeks writing about speechmaking in general, utilized his speeches to
promote liberty.
Applying those techniques and approaches in your classroom talks is
your immediate goal. But what you learn will still be useful even after we
graduate from college. The fundamentals of public speaking have a long
history and have been supported by a sizable body of research. You will
become more efficient in your own presentations and in listening to other
people's talks the more you are aware of the guiding principles.
Similarities Between Public Speaking and Conversation
1. Organizing your thoughts logically.
2. Tailoring your message to your audience.
3. Telling a story for a maximum impact.
4. Adapting to listener feedback.
Differences Between Public Speaking and Conversation
1. Public speaking is more highly structured. It typically places the speaker
under stringent time restrictions. Most of the time, the circumstance forbids
listeners from interjecting with queries or comments. The presentation itself
must help the speaker achieve their goals. The speaker must consider
questions that the audience might have as they listen to the speech and
address them. As a result, compared to regular conversation, public speaking
requires far more thorough planning and preparation.
2. Public speaking requires more formal language. In public speeches,
slang, jargon, and poor language are rarely appropriate. Audiences typically
respond negatively to speakers who don't enhance and polish their vocabulary
when trying to address an audience. For example, when Van Jones addresses
a congressional committee, he does not say, "We've damn well got to stop the
greedy creeps who pollute low-income communities just to make a few more
bucks." A speech ought to be unique.
3. Public speaking requires a different method of delivery. Most
individuals chat gently, insert stock phrases like "like" and "you know," have a
relaxed posture, and utilize vocalized pauses (such as "uh," "er," and "um")
when speaking informally. However, effective public speakers modulate their
voices such that everyone in the audience can hear them. They adopt a more
upright stance. They avoid verbal and bodily habits that can be disruptive.
Developing Confidence
Stage fright is one of the main issues that students in speaking classes
struggle with. We might as well address the problem head-on. Many people
who normally speak with ease in a variety of social contexts get nervous at the
thought of giving a speech in front of an audience.
stage fright – the anxiety over the prospect of giving a speech in front of an
audience.
NERVOUSNESS IS NORMAL
You are not alone if you have anxiety before giving a speech. Stage
fear has affected some of history's greatest public speakers, including
Abraham Lincoln, Margaret Sanger, and Winston Churchill. Oprah Winfrey,
Conan O'Brien, and Jay Leno have all admitted to feeling nervous before
speaking in front of a crowd, echoing the words of the great Roman orator
Cicero: "I become pale at the commencement of a speech and quiver in every
limb and in my spirit." Early in his career, Leonardo DiCaprio wished he would
not win the Academy Award for which he had been nominated because he
was so anxious about giving an acceptance speech.
Most people experience anxiety before performing a significant public
task. Athletes become anxious before a big game, actors get anxious before
a play, and politicians get anxious before a campaign speech. Those who are
successful have figured out how to capitalize on their anxiety.
Speechmaking entails a lot of the same things. Most seasoned
speakers suffer stage fright before speaking, but their anxiety is a sign that
they are becoming "psyched up" for a strong performance. In other words,
feeling anxious at the beginning of the speech is completely acceptable and
even desired. As it would in any stressful scenario, your body is reacting by
releasing more adrenaline.
Adrenaline – a hormone that the body releases when under psychological or
physical stress.
Your hands shake, your knees knock, your skin perspires, and your pulse
races due to this sudden rush of adrenaline. Each public speaker encounters
some of these responses. The issue is: How can you manage your anxiety so
that it serves you rather than against you?
DEALING WITH NERVOUSNESS
Instead of attempting to completely get rid of stage fear, try to turn it from a
destructive force into what one professional refers to as "positive
nervousness"—a zesty, exuberant, vivacious mood with a small edge. Even
though there's still anxiety, it feels different. It no longer makes you a victim;
rather, it gives your life. You have power over it.
Positive nervousness - is controllable anxiety that supports a speaker's
presentation.
Six (6) Ways to Turn Nervousness from a Negative Force into a Positive
One
1. Acquire Speaking Experience. The first step has already been taken by
you. You're taking a public speaking course where you'll learn how to make
speeches and get practice in front of an audience. Because you were in each
setting for the first time and were unfamiliar with it, you were undoubtedly
anxious. The circumstance stopped being dangerous once you got used to it.
The main cause of stage fright for most students is anxiety about the future.
Speech making will become less intimidating as you gain experience and more
speeches under your belt.
2. Prepare. Choosing speech subjects, you are passionate about and then
putting so much effort into your preparation will help you become more
confident. According to the general rule of thumb, each minute of speaking
time requires one to two hours of preparation. Depending on the amount of
research required for the speech, this number may be higher.
3. Think positively. Most of the time, the power of positive thinking is what
gives us confidence. You can typically do everything you set your mind to. On
the other hand, if you forecast catastrophe and gloom, you almost always get
that. Compared to presenters who think positively, those who have negative
thoughts about themselves, and their speaking experience are considerably
more likely to develop stage fright.
4. Use the Power of Visualization. Positivity and visualization go hand in
hand. Athletes, musicians, actors, presenters, and others use it to improve
their performances under pressure.
Visualization - is the process by which a speaker sees themselves confidently
delivering a presentation.
5. Know that Most Nervousness is Not Visible. If you feel uncomfortable
and insecure, it can be difficult to communicate with poise and confidence. The
fact that only a portion of the anguish you experience internally manifests itself
externally is one of the most important truths you will learn as your speech
class progresses. Although you may be experiencing a thousand shocks from
your nerves, the audience only has access to a few of them.
6. Do not expect perfection. Knowing that there is no such thing as a perfect
speech may also be helpful. No one needs to know if you temporarily lose your
position, switch around a few phrases, or neglect to halt when you should.
When such situations arise, simply carry on as if nothing occurred. One of the
main causes of people's anxiety over speaking incorrectly is their perception
of public speaking as a performance rather than a method of communication.
They believe that every typo or awkward gesture will be used against them as
the audience evaluates them on a scale of perfect performance. A speaker's
charm can occasionally be increased by a few mistakes.
 PUBLIC SPEAKING & CRITICAL THINKING
Public Speaking & Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking is a focused, organized thinking about such things as the
logical relationship among ideas, soundness of evidence and difference in
facts and opinions.
Public Speaking in Multicultural World
The U.S. has always been a diverse society. By the end of the 19th century,
so many people from so many lands have come to the U.S that novelist
Herman Melville exclaimed, "You cannot spill a drop of American blood without
spilling the blood of the whole world".
Things to do in Public Speaking

• AVOID ETHNOCENTRISM AS A LISTENER OR SPEAKER.

• BE SENSITIVE WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S BELIEFS.
• RESPECT EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF THEIR NATION, COLOR
OR RACE.