PRINCIPLES OF SPEECH DELIVERY: ARTICULATION

Articulation is defined as the formation of clear and distinct sounds in speech.

How to Improve Articulation

Here are tips to improve your articulation:
1. Listen to yourself speak
To help you improve your speaking, record yourself speaking. Listen to yourself and identify areas that you can
improve, such as sharpening your pronunciation and eliminating filler words.
2. Check your speed
Strong articulation involves knowing how to use the appropriate rate of speech. Speaking too quickly can make
it difficult for people to understand you and follow your thoughts, while speaking too slowly may imply that you
are not confident or knowledgeable of your material.
3. Use pauses effectively
Breaks in your speaking can be strategic ways to emphasize certain points and allow you to organize your
thoughts before speaking. When you pause during a speech, it gives your audience time to think about your
last statement. It denotes the seriousness or importance of the subject.
4. Practice pronunciation
When you listen to yourself speak, you may notice that certain words or sounds present challenges for you.
Practice saying these words each day, focusing on each syllable and sound and emphasizing the correct part
of the word. For example, the word "mischievous" has an emphasis on the first syllable, "mis." If you're unsure
of how to pronounce certain words, look them up and listen to audio examples of their pronunciation.
5. Vary your pitch
Your pitch refers to how high or low you speak. To improve articulation, try varying your pitch throughout your
speaking to sound more natural and conversational.
Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-improve-articulation

ACTIVITY 1
Try to deliver the following tongue twisters to practice your articulation.
1. A big black bug bit a big black bear.
2. A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
3. A happy hippo hopped and hiccupped.
4. The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.
5. I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

ACTIVITY 2
In groups, deliver the excerpt your chosen speech. You have 3-5 minutes to practice.
I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes–seed that flowered down the centuries in
deeds of courage and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that sent Lapu-Lapu to battle
against the first invader of this land, that nerved Lakandula in the combat against the alien foe, that drove
Diego Silang and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign oppressor.

There are 110 indigenous groups in the country, with each community possessing its own traditional
knowledge and practices. More than expressing our appreciation for them, August 9 should serve as a
constant reminder that we should provide the needed support for our IPs to strengthen their part in nation-
building.