Phrasing

When answering interview questions for hospitality job, an applicant is expected to

express his responses more clearly than how he normally utters his thoughts on every day events.
This may be achieved by speaking with proper phrasing in order to bring out the importance of
each idea in link with other ideas being expressed.

Phrasing can be done through pausing – i.e. serving as the oral punctuation of speech.
What pauses create in a speaker is inhaling in-between chunks of ideas while within each phrase
the sounds are continuous. On the other hand, no definite rules really apply for proper phrasing.
The speaker depends on both meaning and intent of an idea. An adjective in an utterance is not
isolated for the noun it modifies, an adverb from the verb it describes, and a preposition from its
object. A speaker should create a grouping of thoughts mentally. As much as possible, he must
try keeping his phrases short – sustaining his voice throughout the length of a phrase before
exhalation. Then, he should inhale for the next whole phrase but make it relatively long in order
to have a pause. Doing this as a practice would help develop unconscious and natural phrasing
skills which is an essential paralinguistic element of speech.

ACTIVITY

Practice the following answers on common interview questions from the 9 Popular
Interview Questions posted by Frontline interview Australia. Pauses are guided by / for short
pauses, and // for longer pauses.

Question: “Tell me about yourself?”

“I put my heart into everything I do, / whether it be sports or work. // I find that getting
along with team mates / - or professional peers / - makes life more enjoyable and productive.” //

Question: “Why do you want to work here?”

“I’m not just looking for another paycheck. // I enjoy my work / and I know that your
company has an excellent reputation. // I also share the values that make this possible, / which
should enable me to fit in / and complement the team.” //

Question: “Why should I hire you?”

“I have the skills you need / [enumerate them], I’m a team player, / I take direction / and I
am motivated to be a productive member of this company.” //
Question: “Can you work under pressure?”

“Yes, / I usually find it stimulating. // However, / I believe in planning / and proper

management of my time.” //

Question: “How do you take direction?”

“I take direction well / and recognize that it can come in a variety of different forms. // I
think / it’s important to accept all direction and criticism / as there are always other
considerations I am not aware of / and taking on such advise will allow me to grow as a
professional.” //

Blending

When speaking in English, one must utter words connectedly together particularly those
which are starting with a vowel. This is called, blending. Blending refers to smooth sentence
rhythm as there is no break in the flows of tone between words which compose a group of
thought. Words are lined with each other within a phrase in a sense that they are connected from
one syllable to another. For example, one says “The evening is almost over.” The person
articulates his statement without pronouncing each word or syllable separately with a more or
less even flow.

ACTIVITY

Practice saying aloud the following statements. The red asterisks mark the part of the
sentence that requires blending.

1. Aside from hotels * and cruise * ships though, guest * relations staff may * also be *
employed by * other companies who * are part * of the service * industry.

2. A good * introduction goes a * long way toward providing * a * personalized guest *

experience.

3. She * is responsible for providing high * end level support * and * information to the
guests * and * is responsible for handling the financial connections * and supporting the
customers in their reservations.
 4. Communicating * effectively * in * an * international * organization can be a *
challenge, * and sometimes cultural conflicts * are * inevitable due to the language
difficulties, different cultural values, norms * and * attitudes.
5. Allowing too much time to lapse between * a misunderstanding * and * an apology can
cause the client’s dissatisfaction to * escalate.

Vocal Variety: Pitch, Tone, Volume, and Rate

Taking orders, and providing food and beverage service take suggestive selling.
Suggestive selling is being a salesperson. A good server is not only waiting to be called by the
guests, take order, and serve food and beverage; however, he should also be selling a product. A
server is commonly trained in up-selling. He knows its basics. But knowing its basic may not be
enough if he does not pour dazzle or vocal variety in his dialogues. Being monotonous may
make a boring guest less motivated to listen. Vocal variety is the way one uses his voice. It is a
combination of elements of pitch, tone, volume and rate in a speech.

 Pitch refers to the highness and lowness of voice. Varying one’s pitch when speaking
will depend on the range he puts into his voice. One has to be logical when speaking
either with high or low pitch as it is connected with tone.
 Tone, on the other hand, carries the emotional content carried by the voice. It is how a
person expresses the words, that is, through filling one’s speech with overflowing power
as in being ecstatic, vengeful, exuberant, impressed, and so on. Having lack or no energy
at all into words being spoken would create a flat tone, thus, being dull.
 Volume is the loudness and softness of volume. Breathing exercises are an effective
strategy in order to improve one’s speech volume. Doing these regularly would assist one
to avoid getting strain when a need to speak aloud arises.
 Lastly, rate is the pacing of speaking – fast, slow, or moderate. Varying one’s speech
pace while articulating alters the listeners’ understanding of the subject being talked
about.

ACTIVITY

Practice the following dialogues on up-selling basics. Apply vocal variety especially on
the underlined words. Putting vocal variety usually goes to content words in English such as
nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

THE BASICS OF UP-SELLING MENU ITEMS

The key to up-selling is to do it in a way that the customer doesn’t know he or she is being
sold something. For example:
  SERVER: “Would you care to start with an appetizer tonight? Our chef is running our
house favorite, a baked lobster dip with crostini.”

 CUSTOMER: “That sounds good. What else is in it?”

 SERVER: “It has a creamy alfredo sauce with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and
fresh lobster. I have one whenever I come in for dinner.”

 CUSTOMER: “That sounds great! We’ll have one!”

Let’s say the customer doesn’t like lobster. The server already has his attention and can offer
another appetizer instead. For example:

 CUSTOMER: “No thanks. I’m allergic to seafood.”

 SERVER: “The kitchen is also running a delicious tomato – basil bruschetta served with
seasoned olive oil and crusty French bread.”

 CUSTOMER: “Hmmm, that sounds good. I’ll take one.”

Up-selling the Entrée

Let’s say the customer isn’t interested in an appetizer or a drink special. He knows
exactly what he wants. That doesn’t mean our server can’t still employ a few more up-selling
techniques.

For example:

 CUSTOMER: “I’ll have the Chicken Marsala.”

 SERVER: “Would you like to add a soup or a salad to your entrée? Today’s soup is
cream of wild mushroom.”

 CUSTOMER: “Hmmm, that sounds good. I’ll take a cup.”

Up-selling Dessert

Finally, the ultimate up-sell; dessert. The best way to up-sell desserts is to give a mouth-
watering description.

 SERVER: “Would you care for a slice of our homemade chocolate layer cake. It is
layered with a rich dark chocolate ganache and raspberry filling and served with our
signature chocolate velvet sauce.”

ACTIVITY

Read the poem “Tell a Tale” and practice vocal variety. Apply vocal variety especially
on the underlined words. (Source: Getting started into Food Service Industry, Sinforosa Yosa)

Tell a Tale

Tillie is one and twenty

Tall and sprightly as can be
She is sort of a cook
Who is grated and shredded
Candied and blended
For a crook.

But the crook is also a cook

Who is broiled and grilled
And steamed and stewed
And canned and broiled.

They were hired for a banquet and so

They chopped and they minced
They sliced and they stuffed
They baked and they poached
They garnished and packed
 And so Tillie and the crook
Became friends as together they were hooked
As they cooked.
So the bitter turned into batter
Filled with sweetened butter.

Jaw, Lips, and Tongue Exercises

Pronunciation, phrasing, blending, vocal variety, and intonation can be improved by enhancing
one’s articulators of speech. These speech articulators are the jaw, lips, and tongue. They are a
few of the very significant speech organs, and working them out could lead to effective use of
paralinguistic elements in speaking. Relaxation exercises of the three articulators are effective
means to enhance one’s speaking.

ACTIVITY

Try to practice the following exercises for the jaw, lips, and tongue:

JAW EXERCISES

Range of Motion:

1. Jaw Opening
 Open your jaw as wide as you can until you feel a stretching, but no pain.
 Hold this furthest open position for 5 seconds until you feel a stretching, but no
pain.
 Repeat this open postures 5 times.

2. Side-to-Side Movement
 Move your jaw to the right side as far as you can until it pulls but does not hurt.
 Hold it there for 5 seconds then relax.
 Move your jaw to the left side as far as you can until you feel a stretch but it does
not hurt.
 Hold it there for 5 seconds then relax.
 Alternate this right to left movement 5 times.

3. Increasing Circular Jaw Movement

 Move your jaw around in a circle making it move as far in each direction as you
can until you feel a stretch but no pain.
  When you have completed a full circle, relax.
 Repeat the circular movement 5 times.

LIP EXERCISES

Range of Motion:

1. Lip Retraction
 Smile. Hold for 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

2. Lip Protrusion
 Pucker your lips as if you were going to give someone a kiss.
 Hold for 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

3. Lip Retraction and Protrusion

 Smile then pucker your lips. Use exaggerated movements.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

Lip Closure:

1. Lip Press
 Press lips tightly together for 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

2. Lip Press on Tongue Depressor

 Tightly press lips around tongue depressor, while the clinician tries to remove it.
 Perform for 3 to 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

3. Puff Cheeks
 Fill cheeks with air, move air from one cheek to the other 5 to 10 times.
 No air should escape from around the lips or the nose.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

TONGUE EXERCISES

Range of Motion:

1. Tongue Extension
  Protrude tongue between lips.
 Sticking out tongue as far as you can.
 Hold tongue steady and straight for 3 to 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

2. Tongue Retraction
 Retract tongue, touching the back of your tongue to the roof of your mouth (as if
producing the /k/).
 Hold for 1to 3 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

3. Tongue Extension and Retraction

 Combine the two procedures above, holding each position for 1 to 3 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

4. Tongue Tip Up
 Place tongue on alveolar ridge (the area behind your top teeth).
 If you don’t have any teeth, move your tongue tip up to your gum where your top
teeth would be.
 Open mouth as wide as possible maintaining tongue contact.
 Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

5. Tongue Elevation Along the Palate

 Tongue tip to alveolar ridge (the area behind your top teeth).
 Move tongue front to back along the roof of your mouth.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.

6. Tongue Side to Side

 Tongue tip to left side of mouth, hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
 Tongue tip to right side of mouth, hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 to 10 times.

7. Tongue Tip Up – Jaw Down

 If you can perform exercise #4, lower your jaw as far as you can while keeping
tongue tip behind your teeth.
 Hold your jaw in that position for 3 to 5 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times.
Tongue Resistance:

1. Tongue Push Forward

 Stick out your tongue as far as you can.
 Put something flat (back of spoon or a tongue depressor) against your tongue.
 Push against your tongue with the flat object at the same time as you push against
the flat object with your tongue.
 Hold for 1 to 2 seconds.
 Repeat 5 times.

2. Tongue Push Up
 Push down on your tongue with the flat object, while at the same time, you push
up with your tongue.
 Hold 1 second.
 Repeat 5 times.

3. Tongue Push to the Side

 Extend your tongue as far as possible to the corner of your mouth while pressing
against a tongue depressor.
 Hold for 1 second.
 Repeat 5 times.
 (Repeat for each side of the mouth unless instructed otherwise).

4. Tongue Inside Push

 Put your finger against your cheek about 1” to the side of the corner of your
mouth.
 From the inside, push your tongue against your cheek where your finger is
touching. Push as hard as you can.
 Hold it for 1 to 2 seconds.
 Relax and repeat 5 times for each side of the mouth unless instructed otherwise.

Articulation

Communication with guests must be clear. There should be clarity of speech or

articulation. Good enunciation is a product of four articulators: jaw, lips, tongue, and teeth. They
determine the tempo of your speech and its distinctness. Avoid having a slurred, clipped short,
mumbled, or half-swallowed speech sounds by activating your articulators through practicing
aloud tonue twisters.

ACTIVITY

Practice the following tongue twisters:

1. Essau Wood sawed wood. All the wood Essau Woud saw Essau Wood would saw. All
the wood he saw, Essau sought to saw. One day, Essau Wood’s wood saw would saw no
wood. So Essau Wood sought a new wood saw. The new wood saw would saw wood. Oh
the wood Essau Wood would saw. Essau sought a saw that would saw wood as no other
wood saw would saw. And Essau found a saw that would saw like no other wood saw
would saw. And Essau Wood sawed wood.

2. Tom’s wife Tanya left town on Tuesday for two weeks in Thailand. Tom is left with two
tiny kids to take care of. Tom only knows how to cook toast and tacos. Tonight, he’ll take
tomatoes and put them atop toast. Tomorrow, he’ll get takeout food. The next day, he’ll
stuff meat and potatoes into taco shells and present a tasty treat to his two tiny tots.

3. Victor believes Vivian is the most vivacious and wonderful woman in the world. Bill
wishes Victor’s views were valid. Vivian? That venomous viper! Victor vows to wed
Vivian, even if he is just 17. Will Vivian ever know of Victor’s wedding vision? Does
she even know Victor’s name?

4. Through thick and thin, Sheila and Seth see things through together. Sheila sees Seth as
Seth sees Sheila. Seth and Sheila are certain they will be together forever.

5. She sells seashells by the seashore. The seashells she sells are seashore sea shells.