Our voice is an expression of our personality. The confidence that comes from knowing we are able to express ourselves with ease extends into all areas of our lives. The whole physical being of the person is reflected in the voice, that we communicate with each other by our posture, movements, gestures and facial expression - the unspoken language of our body, as well as our tone of voice. Our choice of vocabulary and the command we have of our language are contributory factors too. To express ourselves well in public, we need confidence and ability in using words. We therefore should continually question the words we use and the accuracy of their application.
To communicate by speech is an integral part of our lives, evolving out of a need for survival. Many people feel inadequate when faced with situations outside their familiar background of family, friends or their usual workplace.
Tension may come from feeling you are at a disadvantage because you assume you are not articulate enough, even though you realize you are capable at your work. Perhaps we feel a sense of inadequacy, because of some personal insecurity, centered around our deep rooted feelings to do with our education, class and our accent and we mistakenly believe that what we have to say is unimportant. How we feel about ourselves is reflected in our tone of voice and our stance, which in turn affects the way we breathe. Our breathing patterns alter according to how we feel! Unfortunately when we are uneasy you do not think clearly or quickly enough - and can come across as hesitant and muddled.
Therefore in order to develop our voices effectively, we need to foster feelings of self-esteem and confidence. Speech training provides motivation to improve oral skills, helping you achieve confidence in vocal expression and provide an immediate goal and a measure of success, tapping the potential within all of us. From "Our Living Language"
Shrimanie Wanigasekera
ATCL UK, AVCM (TD) Hons, UK, LVCM(TD) Hons, UK |
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