Public Speaking

Vary Your Vocal Behaviors (^191)
In a multilingual world and in pluralistic classrooms and workplaces, accents are
everywhere, and as travel, immigration, and technology continue to shrink the world,
you’ll hear even more in the future. Unfortunately, we tend to judge one another on the
basis of accents that indicate social class, ethnic group membership, or status as a nonna-
tive speaker of English;^30 however, Diversity in Practice: Culture and Delivery presents
a good argument for affirming a variety of accents.
Because clear expression is essential to understanding, here are some tips for
improving your pronunciation and articulation:
• When you’re unsure of a word’s pronunciation, consult a dictionary. Most online dic-
tionaries now provide an audio feature, so you can hear the word pronounced. Some
words, such as status, have two acceptable pronunciations—STAY-tuhs or STATT-
uhs. When the dictionary provides two variations, the first is preferable.
• Work on sounds or words that cause you difficulty. Winston Churchill had a lisp,
so he carefully rehearsed words that began with /s/.^31 Ralph had trouble saying the
word probably, so he broke it into syllables—PRAW-buh-blee—and articulated each
one slowly and clearly.
• During rehearsals, slow down and articulate your words clearly.
• In the speech itself, speak slowly enough to avoid slurring your words together or
dropping the endings.
• If you have a serious articulation problem, consult a professional speech therapist.
Everyone has a unique
voiceprint. Let your
distinctive voice work for you
by making sure you articulate
and stress words properly
and by varying your pitch,
rate, and volume to enhance
your speeches.
© RTimages/Shutterstock.com
Diversity
in praCtiCe
Culture and Delivery
This chapter presents norms in the United States, but different cultures have
different standards for good delivery, and understanding and adapting to these
differences will make you a more culturally sensitive communicator. Arabs and
Latin Americans tend to use direct eye contact, as advised in the chapter, but
(continued)
Copyright 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.