H0015

What Kind of Voice Do You Have?

Do you whisper or boom?
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Are you monotonous or melodious?

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Is your voice a rain cloud or a rainbow?

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Do you mumble or articulate?

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Do you trudge like a turtle or race like a rabbit?

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Do you agitate or orchestrate?

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Methods for Voice Relaxation

While standing or sitting comfortably, place your hands lightly on your throat muscles and
speak in a normal tone.
Yawn. Open your mouth wide and finish the yawn with an easy ho-hum, prolonging the
hum for several seconds.
Drop your jaw as far as it will go without stress. Move your jaw from side to side and continue
humming with your lips closed and jaw loose.
Say the following words, exaggerating your lip and jaw movements.
hang

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harm

lane

main

lone

loom

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Lightly massage your throat muscles with your fingers to eliminate tightness. When your
throat feels tired, stop and yawn again.
Slowly repeat the following sounds, prolonging the sounds and giving each equal length.
nah

nay

nee

no

noo

Breathing Exercises to Improve Volume

Exhale all air from your lungs and continue pushing it out even after you feel its totally
expelled.
You will automatically inhale when no more air can be forced out of your lungs. Inhale deeply
and feel the air rushing in.
Exhale comfortably, taking a moderately filling breath and not crowding your capacity. Hold it
for 15 seconds, then exhale quietly. Gradually increase your holding time to 20, 30, and 45
secondsuntil you can hold your breath for a full minute.
Stand erect and inhale with five quick, short gasps through an open mouth. Next, practice
gasping and puffing through your nose with your mouth closed.
Laugh heartily with a big ha-ha-ha. Carry this through to complete exhalation, then inhale
deeply and quickly.
Close your lips and laugh soundlessly through your nose.
Lie on your back and place a book on your diaphragm. As you inhale, the book rises. As you
exhale, flatten your abdomen as much as you can.
While standing, bend over as if to touch your toesbut just hang limply. Remain in this
position for a full minute, then straighten up.
Stand, place your hands on your hips, lean your head backlooking at he ceilingand
yawn. As you exhale, produce the sound ah, holding it as long as you can without
discomfort.
Take a deep breath while standing and as you exhale, count aloud from 1 to 5 on a single
breath. Gradually increase your counting to 10.
Read aloud a paragraph that contains a mixture of short and long sentences. Read each
sentence on a single breath if possible. Inhale before the sentence then control your
exhalation as you read.

Extending and Controlling Your Pitch

Sing the sound ah at a normal volume. Increase your volume until you feel yourself straining
or losing clarity of sound.
As in the preceding activity, sing the sound ah, but this time do it at various higher and
lower pitch levels. Do not do this for more than a few minutes; stop whenever you feel strain.
Do not do this is you have a cold, sore throat, or other irritation that affects your voice.
Repeat the two previous exercises, but this time recite letters of the alphabet, numbers, days
of the week, or months of the year.

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Projecting Your Voice

A. Exercises for Reducing Vocal Constriction
Lying on the floor or on a firm mattress, breathe abdominally and exhale slowly through your
mouth. Relax your lips and jaw by allowing them to hang open. Exhale with a breathy sigh
and say ah, counting slowly up to 5.
While in a sitting position, repeat the preceding activitycounting to 5 using your full voice.
Do the same exercise in a standing position. Eventually you should be able to count up to
100, taking in a new breath after each 5 numbers.

B. Exercises for Reducing Breathiness

Make an ee sound while you record your voice or speak to your listener. Repeat this
process using the sound ah.
Produce louder and louder ee sounds. Do the same with a series of ah sounds. Each time
breathiness occurs, increase you loudness until you no longer hear it.

Improving Your Articulation

A. Lip Exercises
Stretch your lower lip over the upper lip, then stretch the upper lip down over the lower one.
Alternate this process, doing it rapidly.
Pucker your lips as tightly as possible, then widen them vigorously. Do this slowly 10 times,
then rapidly another 10 times.
Repeat the following syllables slowly, then increase your speed, exaggerating your lip
movements.
be-me-be-me-be-me-be-me
bo-po-bo-po-bo-po-bo-po
flee-flee-flee-flee-flee-flee
vro-vro-vro-vro-vro-vro
whee-whoo-whaa-whoo
blee-bee-kee-blee-bee-kee
mla-mla-mla-mla-mla-mla
flack-mack-flack-mack
With your jaw and tongue relaxed, try to use only your lips as you read the following vowel
sounds.
ah-aw ah-aw ah-aw ah-aw
ay-oh ay-oh ay-oh ay-oh
ee-oo ee-oo ee-oo ee-oo

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With your lips and tongue relaxed, pronounce the following vowel sounds by closing and
opening your jaw.
ee-oo ee-oo ee-oo ee-oo
oo-aw oo-aw oo-aw oo-aw
ee-aw ee-aw ee-aw ee-aw
ee-ah ee-ah ee-ah ee-ah

B. Tongue Exercises
Double your tongue back against your palate as far as you can, then stretch it outward from
your mouth as far as possible. Repeat 10 times.
Push your tongue hard against one cheek, then the other. Extend it over the upper lip and
down over the lower lip, then move it from side to side. Repeat 10 times.
Round your lips tightly and, grooving your tongue, push it through the opening. Repeat 10
times.
Press the upper surface of your tongue against your palate and release it. Repeat, increasing
your speed.

C. Jaw Exercises
Say the following sounds with a broad movement of your jaw. Exaggerate and prolong the
vowels.
wee-ee-ee-ee-ee
why-y-y-y-y-y-y
wo-o-o-o-o-o-o
wah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Utter the following syllables while exaggerating your jaw movements.
bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah
mah-mah-mah-mah-mah-mah
wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
fah-fah-fah-fah-fah-fah
pah-pah-pah-pah-pah-pah
beh-boh-fee-foh-mee-moh
wee-woh-de-doh-gee-goh-jee-joh-pee-poh-tee-toh
kee-koh-lee-loh-nee-noh-kwee-kwoh-ree-roh-see-soh

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While uttering the following syllables, exaggerate your tongue and jaw movements.
dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah

gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah

jah-jah-jah-jah-jah-jah

kah-kah-kah-kah-kah-kah

lah-lah-lah-lah-lah-lah

nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah

kwah-kwah-kwah-kwah-kwah-kwah

rah-rah-rah-rah-rah-rah

sah-sah-sah-sah-sah-sah

tah-tah-tah-tah-tah-tah

thah-thah-thah-thah-thah-thah
With your jaw completely relaxed, rest your tongue normally in the bottom of your mouth.
Then push down your tongue and pronounce the following syllables, returning to the relaxed
position after each.
sah

say

see

so

soo

zah

zay

zee

zo

zoo

kah

kay

kee

ko

koo

gah

gay

gee

go

goo

Jazz Chants
A. STARTER
1. These are my blue jeans
2. I get up at seven thirty
B. ELEMENTARY
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

I do karaoke on Wednesdays
I can play basketball
Where can I buy a ticket?
I'm babysitting on Thursday
Add some salt and pepper
I have a headache

C. PRE-INTERMEDIATE
9. I'll have soup, please
10. I got engaged in January
11. My computer's crashed
12. He's passed his driving test
D. INTERMEDIATE
13. May I switch off the light?
14. I twisted my ankle
15. I feel so embarrassed

A. STARTER

2. I get up at seven thirty

1. These are my blue jeans

Heres my day. This is what I do.

I get up at seven oclock.
Seven oclock?
Seven oclock.
I take a shower at seven thirty.
Seven thirty?
Seven thirty.
I have breakfast at seven forty-five.
Seven forty-five?
Seven forty-five.
I go to school at eight fifteen.
Eight fifteen?
Eight fifteen.
I start classes at nine oclock.
Nine oclock?

Thats my shirt.
This red shirt? No, that brown shirt.
Those are my shoes.
These brown shoes? No, those black shoes.
This is my jacket.
That green jacket? No, this blue jacket.
Thats my t-shirt.
This white t-shirt? No, that red t-shirt.
These are my jeans.
Those black jeans? No, these blue jeans.
Those are my shorts.
These green shorts? No, those white shorts.

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Nine oclock.
I have lunch at one oclock.
One oclock?
One oclock.
I go home at five fifteen.
Five fifteen?
Five fifteen.
I have dinner at seven thirty.
Seven thirty?
Seven thirty.
I go to bed at ten forty-five.
Ten forty-five?
Ten forty-five.
And then I start all over again

B. ELEMENTARY
3. I do karaoke on Wednesdays
Mondays, Mondays.
What do you do on Mondays?
On Mondays I usually listen to jazz music.
Tuesdays, Tuesdays.
What do you do on Tuesdays?
On Tuesdays I sometimes go for a drive.
Wednesdays, Wednesdays.
What do you do on Wednesdays?
On Wednesdays I always play the guitar.
Thursdays, Thursdays.
What do you do on Thursdays?
On Thursdays I often go to a rock concert.
Fridays, Fridays.
What do you do on Fridays?
On Fridays I always do karaoke.
Weekends, weekends.
What do you do on weekends?
On weekends I usually stay in bed!
4. I can play basketball
Yoga, yoga, I can do yoga.
Can you do yoga, too?
I cant do yoga, but I can do karate.
Can you do karate, too?
I cant do karate, but I can play baseball.
Can you play baseball, too?
I cant play baseball, but I can ice-skate.
Can you ice-skate, too?
I cant ice-skate, but I can ski.
Can you ski, too?
I cant ski, but I can play volleyball, too?
Can you play volleyball, too?
5. Where can I buy a ticket?
Excuse me, wheres the coffee shop?
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Not here! Its behind the ticket office.

Excuse me, wheres the coffee shop?
Not here! Its across from the exit.
Excuse me, wheres the coffee shop?
Not here! Its between the phone booths and
the luggage lockers.
Excuse me, wheres the coffee shop?
Not here! Its in front of the restrooms.
Excuse me, is this the coffee shop?
Yes, it is. But sorry, its closed!
6. I'm babysitting on Thursday
Would you like to go out on Monday?
No, sorry, I cant.
Why not?
Im babysitting on Monday.
Would you like to go out on Tuesday?
No, sorry, I cant.
Why not?
Im doing my laundry on Tuesday.
Would you like to go out on Wednesday?
No, sorry, I cant.
Why not?
Im working overtime on Wednesday.
Would you like to go out on Thursday?
No, sorry, I cant.
Why not?
Im working out on Thursday.
Would you like to go out on Friday?
No, sorry, I cant.
Why not?
Im visiting relatives on Friday.
Would you like to go out on weekend?
Wellmaybe!
7. Add some salt and pepper
Wash, wash, wash the lettuce.
Slice, slice, slice the cheese.
Put some butter on the bread.
Can I have my sandwich, please?
Fry, fry, fry the tomatoes.
Put them on a pizza base.
Add some cheese and bake it slowly.
MmmCan I have a taste?
8. I have a headache
Head, head, I have a headache.
I have a headache,
And my eyes hurt!
Stomach, stomach, I have a stomach ache.
I have a stomach ache,
And I have the flu!
Ear, ear, I have an earache.
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I have an earache,
And I have a fever!
Tooth, tooth, I have a toothache.
I have a toothache,
And a sore throat!
Back, back, I have a backache.
I have a backache,
And my knee hurts!
I have a headache, I have an earache,
A toothache, a backache,
And a sore throat.
My eyes hurt, my knee hurts, I have a
stomach ache.
I have a fever,
And I have the flu!
Oh, dear. Next, please!

C. PRE-INTERMEDIATE
9. I'll have soup, please
What would you like for your appetizer?
Ill have soup.
Ill have salad.
Ill have salad, too.
Two salads and one soup for table number
two.
What would you like for your entree?
Ill have fish.
Ill have beef.
Ill have stir-fried pork.
One fish, one beef, one stir-fried pork for table
number four.
What would you like for your dessert?
Ill have ice cream.
Ill have fruit tart.
Nothing, thanks, for me.
One ice cream and one fruit tart for table
number three.
10. I got engaged in January
A: Did you hear the gossip? Did you hear the
news?
B: No, I didnt, whats the story? Tell me all the
news!
A: Well, Mr. Smith retired last month.
B: Mr. Smith retired?
A: And Mrs. Jones moved last week.
B: Mrs. Jones moved?
A: Mr. Green got married in June.
B: Mr. Green got married?
A: And a week ago, Dick Harper died.
B: Dick Harper died?

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A: I think thats it. Id better go! I have a lot to

do.
B: Well, thanks a lot. It was really good to talk
to you.
B: Did you hear the gossip? Did you hear the
news?
C: No, I didnt, whats the story? Tell me all the
news!
B: Well, Mr. Smith retired last month.
C: Mr. Smith retired?
B: And Mrs. Jones moved last week.
C: Mrs. Jones moved?
B: Mr. Green got married in June.
C: Mr. Green got married?
B: And a week ago, Dick Harper died.
C: Dick Harper died?
B: I think thats it. Id better go! I have a lot to
do.
C: Well, thanks a lot. It was really good to talk
to you.
11. My computer's crashed
Computer, computer,
I love my computer.
My printer, my keyboard, my mouse.
I never have problems,
I use it all day.
I never go out of the house!
Computer, computer,
I hate my computer.
My modem, my disk drive, my screen.
I always have problems,
Its driving me crazy.
Computers make me want to scream!
12. He's passed his driving test
Upset, upset,
Im really upset.
Ive had an argument with my boyfriend,
Im really upset.
Relieved, relieved,
Im really relieved.
Ive found my wallet,
Im really relieved.
Disappointed, disappointed,
Im really disappointed,
Ive failed my driving test,
Im really disappointed.
Thrilled, thrilled,
Im really thrilled.
Ive won the lottery,
And now Im rich!

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D. INTERMEDIATE
13. May I switch off the light?
May I turn down the air conditioning?
Do you mind if I lower the blind?
Is it all right if I put away these files?
I dont mind! I dont mind! I dont mind!
Is it all right if I switch off the light?
Do you mind if I close the door?
May I switch on the fan?
Sure! Sure! Sure!
14. I twisted my ankle
Ow!
What happened?
I was lifting a heavy bag and I hurt my back!
Ow!
What happened?
I was changing a light bulb and I got an
electric shock!
Ow!
What happened?
I was slicing an onion and I cut my finger!
Ow!
What happened?
I was making some tea and I burned my hand!

Ow!
What happened?
I was climbing a ladder and I fell off and broke
my leg!
15. I feel so embarrassed
Im frustrated! My computers been crashing
all day.
Im heartbroken. Ive been fighting with my
girlfriend again.
Im lonely. Ive been living on my own for
years.
Im confident. Ive been studying really hard.
Im furious. Someones been using my car.
Im exhausted. Ive been running in the park
for an hour.
Im excited. Ive been thinking about my
vacation.
Im irritated. Hes been playing that music for
hours.
Im confused. Ive been trying to read this
book.
Im embarrassed. Ive been wearing my jacket
inside out.

Notes:

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Evaluating the Speaking Voice (Rubrics)

Students Name:________________________________________ Year/Section:____________
Evaluator:______________________________________________ Date:__________________
Rating:
5 = Excellent, a personal strength
4 = Very good, little room for improvement
3 = Satisfactory, but could be better
2 = Could improve, needs some attention
1 = A real weakness, needs to do something fast
Write one number (1-5) in rating each category, going from negative to positive.
Negative
Loudness or Volume:
Too quiet
Inaudible
Flat
Pitch:
High
Shrill
Monotonous
Voice Quality:
Nasal
Breathy
Harsh, raspy
Lifeless
ArticulationWord Usage:
Slushy
Lazy lips
Tangled tongue
Tight jaw
Mumbling
Mispronunciation
Timing or Rate:
Jerky
Slow, plodding
Unvaried
Hesitant
Vocal Variety:
Emotionless
Unfriendly
Strained
Dull

Rating

Positive
Good projection
Easily heard
Vibrant and dynamic
Too quiet
Inaudible
Flat
Open
Clear
Mellow
Enthusiastic
Clear
Crisp
Controlled
Open mouth
Projection
Pronunciation
Smooth
Fluent
Varied, exciting
Deliberate
Conveys emotion
Genial
Natural
Vital

What could the speaker have done differently to make his/her voice more effective?
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What did you like about the speakers voice?
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