Elocution
Elocution seems such an old fashioned word but it does sum up a lot of things!
Elocution can mean: voice coaching; accent softening; accent reduction; speech clarity; public speaking; accent change; voice coaching; presenting; received pronunciation; and more!
Elocution can also be named as: enunciation; articulation; diction; or speech; voice production; intonation; voicing; vocalisation; modulation; phrasing; delivery; utterance; speech fluency; public speaking; oratory skills; or speech-making and even declamation.
That’s a lot!
So why did you click?
Most people click elocution or voice coaching or accent reduction, because they know they can speak English a lot better than they currently are, but they are just not sure how to make those subtle changes that have the greatest affect.
They know their knowledge of their subject is good, but somehow when they speak to others, they just don’t feel they are having the maximum effect they could have.
We know When Our Elocution Isn’t Good Enough
You hear a recording of yourself and have a bit of a shock!
Your work mates and colleagues gaze at you without proper recognition of fully understanding what you have just said..
You enter a new work environment where most folks speak more clearly than your self.
You are sick of people saying, “Where are you from?”
People ask you to repeat yourself.
Maybe you’ve recorded a Zoom session to see how you come over?
Maybe your clients all have very posh, easy to understand privately educated accents.
Elocution and Money are like the chicken and egg scenario
It really doesn’t matter which one comes first – but the other tends to follow.
Excellent Elocution Doesn’t Have to Mean A Complete Change of ‘Identity Accent’
Some folks are frightened they will sound so different from the people they grew up with and their family, that they are terrified of changing their accent.
But if you are fond and proud of your accent – you can keep it – and still improve your elocution.
A Great Example of Excellent Elocution Whilst Retaining Her Accent Origins
The wonderful Dame Helena Kennedy.
Originally from Glasgow, she has learned to change the movements of her jaw and tongue to be easily understood by juries made up of people from every walk of life and from every area in the UK and beyond, BUT she has retained her Scottish rhythm
She a formidable Queen’s Counsel advocate for Human Rights, with the most wonderfully clear, well enunciated Scottish accent – to which it is a delight to listen.
If she had not improved her diction, she certainly wouldn’t be where she is now: at the top of her game.
In fact she did so well she now has a place in the House of Lords – due to a life time of clear elocution whilst practising her advocacy – meaning she won her cases!
Successful Barristers Have Great Elocution Skills.
Succesful barristers have great elocution skills because their lives, literally, depend upon that skill being of the highest standard possible.
To win a case – everybody – including the lady from Punjabi or the gentleman from Somalia or the young person from Afghanistan, in that jury – must be able to understand exactly what the barrister has said, whichever UK or International region they are originally from, because only then, can they be persuaded by the barristers’s argument.
If the jury doesn’t hear and so consequently understand what the barrister is saying, they cannot be persuaded by the argument.
So It Is With You
If your elocution isn’t up to high standard you will not be able to rise to the position in your career, that you would like,.
Everybody needs to understand you easily.Because if they can’t, there will be somebody next to you, or behind you whom they can.
And who are they going to choose to communicate with?
Someone with whom it is easy to understand.
And to understand someone, you have to hear every syllable and consonant and vowel, they utter..
