Voice Coaching - how I can help you
Voice Coaching, Elocution and Accent Softening Training:
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Voice Coaching
I don't like the sound of my voice? Very few people actually like the sound of their voice. Why? Because we don't actually hear ourselves as we sound. When we listen to ourselves our voice is often recorded and this is not a true reflection of how we sound. However you may think that your voice sounds a bit flat, or is repetitive or uninteresting, and voice coaching can really help to address this issue. Contact Cath I speak too fast, how can I slow down? A “normal” rate of speech is anything between 135-220 words per minute. Average rate of speech is around 150 words per minute. Slowing down your rate of speech however does not mean talking in slow motion. The key is to learn how to pause, how to increase use of emphasis, and to be more succinct with your words. Cath can share with you her tools that will give you back control over your rate of speech. Contact Cath My voice lacks projection and impact, why is this? The ability to project the voice is affected by 3 things. How the vocal folds in the larynx make contact, the flow of breath through the vocal folds and the space available in the pharynx and mouth for the voice to vibrate. Cath can help you to understand specifically why your voice is struggling to carry and can give you tools to ensure that your voice always creates impact. Contact Cath |
Elocution Coaching
What is Elocution? Elocution is a rather dated term, however it's definition is more useful - the skill of clear and expressive speech, especially of distinct pronunciation and articulation. From the 1950's through to the late 80's having Elocution lessons was deemed to be necessary to "get on in life" particularly if you had a regional accent. With a focus now on clear speech, and control of your voice, you can have the confidence for everyday communication. Contact Cath Why do people struggle to understand me? There are a number of reasons we can struggle to be understood. The most common is rate of speech. Speaking too quickly, so that the moveable articulators (tongue, lips and soft palate) are not able to form the sounds as quickly as the speaker wants too. As such they can rush over the sounds, and try and merge the sounds together. This behaviour is unconscious and with support from a Voice Coach and be quickly remedied. Contact Cath I find it really difficult to pronounce certain words, why? We learn how to speak by observing those around us, our parents, care givers, siblings, school mates. We mimic what we hear around us. If you struggle to pronounce certain words, you won't be alone, likely others close to you struggle with those words too. You can remedy the situation by getting help from a coach. They can help you to precisely understand the issue that is causing the mispronunciation, give you exercises to resolve the issue. Contact Cath |
Accent Softening
I feel judged by my accent, can I change it? Every accent is beautiful in it's own right, and we should never feel judged by our accent. However you may feel that your accent is very strong and as such people can struggle to understand you. This occurs when the key speech sounds you are making sound significantly different from the people that you are influencing. Learning how to slow down rate of speech and increase emphasis on key words can help. Contact Cath I am not an English speaker, how can I improve my English pronunciation? When you work with a voice coach, they can help you to understand the pronunciation of every speech sound in English. They will use phonetics to understand your current pronunciation and they will spend the sessions only focussing on the key sounds that you need to develop. The aim of accent softening is not too sound like an English speaker, but simply to feel confident that you will be understood every time you speak in English. Contact Cath Why don’t people listen to me? Unfortunately, the reality is when we struggle to understand someone we can quickly lose attention in what they are saying. It can simply be too effortful. That's why accent softening can help. If you find that people are not listening to you, get in touch for a complimentary consultation and Cath can share exactly with you exactly where the issue lays. Contact Cath |
Download details of my Personal Voice Mastery 3 hour and 6 hour 1-1 online training programmes. Foundation training includes an additional 3-5 hours learning. The Personal Voice Mastery 6 hour training includes an additional 6-8 hours of learning. All training is bespoke and what is attached is merely an indicator of training.
| Personal Voice Mastery - Voice Training.pdf |
"Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning."
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou