Lesson 2: VOCAL ASPECT OF SPEECH DELIVERY

1. Pitch. This refers to the highness or lowness of the tone of your voice. In delivering a speech, the pitch
must be varied. Avoid monotone or a sound that is flat and boring. Instead, use Inflection which is
changing the pitch of the voice to draw the listeners’ attention to words or phrases that need emphasis.

2. Volume. This refers to the loudness or softness of the sound. As a speaker, you must know which part
of your speech you should speak louder or softer. If there is a background noise, try to overcome it and
make your voice audible to every listener in the room, particularly to those who are seated at the back.

3. Rate or Speed. This refers to the speed at which words are spoken. Rate must be varied in accordance
to the mood or thoughts the speaker wants to convey. He must determine when he needs to be fast or
slow in his speech. It is important to maintain a moderate speed to enable the listeners to follow and
understand the message more clearly.

4. Pause. This refers to a temporary stop in speech. It is used to allow the listeners to process and absorb
the information and also for the speaker to remember something that he/she might have forgotten in the
presentation. Pauses also indicate change in tone or topic. It can be used after an introduction or before
a conclusion to help the listeners understand the fl ow of the speech.

5. Animation. This refers to the liveliness of the voice. It will make the presentation dynamic and
interesting.

6. Vocal Clarity. This refers to proper pronunciation. The speaker must utter the words properly using
standard pronunciation. He/she must avoid heavy accent and nervous fillers, such as “um, “ah,” “well,”
“okay,” “you know, etc.

7. Vocal Quality. This refers to the distinct characteristics of one’s voice. The voice can be thin, hoarse,
warm, clear, soft, scratchy, mellow, and breathy. Each speaker must determine the strengths and
weaknesses of his/her voice and develop it with vocal exercises.

Lesson 3: PHYSICAL ASPECT OF SPEECH DELIVERY

Physical delivery of a speech involves nonverbal communication through the face and eyes, gestures, and
body movements. Physical delivery is important in speech for it enhances the verbal message.

1. Facial Expression
Appropriate facial expressions are important part of effective delivery, and they should be
consistent with the message. If the message is about happy moments, a happy face or a smile
must be shown. If the message is about sad event, sadness must also be shown in the face. If the
speaker wants to convey a serious message, he should show a serious facial expression. And a
simple smile is a powerful facial expression that can communicate friendliness, openness, and
confidence. Hence, facial expressions must communicate an emotion, mood, or personality that
the audience will view favorably.

2. Eye Contact
 Looking directly at the audience will make them feel that they are a significant part of the
presentation. Eye contact can be used to establish credibility and hold the attention of the
audience and consequently understand the speech better. However, norms for eye contact vary
among cultures. Hence, it is important for the speaker to integrate the host culture’s expectations.

3. Gesture
Gestures are purposive movements of some parts of the body such as the head, shoulders, arms,
and occasionally feet. In delivering a speech, gestures should flow naturally. They should help
make the message more understandable and impactful. The use of gestures as language varies
from culture to culture. So, it is important to understand the gestures that are acceptable in
different cultures. Gestures are classified as descriptive, suggestive, locative, emphatic, dramatic
or imitative.

• Descriptive Gestures Descriptive gestures aid words in describing anything. They make word adjectives
clear like the shape, size, movements or number of things.

• Suggestive Gestures Suggestive gestures are representative or figurative than literal. These are
conventional signs like the clenched fist to show force, determination, power, or anger. These are gestures
that show moods or expressions like an open arm suggesting that you welcome somebody.

• Locative Gestures Locative gestures are used to indicate where something is or what direction it might
be going. You can make gestures above, below, at or near your shoulders. Each position produces a
different effect on your speech delivery. For example, a gesture above the shoulders suggest physical
height, inspiration or emotion while, gestures below the shoulders indicate sadness, rejection or
condemnation.

• Emphatic Gestures Emphatic gestures are hand movements used to stress a word or idea that is
important. They indicate earnestness and conviction such as making a fist and gently bring it into the other
open palm to stress a strong feeling about something. Pointing the audience is also an example of an
emphatic gesture if the speaker wants to stress their responsibility to think or do something.

4. Posture
Posture is an important part of any presentation. The speaker must look comfortable and confident. A
good posture is standing straight and tall, with both feet flat and slightly apart, chin up, shoulders relaxed
coupled with a friendly smile. A good posture could command respect from the audience, so avoid leaning
to one side, pacing across the stage, rocking back and forth and turning your back on the audience.

5. Movement
Bodily movement refers to total body movement as the speaker shifts from one position to another.
Effective movement must be purposeful, it must reinforce the message and not distract the
presentation. It must be done according to the idea of the message and not mechanically. For
example, stepping forward during a speech suggests an arriving at an important point; stepping
backward indicates an idea is concluded and want the audience to relax for a moment; and a lateral
movement implies a transitional, it indicates leaving one thought and taking up another. For example,
moving slowly sideways until standing next to the lectern suggests moving to another point.
6. Appearance
First impression and the overall appearance of a speaker are important. How the speaker looks can make
the audience interested and pay attention to his/her presentation. A number of things contribute to the
appearance of a speaker such as grooming, style, and fit of clothing. Clothing should not capture the
attention of the audience to the point that they are not listening to the message but focusing on the
clothes or jewelry instead.

The following list of appearance boosters may be helpful for a public speaker:

Source: https://www.ohio4h.org/sites/ohio4h/files/d6/files/publications/documents/4H_971AG.pdf

• Body is clean.
• Clothes are clean.
• Appearance is neat.
• Nails are clean and suitably manicured.
• Make-up is appropriate.
• Posture is good.
• Poise is evident.
• Movements are easy and smooth as the speaker walks, sits, stands.
• Expression is pleasant.
• Positive presentation of self is made; speaker shows confidence