Most people would like to speak clearly. Did you know that
you can still have ‘elocution’ lessons? Gail Macindoe interviewed
Frances Parkes, one of the UK’s leading speech coaches and the head of
www.makethemostofyourvoice.com agency of Voice and Communications Experts and
discovered that ‘elocution’ is still alive and well in Britain.
Q. Do you still use the word ‘elocution’?
A. The word
'elocution' brings to mind a group of people chanting "How,now,brown cow." This
is not what we're about. The Oxford dictionary states that elocution is
"manner,style,art, of oral delivery". We give people the information and
practical exercises to make their verbal communication effective. Different
people have different needs. We have successfully trained many people who speak
English as a second language and who have needed help to pronounce English
clearly. Others come to us to eradicate a stammer, some come for help in
changing their accent, others need a stronger voice or a more intimate voice.
Q. Where can you find a speech teacher, or voice coach?
A.
Contacts magazine, which is produced for the acting profession, includes voice
coaches. You could also try your Local Authority. We run successful group and
one to one courses.
Q. What should you be looking for when choosing a
private voice coach?
A. The voice coach should be a member of the
British Voice Association and preferably have a Masters Degree in Voice
Studies. Singing and speaking are entirely different ways of producing the
voice and should not be taught by anyone who isn't qualified, as the voice is
delicate and you could cause or exacerbate a problem. When you've found someone
with the right qualifications you should talk to him or her to make sure that
they are on the same wavelength as you and able to deliver the learning
outcomes you want. All the Voice Coaches at www.makethemostofyourvoice.com are
good value for money. We rely on our students' feedback.
Q. What
age-group do you teach?
A. Any age. All we require is the willingness
to do the exercises and learn.
Q. What type of people come to you for
speech lessons?
A. Many people feel that their strong regional or
national accent makes it difficult for others to understand them. This can
apply equally to their business and social life. Many of my clients are
business and professional people who want to be able to give the right
impression at important meetings by speaking clearly.
Q. How often do
students attend your private classes?
A. It varies. It's a question of
learning new habits. Once you know how your voice works and how to produce the
words, the basis of clarity of speech is there. As you practise every time you
speak, your vocal clarity keeps on developing.
Q. How many students
attend your private classes at any one time?
A. We try to see new
students on a one to one basis within 3 weeks of their applying for coaching.
Numbers of students in our group courses vary from 4 to 12, depending on the
course. Group courses have proved to be very popular and in their feedback
forms, students have asked for follow up courses, which we are now giving.
Q. What other skills do you train in?
A. All our courses
involve training in voice. Once you have good vocal and physical co-ordination,
your whole presence and ability to communicate and deal with new situations is
improved. We train in Voice and Presentation, Voice and Interview Skills, Voice
and Negotiation Skills, Singing and Speaking, Voice for Trainers and Teachers.
