Voice- coaching
Thread poster: Williamson
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:57
Flemish to English
+ ...
Mar 25, 2004

Some people have a well-sounding voice with a good resonance. Others don't. To what extend do you think can voice-coaching remedy this. After all, it is more pleasant to listen to a well-sounding voice of an interpreter than to a monotonous one.

 
Margaret Schroeder
Margaret Schroeder  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 17:57
Spanish to English
+ ...
Speech therapist Mar 25, 2004

Like most people who do not have contact with speech therapists, I thought they were only for children who have trouble making certain sounds.

Then I met a speech therapist socially and as we happened to be talking about her profession, she opened my eyes about the range of things that they do.

Speech therapists can help people with problems like the one you mention, as well as people who have developed problems with their voice as a lingering effect of repiratory inf
... See more
Like most people who do not have contact with speech therapists, I thought they were only for children who have trouble making certain sounds.

Then I met a speech therapist socially and as we happened to be talking about her profession, she opened my eyes about the range of things that they do.

Speech therapists can help people with problems like the one you mention, as well as people who have developed problems with their voice as a lingering effect of repiratory infections (laryngitis), people who use their voice a lot in their daily job and need to learn more efficient techniques for speaking so as not to tire their voice, etc.
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Angela Howell
Angela Howell  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 19:57
Chinese to English
+ ...
vocal training at postgrad school Mar 26, 2004

When I was trained at school, there was a mandatory course--Public Speaking, and vocal training was a major part of the course. The vocal exercises were meant to work to our advantage, in that we (simul/consec interpreters) won't wreck our vocal chords (especially when you do a lot of whisper-interpreting) if we do this "vocal warm-up exercises" before each interpreting job.

 
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:57
Flemish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Political leaders Mar 26, 2004

Have a look at our political leaders when they deliver speeches. For once, don't listen to what they say, but how they pronounce it.

 
Steffen Walter
Steffen Walter  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 00:57
Member (2002)
English to German
+ ...
Yes but politicians aren't always role models... Mar 26, 2004

Williamson wrote:

Have a look at our political leaders when they deliver speeches. For once, don't listen to what they say, but how they pronounce it.


... in terms of their speech. You'd have to carefully pick and choose the better examples to listen to, as their rhetoric - and pronunciation - skills may vary considerably. IMHO there aren't that many politicians around who you could classify as role models in terms of their speech quality.

My 2c,
Steffen


 
Berni Armstrong
Berni Armstrong  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:57
Member
English
+ ...
Stage schools Mar 27, 2004

Try checking out your local acting schools. They usually have an excellent voice coach who would probably be only too willing to take on a private student or two.

This is one of the least explored areas of the interpreter's job, but your voice is your number one tool!

[Edited at 2004-03-27 12:04]


 
Williamson
Williamson  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:57
Flemish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Letting air flow out of your lungs Mar 27, 2004

Take a deep breath and start speaking. T
hat is what most people think.
The voice coach taught me the opposite: "Speaking is letting air flow while forming sounds, only to inhale when you have finished speaking".
Keeping those glottal stops out of your voice when a speaker is speaking very fast, is something I always tend to forget.
Glottal stops make your voice get tired very fast.


 


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