Community College of Rhode Island

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Course Description:

From the catalog (PDF*)

From Available Courses (online)

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Speech Resources


Voice and Articulation

Communication 1110

Course Description:

Designed for those people with speech habits resulting in problems of being heard and understood, this course emphasizes voice development and improvement in articulation for clearer and more effective speech. Lecture: 3 hours


Text: Fundamentals of Voice and Articulation, 13th ed.
Author: Lyle Mayer
Publisher: McGraw Hill


Sample syllabus from Spring 2007 - †Word Document, requires MS Word to view/print

Class Profile:

Students take this course as an elective. They represent the demographic diversity of CCRI classrooms--primarily traditional high school graduates, some high school enrichment students, those with GED's, ESL students, and older, returning students-- and have varying levels of oral and written communication skills. Some enrolled students will transfer to a four-year institution as a communication or theatre major. Other students enroll to enhance their articulation for career or conversation purposes.

Course Objectives:

  1. To overcome faulty voice and articulation habits (excess nasal resonance, heavy regionalisms, limited pitch range, etc.)
  2. To explore exercises that help improve posture, alignment, breathing, resonance, articulation, and overall vocal ease and power
  3. To achieve greater awareness of individual voice and speech patterns
  4. To gain a basic understanding of how the voice functions and how to care for it
  5. To improve ability to use General American speech
  6. To gain a basic understanding of the International Phonetic Alphabet

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Student Learning Outcomes:

At the completion of this course, the student should be able to: to:

  1. Effectively produce sound without stress
  2. Draw a diagram of sound producing body parts
  3. Express message(s) at varying levels of loudness
  4. Efficiently project voice
  5. Vary volume for psychological contrast
  6. Effectively produce plosives, glides, nasals, fricatives, and affricatives
  7. Correctly articulate front, back and middle vowels
  8. Successfully pronounce diphthongs
  9. Speak expressively by varying the vocal elements of rate, pitch, tone and volume
  10. Synthesize correct articulation habits into everyday speech, thereby reducing regionalized and/or faulty speech
  11. Use the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to transcribe the spoken word and to transcribe words written in IPA into correctly spelled words.

Course Measurements:

  1. Attendance
  2. Participation in class discussion, activities, and exercises
  3. Mid-term Exam
  4. Final Exam
  5. Tapings of voice samples
  6. Oral presentations—the lengths and purposes will vary
  7. Critiques (of self and peers)

Content Outline:

  1. Vocal improvement
    1. Proper use of vocal equipment
    2. Projection and volume
    3. Optimum pitch
    4. Pleasing quality
    5. Correct articulation
    6. Vocal flexibility
  2. Correct Pronunciation
    1. Knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet
    2. Awareness of acceptable American pronunciation
    3. Awareness of dialects (regional and ethnic)

†MS Word documents require MS Word to view or print

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Last Updated: 7/18/13