A precious gift, remarkably connected to public speaking, is this: the voice of the speaker. Through voice, humans transmit multiple qualities related to the message. As a result, the essence of communication is penetrated by voice delivery.  In the history of rhetoric, we find data on voice, as orator skill. Scientists and practitioners devote research, practice and action, with the intention to improve manifestations of this significant means of human expression.

Speakers can express significant parts of their emotion world through voice. Scientific research shows that humans understand more effectively the emotional state of another person through the hearing of the voice than when seeing the other person (Seppala E., 2017). A study conducted by M. Kraus from Yale University School of Management proves that human sense of hearing the voice is more powerful than the sight concerning the definition of the emotional condition of the speaker. People taking part in the experiment were more accurate regarding sensing the state of people while listening to the voice, rather than when only looking at the expression of the face or seeing the person and hearing the voice (Seppala E., 2017).

The importance of voice attributes is detected throughout the history of rhetoric. Cicero categorized rhetoric into five major subject areas such as: Invention, Arrangement, Style, Memory, and Delivery, which refer to the vocal and further physical performance; rhetoric has been a study of oral communication (Bailey E., 2019). The author, E. Bailey highlights the contribution of the Irish actor and educator Thomas Sheridan (1719-1788) to the characteristics of the oral expression, through the work on elocution; precisely to issues such as articulation, pronunciation, accent, emphasis, tone, pause, pitch and voice control.

Vocal expression is linked to breathing procedure; this is discussed by Dinardo K. (2020) in N. York Times article. According to the author, people breathe approximately 25.000 times a day. Breath affects human health condition as it is proved that it relates to weight control, athletic performance, allergy, mood, stress, focus and other functions of the body (Dinardo, 2020). As voice depends on the breath, particular exercises are designed to support the preparation of the public speaker. Simple exercises are described in “Toastmasters International” Non-Profit Organization, material. One example is this: a person can exhale all the air from the lungs, then the person automatically inhales deeply observing the body at the same time. This procedure needs to be repeated frequently, no more than three or four times at each repetition, as suggested by this exercise approach. Numerous breathing tasks exist and people who want to improve performance can practice daily, according to their needs and goals.

Apart from breath training, the tone of the voice has a significant impact on communication amongst people, as articulated by Tony Robbins team. Data from the field of communication in human relationships, report that only 7% of the meaning is supported by the spoken word and 38% from the tone of communication. The tone is related to the manner used to speak with a person; examples of tones of voice is informal, humorous, respectful, assertive, questioning or conversational (Tony Robbins, 2021). The adequate use of tone helps people achieve their goals. According to team Tony Robbins, there are four characteristics of the tone of voice: a. the pitch: how high or low the voice sounds, b. the pace: how fast or slow according to situation, c. the volume: where one speaks louder or where makes a pause, d. the timbre: the emotional “color” you give to your voice, such as sad or happy.

The voice is essential part of many communication aspects; in public speaking, speakers care about the quality of the message delivery connected to the vocal variety. History of rhetoric teaches that this was an element of study throughout the years of public speaking events and breathing is fundamental element for speakers. Other characteristics, such as the tonality of the voice, affect the communication process more than the spoken word itself. Therefore, experienced speakers develop practices to achieve adequate communication results. Through the voice people receive feelings and decode messages related also to the emotional states’ variety. As a result, the study of voice delivery is part of the public speaking skills education and training, in theory and practice.

 

Resources:

Bailey E., (2019) A Historical View of the Pedagogy of Public Speaking, Voice and Speech Review, https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2018.1537218, retrieved at 12.9.2021

Dinardo K., (2020), Breathe Better With These Nine Exercises, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/18/at-home/coronavirus-breathing-exercises.html, retrieved at 12.9.2020

Seppala E., (2017) Does Your Voice Reveal More Emotion Than Your Face?, Greater Good Magazine, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_your_voice_reveal_more_emotion_than_your_face, retrieved at 12.9.2021

Toastmasters International, (2011), Your Speaking Voice, USA

Robbins T., (2021), Improve your tone of voice in communication,  https://www.tonyrobbins.com/love-relationships/watching-your-tone/, retrieved at 12.9.2021

 

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