Author: thescribe

Hi there! So glad you popped in to check out my blog. I’m Alicia Selby and I’m studying Communication, majoring in Journalism at CQ University. My study journey has been a long, tiresome one, but I’m proud of what I have achieved, and I really enjoy learning and being able to put this knowledge into practice in my professional life.

I’m the Mum of two vivacious young boys aged 7 and 10 and I started studying when my eldest was only 2. I’m happy to report that in between all the sleepless nights and my crazy business journey, I am still alive – just.

I started studying because I always loved to write. My Mum and Nanna wrote poetry, so growing up that was the outlet I used to get feeling and concepts out of my head.

I’m looking forward to getting stuck into this course on Speech & Script. Writing to inspire people is what I love.

Hope you enjoy my reflections!

Regards,

Alicia 🙂

We are again looking forward to assignment 2 this week. Our tasks have us constructing the first page of our news story, drafting an audiovisual script for it, and delivering the script.

Audio	Visual
Newly appointed MP for Broadwater David Crisafulli took a stab at the government during his maiden speech in Parliament today, saying that the community was giving more than it was getting back, promising to fight for infrastructure that the community so desperately needs.	VO ELS Crisafulli walking from Parliament House with his colleagues
Mr Crisafulli took a tough stance on the urgency of road and education infrastructure saying that the government was taking advantage of a region that had become disillusioned with the politics and just had to get on with it.	VO ELS Crisafulli standing at the podium giving his maiden speech
“Queenslanders have a long history of making things happen and this has afforded government the ability to turn a blind eye”. “Our state schools are so disillusioned by the government that they have started installing air conditioners on their own backs” he continued.	MCU grab from Crisafulli’s maiden speech
Crisafulli vowed to use the skills he gained while working as a Journalist to give people in the region a voice and to have it be heard, crediting his passion and desire to get the job done to the country values he was taught growing up in North Queensland.	VO LS footage of Crisafulli working and chatting with farmers in North Queensland
“I was brought up in country North Queensland with old school values.  Where the golden rule of ‘treating other as you want to be treated’ was our anthem.  These values taught us that people matter. Our contributions matter”.	MCU grab from Crisafulli’s maiden speech
Giving people a voice was what Crisafulli said had attracted him to a career as a Journalist.  His commitment to the community to maintain and nurture the regions desirable lifestyle whilst facilitating its growing population is at the top of his agenda.	VO clips of crowded Gold Coast and busy waterways
“I am here today to represent their interest and protect the lifestyle we love so much, the lifestyle that makes the region one of the largest growth areas in the country”.	MCU grab from Crisafulli’s maiden speech

I’m sure I’m not the only one that hates the sound of their own voice. I’m finding it really difficult to change the tone. I’ve worked really hard on emphasis, pause and enunciation. I used the self-assessment suggestions from week 2 and rehearsed, prepared, and marked my notes on each of the audio piece we have been tasked with this term and I feel that my confidence has improved because of this. However, I cannot change my tone. I still sound like a whinny child. This is definitely an area that I would like to keep improving on.

Blog Reflection

This is our last week of activities so it’s time for some reflection on my learning journey thus far.

I really enjoyed being able to put the knowledge we had gained in weeks 1 and 2 into practice with our audio pieces. Hearing your own voice can be quite confronting. Often the voice in your head (how you think you sound) isn’t received as intended. Being able to hear your recorded voice, compare it to a professional voice and do a self-analyse was really beneficial. It gave me some pointers or road markers that I can refer to in the future to put me back on track. Anton Chekhov is famously quoted as saying ‘knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice’. Unfortunately, there is often a chasm between knowing what to do and how to do it. Some skills sound easy in theory, until you have to put them into practice. Performing a ‘professional voice’ is one of them. It’s a skill that I need to work on improving. I do know this to be a weakness of mine, so I am excited I have the tools now to assist with my professional development.

Learning the logic and theory behind rhetoric and rhetorical devices was also very practical. It was enlightening to discover that there is a systematic technique to employ for effective persuasion. The art of reasoning is a necessary element of successful speech development. Again, this will be a skill that I look forward to being able to use in my professional life.

Developing the concept of context, how it effects a message and how it is received was also helpful. Although we do tend to take this concept for granted, it is important to understand the theory in order to be aware that messages can be translated according to expectation and performance. This will help us consider the context when composing a message in order for it to be received as intended.

The weekly activities for our blogs have been challenging. There was a lot time devoted to these tasks each week and I am very grateful that the last few weeks concentrated on developing our final assignment. The skeleton is there, now I need to bring it to life.

Although I feel I have the knowledge to the development of the final assessment, I can’t say I feel confident. It is a mammoth task to compose a maiden speech. Now that I am aware of all the elements that need to be combined in a systematic way to make the speech effective, the task seems more overwhelming.

To attempt to address my concerns I am going to reexamine the structure of the speech that I compiled in week 8. I want to ensure that the rhetorical devices are developed and timed appropriately. I also want to ensure that the material is structured according to the Berko, Wolvin & Wolvin (1998) method of arranging a speech with an introduction central idea, body and conclusion (that includes a final clincher).

The health crisis that unfolded this term has put a lot of pressure on all of us. My circumstances were unique to me, and I am still unpacking the backlog of work and study that has stockpiled during this period. This has not assisted my learning or my sanity and is probably contributing to the daunting feeling associated with the final assignment. This has been a challenging couple of months, but I am looking forward to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I can’t quite see it but I’m hoping it’s just around the bend.

References

Berko R., Wolvin, A., & Wolvin, D. (eds.), 1998, Public Speaking – Structuring the Message  Communication : a social and career focus, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, pp. 326-353.

Maiden Speech Outline from ASelby2

This week’s task was the most challenging yet. It was difficult to stop at just outlining the maiden speech as the task also had us introducing talking points around the structure. I tried to keep these minimal but struggled. It was hard to hold back as the ideas came organically as I started writing. I did use these ideas and elaborate on the introduction and conclusion as I knew I these ideas would be valuable for Assessment 2.

I did feel overwhelmed with the workload this week. Perhaps the outline and the talking points/notes could be divided across over 2 weeks of learning? I would have enjoyed exploring and develop my rhetoric devices around the structure before having to delve into the script. I’m hoping the time invested in this week task will serve me well when I start on Assessment 2.

References:

Caldwell, Felicity. (2018, April 10). Jet ski hoons caught out by cctv on gold coast. Canberra times Retrieved thttps://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6019705/jet-ski-hoons-caught-out-by-cctv-on-gold-coast/

Charting Transport, (2019). Where is population growth happening in australia. Retrieved from https://chartingtransport.com/2019/01/08/where-is-population-growth-happening-in-australia/

David Crisafulli MP. (2020). Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/DavidCrisafulliMP/

Pots, A. (2018, July 12). Golden age gold coast population to hit 1 million by 2034. Gold Coast Bulletin . Retrieved from https://www.crucollective.com.au/blog/golden-age-gold-coasts-population-to-hit-1-million-by-2034-as-regions-growth-continues/

This week we are discussing genres of media speech. The four main genres of media speech are:

1. Chat-based programming
2. Hosting
3. Pieces to the camera
4. Interviews
5. Voice overs

Chat-based programming is a described by Tolson (1991) as a having three main features, it is oriented toward the personal, includes wit and humour and the risk of transgression underlies the talk. This type of talk can seem unscripted and involves crews or teams that interact with each other in a way that can be humorous or controversial but is ultimately performed for an audience. Ames (2012) observes that this type of talk appears light-hearted but is actually important talk that helps to construct a sense of community amongst listeners.

The above piece shows evidence of these features as described by Tolson (1991). There is a personal element that brings a sense of community to the audience when Karl invites the interviewee over to his house for a hangi. The interviewee then replies with humour saying, “I’ll cook it for you cuz, get it done properly” and they all laughed together. Karl’s references to the interviewee being ‘Kiwi’ could have been controversial or transgressional. The interviewee was a good sport though and didn’t take offence but rather joined in with the banter.

This interview was a reminder that whilst a chat-based programme might seem off -the-cuff, research and planning is required. It’s important while your performing on this platform that you are familiar with your players or team. Karl must have talked to the interviewee before the live interview. Perhaps he has already ascertained that he was a jovial guy and could take a joke. He then felt confident that he could take a dig at his native way of speech and eating habits without him opposing. It was also a reminder that when conducting an interview, you are mindful to listen to the interviewee’s responses. Karl asked as question toward the end of the interview that had been answered in an earlier response. This again could have backfired if the interviewee took offence but, in this context, he managed to get away with it.

This week’s activities have us doing a piece to camera. This was mostly challenging trying to get the right angles and keep myself close enough to the camera so I could be heard. I was disappointed in how faint my voice came across in the recording, but it was a great exercise to help us appreciate how difficult being ‘natural’ in front of a camera can be.

Reviewing Clayman’s writings (1990) the key messages that I took from his work were:

1. The sequence in which talk is reported puts the speaker’s behaviour and demeanour on display. Reporters can and will develop context around words to usher the audience toward developing a particular narrative. Clayman (1990) calls this ’embedding’ or an unnoticed form of discourse that not only states the source but the interactional context that accompanies it.

2. Context surrounding a statement needs to be preserved in order for the audience to have access to the whole picture. “Where an utterance occurs in the course of talk, and how it is co-ordinated with that talk, endows it with may subtle and nuanced layers of meaning (Clayman, 1990).

3. Using statements, questions, and answers in a sequential order (statement + questions + answer) can reveal or disclose a ‘backdown’ in position (Clayman, 1990). If a source makes a statement but when questioned renegotiates their initial position, this can be documented in a sequence that provides the audience with data to question the sources motives or character.

4. “What people say is assessed and evaluated in the light of how they say it” (Clayman, 1990). We gain understanding of words uttered by marrying them with context (atmosphere, gestures, demeanour, dynamics etc.) Embedding additional information, invites the audience to come to their own conclusion regarding what was said and how it was said, without disrupting the reporter’s objectivity.

Converting these concepts over to my requirements for Assessment 2 will help me be mindful of how Crisafulli’s past and present actions align with his statements. Assessing his reputation and history professionally and personally will influence the features of his maiden speech. I will consider his strengths and ensure that they are highlighted in the speech. Journalist will be looking at quoting actionable responses. Short, punchy, and quotable lines that summarise his character, drive and purpose will be used in the media. The believability of his statements will be characterised by his reputation but also his body language and speech. What he says and how he says it, need to align. He will need to be convincing, confident, and inspiring.

References:

Ames, K. (2012). Host/host conversations: Techniques for inclusion on commercial radio.
Media International Australia, 142, 112–122

Clayman, S. (1990). From talk to text: Newspaper accounts of reporter-source interactions. Media Culture & Society, 12(1), 79-103. https://clayman.scholar.ss.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2019/07/Clayman-1990-Talk_to_Text.pdf

Today. (2020, February 27). Hero truck driver has hosts in stitches  [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USe5FksIsvc

Tolson, A. (1991). Televised chat and the synthetic personality. In P. Scannell (Ed.)
Broadcast Talk (pp. 178–200). London: Sage Publications

Looking forward to Assessment 2, this week I will be mapping out this project using the ‘PAIBOC’ method. PAIBOC is an acronym that stands for purpose, audience, information, benefits, objections, and context (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2007). It’s a considering way of developing a communication topic.

For Assessment 2 we are asked to represent a local State politician and write their parliamentary maiden speech as their newly appointed media adviser. We will be submitting two scripts, a speech, and a television news story.

My local State politician is David Crisafulli for Broadwater, Queensland.

Purpose

A maiden speech is a significant occasion and an opportunity for a new Member to outline to Parliament what they hope to achieve (APH, 2020). This speech affords the speaker an opportunity to express what is important to them. Perhaps thank those that have assisted their journey, outline their political views and goals, share their experiences, or highlight specific issues that are affecting their electorate.

Audience

The audience for these speeches consists of two main groups. The speech is addressed and delivered to members of Parliament, however full video and/or audio are made available to the general public on various websites. So, the audience is both members of Parliament, the general public, or particularly those inside the Broadwater electoral district.

Information

The information in the speech requires that we marry the purpose with the audience. This speech will expose what it is that Crisafulli represents, what he has to offer, his experience, passion and what he intends to achieve. Here I intend to use rhetorical devices pathos, ethos & logos to engage the audience. It is important that I concentrate on what is important to the Broadwater electorate.

Benefits

To ensure that the audience can take what they need from the speech, I will be contrasting the electorates current state of disillusionment with politicians to the role that politicians should play in a healthy democratic society. I will be highlighting the reasons that Crisafulli switched over to politics, his desire to listen and deliver change. I will be listing the items that Crisafulli intends to address.

Objections

Crisafulli is not a local and only relocated to the Gold Coast in 2015. He could therefore be viewed as being disconnected from the needs of the locals and the area’s history. I will allay these fears by focusing on the drivers that brought him into the political arena. The disillusionment that he witnessed from the public toward the political class and the desire he had to represent the public and spear head change. I will present the personal sacrifices he made to transition into politics and how his past career has equipped him to navigate the political world. I will also be using contrasts to illustrate how he intends to do things differently in order to accomplish his purpose.

Context

The purpose of this speech is to introduce Crisafulli and highlight his intentions. It is a broadcast nationally and is a very formal occasion. Maiden speeches can made or break a political career so it’s important to make an impression; bring something to the table that will make the speaker and speech memorable. Using short, quotable lists and contrasts will assist print and broadcast journalist with creating soundbites that can make news coverage (Heritage & Clayman, 2010).

References:

Australian Parliament House (2020). Retrieved from https://www.aph.gov.au/myfirstspeech/inspired

Heritage, J., & Clayman, S. (2010). Talk in action: Interactions, identities, and institutions. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

Locker, K., & Kaczmarek, S.K. (2007). Business Communication: Building Critical
Skills. 3rd edn, Toronto: McGraw-Hill.

This week we are considering ‘institutional talk’ or conversation that addresses work related topics. Drew & Heritage (1992) define institutional talk as that in which a participant’s institutional or professional identities are made relevant to the work activities in which they are engaged. So ordinary conversation can be had in an institutional context but if it is not addressing ‘business at hand’ than it is not institutional talk.

We have been asked to focus on our own talk this week, how we greet, sign off and deal with uncomfortable moments.

I found my greeting on the phone and in person are slightly different. I greet most people on the phone with a ‘Good morning/afternoon, how are you?’ In person it’s usually a ‘Hi, how are you? or ‘Hi, how you doing?’ My close friends or family get a more intimate greeting as I noticed I add a ‘beautiful’ or ‘honey’ into the mix in both contexts (on the phone and in person).

My sign off’s change depending on the context. In a formal or institutional setting, I usually wrap the conversation up with it a ‘great work team, thanks for your time’ or ‘thanks for that, we’ll chat soon – bye’. When I’m saying goodbye in an informal setting it’s usually a ‘nice chatting to you, have a great day’ or lately it’s been ‘keep safe and well, bye’.

I have found that I deal with uncomfortable moments in a similar way irrespective of the context. In an institutional setting if the conversation isn’t flowing or if no one want to comment, I’ll usually speak up and say, ‘anyone have something to say… anyone?’ Which, when I contemplate that now, is probably an inappropriate way to handle those situations. I respond the same way in informal setting, but I usually will shorten it a ‘helllooow?’ In both contexts I don’t ignore the uncomfortable energy I will and try and break any silence by sometimes saying ‘well this is awkward’ or ‘okay this is a little intense, perhaps we can move on?’

To highlight how context can influence the orientation of speech, I have analysed how two different types of interviews are conducted.

The first is a news interview in which Julia Gillard chats about the mental health challenges we’re facing during the COVID-19 health crisis.

https://10play.com.au/theproject/interviews/2019/julia-gillard-chats-about-our-mental-health-challenges/tpv200416zaqbs

Gillard was introduced formally by her job title as the Chair of Beyond Blue. She was asked specific questions about the issues she is seeing currently and also the future impacts that the health crisis is likely to have on mental health. She managed to diffuse a potential conflict when a question was thrown in that back flipped on the course of the conversation. She was asked if she could see some positive outcomes for mental health during this time. Although off kilter, she agreed, pointing out there is a phenomena spoken about within mental health whereby post traumatic experiences remind people of what is really important in life. The interview was concluded quickly with a direct and formal ‘Julia, thank you very much’.

The second interview was a lighter or more humorous take on the current health crisis with comedian Ross Noble offering up his survival tips.

https://10play.com.au/theproject/interviews/2019/ross-noble-gives-us-his-top-survival-tips/tpv200422secbp

Noble was introduced referencing the last time that they spoke he was building himself a homemade bunker to ride out the virus. The interviewer asked, ‘Ross Noble are you there?’ The interview ensued with questions that lead to Noble showing off his latest modes of entertainment to keep him occupied in lock down. He was asked ‘how else are you entertaining yourself?’ and ‘where are you getting all these baby dolls?’. The interview was packed with all the humour you would expect from a comedian and concluded with ‘thanks very much, it’s been a roller coaster. See you mate’.

The differences in the two interviews were very evident. The first news interview used formal greetings and sign offs and the questioning was specific and targeted to reach a desired outcome. The interview was designed to inform the audience and the speech kept a structure and pattern to align with that outcome. The second interview was pure entertainment. The guest was a comedian, clearly well known to the interviewers and vice versa. The greetings were informal, and the speech and structure were relaxed and friendly. The expectation and outcome were clear to both parties. The interview was fun, light, and entertaining – that was the desired outcome.

Our course resource this week from Heritage & Clayman (2010) helped me identify some key points that I can incorporate in my speech for assessment two.

Interaction

Ultimately, the audience decide whether a speech is a success. It is therefore important that you keep their attention and engage with them. Using eye contact is essential in keeping interactions alive. The effectiveness of a speech can be determined by the applause it receives. Research conducted by Max Atkinson showed that applause is structured by the sentence(s) that lead up to it (Heritage& Clayman, 2010). The audience need time to anticipate and prepare for an applause, so the speech needs to allow for a projectable or a slot that for audience applause.

Contrasts

A contrast can be used to highlight or emphasis an idea. It is a negative statement followed by a positive one. It gives the audience an opportunity to see the cons versus the pros.

Lists

Lists give a structure and flow to the projectables and are useful in eliciting an audience’s response. They are most effective when they are comprised of three parts and when a pause is inserted before the final item.

Puzzle-solution

This can be used to spark the interest of the audience by establishing a puzzle or problem that requires a solution. This assists with engaging the and keeping their attention. The point is then presented as a solution and it can give the speaker an opportunity to add humour get some laughs and some applause.

Combinations

Rhetorical formats can be combined to further enhance their effectiveness.

Recovery

If the format you use fails for some reason, re-invite the audience to respond by stating the previous point again.

Structure

Structuring a slot for applause is should consist of three components.

1. Your position is taken, your argument is established.
2. Points are made. Rhetorical devices are engaged.
3. Charisma is employed. The speaker ushers the audience to a response.

Content

According to Heritage & Clayman (2010) when people applaud, they are affiliated with assertion that they approve of. They also admit that party political audiences are more sure of what they are against than what they are for. So, the audience are more likely to applaud attacks on others than they are to advocate for a policy. Content is important either way.

References:

Drew, P., & Heritage, J. (eds.) (1992). Talk at work: Interaction in institutional settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Heritage, J., & Clayman, S. (2010). Talk in action: Interactions, identities, and institutions. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

The Project (2020 April 16). Julia gillard chats about our mental health challenges [Video file] . Retrived from https://10play.com.au/theproject/interviews/2019/julia-gillard-chats-about-our-mental-health-challenges/tpv200416zaqbs

The Project (2020, April 22). Ross noble gives us his top survival tips [Video file]. Retrieved from https://10play.com.au/theproject/interviews/2019/ross-noble-gives-us-his-top-survival-tips/tpv200422secbp

Before rerecording the script, I highlighted words to emphasise in the script and rehearsed it aloud a few times. I hoped that this preparation would build my confidence and therefore keep my nerves in check. When speaking on nerves and the impact this can have on your performance, Johnson (2020) says that being concerned with the affect you may have on an audience is the first step towards being a successful public speaker.

So, some degree of nerves can be advantageous as they show that you care how the performance is received and that can motivate you to improve. However, it is important to manage them. Nerves can manifest in the body physically through high pitched speech or shortness of breath and this will have a negative impact on your speech performance. Johnson (2020) suggests marking pause points in your speech notes and using these moments to take a good deep breath. This can assist with calming your body. I used these suggestions in my second recording.

Reflecting on both script recordings, there is noticeable improvements in the second attempt. I was more confident in my voice flow as I was familiar with the script and was able to emphasis key words that made the script come to life. I still won’t be making to a News Anchor any time soon, however being aware of the areas I can focus on and understanding how I can improve them, definitely aided my performance.

This week we’ve been asked to write a film review on the The King’s Speech. Specifically considering the importance of performance and technique in effective public speaking.

I had watched this film once before but revisited it again in order to complete this task. The movie tells the story of King George VI (played by Geoffrey Rush), his struggle with stammering and how his commitment to correcting it aided by a devoted and able coach, helped him overcome his physical and psychological disabilities.

The speech therapist Lionel Logue (played by Colin Firth) used a variety of techniques that anyone of us can use today. Many obstacles that inhibit our speech and delivery can be overcome with commitment and practice. As Johnson (2020) suggests, just because you want to be a good speaker doesn’t mean you can – you have to practice.

When we feel nervous it manifests in our bodies physiologically. We can start to speak quickly or in a higher pitch and we can also become short of breath. Using the breath to control nerves can help relax our bodies and this will in turn allow sound to flow freely. Logue marked pauses throughout the King’s speech notes to allow him time to take good deep breaths.

Warming up our vocal apparatus before speaking can assist delivery. It takes about 100 muscles to speak (Verbling 2020), so just as an athlete warms up their muscles before performing, warming up vocal muscles before a speech performance is just as vital. Logue had the King performing tongue twisters before a speech: ‘I’m a thistle sifter. I have a sieve of sifted thistles and a sieve of unsifted thistles because I’m a thistle sifter’.

Confidence is key. Be familiar with the material, practice aloud again and again and even memorise the first few lines. To add inflection and feeling to words, practice by singing them to a tune. Logue had the King singing his lines to his favourite waltz. If you start well your confidence will grow and this will help keep the nerves at bay.

Speaking to a large group of strangers can be nerve racking even for experienced speakers. Logue recommended visualising speaking to just one person that you care about. This will help ease the nerves and give your words warmth. ‘Forget everything else. Say it to me, as a friend’, Logue advised.

Understanding the link between the psychological and physiological condition can help us be conscious of controlling our thoughts so we can gain more control over our bodies. By taking deep breaths, preparing to pause, warming up our vocal muscles in advance, rehearsing the script and imagining we are talking to someone we care about, we can be more confident going into our speech and this will assist our performance.

References:

Johnson, A 2020, Week 4: Performance, COMM12033 Speech & Script, CQUniversity e-courses, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/

Verbling (2017), 100 muscles for pronunciation, Retrieved from https://www.verbling.com/articles/post/100-muscles-for-pronunciation-5781d9e65c69247b005203ed

According to Aristotle (350 B.C.E, p 3), rhetoric can be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. His treaties on Rhetoric were a collection of works that he developed over many decades. They seem to set out to redeem the art of rhetoric. He refers to the limited analysis of rhetoric by current ‘writers’ (350 B.C.E, p 3 )and ‘framers’ (350 B.C.E, p 1) and seeks to recognise it as a mode of persuasion that can be useful in defending the truth. He “defends rhetoric against the charges that it permits injustice and distorts truth – charges made by Aristophanes and Plato” (Nichols 1987).

The treaties explore three main methods of persuasion:

1. Ethos (character) refers to the credibility or trustworthiness of the voice. Their reputation, expertise or integrity are character references that can add weight to a message and how it is received by the hearer.
2. Pathos (emotion) means to persuade by emotional appeal. Appealing to audience emotions can enhance an argument.
3. Logos (logic) persuades through reasoning. It references the effectiveness or clarity of the claim through evidence or logic. The audience can be convinced by strong logic that is easy to follow.

It then breaks these down oratory into three styles:

1. Deliberative (political),
2. Forensic (legal), and
3. Epideictic (ceremonial)

Aristotle proposes that these genres establish the orators end game or what they hope to achieve.

Rhetoric is a staple of society, and integral in a democratic one. According to Aristotle (350 B.C.E p 5) rhetoric has a duty to deal with such matters as we deliberate upon without arts or system to guide us. It is practised both formally and informally and is facilitated by our power of reason.

Below is an example of how I was successful in persuading someone using the art of rhetoric.

The video below discusses how rhetoric is still misunderstood today.

The video states that the art of rhetoric is often associated with trickery or wordy ornamentation, when in fact it is a discipline that enables us to create and assess messages effectively (ClemsonEnglish, 2011).

Rhetoric is something we use every day whether we are aware of it or not. We use it in the decisions we make at the supermarket, as to what bread or milk we will buy; even where we choose to buy it. It is the mean by which we are persuaded, both oral and visual. It is an art that has survived throughout the ages and is ‘that which cannot be suppressed’ (ClemsonEnglish, 2011).

As with most communication methods, it’s effectiveness hinges on the audience. The orators must consider who their audience is, what their needs are and choose what to say and how they say it in order for the message to be most effective.

It is a disciple that educates one to be conscious of their practices. It informs how language and argument can be tailored to each situation in order to construct an appropriate argument.

References

Aristotle. (350 B.C.E.) Rhetoric. Rhys Roberts, W. (Trans). Retrieved from http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/rhetoric.mb.txt

ClemsonEnglish. (2011, June 27). In Defence of rhetoric video [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYMUCz9bHAs&feature=youtube&hd=1

Nichols, M. (1987). Aristotle’s Defense of Rhetoric. The Journal of Politics, 49 (3), 657-677. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/2131273?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Professional Voice

A professional voice is hard to define. Voice – as we learnt last week, can be used as a noun (the sound made from the mouth) or a verb (as expressed through words). This week’s lesson focuses on speech; both verbal and written so I will address both forms in attempting to define a professional voice.

I would associate a professional voice in the oral sense with qualities such as correct diction or pronunciation and clarity. A professional voice should also be able to breathe life into the words; make them come alive rather than let them sit static. Using techniques such as pausing, pitch and pace at the right time, can aid effective communication.

In general, a professional voice in the written sense would be structured, fluid or easy to follow and apply proper grammar and spelling rules. Dependant on the application, professional writing could be colourful or sterile. Although Johnson (2020) observes that professional speech is arguably less emotive and possibly more deliberate. For the most part, the criteria or components of a professional voice are subjective and depend on variables such as location, the context, but most importantly, the audience.

The audience ultimately decide whether a voice is professional or not. Certain tones and pitches, the formation of the vowels, where emphasis is placed and so on, can all have a bearing on the audience’s perception. Class, social or cultural distinctions can also dictate what is generally considered a professional voice. Although certain techniques and qualities can be associated with a professional voice, the voice alone does not necessarily make a great speaker. Johnson (2020) explains, “there is commonality in the way great speeches are written, and the way they are delivered”.

What are these commonalities? McKay (2019) wrote in an article “The 35 Greatest Speeches in History” that there are three components to great orary: style, substance, and impact. Blogger Fletcher Dean (2011) expands on this a little further suggesting there are five key components to successful speech writing:

1. Audience – focus on the audience and solve their needs
2. Anecdotes – a story with a point; anecdotes trump facts every time
3. Structure – chronological, geographic, or numbered lists
4. Don’t rely on PowerPoint – work on words first and PowerPoint second
5. Edit – make it simple, clear, exciting, fresh, and engaging

Dean (2011) further commented that a successful speech is one the audience will listen and react to. “The objective is audience understanding” he said. A great speaker must know his audience; focus on what they want or need. Strong performance, charisma or passion in the subject can build audience confidence in the speaker and what they have to say. Developing a rapport with the use of anecdotes can also make the speaker more relatable to the audience and this helps build trust. When an audience is confident and trusting of a speaker, they can be persuaded.

A persuasive speaker is able to influence his audience. With this influence comes strong leadership as is marked by many of the great speakers and speeches of all time. Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill even Adolf Hitler, all used persuasive communication to motivate their audience to react. Be it to inspire good or evil, a great speech delivered by a great speaker can motivate and unify masses.

Reflecting on last week’s activity, I reviewed the professional news reading of Kate Stolle (2010). I noticed that she emphasised every four or five words randomly. The words that she put emphasis on were centric to the story. When referencing Julia Gillard explaining how she would govern her party, Stolle emphasised ‘best interests’. When speaking of the Reserve Banks interest rates she emphasised ‘unchanged’. This helped the listener to focus on the pivotal points in the stories.

Comparing the professional reading to that of my own from last week’s task, there are many variants. Although I attempted to emphasis the critical words, I was more focused on the flow and pronunciation. This hampered my attempts to place emphasis in the right places. My tone changed towards the end of some of the sentences. You can hear my lack of confidence and therefore some pivotol words lacked power and weight. My delivery sounded wishy-washy as my confidence waned. There were points throughout my reading performance where I managed to fain confidence. At these points, my reading voice was quite strong. I believe I would benefit from becoming more familiar with the script, highlighting words to emphasise, and reading aloud more often. These techniques could help strengthen my confidence in my reading voice.

References

Flectcher, D 2011, 5 steps to successful speech, viewed, 25 March 2020, https://thespeechwriter.typepad.com/onspeechwriting/2011/12/5-steps-to-a-successful-speech-part-1.html

Johnson, A 2020, Week 2: Perspectives on Speech, course notes, COMM12033 Speech & Script, CQUniversity e-courses, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/

Katestowellradio 2010, News reading sample: SBS Australia News, video, 22 September, viewed 24 March 2020,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-qKDbNz2YI

McKay, B & K 2020 (2019), The greatest speeches in history, viewed 27 March 2020, https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-35-greatest-speeches-in-history/

The Importance of Voice

Our voice is a vital element of effective communication. The word ‘voice’ can refer to the sound that is projected from our mouths or can also refer to the way we express ourselves through words. The way we choose to express and deliver our voice can influence how these messages are received.

This week’s task has us assessing the voice of Julia Gillard; Australia’s first female Prime Minister.

Reflecting on the famous speech (2012) she delivered, in which she labelled Tony Abbott a misogynist, I feel Ms Gillard’s voice is firm and appropriately passionate. She expresses herself in an assertive and intelligible manner and her message was not lost in the delivery.

In my opinion, both the content and the delivery of the speech (in this instance) aligned with her vocal performance.

From memory though, this was not always the case. I recall feeling that the tone of her voice was nasally and course at times. Perhaps her passion behind the content of her ‘misogyny’ speech worked in her favour?

It’s possible that over time the public criticism and focus on her voice, may have caused her to become overly conscience and concerned with her vocal performance. The vocal performance on some more mundane topics weren’t as pleasurable on the ear. Her voice could become drawn out and her words became monotonous and hard to listen to.

I’m not the first to surmise that her confidence (or lack of it) may have affected her voice at times during her career. The Sydney Morning Herald (2011) article suggests that the pressure she was under was evident in her strained speech. Her voice was said to be grating on the Australian public and was described as the ”Gillard twang” (2011).

Although ‘grating’ at times, Julia Gillard’s voice was strong and for the most part projected confidence and authority. Voice qualities which would seem essential for Australia’s first female Prime Minister.

Our workbook activities this week also asks us to upload a News Script and critique our own voice. This was a challenge. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling completely uncomfortable with hearing my own voice played back. Although not to be compared to the scale of Julia Gillard’s critique, I too have had many negative comments on my voice. I even had someone ask me once “Is your Mummy there”? Slightly disconcerting. None the less, I’m all for learning and growing and gave this challenge a red hot go.

Yes, my voice does sound childlike – I have to admit. I rush through some parts, stumbled through other – all in hopes it could be over. My voice isn’t assertive or authoritative. The pitch is high and as such – highly irritating. Perhaps it’s a voice for reciting lullabies?

In any case I don’t think that I’ll be making a News Anchor any time soon but I’m hoping that you could give me some feedback. What do you think I can work on? Looking forward to hearing from you all.

References

ABC News. (2012, October 8). Julia Gillard’s ‘misogyny speech’ in full. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd7ofrwQX0

Frenkel, G. (2011, April 21). Drop the Gillard twang: it’s beginning to annoy. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/drop-the-gillard-twang-its-beginning-to-annoy-20110420-1dosf.html