Clear Speech: Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement [Paperback]

Malcolm Morrison (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0435070339 | ISBN-13: 978-0435070335 | Publication Date: November 11, 1996 | Edition: 3 Sub

Voice and manner of speech are highly personal expressions of personality. But for an actor or public speaker, developing a voice to suit a role or convey strength and authority is more than personal, it's critical. Clear Speech offers a means for actors and others to identify and solve speech problems or significantly improve their voices by using tested, practical exercises. These are neither difficult nor mysterious. They rely on readjustment of habits - a readjustment anyone can make through thorough, frequent, and informed practice, beginning with relaxation and posture and progressing to the particulars of sound. Written by a professional voice teacher, Clear Speech will help users understand, manage, and develop a healthy vocal instrument.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Malcolm Morrison resides in Hartford, CT, where he teaches at the Hartt School. He is the author of Classical Acting. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 79 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann Publishing; 3 Sub edition (November 11, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0435070339
• ISBN-13: 978-0435070335
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 4.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,411,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement Book!!, August 27, 2005

By 

Stephen Pletko "Uncle Stevie" (London, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Clear Speech: Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement (Paperback)

+++++

This slim book, by theatre director and former college speech and drama director, Malcolm Morrison, is a VERY practical book for speech correction and voice improvement. It is written in an easily accessible form and has tried and tested exercises. The arrangement of the material in this book with clear illustrations makes it easy for anyone to understand and work from effectively.

This book is concerned with helping to correct mismanagement of a healthy speech and voice mechanism. Emphasis is on the readjustment of habits, a readjustment anyone can make through practice.

This book is divided into three parts:

(1) Essentials of Speech and Voice.

(i) Speech as a habit (ii) The nature and analysis of faults (iii) Relaxation (iv) Posture

(2) Problems of Voice Production.

(i) Faulty breathing (ii) Inadequate pitch range in the voice (iii) Faulty tone (iv) Routines for establishment of forward placing of the voice

(3) Speech Faults

(i) "R" sound (ii) "S" sound (iii) "L" sound (iv) "TH" sound (v) The glottal stop (vi) Indistinct speech

Finally, I'll repeat: besides the excellent instruction, this book (as compared to others) has the virtue of directness and economy. In other words, if you like sifting through reams and reams of theory, then this is NOT the book for you. This is, instead, a book that will get you practicing right away.

In conclusion, this is a very practical book that cuts through the jargon and aims at helping you improve your speech and voice right away!

(first published 1989; preface; using this book; 3 parts or 14 chapters; main narrative 75 pages; note to teachers)

+++++

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book!!!!, July 30, 2008

By 

Happy-go-lucky "Rita" (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clear Speech: Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement (Paperback)

One of the best books for any speech-impaired reader. This is one of the few books that had helped to resolve my speech defects. For over 30 years, I had very severe speech impediments. Over the next 10 years, most speech defects were only mild and eventually dissolved. Today, I can speak with absolute fluency and more surprisingly I can sing too. My hard-worked pronunciation is now perfect.

If you're deaf, I most recommend a pronouncing dictionary (the most ideal gift for any deaf-born child). If you have some degree of hearing, then do buy yourself a pronouncing dictionary with the CD-ROM. All the pronunciations are cryptically written in IPA alphabets, each alphabet representing a certain sound, which you make with just a certain lip position and a tongue position.

A PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY IS MOST VITAL TO ANY DEAF READER - and SHOULD be introduced in every deaf school in the country. I myself went to a deaf school where the outmoded speech therapy was dreadful and abstruse. I'd never really learned any good speech there, only the approximate sounds. Only in my twenties did I really learn the basics of correct/proper pronunciations. Firstly, I learned the pronunciation of each letter - by graphic/visual descriptions of shaping lips and tongue when making sounds. It took me years to rebuild my pronouncing vocabulary - with the help of a pronouncing dictionary.
Pronouncing dictionaries help you distinguish any confusing, sound-alike pronunciations such as "such" and "search," "caught" and "cot," "sword" and "sawed," etc. And learn to rhyme words such as "beautiful" and "dutiful," "feather" and "leather," etc.
Once you have mastered IPA alphabets and speech, you can too learn foreign languages - and you CAN. I have learned oral German and French and can speak with such absolute fluency that parents have asked me to give grinds to their kids.

Your second book should be "English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course" by Peter Roach. This one teaches you phonetics - the IPA alphabets, lip positions, tongue positions, etc.
Your third and subsequent books should contain exercises for your vocal cords, tongue, lungs, etc.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear speech, September 1, 2010

By 

Athokos - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Clear Speech: Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement (Paperback)

The book is thin enough to carry around in your pocket or briefcase.

There are chapters dealing with relaxation, breathing and posture as well as common problems such as hoarseness and plumminess. Pretty standard fare.

There is a section on building resonance. There are 4 series of exercises for developing "forward placing of the voice". There are chapters which treat the difficulties of forming the English S, R and the clear and dark L sounds as well as the glottal stop. If worked diligently the exercises will work wonders for your clarity and carrying power.

Finally there some exercises to develop the lips, the tongue and the teeth which are challenging, fun and effective.