Let’s Focus on Articulation – How to Pronounce, Enunciate, and Articulate Clearly
Do you find your child mumbling or swallowing their words? Do you find it tough having to coax them to repeat their last sentence? Articulation can be a vexing issue for some parents, especially if you want your child to grow as a confident communicator. We believe it is one of the core, fundamental traits for speakers. Being able to pronounce, enunciate, and articulate the words that form your child’s ideas will create speaker credibility and trust. In contrast, improper articulation habits (such as mumbling) may prevent the audience from understanding your point. These are skills that are needed for your child’s oral examination (e.g. reading aloud); the same skills will also help your child in day-to-day communication as well!
While the long-term goal is to reduce or even eliminate these improper habits, the first step is to identify your child’s articulation style. For example, some students in our class adopt a slouching posture that affects projection and articulation (e.g. chin is pushed inwards towards the next, preventing free movement of the jaw/mouth). Once awareness is present, the next step is to implement positive habit-building techniques. To help you with this, we have picked out three quick methods to help your child improve their pronunciation, enunciation, and articulation.
Method #1: Break it Up!
Articulation challenges tend to feature more when your child is faced with a complex or multi-syllable word. Even if it is a word that your child is familiar with, there is a temptation to speed through the pronunciation in a reading/conversation exercise. We call this the articulation shortcut. When faced with a multi-syllable word, your child may choose to ‘skip’ the middle syllables/sounds. For example, instead of “go-vern-ment”, you may have heard of the articulation shortcut of “gah-ment”. This can arise either from the desire to deliver the sentence faster or in a bid to ensure a smooth delivery.
A long-term tip to combat this is to teach the habit of breaking down a complex word when faced with it. For example, in a Reading Aloud exercise, we recommend taking at least one reading during the preparation time for your child to pick out those tough words first. Once they have done that, they can separately allocate the preparation time to break the words down and articulate the individual syllables.
Method #2: Speed is of the Essence
The aim is to savour the pronunciation and not to simply speed through the pronunciation or articulation. The idea of savouring pronunciation may sound odd at first, but it encourages your child to appreciate and be comfortable with articulation. This involves having to fully appreciate and understand how individual words are broken down and pronounced.
Beyond this awareness, your child can also adopt better articulation by slowing down. While their general reading pace can still be the same, they can adjust accordingly to slow down and articulate the tough words they faced. As they become more comfortable with the word, they can gradually increase their reading pace as well. Some students may find themselves adopting the opposite habit instead. They may speed up when faced with the difficult word, hoping for the ‘worst’ to be over. Rather, by slowing down, your child will develop the confidence necessary for future reading exercises!
Method #3: Practice and Retain
This article will not be complete without a staunch reminder for your child to practise! We would emphasise that this would not just involve countless reading exercises. Rather, a meaningful practice can be achieved by ensuring that your child is invested in the learning process itself! They can keep track of their learning progress through vocabulary journaling (e.g. keeping track of pronunciation of new words), or habit-reminders.
It is important to understand how certain reading habits correlate with other communication habits as well. For example, a tendency to read fast may be closely associated with general nerves or stage fright. Some habits, such as mumbling, may be associated with posture or general speaking confidence. By understanding how these habits interact, you can help your child target more than one source for effective habit-building (e.g. building up stage time and confidence may improve articulation).
WATCH our video – “Pronunciation and Enunciation, The Two Pillars of Public Speaking”
Be Clear and Powerful!
Pronunciation, enunciation, and articulation feature extensively in a young communicator’s journey. This is more than just a reading assignment for a national examination or assignment. These skills ensure that your child can create a strong first impression, even as a young speaker. It builds speaker credibility and develops stage confidence. We hope with the three tips above, your child can improve their reading habit, for school and at home!
By The Way…
If you’re keen to take your child’s public speaking & presentation skills (either kids in-class presentation or adult business/corporate presentation) to the next level so that he/ she may public speak and present with flair and charisma, feel free to check out our offerings below!
For more about our Public Speaking Course for Kids / Children:
https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/group-classes-students-age-9-18/
For more about our Public Speaking Course for Adults :
https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/courses-and-programs/group-classes-for-adults/
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