In order to use your voice to your best advantage a little knowledge of how sound is made will help you to understand the mechanics of breathing and speech production

The vocal folds are crucial to vocal health and flexible speaking. Learn how they work and how to take care of them.

Before we speak lifestyle and environment can affect the vocal folds - learn how to avoid damage and look after your vocal health.

Before we open our mouths to speak we can do much to help ourselves to use our physical and mental energy wisely and economically. A key factor is body posture and in this section we will look at the importance of body awareness.

Posture can either work for us or against us! Learn how incorrect posture limits and restricts vocal delivery whilst correct posture and alignment will complement and enhance the speaking voice.

A reminder of what good physical alignment is and how it makes speaking easier to deliver and listen to.

Breath control underpins all voice use. To have sufficient breath and to control the outbreath is fundamental to good voice production.

Simple exercises to encourage deeper breathing and the controlled outbreath.

Using the diaphragm and not shallow breathing will help to facilitate controlled and stronger vocal delivery.

A recap of the exercises looked at enabling you to practice breathing from the diaphragm and extending the outbreath in your own time.

Good, clear diction depends on crisp articulation. This lecture explains what that really means and how you can achieve clarity and disctinction.

Vowels carry sound. This lecture explains how vowels are formed and the part they play in clear, easy-to-listen-to speech.

This lecture explains how consonants define our words and how they help our speech to reach the listener with clarity.

This lecture shows the work articulation does for us in colouring and clarifying our speech.

Summary and some tongue twisters to encourage flexibility of organs of articulation.

Three levels of speech are used in speech - learn how to extend your pitch range and why pitch variation is important.

How vocal range and inflexion used correctly helps to make for effective delivery.

Summary and exercises to encourage pitch range.

Resonance explained and how it colours the individual voice.

Exercises to open up the resonators.

Tone colour explained and the role it plays in adding authenticity to the speaking voice.

Summary and exercises.

Students are encouraged to listen very attentively to the sound of voice tone colour demonstrated in these examples and exercises.

This lecture explains how a variation of pace, pause and emphasis helps to modulate the speaking voice and aids the listener's understanding.

A short and enjoyable warm up to help you keep your voice flexible and healthy.

Your daily work out - why not add your own tongue twisters?

Simple tips to help you to stay on track and monitor your progress.

What we have covered in this course and why it is important to enjoy using your voice and working on it.

Revision of the key points of the course.