95144 - Techniques for Public Speaking and Voice Coaching

Learning outcomes

The student - knows and is able to use the fundamental techniques of oral presentation for interpretation - is able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to other professional fields - is able to independently develop further specific knowledge and skills of a higher level and to use them in different fields

Course contents

Training techniques for public speaking, primarily derived from theater training, are now commonly referred to as public speaking. Public speaking is the art of speaking in public, engaging an audience, being effective and persuasive using verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal communication. These skills are increasingly in demand in the corporate world of all sectors and beyond: they have acquired a vast literature and are recognized as useful in social settings and all fields of communication. This course at DIT of Alma Mater Studiorum, in particular, was designed for interpreters and helps them apply these techniques to their work. It builds on a multi-year training program (since 2011) for students of the Master's Degree in Interpreting at the Forlì Campus. Its additional purpose is to provide techniques and skills in vocal training, standard Italian diction, and the composition of public speeches. In short, it addresses the formal work that the interpreter, like any public speaker, must undertake to convey, without betraying or overriding, the speaker's verbal and non-verbal message, both consecutively and simultaneously.


In each lesson, we will therefore address different levels:


- techniques and exercises for correct breathing, use of the diaphragm and its release; the various vocal registers, how to enhance, deepen, and add color and quality to one's voice.


- training and body awareness work, to recognize emotions and stress; where available: individual, pair, or group exercises.


- presentation and historical contextualization of Italian diction (from the unification of Italy, Dante's choice of Tuscan as the language to represent "standard" Italian); the difference between phonetics (phonemes) and diction (vowel sounds);


- correct articulation, syllabification, and intonation of phrasing relevant to public speaking;


- willingness and spirit of communication: looking at the entire audience, wanting to communicate, and how to hold the attention of listeners/interlocutors;


- expressive and public reading.


The first lessons of the course will focus on breathing, voice, diction, and phonetics of standard Italian, as well as techniques for managing gestures. Subsequent lessons will cover techniques for individual and group empowerment, preparation, and composition and presentation techniques for a conference presentation and mock conferences.


A mock conference is a real conference organized on campus, open to the public, including students and faculty. Students in the "Oral Presentation Techniques and Vocal Coaching" program will test their skills in public presentations of speeches they have prepared during the course.


Therefore, one of the main focuses of the course is:


- preparation of a conference presentation (on a topic of the student's choice or based on studies undertaken in other subjects); this activity is also the main part of the exam.


Timelines:


First lessons: respiratory and vocal training, diction and phonetics, proxemics, expressive reading, exercises for managing emotions and managing stress; initial reflections on the topic of "conference presentation"; initial public speaking techniques;


Second phase of lessons: Preparation for public mock conferences (simulations of a conference presentation) where students practice speaking and are interpreted by second-year Master's students in Interpretation; vocal physical training, expressive reading, exercises borrowed from theater for awareness and expressiveness (short monologues or dialogues, self-representations); writing, reading, and initial corrections (including speech organization and rhetoric) for preparing the "conference presentation";


Final lessons: mock conferences, vocal physical training, further training on one's own "conference presentation" in preparation for the exam; consecutive Italian-to-Italian interpreting exercises (person-to-person or from audio-video support).

Readings/Bibliography

The first text, compiled by leading Italian scholars, will be a constant reference for the rules of diction and phonetics of standard Italian, as well as for the etymology of words:


1 - D.O.P. Multimedia and Multilingual Italian Dictionary of Spelling and Pronunciation. Edited by Bruno Migliorini, Carlo Tagliavini, and Piero Fiorelli. ERI Editions. Free online version: http://www.dizionario.rai.it/ with multimedia audio functionality.


The handouts provided by the teacher contain an easy-to-use guide and exercises to do both in class and at home:


2 - Teacher handouts distributed in class.


3 - For those who would like an updated, printed manual of diction and phonetics, one of the following texts:


- Ughetta Lanari, "Manuale di dizione e pronuncia" (Manual of Diction and Pronunciation). Giunti Publishing, 2019. Contains two audio CDs.


or - Corrado Veneziano: "Manuale di dizione, voce e respirazione." Ed. Controluce, 2019.

Teaching methods

Classes are designed to foster human relationships between individuals. They will always be a kind of workshop, consisting of both theoretical lectures and individual and group exercises where students are encouraged to share experiences of self- and external evaluation. Practical activities, during classes, include oral presentations at conferences, through specific preparation of presentations for public Mock Conferences at the Forlì Campus.

Assessment methods

The Mock Conference(s) (held in the final weeks of the course) is an important opportunity for students to put into practice the learning objectives they have achieved during the lectures and exercises completed thus far, thus optimally preparing for the exam. Therefore, the mock conference is not the exam.


The exam consists of:


- Simulation of a conference presentation on a topic of current affairs and/or international political and social history.


(After preparing their presentation for the Mock Conference, students may resubmit the same speech; other students are invited to attend their oral presentation during their exam.)


- Free and "off-the-cuff" conversation to test the student's ability to manage emotions and voice in professional interviews and, more generally, in interpersonal relationships.


- Expressive reading of a recognized Italian or international fiction text.


Evaluation Criteria:


(The main criteria are listed here)


The evaluation is based on the following aspects of the three tests:


- quality and clarity of the presentation/speech,


- fluency of prosody,


- ability to control breathing and voice,


- ability to use a pleasant register for vocal delivery, and to maintain an assertive yet balanced and convincing tone.


- ability to be incisive and persuasive using verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal communication,


- ability to engage the audience on the topic,


- quality of the presentation topic,


- ability to control diction and phonetics in standard Italian (at least 60%, especially in free conversation),


- absence of full pauses and disfluencies.

Teaching tools

In addition to the aforementioned texts, other resources include narrative and theatrical texts that students will select, supported by the teacher, for expressive readings and possible monologues.
In addition to traditional classroom teaching, audio-visual materials may be used, where necessary, for further study.
If distance learning is necessary, the University's MS Teams platform will be used.

Office hours

See the website of Angela Malfitano