SOUND LIKE THAT VOICE ON THE RADIO.

 SOUND LIKE THAT VOICE ON THE RADIO

 

 

A clear confident baritone free from any impediments flowing naturally is a joy to listen to. The tone, word emphasis, speed, and volume all come together in a complete package. Now, what if I tell you that you can speak like that voice on the radio? Well, here we will see three ways in which you can accomplish that. So here goes.

 

 

#1. LISTEN: How does a baby learn to speak? By listening right? Let me tell you that the English language is not spoken the way it is written. This is not the case with a language like Hindi which is spoken exactly the way it is written. The English language vocabulary is so rich with around 170,000 words currently in usage. So, it is not humanely possible to know the correct pronunciation of each of these words. But your task will become so much easier if you listen more. So, now the question arises: What do I listen to? Well for starters listen to good English native speakers. You can start by listening to the BBC and you can watch English movies. Closer home listen to All India Radio’s News broadcasts. AIR Newsreaders are acknowledged as some of the best speakers in India. If you make it a habit of listening to at least one broadcast every day it will help you immensely improve your pronounciation. It will help you in identifying the pauses. The rhythm in the English language is stress-timed. This means that the timing between each stress in a phrase is the same. So, in other words, rhythm is the pattern of stresses within a line. In other languages, rhythm is syllable-timed. Then comes the intonation which is nothing but the rise and fall of the voice in speech. There are three types of intonation: falling intonation, rising intonation, and fall-rise intonation. If you listen attentively you will learn how and when words are stressed or emphasized. Then of course is the sound of the language. In the English language, there are 20 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds. Together they are known as the 44 English phonemes and they are represented by the 26 letters of the alphabet. So enough of the technicalities, but simply remember that you will be able to grasp the correct pronunciation, intonation, stress, rhythm, and sound by careful listening every day.

 

#2. RECORD: This is the second vital step in our process. Firstly go through the transcript. Mark and check the pronunciation of the words you are not familiar with. Mark your pauses. Then listen to the audio if available while following the transcript. After you are done listening record yourself. These days recording is easy as it can be easily done on your cell phone or any other recording device. Now, play back what you have recorded. Check for any errors in pronunciation, intonation, pauses, etc. Practice for at least 30 minutes each day. Practice, practice, practice. A point to be mentioned here is that it is perfectly acceptable to speak in your natural accent as long as it is neutral. You don’t need to ape any accent. If you make it a habit of recording yourself you will see a marked improvement in your presentations.

 

 

#3. SLOW DOWN: Even many accomplished broadcasters struggle with this. If you slow down your rate of speech the clarity will be enhanced. You will have better control of your presentation. If you practice the power of the pause in your presentation it will break the monotony of speech and provide a welcome respite. It will help you segregate your thoughts and help you move from one story to another. A new story can be started after a brief pause. There is a short pause between sentences and a longer pause between stories. If you slow down your presentation it will help your listeners digest information easily. If you speak less than 110WPM it is regarded as slow. If you read between 120WPM to 150WPM it is conversational. Anything above 160WPM is considered fast. In radio, some newsreaders read 75 lines in 5 minutes or 140 lines in 10 minutes. This varies from reader to reader. Some read 65 lines in 5 minutes. You will be in better control, be more relaxed and your gravitas will skyrocket if you slow down.

 

 

So now, let’s see some legendary broadcasters. Larry King, Greg James, John Peel, and Oprah Winfrey are some international legends who have left their mark in the broadcasting industry. Speaking of India, Melville de Mellow’s baritone describing the funeral procession of Mahatma Gandhi is the stuff that brings tears to the eyes. Other legends are Surojit Sen a doyen of Indian broadcasting. Barun Haldar started as a Western Music presenter in Kolkata and later joined News Services in Delhi. Vijay Daniels started with plays in his school in Kolkata and became a Newsreader at All India Radio, New Delhi. He later moved on to become a broadcaster at ABC Radio, Darwin, Australia. They have all left their footprints in the annals of broadcasting history. So, here in this post, we have seen three ways to sound like that voice on the radio. What are you waiting for??

  

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