Dept. of Anthropology
Chair: Academic Standards Committee
Flanagan 224
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
Dear Dr. Wolfe:
The School of Theatre and Dance is requesting that THEA 2015 Voice and Articulation be given Foundations Curriculum credit. This course has been offered in the School of Theatre and Dance for many years. It is required for all Theatre and Dance majors. Opening the course up to non-majors would be beneficial to students who speak English as a second language and to students who want to learn to speak Standard American English.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Tracy Donohue
Associate Professor
School of Theatre and Dance
donohuet@ecu.edu
252-328-1194
ACADEMIC STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Request For Foundations Credit Form
(10-22-09)
Please type your answers directly on this form. All of the information
noted below must be included in the request form. Failure to show how the
request for foundations credit directly addresses each of the three ECU
Foundations Goals for the course area may result in the request being denied. ECU Goals of the Liberal Arts Foundations Curriculum are available online at:
http://author.ecu.edu/cs-cad/fsonline/customcf/committee/as/liberalartsfoundation.htm.
A. Basics (for items 1-16,
for cross-listed courses provide two or more sets of information, as
appropriate, under each category)
1. Foundations Course
Area (Arts, Humanities, Basic Sciences, Basic Social Sciences, Health Promotion
and Physical Activity, Writing
Competence, Mathematics Competence).
Arts
2. Unit in which the course will
be taught.
School of Theatre and Dance
3. Unit
Administrator’s title, name and email.
John
Shearin, Professor/Director of the School of
Theatre and Dance
shearinj@ecu.edu
4. Course
Prefix, Number and Name.
THEA
2015 Voice and Articulation
5. Number of
credit hours. 3 credit hours
6. Prerequisites
(if applicable). None
7. Course description as
it appears in the catalog and a detailed course syllabus with a weekly schedule
of topics to be discussed which should reflect explicit coverage of each of the
foundation goals.
THEA 2015
Voice and Articulation
Course Description: To develop personal and professional speech effectiveness.
This course is being considered for Foundations Curriculum credit in the Humanities in which students will understand the subject matter of the discipline of theatre by (1) learning the practice of theatre through the performance of prose and poetry (2) learn the creative methods and skills utilized in theatre by learning the International Phonetic Alphabet, exploring exercises that help improve posture, alignment, breathing, resonance, articulation, and overall vocal ease and power. (3) Students will learn about theatre’s contribution to society, to culture, and to life in general by the examination of their own speech habits. The student will learn how theatre relates to other academic areas and to the non-academic work by learning Standard American English, by learning how the voice works and how to take care of his or her voice.
A. Readings
Required Reading: The following books will be available at the bookstore:
Course Packet (82 pages of drills, exercises and an IPA workbook)
Your Speech, ed. Helen Steer (packet)
A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English, Kenyon & Knott (optional)
Supplies: comfortable clothing – sweat-like material that allows you to stretch and move easily, water bottle, pocket mirror, and a 3 ringed notebook for course packet.
B. Course Objective – Students will be able to:
1. Overcome
limiting voice and speech habits (e.g. excess nasal resonance, heavy
regionalism, limited pitch range, etc.) The students will learn the practice of
theatre through exercises and performances. Goal 1 In doing so, the students will learn
the creative methods and skills utilized in acting and speech. Goal 2 Students will learn
how the arts relate to other academic areas and to the non-academic world in
that effective speech usage is essential to the actor and a personal asset to
the non-actor. Goal 3
2. Explore
exercises that help improve posture, alignment, breathing, resonance,
articulation, and overall vocal ease and power. The students will learn the practice of theatre through the exploration
o voice and speech exercises. Goal 1 In doing so, the
students will learn the creative methods and skills utilized by actors in the
theatre. Goal 2 Students will learn how
the arts relate to other academic areas and to the non-academic world in that
effective speech usage is essential to the actor and a personal asset to the
non-actor. Goal 3
3. Achieve greater awareness of the student’s own voice and speech patterns.
The students will learn about theatre’s contribution to society, to
culture and to life in general. When the
student is recorded in the beginning of the semester and at the end of the
semester, the student becomes aware of his or her own dialect or accent if
English is their 2nd language.
They learn to acknowledge the legitimacy of their own way of speaking
while gaining the flexibility to use Standard American English. The student
will also write a personalized warm up based on their voice and speech
strengths and weaknesses. Goal 3
4. Gain a basic understanding of how the voice functions and how to care for it.
Through learning this, the student will learn about the practice of
acting since knowing how the voice functions and how to care for one’s voice is
part of the craft of acting. Goal 1 The student will learn the skills utilized
by actors in caring for their voices. Goal 2 Through understanding how the voice
functions and how to take care of their voices, the student will learn to have
good vocal hygiene. While essential for actors, knowing the basics of good
vocal hygiene is useful knowledge for the non-actor, too. Goal 3
5.
Gain a basic understanding of the International Phonetic Alphabet. The
International Phonetic Alphabet is a system in which there is a written symbol
for every individual speech sound.
Through learning and transcribing IPA the student learns the standard
formation of every sound in English. They learn when their speech deviates from
Standard American English and how to correct their articulation errors. Learning IPA is a skill utilized by actors to
correct their own speech and to facilitate the learning of a dialect for a
particular role. In learning IPA the student will learn the creative methods
and skills utilized in acting. Goal 2
6.
Improve ability to use Standard American speech. Using
Standard American Speech is essential to the practice of theatre. Goal 1 Using Standard
American Speech is a skill utilized by actors.
Goal 2 Using
Standard American Speech is an asset in any profession as it facilitates better
communication. Goal 3
7. Apply voice and speech
exercises to text. Students will learn the practice of theatre (acting) by performing
monologues, prose and poetry in class.
Goal 1
C. Course Outline – Based on
classes meeting twice a week for 80 minutes
Days 1-2 – Goals 1, 2, and 3
Introduction to the course - Review syllabus. Interview and introduce each other.
Watch video American Tongues about different speech dialects in USA.
Voice and Speech exercises: focus alignment. Fill in Vocal Health Questionnaire
Days 3-4 – Goals 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises: focus alignment and diaphragmatic breathing
Practice poem or monologue in class – Students sign up for a time to record articulation test (Hamlet’s speech to the players) outside of class.
Days 5-7 – Goal 1,2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises: focus is on common vocal quality problems, use of pitch, loudness and rate of speech
Perform poem or monologue in class for a grade (memorized)
Day 8 – Goal 1,2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises –Chapters 2-3 in Your Speech – lecture and discussion on vocal production
Day 9 – Goal 1,2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises –Chapter 4 in Your Speech – lecture and discussion on articulation
Day 10 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Review for Test on Your Speech and lectures
Day 11 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Test on Your Speech and lectures
Day 12 and 13 – Goal 1,2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Teach International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) with
Course Packet – IPA workbook section
Flashcards of all the IPA symbols due
Suggestion: bring A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English on IPA days
Day 14 and 15 - Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises – Review Oral Quiz
Practice IPA in course packet
Discuss Reading Aloud assignment
IPA homework is due
Day 16 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises – Review Oral Quiz
Discuss Modern Major General assignment
Practice IPA in course packet
Work on your Hamlet transcription in class
Day 17 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Individual appointments to hear the Oral Quiz (forming all vowel sounds in English as well as saying list of words with common articulation errors in them)
Day 18 and 19 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises – using the MLK speech to review loudness and breath support
Hamlet IPA Transcription is due
Review for IPA test in course packet
Day 20 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
IPA Test
Day 21 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Perform Modern Major General for a grade (memorized – for agility of articulation)
Day 22 and 23 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Reading aloud due (for expressive use of quality, volume, pitch and rate)
Day 24 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Finish Readings
Pronunciation drills
Day 25 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Personal Voice and Speech critique/warm up is due
Articulation drills
Day 26 – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Exercises for text and the Hamlet Speech
Day 27 and 28 -
Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Practice Hamlet Speech in McGinnis Theater
Perform Hamlet Speech for a grade (memorized)
Exam Day – Goal 1, 2 and 3
Voice and speech exercises
Record Hamlet Speech and listen to the before and after
D. Course Assignments and Grading Plan
Attendance: School of Theatre and Dance policy states that missing 20% of a School of Theatre and Dance class for any reason whatsoever will equal failure of the class.
Requirements:
4 Performances: (worth 10% toward your final grade)
-Poem/Monologue to focus on vocal production and quality-memorized
-‘Modern Major General’ for agility of articulation – memorized
-Reading Aloud – your choice of material to explore use of quality, volume, pitch and rate with text
-Hamlet’s Speech to the Players: memorized and performed on McGinnis stage
IPA Test: (15% of your final grade) Writing and reading the International Phonetic Alphabet
Transcribing Hamlet’s Speech into IPA: (10% of your final grade)
IPA Flashcards: add plus 5 points to your IPA Test Score
IPA Homework: add plus 5 points to your Hamlet Transcription grade
Test on Your Speech and lectures: (15% of your final class grade) Test on how the voice works and how to take care of your voice.
Personal Voice and Speech Critique/Warm Up: (10% of your final grade)
You write a personalized warm up based on your voice and speech strengths and weakness that you know from the critiques I’ve given to you on your performance assignments.
Oral Quiz: (5% of your final class grade) Consists of articulating the vowel sounds in English and saying a list of words with common articulation errors.
Hamlet Recording: (5% of your final class grade) The Hamlet speech has all the sounds in English in it and serves as an articulation test. We record the speech in the beginning and end of class. The last recording should be free of articulation errors. -4 points off for each articulation error in the 2nd recording. The student listens to the before and after and hears the improvement.
Grading: Grades are based on the 10-point scale. Numbered grades for each assignment are given. At the end of class, grades are tabulated according to the percentages listed above. If you have poor attentiveness and effort during class (examples: texting in class, leaving class frequently, not doing the exercises or wearing clothes you can’t move in comfortably), it can affect your grade in a negative manner. Unmemorized or poorly memorized work will receive an F.
8. College
in which the course will be taught.
College
of Fine Arts and Communication
9. College
dean’s name and email.
Michael
Dorsey: dorseym@ecu.edu
10. Date
approved by unit’s curriculum committee and chair’s initials. 1/28/11
11. Date
approved by unit’s voting faculty.
1/28/11
12. Date
reviewed by the unit’s chair and chair’s initials. 1/28/11
13. Date approved by the
college curriculum committee and chair’s initials. NA
14. Date
forwarded to Academic Standards. 1/28/11