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EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTOR DELIVERY TECHNIQUES
Delivery style has a major impact on student motivation and determines to a great extent how
well students listen. Studies have shown that spoken words alone account for only seven percent
of the impact of the message.
The following Factors are important considerations in your
delivery of instruction.
Articulation
Articulation is simply understandable speech. You can achieve good articulation in two ways.
First, enunciate; speak clearly. Second, pronunciate; accent syllables and reproduce consonant
and vowel sounds in conformity with the accepted standard--the dictionary.
To be a good speaker, make crisp, distinct enunciation your goal. Avoid slurring and
mumbling. Avoid slang such as jist, git, gonna, whut, watcha, or hafta. In rehearsal, exaggerate
your enunciation beyond what is required in normal speech. Apply the principle of sharpened
enunciation not only in your classes but in ordinary conversation. Make it a habit.
If you have a regional accent, such as a Southern drawl or a New England twang, don’t try
to eliminate it--make the most of it! It’s part of your personality. A slight accent is pleasant
and adds interest and personality to your speech. However, be sure that people from other parts
of the country can understand you.
Grammar
Grammar concerns the correct usage of the spoken or written word. It is like a code. When
you use the code correctly, the message comes through clearly and quickly. But when you make
encoding errors, the one who receives the message has to labor to extract the precise meaning.
Sometimes your message never comes through exactly right. However, as an instructor, never
commit glaring grammatical errors like “him and me is going,” “I seen,” “he give,” or “it run.”
Rate Of Speech
As a speaker, you should neither talk at a slow, plodding rate that puts your listeners to sleep
nor rattle off words so rapidly that they run together. As a rule, speak fast enough to be
interesting yet slow enough to be understood. Just as a good baseball pitcher keeps the batter
alert by changing the speed of the ball, take advantage of a vocal change of pace to hold the
interest of your audience.
Your rate of speech should be governed by the complexity of the thought, idea, or emotion
you are communicating. Use a fast rate for joy, excitement, or vigorous action. Use a slow rate
for a deliberate or methodical presentation. Add emphasis by either slowing or speeding your
rate. The normal rate of delivery is 125 to 150 words per minute.
To improve common rate difficulties, observe the following suggestions:
Slow, ponderous rate. Force yourself to think faster so that you can speak faster. Using
a tape recorder, read aloud and interpret the meaning of the words by the rate at which you
speak them. Then play back the recording.
If your rate is still too slow, record the same
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