Elocution Rubric

What is Elocution?

 Ans:-The dictionary defines elocution as the skill of expressive speech, with distinct pronunciation and articulation. Some people have a natural tendency to pronounce and clearly distinguish their words, but others need to practice it over and over again, in different simulations, in order to master it. It plays a vital role in personality development in kids, along with effective communication skills, as it enables them to clearly voice themselves with good sentence structure, a defined thought process, and enunciation. According to McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, a book by William McGuffey, there are 6 key principles of elocution that must be learnt and mastered in order to have clear and precise speech. These principles are:

 1. Articulation- This is defined as the ability to put thoughts into effective words, in order to phrase and enunciate words to deliver a proper speech. 

 2. Inflections- This is the ability to modulate the tone of speech so as to express a grammatical attribute of the word, such as tone, mood, gender etc. 

 3. Accent and Emphasis- The social surrounding of a child greatly influences how they speak. Learning to emphasise on the right syllables in order to pronounce words correctly, greatly improves a child's overall communication and understanding skills. 

 4. The Voice- The effectiveness of speech can be impacted by the tone and pitch of how words are pronounced. Modulating the voice while speaking helps avoid a monotonous tone and greatly improves the impact of the speech. 

 5. Gesture- The movement of hands, body language, and overall facial features while speaking greatly aid in the effectiveness of speech, especially in young children. Learning to control facial expressions for appropriate situations enables them to become better, considerate speakers. 

 6. Instructions for Reading Verse- Effective reading enables children to learn proper stress on words in order to deliver an impactful speech. Phonetics also play a crucial role in helping develop correct speaking skills and reading a passage where children can identify the key areas to make an emphasis on, make them into better talkers.