The Canadian Elocutionist | Page 7

basis of every other excellence in reading and oratory. Care and attention, with diligent practice, will keep young persons from falling into the bad habit of imperfect articulation, for most voices are good until domestic or local habits spoil them. Hence the great importance of careful training in early childhood, for if parents and instructors would direct their attention to this matter a manifest improvement would quickly follow; yet, to acquire a good articulation is not so difficult a task "as to defy the assaults of labour."
"The importance of a correct enunciation in a public speaker is well known --for if he possesses only a moderate voice, if he articulates correctly, he will be better understood and heard with greater pleasure, than one who vociferates without judgment. The voice of the latter may indeed extend to a considerable distance,--but the sound is dissipated in confusion; of the former voice, not the smallest vibration is wasted, every stroke is perceived even at the utmost distance to which it reaches; and hence it often has the appearance of penetrating even farther than one which is loud, but badly articulated."
In connection with this subject, a few words are necessary concerning impediment of speech, for in cases where a slight degree of hesitation breaks the fluent tenor of discourse much may be accomplished by due care and attention, and most defects of speech, voice, and manner may be modified or remedied by cultivation and diligent study and practice.
In seeking for a remedy the first thing to be considered is the care of the health, for this is the foundation of every hope of cure, and all excesses should be avoided and all irregularities guarded against.
All the mental powers should be enlisted in the combat with the defect, and the student should speak with deliberation and with an expiring breath, and when alone practice frequently the words and letters that he finds most difficult to pronounce, and should also furnish his mind with a copious vocabulary of synonyms, so that if he finds himself unable to utter a particular word, he may substitute some other in its place. But above all he must maintain a courageous command over himself and exert the energy of his own mind. By observing these rules, if the defect is not entirely eradicated, it will at least be palliated in a considerable degree.
CHAPTER IV.
ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
The number of elements in the language is thirty-eight.
They are divided into vowels_, _sub-vowels, and?aspirates; or, as classified by Dr. Rush in his "Philosophy of the Human Voice," into tonics_, _sub-tonics_, and _atonics.
There are fifteen vowels_, fourteen _sub-vowels, and nine aspirates.
Table of the Elements.
VOWELS
A as heard in a_le, f_a_te, m_ay.?A " " " a_rm, f_a_rm, h_arm.?A " " " a_ll, f_a_ll, _orb.?A " " " a_n, ide_a_, p_an.?E " " " e_asy, im_i_tate, m_e.?E " " " e_nd, l_e_t, m_end.?I " " " i_sle, _i_ce, fl_y_, m_ine.?I " " " i_n, p_i_n, _England.?O " " " o_ld, m_o_re, _oats.?O " " " oo_se, l_o_se, t_o_, f_ool?O " " " o_n, l_o_ck, n_ot.?U " " " mew_, f_ew_, t_u_be, p_upil.?U " " " u_p, t_u_b, h_e_r, h_urt.?U " " " fu_ll, p_u_ll, w_olf.?OU " " " ou_r, fl_ou_r, p_ower.
SUB-VOWELS.
B as heard in b_ow, _b_oat, _barb.?D " " " d_ay, bi_d_, _dare.?G " " " g_ay, fi_g_, _gilt.?L " " " l_ight, _l_iberty, a_ll.?M " " " m_ind, stor_m_, _mate.?N " " " n_o, o_n_, _n_i_ne.?NG " " " sing_, fi_ng_er, lo_ng.?R " " " r_oe, _r_a_r_e, o_rb.?TH " " " th_en, wi_th_, benea_th.?V as heard in v_ice, _v_ile, sal_ve.?W " " " w_oe, _w_ave, _world.?Y " " " y_oke, _y_e, _yonder.?Z " " " z_one, hi_s_, _Zenophon.?ZH " " " az_ure, enclo_sure.
ASPIRATES.
F as heard in f_ame, i_f_, li_ft.?H " " " h_e, _hut.?K " " " k_ite, ca_ke.?P " " " p_it, u_p_, a_pt.?S " " " s_in, _c_ell, ye_s.?SH " " " sh_ade, _sh_ine, flu_shed.?T " " " t_ake, oa_t_s, i_t.?TH " " " th_in, tru_th_, mon_ths.?WH " " " wh_en, _wh_ich, _what.
There are many words in which there are difficult combinations of the elements; they, as well as those in which the combinations are easy, should be practiced upon until the pupil is able to articulate each element correctly. The following is a table of the analysis of words, in which there are easy and difficult combinations of elements. Let the pupil spell the words, uttering separately each element, and not the name of the word, as is the practice which generally obtains in our schools.
Table of the Analysis of Words.
WORDS. ELEMENTS.
ale, a-l.?day, d-a.?fame, f-a-m.?crew, k-r-u.?call, k-a-l.?deeds, d-e-d-z.?wool, w-u-l.?isle, i-l.?dare, d-a-r.?ink, i-ng-k.?pause, p-a-z.?mow, m-o.?lose, l-o-z.?pray, p-r-a.?spell, s-p-e-l.?twists, t-w-i-s-t-s.?waste, w-a-s-t.?awful, a-f-u-l.?up, u-p.?mouths, m-ou-th-z.?sky, s-k-i.?lamb, l-a-m.?oak, o-k.?eve, e-v.?once, w-u-n-s.?awe, a.?power, p-ou-u-r.?mulcts, m-u-l-k-t-s.?John, d-gh-a-n.?objects, o-b-d-jh-e-k-ts.?thousandth, th-ou-z-a-n-d-th.?wives, w-i-v-z.?softness, s-o-f-t-n-e-s.?shrugged, sh-r-u-g-d.?themselves, th-e-m-s-e-l-v-z.?church, t-sh-u-r-t-sh.
They were wrenched by