English Elocution Pieces

Elocution is the art of speaking well in public. The discipline emerged in the 18th century and gained popularity in the 19th century, with the rise of the American middle class.Exercises in elocution or public speaking cover such areas as diction, pronunciation, articulation, grammar and tone. Proper breathing, posture, distinctive formation of consonant and vowel sounds and gestures are also .

Elocution is the art of speaking well in public. Concepts such as organization of thought, clarity of speech, quality of diction and strength of pronunciation characterize the overall quality of the elocution. Gesticulation is another derivative qualification to having excellence in elocution.The discipline emerged in the eighteenth century and gained increasing popularity in the nineteenth century with the rise of the American middle class. Elocution lovers value such areas as diction, pronunciation, articulation, grammar and tone. Proper breathing and posture, proper formation of consonant and vowel sounds and gesture are all important factors in elocution. Each of the concepts works in concert with the other to give an overall impression of a top notch public speaker. Being an excellent public speaker with proper elocution is a skill learnable through the practicing the art and watching those great at elocution perform properly. Studying historical English elocution pieces as well as exercises and lessons is an excellent way to enhance elocution skill and these resources can be readily found online.Classic books such as "Order of Exercises in Elocution" are an especially helpful aid. Written by Frank Stuart Parker in the late 19th century, the book was used to teach children the key elements of elocution. Because it's no longer under copyright the book is available for free download at Google Books and is under the public domain. The book explains, in detail, elocution, the elements that make up excellent elocution and lessons and tips in order to develop proficiency at each of those concepts.In addition, one might find it helpful to see and hear phonetics in action by watching elocution pieces videos available on online video sites or the local library. Basic exercises such as reading aloud from newspaper articles, opinion pieces and favorite books can also help in developing elocution skills.