So far, we’ve learned to notice and feel the aspects of articulation. Now we’re going to consider the air pressure in speech.
When we intake air into our bodies, the air particles push on the walls of our lungs and vocal tract. This pushing force is known as “pressure”, and the intensity of this pressure varies.
We can feel pressure in the various parts of our own bodies, and we feel the pressure in other people’s bodies by hearing their speech. This of course all happens unconsciously, but as always, we can become conscious of these dynamics and use our awareness to improve our listening and pronunciation.
First, let’s get a visualization of ai pressure at the most basic level - in the function of breathing.
Watch the videos and share your main takeaways in the
#completions channel.The video below shows the movement of the diaphragm during breath. As you watch, try to synchronize your breathing with it, in order to connect what you’re seeing to what you’re feeling.
When breathing, try to expand the rib cage as much as you can (as opposed to the abdomen). And make sure you are matching the right visual with the right action:
INHALEas the center of the diaphragm movesDOWN(ribcage expands)EXHALEas the center of the diaphragm movesUP(ribcage contracts)
Don’t move on until you’ve reconciled the visualization with your feeling. Otherwise you will be confused moving forward.
Once you’ve completed the exercises here. Post about your experience to
#completions then move on to the next lesson.[10] Pressure