Portuguese Year 4: Voice, body and eyes
Portuguese, Year 4 (Portugal): Give your opinion and share ideas with a voice that carries, clear words, the right intonation and rhythm, and eyes on your listeners.
Voice, body and eyes
When you speak, more than words reaches your listeners. The voice: a volume that carries to the back of the room (without shouting), whole and clearly pronounced words (open your mouth, say the ends of words), intonation (the voice rises and falls: in a question, in surprise) and rhythm (not too fast or too slow, with pauses). The body: standing, back straight, a face that matches what you say. The eyes: look at people.
Voice and body carry the words
A good idea said very quietly does not reach the back of the room. A voice that never changes is tiring, and words run together cannot be understood. And someone who looks only at the floor or the paper seems to be talking to themselves: looking at people shows you are talking to them and helps you see whether they understand. All of this can be trained, like riding a bike.
Giving an opinion, step by step
Rita is going to say: «Acho que devíamos ter mais recreio, porque brincar faz bem.» (I think we should have more break time, because playing is good for us.) Step 1: she breathes and says whole words, without swallowing the end of «recreio», in a voice that carries to the back. Step 2: intonation: the voice rises on «mais recreio» and falls at the end; rhythm: a short pause before «porque». Step 3: eyes: she moves her gaze to the left, the middle and the right of the room. Step 4: posture: standing, back straight, hands free.
Shouting is not speaking up
Many people think speaking up means shouting, or that looking means looking at the teacher. Shouting is tiring and distorts the words: speaking up means filling your voice with air and saying whole words. And your audience is the whole room: looking only at the paper, the floor or one person makes the others feel forgotten. Move your eyes across several people, one at a time.
Presenting, reading to the class, theatre
You use this when you present a project, when you read a text to the class, when you give your opinion in an assembly, when you act in a play or when you speak to an adult who needs to hear you well. On the phone only the voice counts, so it is worth looking after it. With practice, voice and eyes become habits.
Test what you learned
What helps most to make sure everyone hears and understands your opinion?
- a) Speaking very quietly, so as not to disturb
- b) Speaking as fast as possible
- c) Saying whole words, in a voice that carries to the back of the room
- d) Shouting from start to finish
Correct answer: c) Saying whole words, in a voice that carries to the back of the room — Yes: clear words and a voice that carries are what let everyone understand.
You are going to say: «Acho que devíamos ler mais na escola, porque ler dá ideias novas.» (I think we should read more at school, because reading gives new ideas.) Where does a short pause work best?
- a) «escola,» | «porque»
- b) «devía» | «mos»
- c) «Acho» | «que»
- d) Nowhere: pauses are not needed
Correct answer: a) «escola,» | «porque» — Yes: at the comma, a short pause separates the opinion from the reason and lets listeners keep up.
When you give your opinion to the class, where should you look?
- a) Only at my paper
- b) At the floor, to concentrate
- c) Always at the teacher
- d) At several people in the room, one at a time
Correct answer: d) At several people in the room, one at a time — Yes: moving your eyes across the room shows you are talking to everyone.
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