Offered By

Finding Your Professional Voice: Confidence & Impact

University of London

About this Course

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Individuals have a great capacity for vocal expression but most people haven’t had the opportunity to explore and develop it. By the end of this course learners will have gained knowledge of how the voice works, had a chance to experiment with different ways of speaking, and increased their confidence in their vocal expression.  
This course is aimed at beginners but can serve as a useful ‘tune up’ for those that have some experience in this area or those that want to build upon prior learning. The only prerequisite is to be curious about voice in action and public speaking. Finding your Professional Voice takes the learner on a journey to discover how the voice works, how it can be optimised their use of it, and how vocal impact can be developed in professional settings.

The content of the course is useful to all learners who have vocal capacity.  Whilst a very few of the exercises would require full physical capacity, those learners physical impairment, or those who do not wish to undertake the movement exercises will still be able to gain useful skills provided by the MOOC content.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Beginner Level

Available to all

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Learners will use the embodied voice to engage and connect with an audience is a vital element in dynamic verbal exchange.

Skills you will gain

Speak with greater clarity
Speak with confidence and connection
How to convey meaning and make messages compelling
Identify current vocal behaviors connected to speaking and have techniques to address them.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Available to all

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Emmy Broomfield

Voice Coach

882 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

University of London

The University of London is a federal University which includes 17 world leading Colleges. With extensive experience in distance learning since 1858, University of London has enriched the lives of thousands of students, delivering high quality degrees across the globe. Today, University of London is a global leader in flexible study, offering degree programmes to over 45,000 students in over 190 countries, delivering world-leading research across the world. To find out more about University of London, visit www.london.ac.uk

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Be Aware: Understanding yourself and understanding how the voice works.

This first module is focused on awareness and knowledge of the voice. We'll begin by developing awareness - awareness underpins everything when it comes to learning and building new behaviours and skills. We have a discussion on what a ‘professional voice’ is and how we might begin to find it. You'll be introduced to the basic premise of how the voice is made in the body, and what can get in the way of it working at an optimal level. You'll be guided through several exercises designed to improve your self-awareness and will begin to recognise some of your current behaviours around speaking.

4 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 34 min), 10 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

Introduction2mWhat is 'professional voice'?2mElements of voice and speech 3mHow the voice is made5mFight or flight response and voice5mMindful bodyscan 9mConfidence5m

10 readings

Exercises undertaken at your own risk10mThe history of voice training in UK10mThe diaphragm10mWhat is the flight-or-fight response?10mSelf-awareness: what it is and how to cultivate it10mReflective journal30mFinding confidence from within15m10 easy ways to appear more confident10mIntroducing yourself confidently30mWeek 1 summary10m

1 practice exercise

Week 1 quiz15m

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Be Physical: the role of the body in speaking

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 25 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Be Connected: understanding your audience and how to connect to them

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 24 min), 7 readings, 1 quiz

5 videos

Week 3 introduction1mConsidering your audience 5mSpeaking with intention3mBody language and eye contact6mGrounding and centering7m

7 readings

Exercises undertaken at your own risk10mPreparing for a presentation10mPractice exercise: intention and meaning10mPractice exercise: feel, think, do10mPractice exercise: body language10mWays to feel grounded10mWeek 3 summary10m

1 practice exercise

Week 3 quiz15m

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Be Impactful: Using emphasis for impact

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 25 min), 8 readings, 1 quiz

6 videos

Week 4 Introduction2mEmphasis in action3mArticulation and its role in impactful speech6mDifferent ways of varying pitch 7mPros and cons of speaking at different paces4mOverall course summary1m

8 readings

Exercises undertaken at your own risk10mPractical task: identifying emphasis 10mPractice exercise: articulation10mPractice exercise: your speaking speed10mThe power of the pause10mPractice exercise: pausing10mWeek 4 summary10mChecklist: speaking with confidence and impact10m

1 practice exercise

Week 4 quiz15m

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Finding Your Professional Voice: Confidence & Impact

Finding Your Professional Voice: Confidence & Impact

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain