Course Syllabus
Voice and Diction
SPCH 1342
Semester with
Course
Reference
Number (CRN)
Spring: Speech 1342
CRN: 34058
Instructor
contact
information
Dustin McDunn
Dustin.mcdunn@hccs.edu
713-718-2505
Office Location
and Hours
Felix Morales 124
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 10-11 a.m., 12:30-1 p.m., and 2:30-4 p.m.
Course
Location/Times
Southeast: Felix Morales, Room 303
Tuesday/Thursday: 11 am-12:30 pm
Course
Semester
Credit Hours
(SCH) (lecture,
lab) If
applicable
Credit Hours
3.00
Lecture Hours
3.00
Laboratory Hours NA
Total Course
Contact Hours
48
Course Length
(number of
weeks)
16
Type of
Instruction
Lecture
Course
Description:
Training in the effective use of the voice and body. Includes study of the vocal mechanism and
the phonetic alphabet; improvement in enunciation, pronunciation, and articulation.
The course is designed to enable the student to improve the speaking voice through practical
exercises and drill as well as through a better understanding of how vocal sounds are
produced and delivered. With guidance in pronunciation and articulation, the student will
develop a more effective speaking voice. The student will be introduced to the study of
phonetics and given an individual voice analysis with tape recordings and guided practice. It is
an excellent preparation for other courses in Speech.
Course
Student
Learning
Outcomes
(SLO): 4 to 7
1. Name and define terms relevant to voice production.
2. Write phonetic symbols and demonstrate the sounds they make.
3. Articulate, enunciate, and pronounce words correctly.
4. Identify syllables in words, and determine which one receives the highest degree of stress,
resulting in proper pronunciation.
5. Express self with clarity and confidence.
6. Pause and phrase correctly.
7. Name and use all articulators appropriately.
Learning
Objectives
1. To introduce phonetic symbols, and provide techniques to recognize their sounds in words.
2. To explain key terms associated with voice production and pronunciation.
3. To practice different types of breathing.
4. To demonstrate how to enunciate, articulate, and stress words and syllables correctly.
5. To facilitate students understanding of consonants and vowels.
6. To help students speak with self-confidence.
HCC Grading
Scale
A = 100- 90
B = 89 - 80:
3
C = 79 - 70:
2
D = 69 - 60:
1
59 and below = F
0
IP (In Progress)
0
W(Withdrawn)
0
I (Incomplete)
0
AUD (Audit)
0
IP (In Progress) is given only in certain developmental courses. The student must re-enroll to rece
attempted. The grades "IP," "COM" and "I" do not affect GPA.
See "Health Science Program/Discipline Requirements" for grading scale.
Instructor
Grading
Criteria
Speeches, assignments and projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
 Adherence to all specific assignment guidelines/content requirements.
 Adherence to deadlines.
 Level of technical difficulty attempted and achieved. More sophisticated work
may receive higher scores.
 Creativity and Originality: Solving the assignments in an imaginative and unique
way may lead to a higher score.
 Honesty: Submit your own work.
Late Work
Late written assignments will lose 10 points for each day that they are late. Late speeches
without a verifiable medical/HCC service excuse will lose 10 points for each day that they are
late.
Missed Tests
You must notify the instructor within 24 hours and must provide verifiable medical/HCC
service excuse. You may not make up a missed test without a verifiable, official, excused
absence.
Instructor’s Final Grading Legend:
The final grade will consist of the following:
Written exams (100 points each):
15 Daily quizzes (10 points each):
Oral Exams (100 points each):
Participation:
Total points available:
200 points
150 points
200 points
50 points
600 points
Calendar
HCC Calendar:
Per specific Semester
Monday, Jan. 14
Classes Begin
Monday, Jan. 21
Holidays and Breaks
Monday, Feb. 18
March 11-15
Friday, March 29
Last day for student/administrative withdrawals Monday, April 1
Sunday, May 5
Instruction ends
11 a.m. Tuesday, May 7
Final examination
Course Calendar:
Date
Lectures / Topics / Assignments / Projects
/ Quizzes / Exams
Week 1: Jan. 15 and 17
Introduction, why study voice and diction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Review
Written exam (chapters 1-5)
Chapter 9 – Front vowels
Chapter 9 – Back vowels
Chapter 9 – Mid vowels
Chapter 9 - Diphthongs
Oral exam on vowels (chapter 9)
Week 2: Jan. 22 and 24
Week 3: Jan. 29 and 31
Week 4: Feb. 5 and 7
Week 5: Feb. 12 and 14
Week 6: Feb. 19 and 21
Week 7: Feb. 26 and 28
Week 8: March 5 and 7
Spring Break: March 11-15
Week 9: March 19 and 21
Week 10: March 26 and 28
Chapter 6 - plosives
Chapter 7 - fricatives
Week 11:
Week 12:
Week 13:
Week 14:
Week 15:
April 2 and 4
April 9 and 11
April 16 and 18
April 23 and 25
April 30 and May 2
Week 16: Tuesday, May 7 @ 11 am
Chapter 8 - nasals
Chapter 8 - glides
Chapter 8 – laterals and affrictives
Oral exam on consonants (chapters 6-8)
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Final Written Exam (chapters 6-11)
Instructional
Materials
Speaking Clearly: Improving Voice and Diction, 6th edition, by Hahner, Sokoloff, and Salisch,
McGraw Hill, Boston. 2002
HCC Policy
Statement:
HCC Policy Statement: Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
According to federal and college guidelines, any student with special needs bears
responsibility of notifying faculty accordingly. Official notification from Disabled Student
Services must be received to provide special consideration and accommodations. Any
student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.)
who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office
at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized to provide
only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services. Contact Jette Lott at
(713) 718-7218 for additional information.
HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty
You are expected to be familiar with the College's Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the
catalog and student handbook. Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor
and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be
initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty.
“Scholastic dishonesty” includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and
collusion.
Cheating on a test includes:
 Copying from another student’s test paper;
 Using materials during a test that are not authorized by the person giving the test;
 Collaborating with another student during a test without authority;
 Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part
the contents of a test that has not bee administered;
 Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged incorporation
of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work
offered for credit.
Violations: Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of “0” or “F”
on the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or
dismissal from the College System. A recommendation for expulsion will be referred to the
College Dean of Student Development for disciplinary disposition.
Students who wish to appeal a grade penalty should notify the instructional supervisor within
30 working days of the incident. A standing committee appointed by the College Dean of
Instruction (Academic or Workforce) will convene to sustain, reduce, or reverse the grade
penalty. The committee will be composed of two students, two faculty members, and one
instructional administrator. A majority vote will decide the grade appeal and is final.
Attendance Policy:
Research has shown that the single most important factor in student success is attendance.
Roll will be taken each class period in the form of a sign-in sheet available to students during
the first fifteen minutes of class. It is the students’ responsibility to sign the attendance sheet
during the first fifteen minutes of class to be counted as present for the day. Due to unforeseen
events or emergencies, four unexcused absences will be allowed for the semester. Students,
who miss more than 4 days (6 hours) of class may be dropped. Absent students are
responsible for discovering what was missed and must be prepared for the next class. For
each absence over four, ten points will be deducted from the total grade at the end of the
semester.
Administrative drops are at the discretion of the instructor. If you are doing poorly in
the class, but you have not contacted your professor to ask for help, and you have not
withdrawn by the official withdrawal date, it will result in you receiving a grade of “F” in the
course
Access
Student
Services
Policies on
their Web site:
http://hccs.edu/student-rights