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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An unusual teaching book!, 3 Jan 2002
By A Customer
The back of this book seems to suggest that it is simply a practical guide to how teachers can get the most out of their 'most used teaching tool', but the frequent mention inside the book of things such as the Alexander method, Vedic chanting and homeopathy, as well as a whole chapter on 'the voice for personal development', quickly show where it is coming from. If you know anything about the author, Alan Maley, this comes as no surprise as he is one of the writers most associated with the 'Humanistic Approach' to English teaching. The book covers 'Developing the voice', 'Voicework in class', 'Voice for personal growth' and 'Care and maintenance of the voice'. Of these, the longest chapter is on classwork, closely followed by care and maintenance. The first chapter gives a whole list of practical exercises, starting with the obligatory (for the Humanistic Approach) relaxation techniques. I'm not sure what direct effect it had on my voice, and I needed to do it when there was no-one else even near the house, but if you have any interest in Tai Chi, yoga etc. then the fact that there is a possible noticeable benefit should certainly make them of interest. The same goes for Chapter 3, although without the practical aspect. The chapter on 'Care and maintenance of the voice' was the greatest disappointment- it basically boils down to avoiding whatever causes you problems (e.g. drink and drugs) and drinking lots of water. The voice warm up routines are quite nice, however, especially as it's the only part of the book that tells you how to actually combine the activities. Personally, I'm not really one for doing meditation techniques in class- and if you're not convinced yourself it's very unlikely to come off. It only takes a couple of hours to read through the book, however, and I'll certainly bear the activities in mind for when I or a class seem ready for them. I'd recommend this book for anyone who would like to explore a more 'humanistic' element to their teaching, for anyone who has actually suffered from problems with their voice, as well as for anyone like myself who is just looking for something a bit different.
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