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Speaking and teaching in your second language

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‘Do you even know how smart I am in Spanish?’

This sentence the character Gloria (Sofia Vergara) utters in Modern Family.

You lose “something” as a speaker when you speak in another language. Your brain takes up space to translate. You have to focus on your word choice, correct grammar and pronunciation. As a result, you sound different from your native language. The pitch of your voice may change, your rate of speech may go up or down, and your expression is different. What is the “something” you are losing? How do you get it back again? And do you also have an advantage as a speaker in your second language?

We work in a practical workshop using a short text (max. 10 lines) that the participants bring themselves. You bring the text in both your mother tongue and your second language. There is no limit to the language (teacher and participants do not have to be able to speak or understand the language).

Note: participants who joined the workshop “Let your voice resonate!” are very welcome to join this workshop as well since it will build up on the experiences from the previous workshop. This is not a requirement, both sessions can also be joined individually.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

  • Have practiced techniques to strengthen the use of their voice in their second language,
  • Have explored methods to feel more ensured to speak and teach in a second language.


This activity may count towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) if relevant to your situation.
 

About the trainer
Berbke Hermans is a voice and speech teacher and trainer. Berbke obtained a Bachelor in Speech Therapy and a Master in Theater and Film Studies which led to a position at Hogeschool Zuyd where Berbke teaches Voice and Speech Techniques at the Maastricht Drama Academy since 2002. Berbke is specialised in the transformation of voice and speech, working especially with (aspiring) actors and people who speak several languages.

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