Meaning of Verbal Cues
What is a verbal cue?
A Verbal cue is the manipulation of one’s voice to communicate an extra message related to what is spoken. Verbal cues can be in speaking, singing, reciting, or chanting to add emotions, speed, or quotes.
Verbal Cues constitute the aspect of how to perform or how to say a given work of literature.
Major categories of verbal cues
1. Stress
I said I want tea, not coffee.
How did your voice shift when speaking out 'tea' and 'coffee'? That is a verbal cue called stress. Stress is the extra force with which we speak some words to focus the listener on the expected meaning.
2. Intonation
Do you know fish can have mercury?
How did your voice change towards the end of the sentence? The verbal cue used is called intonation.
Intonation is the rise or fall in pitch level to bring out a question, command, surprise, or attitude.
3. Tonal Variation
Jane, I love you. You are the only star in my sky.
If you were to speak these words to a lover in a play, how will the emotions in your voice be? The verbal cue used is called tonal variation.
Tonal variation is the shift we make in the emotions in our voice when we speak.
3. Pauses
"Sit, eat and feel happy, My dear baby.
How did you the part between 'sit' and 'eat'? The verbal cue used is called pausing. Pauses refer to momentary stops when speaking to help meaning come out clearly or focus the reader to specific words.
4. Voice Variation
Hare said, "Where is my mother?" but the elephant shouted, 'Shut up!"
How did you read the words of the Hare? Did you use the same voice as that of the elephant? The verbal cue used is called voice variation. (Different from tonal variation since tonal variation has shifted in emotions in the voice)
Voice variation is the change in voice quality to bring out a new speaker’s voice.
5. Tempo Variation
The players passed the ball with slow sure passes. Victor passed to Otis, Otis passed to Grona, and then Grona passed it to Moha. From here, the passes went fast. Victor- Moha- Grona- Otis then goooaaal!
How did your speech of reading change? The verbal cue used is called tempo variation.
Tempo variation is the shift in the speed of delivery based on the message being communicated or the emotions involved.
6. Mimicking
Our teacher of Chemistry talks like this: "You take a beaker and put it on the table. Then add Sodium Peroxide."
Did you imitate the exact voice of the teacher? The verbal cue used is called mimicking.
Mimicking is the use of the exact voice and mannerism of the one being quoted. At times, mimicking includes voice variation within it.
How to identify and link verbal cues to their use in a context
When asked how to perform or say a given item, always state the specific category. The following guide can guide how to identify the verbal cue to use.
1. Use of intonation
Intonation is the intentional rise and fall in voice pitch when we speak.
It is part of verbal cues in performances of literature material. The major intonations include rising and falling intonation. The fall-rise or rise-fall intonation deal with the entire sentence structure and not when focusing on given positions within a sentence
a. Rising intonation
i. For yes-no questions
There sits Mr. Ibrahim The man singing a hymn- Do you really know him?
NB: How will you say the last part?
ii. For items within an incomplete list
Don't bring onions, tomatoes, Biscuits and -.
Question: How will you perform the above line?
iii. For ellipsis
She remembered the gift The parties, the night lift... weekend with him And saw life dim.
NB: How will you say the above line?
iv. Tag question for getting new information.
Anjela people's pillow, Ooh, Angela is a bad 'diver',
Ooh, she is picked with Just like a flea, isn't she?
Question: How will you perform the above line?
v. For lines ending with a non-terminal punctuation
Leaving home, leading out, Return my mother to me.
The sun is dinking and darkness is coming.
Question: How will you perform the above lines?
vi. In the middle of proverbs.
A stitch in time saves nine.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Question: Will your voice rise or fall at the end of the bolded words?
vii. For incomplete 'phrasing points'
Should I Or should I not Take the oath
To love this person I know little about?
NB: A complete idea stops at '...about?'. Therefore, the voice would have fallen at this point; but being a polar question that is where the intonation climaxes.
b. Falling intonation
i. For the last item in a list
I went to the market and bought oranges, mangoes, pineapples, and lemons.
NB: The intonation will fall on the mentioning of the last item of the list in bold.
ii. For wh- questions seeking information
How?
How could they? My dear Citizenry,
How could they mix sugar With traces of mercury?
How could they? How?
Who?
Who were they? Who added copper
Into our sweet sugar? Who were they?
Who?
iii. For questions giving two alternative choices
In this confession and confusion
I have some information to mention- Do you want education or suspension?
Question: How will you perform the above line?
iv. At the end of statements
Even young boys and girls infect the elderly with HIV. Teachers have rights too.
v. At end of proverbs
Two buttocks rubbing against each other will never lack sweat
Green banana leaves have no idea why dry banana leaves make; only time will tell.
vi. End of exclamations with negatively oriented emotions and orders.
The lady Angel
Was actually an angel
To her dear hubby Anabel
But to me she was just a baby!
NB: Falling intonation can be used to bring out the childish nature of the lady.