Results of vocal improvement programs for communication students: a comparison of two training approaches

ABSTRACT Purpose To compare the results of two vocal training programs for communication students. Methods VP, focused on vocal aspects, and EP, focused on oral expressiveness. 103 students, 46 in VP (16 men and 30 women, mean age of 20.6 years old) and 57 in EP (10 men and 47 women, mean age of 20.2 years old). Small groups were formed with an average of 20 participants per group, randomly distributed between VP and EP. The programs consisted of eight meetings, once a week, and lasted two hours each. The pre- and post-training moments were analyzed to verify the effects of each program and the results obtained post-training in VP and EP were compared. Voice and communicative competence self-assessment protocols, a questionnaire to assess communication engagement and performance in training, and auditory-perceptual judgment of pre- and post-training text readings were applied. Results The students of both groups evaluated better their voice and their communication post-training, no statistical difference between them. EP students considered themselves more involved and with better communication performance, with a statistically significant difference compared to VP. The reading was considered better post-training, with better use of speech rate, pauses, modulation and emphases. Conclusions When comparing two vocal training programs for communication students, there was a difference in self-assessment results in specific questionnaires. Participants in an oral expressiveness program considered themselves more involved and with better communication performance. Pre- and post-training comparison showed positive results in both programs.