ENGLISH LANGUAGE SYLLABUS 2020

UPPER SEC E UNIT 2

Let’s Learn… How to Develop a Personal Voice

What is it?
“If you can find even one person you really like, you're lucky. And if that person can also
stand you, you're really lucky.”
Bill Watterson, cartoonist

“… no person is your friend (or kin) who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow
and be perceived as fully blossomed as you were intended.”
Alice Walker, writer

In the two quotations above, the writers share their thoughts about the same topic of
friendship, yet come across as two distinct personalities. We can tell them apart from their
personal voice.

A speaker or writer’s personal voice is captured in their stance and supported by their style.
 When we speak or write, our stance or position is what we stand for, informed by
our specific points of view. For example, a person who sees both the positive and
negative aspects of voluntourism and “slacktivism” and supports his or her points
with substantial evidence is striking an objective and informed stance, while
someone who strongly supports these trends might come across as enthusiastic and
committed.
 Our style comes from the particular way that we choose to use language and other
semiotic features, and contributes to the development of our personal voice. Tone
and register are two key elements of style that you may be familiar with, but a
person can also shape his or her style in unique ways, like many artists,
photographers and writers do.

Do we do this outside the classroom?

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Take a moment to recollect how your best friend, parents and favourite teacher sound
when they call your name. We recognise the voices of those we love because each voice has
its own, recognisable characteristics. We also have other ways of making our speech our
own. For example, while some of us choose to be more polite and formal in our choice of
words, others may be associated with using slang regularly. People may also identify us by
the distinct tone of our voice, which can differ depending on when, with whom, and in
which context we speak.

In both speaking and writing, each of us can develop a personal voice when we produce
texts. Even as we create texts for different purposes, audiences, contexts and cultures, our
voice can still be personal and distinct, simply because we choose to use language in
particular ways to convey specific messages in these texts.

If you’ve ever done any of the things below, you’ve been developing your personal voice:
 You decide to write your own song lyrics or use selected photographs and different
font types, sizes or colours to create a montage, so as to express your appreciation
of your close friends.
 You choose to share your points of view on a favourite teen idol, video game, show
or piece of music by posting on social media or commenting on others’ posts in
online forums.
 You select your clothes carefully (e.g., formal or casual attire) when you’re shooting
a video you’re going to post online, and pick video filters and fonts that match the
“vibe” you want people to associate you with.

Can you think of other instances when you have tried to develop your personal voice?

Why should we use it?

Texts produced without personal voice can sound wooden or mechanical because these
texts are missing the energy, personality, sounds and rhythm that make an audience feel
like they are interacting with a real human being. When we can discern the personality of a
speaker or writer, we may be more open-minded or sympathetic towards his or her feelings
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and thoughts. In academic presentations and essays, for example, our audience may be
better engaged if we have a personal voice as well as distinct points of view on our topic,
and are able to use these to build our argument and persuade our audience. Specifically, we
may also have to distinguish our voice clearly from the other voices of experts in the field
whom we have used either as evidence to support our own argument, or as
counterarguments to be ultimately refuted as inadequate or inappropriate.

At the same time, a voice that is personal without being informed may not be particularly
persuasive. A discerning audience would apply strategies to evaluate the claims and
assumptions we make in our texts, as well as our authority and sources. Without developing
our point of view clearly, logically and objectively, we could come across as enthusiastic but
biased and untrustworthy. In addition, our personal voice could ironically come between us
and our audience if we neglect the context and culture we are addressing; in fact, we could
appear rude, abrasive or even callous. It is therefore important to ensure that, whatever our
personal voice might be, the audience sees us as responsible, sensitive and knowledgeable
speakers or writers.

When do we use it?

We may need to develop our personal voice before making certain requests of others.
 For example, when we are applying for bursaries/ scholarships after secondary
school, we might need to craft personal statements detailing our distinctive
strengths, contributions, experiences or needs, so as to convince authorities why we
should be awarded the bursaries/ scholarships. Without a distinct personal voice, we
might appear to be mouthing rehearsed responses that we do not believe in.
 When trying to pitch ideas to our future employers or clients, we might be more
persuasive if, in addition to the strength of the ideas themselves, we display
enthusiasm and commitment as we highlight the distinct aspects of each idea.
People may be more ready to be convinced by our ideas when we demonstrate
conviction in those same ideas.
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In school, we often develop our personal voice when creating texts for different purposes
and contexts.
 For example, when producing Personal Recounts and Narratives, the narrator’s and/
or certain characters’ voice and perspectives may reflect our own personal voice and
points of view. In addition to these literary texts, we might also produce and recite
Poetry in Literature class, so that we can enjoy playing with, and learn how to use
literary language, rhyme, rhythm and silence to express ourselves in our own ways.
 For the school’s Values-in-Action (VIA) programme, we could volunteer to speak, for
example, at the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) roadshow and
present an Argument against the ill treatment of strays in Singapore’s public housing
estates. Using the class blog, we could also share our reflections and generate
Discussions on our unique volunteering experiences, developing not only our own
but also building on others’ voices.
 As part of extensive reading, listening and viewing activities, we might also consider
how we shape our personal voice when reviewing a book, poem or movie. We may
want to balance our enthusiasm for the work of a favourite writer with some
objectivity, by informing our response with an understanding of the writer’s
influences.
 To broaden the audience’s understanding of certain topics or issues, we might draw
on our knowledge of different types of texts to produce hybrid texts (see Unit 5).
Because each part of a hybrid text can achieve different purposes, we might also
vary our personal voice in each part, achieving a richly nuanced, multi-layered voice
overall. For example, in a magazine article on mental wellness, we may adopt a more
meditative and pensive voice when we share a poem, lighten up when we use a
humorous anecdote and come across as sensitive and supportive through our
selection of photographs that document others’ lives. In contrast, we might develop
a more distanced, objective voice when producing a Descriptive Report for a
research study on mental wellness.
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How do we do it?
We can consider the steps below when developing our personal voice.
Step Ask yourself… Suggestions
Identify What kind of Personal voice is not something one develops overnight. As
voice should I you read, listen to and view texts extensively, pay attention
develop in my to how your favourite text creators (e.g., songwriters,
text? speakers, writers) use language and other semiotic modes.

Consider using the strategies below to continuously explore

the personal voice that you want:
 Record the words/ expressions you have learnt and
their meanings in your Word Bank.
 Design “quotation cards” using freely available
online design tools (e.g., Canva) and quotations
from texts you have listened to, or read.
 Use freewriting and personal journalling to focus on
the fluency (“flow”) and enjoyment of language.
Experiment boldly, creating texts regularly without
worrying too much about grammar or editing your
texts excessively.
 Design projects of your own, utilising podcasts,
blogs and infographics, where you can freely
experiment with different techniques to crystallise
your personal voice.

When you are producing your own text, determine the kind
of voice you would like to develop and revisit the texts that
contain techniques you would like to emulate. Envision the
personal voice that is distinctly yours, and develop it to
match the particular text you are producing.

Consider these questions:

 Who can I learn from?
o Which text creators have personal voices that I
find interesting/ engaging/ inspiring/ effective?
o Which aspects of their texts (e.g., ideas/ details,
word choice, literary devices and techniques,
sentence structures) come together to create
these voices?

 What kind of text am I producing?

o What purpose, audience, context and culture
am I addressing in my text?
o Which type/ form of text am I producing (e.g.,
Arguments/ Proposals)?
o What role (e.g., scientist, historian, journalist), if
any, am I adopting in producing my text?
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 How can I shape my personal voice?

o How can I describe my stance (e.g., balanced,
objective) and style (e.g., formal,
conversational)?
o Which colour, image or musical tune could I
compare my personal voice to? Why?

Craft How do I organise As you produce your text, experiment using various
and use language semiotic features to develop the personal voice that you
to develop voice want.
in my text?  Your use of language impacts the voice you are
developing.
o Literary language can have a powerful effect on
how the audience perceives you. For example,
when you connect unrelated or contradictory
ideas in a simile or metaphor, you could come
across as being inventive or insightful. Being
playful with language (e.g., use of puns, irony,
hyperbole, wit) usually makes you appear
humorous to your audience.
o Pay attention to the rhythm you are creating
with your choice of sentence lengths (e.g., short
sentences can sound more fast-paced and
dynamic) and structures (e.g., complex
sentences tend to heighten formality and
seriousness). Play around with the length of
paragraphs (e.g., a single sentence as a stand-
alone paragraph can produce a more dramatic,
confident voice).
o Be aware of how organisational structures and
patterns affect personal voice. Writers of
Arguments often state their position both in the
Introduction and Conclusion to convey greater
conviction, whereas those who write
Discussions compare and contrast various
points of view to develop a more objective,
balanced voice.

 The way you incorporate other semiotic features

also influences how the audience sees you.
o The images you select quickly help the audience
see what you find important. A photograph that
shows people in distress may convey the
sympathetic stance you take towards them,
while a comic strip may emphasise how
humorous you are.
o The music and sound effects that you select
also convey how you feel about an event or
topic. For example, if you select an upbeat tune
to accompany a video on mental health issues,
you are signalling a voice that is full of hope and
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optimism.

Consider these questions:

 How is my use of language shaping my personal
voice?
 How is my use of other semiotic features (e.g.,
images, music) further developing the voice in my
text?
 How sincere is the stance I am conveying?

Remember that audiences of expository texts like

Arguments and Discussions expect speakers and writers to
be responsible, balanced and informed. When producing
such texts, ask:
 How do I paraphrase and summarise expert sources
to avoid plagiarising others while developing my
own voice?
 Where should I be attributing and referencing
sources so that I can keep my voice distinct from
the other voices in my text?
 Where can I use hedging (e.g., application of modals
and adverbs) to moderate my stance on a topic/
issue?
 How is my use of evaluative language (e.g., verbs,
adjectives) affecting my personal voice? Are there
words that may come across too strongly, or ideas
that may need to be emphasised more?

Review How can I Pause frequently to evaluate your developing personal

sharpen my voice voice, placing yourself in the shoes of your audience. Do this
in my text? at various points, both as and after you draft your text.

Consider these questions as you sharpen your voice in your

text:
 How can I “hear” myself better in my own text?
Which parts of my text can I revise to sound more
“like me” (e.g., convey more closely what I feel or
think)?
 How can I achieve a better balance between “being
myself” and addressing the purpose, audience,
context and culture of my text?

Consider also engaging in the following, to sharpen your

voice in speaking, writing and representing:
 Re-reading aloud: Re-read your text aloud either to
yourself, your classmates or teacher. Try to “hear”
your voice in your text.
 Annotation: Annotate parts of your text where you
can “hear” your voice (e.g., where you have used
vivid details/ phrases particularly meaningful to
you, or sentences with a rhythm distinctive to you).
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Compile these annotated texts into your e-portfolio,

to see the development of your voice in your texts
over time. Fine-tune your voice patiently.
 Teacher-Peer Mini Conferences: As part of your
discussions with your teachers and classmates
about various aspects of your draft (e.g., how
clearly you express your ideas, how accurate your
use of language is), gather feedback on how you can
sharpen your voice, and help it emerge more clearly
in your text. E.g., Ask them:
o What is memorable about your text?
o What would they like to hear more of?
o Which part of your text is too succinct/
detached/ impersonal?
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Tool for Developing a Personal Voice

Use the graphic organiser below to help you develop your personal voice in the texts that
you speak, write and represent, both in and outside this unit.

What kind of voice should I develop in my text?

Identify

How do I organise and use language to develop voice in my text?

Craft

How can I sharpen my voice in my text?

Review

In Secondary 2, we learnt how to organise Arguments. After learning to develop your

personal voice, prepare to produce a draft of your Argument.
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Let’s Evaluate and Refine Our Strategies

Use the rating scale below to help you assess how well you understand and use the
strategies you have learnt.

After you have evaluated your level of mastery, consider how you can improve your
performance.

Develop metacognition by recording your thoughts as you perform a strategy.

You can record yourself thinking aloud, or annotate texts with comment
boxes. Then review your performance and think about how you can improve,
or learn together with a friend by exchanging your recordings and notes.