Book excerpt: This elocution manual is a comprehensive and practical book that will help learners acquire a sound diction, correct pronounciation and perfect their reading and speaking skills to express themselves confidently and fluently in front of an audience. The first section covers all important areas of English pronunciation: individual speech sounds, sounds in connected speech, word stress and intonation. The final section provides reading practice with a selection of famous speeches and English poetry. With its rich texture of association and allusion and repeating patterns of sound and stress, good literature, especially poetry, is an excellent medium for elocution practice.