Remember
that – will it be on the test? A common question. The new academic year is gearing up with new
courses and fresh students about to take their seats in lecture theaters to
listen to the golden words of wisdom from their professors.
Some
of those words of wisdom will be remembered, but many more will be forgotten.
Sometimes it’s the subject matter, sometimes it’s the phraseology, and
sometimes it’s just the delivery that determines whether or not you’ll remember
that gem.
Speaking
for an hour or so on a dry topic is an art that some can pull off well, but
often the continuous cadence of one voice leads to our attention wandering.
Then we don’t remember that critical point. Making an effort at clear speech so
that someone whose first language is different from yours, or which would help
someone with a hearing deficit, makes a huge difference. Ear-buds for listening
to music or taking phone messages during the lecture doesn’t count in terms of
sympathy, of course.
A
recent study by Van Engen et al from
U Texas at Austin set about quantifying the problem of memory recognition of
speech in trying circumstances. The first study used 18 young students to
listen to sentences spoken and mixed with background chatter-type noise. Some
sentences were sensible. Some weren’t, but all were short and the participants
had to transcribe them as best they could.
The
second study had a few more participants and the age range was wider going up
to students in their 30’s. This time, both a normal conversational voice and a
careful clear speaking voice were used.
The
results were clear, the listeners were able to remember the short meaningful
sentences best, but with a distinct advantage when care was taken to speak
clearly and not just chat.
These
experiments were all done individually in the lab and not in a lecture room.
Large classes are probably a good thing as the speaker is more likely to speak
slowly and clearly. Small groups are usually much more “chatty.” Does this mean
that we should opt for the most popular classes one wonders idly when we should
be listening.
