Abstract: A method and apparatus which allows the transmission of the perceptually important features of a speech-coding parameter at a low bit rate. The speech coding parameter may, for example, comprise the signal power of the speech. The parameter is processed on a block by block basis. The parameter value at the block boundaries is transmitted by conventional methods such as, for example, by means of differential quantization. The shape of the reconstructed parameter contour within block boundaries is based on a classification. The classification determines perceptually important features of the parameter contour within a block. The classification can be performed either at the transmitting end of the coder (using, for example, the original parameter contour with high time resolution and possibly other speech parameters as well) or at the receiving end of the coder (using, for example, the transmitted parameter values, and possibly other transmitted speech parameters as well).