Corrective Teaching for Defects of Speech in Backward and Mentally Defective Children
- Author:
Irene R. Ewing,
Ellis LJwyd Jones, Lecturer in ihe Training of the Deaf, Manchester University. During- the last five or six years many teachers whom I have met have dis- cussed with me the defects which are so common in the speech of backward and defective children, and the difficulties which lie before the teacher who tries to correct such defects.
Lately much more attention is being- paid to the question of speech correction. The Board of Education and Authorities of Training Colleges are recognising its importance and are providing speech-training as part of a teacher’s course of study. Most of such training bears upon the teacher’s own speech, and as yet little instruction is given in the correction of children’s speech.
In my opinion the greatest influence towards securing more perfect speech in our schools is the more perfect speech of teachers. It is well, therefore, for everyone who is interested in this subject to examine his or her own speech? to detect and correct any imperfections that may be present. We are all apt to form careless, slipshod habits when we talk, to catch local inflexion of voice or the local stressing of a word. Our speech is so largely a matter of imitation that it is not easy to avoid imitating the provincialisms of the district in which we live or work. I would suggest, therefore, that if we are to improve the quality of the speech in a school as a whole and also to correct individual peculiarities and defects we must first of all ensure that the speech the children hear in school shall be as perfect as possible. This presupposes that teachers realising the danger of their own tendency in common with all mankind ” to catch ” provincialisms will quite simply and definitely give ear to their own speech. The swiftest and surest way to develop ” an ear ” for speech is, in my opinion, through the study of phonetics. In such a course of study not only does one gain a systematic and scientific knowledge of the formation of the sounds (i.e., vowels, diphthongs, con- sonants and all their combinations) of which our language is composed, an under- standing of the relative positions of the organs of speech for each sound, but one also acquires facility in diagnosing faults, in controlling lips, tongue, etc.?a facility greatly needed when we wish to imitate a fault for the purpose of diagnosis and correction.
But there are many teachers of backward and defective children who, though having neither enough time nor opportunity for the study of phonetics, are keenly interested in speech correction, and would gladly devote some time and thought to it, if they knew how to set about it. To them the following sugges- tions are offered in the hope that they may be of practical help as a basis upon which to work.
If suggestions are to be of real practical help, when making them, one must bear in mind the conditions under which the average teacher works. For instance, usually she has a class of twenty or more children, whose speech is slovenly and inaccurate at best, and among whom there are one or two whose speech is definitely faulty and unintelligible. When there is a specific speech fault such as stammering, lisping, bad habits resulting from cleft palate, ” t ” given for c or k (e.g., toat for coat), ” d ” for g (e.g., do for go), corrective teaching must of necessity be individual?and we know it is not easy for a teacher responsible for a class to devote time to individual needs. I think that satisfactory and lasting’ results, when dealing with specific speech defects, can only be obtained through much teaching and practice?direct personal teaching regularly and systematically given by a person whose whole attention can be devoted to the child during the speech lesson. It is not possible for a teacher to supervise a class doing other work and at the same time to give adequate corrective teaching for the lisp of one child. I am persuaded that if a permanent improvement in speech is lO be obtained, time for individual teaching must be made, either by an arrangement so that one teachei or superintendent shall be responsible for this work, or by allowing each class teacher a short time daily in which to deal with the worst types of defects among the children in her class. Even in schools where one teacher or superintendent is responsible for all speech training, the best results cannot be obtained unless each member of the staff works in co-operation with her. Twenty minutes’ teaching and practice daily in sounding ” s ” instead of ” th ” {e.g., child who lisps and says ” thoap ” for soap, etc.), will not alone establish the new speech habit in a backward child. He is slow to form new habits and unless he is reminded every time he uses a word in which the faulty sound occurs, he will not of himself apply what he has learnt; the old habit will re-assert itself and he will continue to lisp except when talking to the ” speech teacher.” She acts as a reminder and lie sounds the ” s ” as a result. Sometimes we forget that it is not enough to secure from the child the right sound ; we need to give enough practice in it and its application to fix it in the child’s speech in such a way that he produces it eventually automatically and not with a conscious effort; and, again, let us remember that we are dealing with backward children and therefore we must be prepared to give extra practice, and yet even so to obtain a result more slowly. I believe that it is well worth while to persevere with speech correction, no matter how slow the progress made, and that very encouraging results are possible with defective children in this branch of teaching, but only in so far as the speech is a matter of interest to every member of the staff. One or two keen individuals can bring about much improvement in the speech of a school, but the most lasting results can only be obtained when every teacher in a school co-operates and makes the utterance of every child her concern.
I hope that I may be pardoned for repeating what I have already written? that it is well worth the trouble and time to study phonetics and to attend a course of lectures in Speech-training, especially where several members of a staff can attend together. I believe that it is very helpful?it is certainly more amusing ? if two or three or more work in co-operation when studying this subject, analysing, criticising, comparing and imitating faulty sounds made by children in the school.
To such teachers, anxious to develop ” an ear ” for speech, I would suggest that it is helpful to think of speech from four different aspects : 1. The voice?pleasant and resonant? 2. Vowel sounds?pure or local? 3. Consonants?clearly uttered or thickly? 4. Accent?is stress laid on the right syllable? Devote a short time daily for a month noting defects in the speech of diffeient children ; later analyse each fault, and ask yourself quite simply :? 1. Is that defect due to the child’s voice? 2. Is it due to a wrong vowel sound? 3. Is it due to a wrong consonant, or to a slovenly sound, or to lack of a consonant? 4. Is it due to the wrong- stressing of a syllable (e.g., observe instead of observe) ? Whenever you hear a fault mentally analyse it and examine it to discover to which group it belongs. By following this plan every day for a month you will find that the vagueness as to the origin of defects will clear away and that you will learn to locate that part of the mechanism which is responsible for them. This is the first step towards correction. And the second step, I believe, lies in the imitation of the fault. Train yourself to repioduce as exactly as you can what the child says. Develop a sense of mimicry so that you can imitate faults instantly. Unless a teacher knows what is wrong with the child’s speech she cannot show him how to correct it. The mere repetition by the teacher of the word correctly spoken is practically useless. It is of no value for the teacher to discourage a child by saying, ” No ! that is wrong?this is right,” again and again as he tries to copy her pronunciation. She needs to show him how to produce the right sound, so simply that he can follow her directions. Not only must she understand how the correct vowel or consonant is produced but also she must know what the child does that he should not do, or what he omits to do.
This knowledge will come naturally if she gain facility in imitating faults. Briefly I suggest the following procedure will be helpful in diagnosis :? 1. Place the fault (i.e., Voice? Vowel? Consonant? or Accent?). 2. Imitate it. 3. Compare the right and the wrong sound as you repeat each in front of a mirror. 4. Note the shape of the sound, if it is a vowel, and the position, if a consonant.
What you can see of the production of sounds is even more helpful than what you can hear, and it is more definite. You can show the child in the mirror his own wrong shape or position.
In a short article such as this it is impossible to deal adequately with the origin and correction of defects of voice, vowels, consonants and accent. I can only recommend books that will be helpful to the teacher who wishes to know more. For voice and its right development, for the production of vowels and consonants I would recommend ” Voice Training,” by H. H. Hulbert (University Tutorial Press, 1/Gd.). For valuable suggestions as to the correction of particular defects I would recommend ” Defects of Speech,” by Ida C. Ward (Dent & Sons, l/6d. ?). For a useful description of the formation of vowels, consonants and their combinations, I would recommend ” Speech and Speech Reading,” by A. J. Story (Harrison & Ainsworth, 3/10d.). This book is intended for teachers of the deaf but there is much in it that can be very helpful to anyone interested in the production of the sounds of which our language is composed.
If we consider the type of child in whose speech defects such as stammering, strained speech, jerky speech, a hurried lisp occur, we find that almost always he is nervous and highly strung. It is necessary, therefore, for us to remember that successful correction for him will be brought about by building up his self- confidence and a belief that he can speak properly. It is essential to arouse in him a desire for correction and an interest in his speech, and this can best be done, I believe, by noting and recommending- what is right in his speech from the first?and only gradually introducing the idea that all sounds are not perfect but can be made so.
In the foregoing plans we have considered the more pronounced speech defects of particular children ; we have not dealt with the question from the point of view of class teaching. I feel very strongly that there is valuable work to be clone in this direction. Just as the’ movements of hands, feet and limbs of backward children are clumsy and often lacking in control, so are the movements of the organs of speech?the lips, tongue, soft palate, etc. ; and just as free bodily action is developed in drill, games and dancing by the regular exercise of all muscles involved, so should we develop the muscles concerned in the formation of words. This can be done by setting aside each day a short period to be devoted to speech- training for the whole class. I would suggest that 15 minutes daily be allowed for this and that the time would be well spent if divided into three parts 5 minutes on Voice training.
5 minutes on Pronunciation, i.e., Pure vowel sounds. 5 minutes on Consonants.
I his scheme is only intended to be suggestive. The wise teacher will note the weakness in the speech of her class and she will plan her time and her exercises especially for the correction of the most common faults. Suggested exercises for Voice training :?
(a) Breathing exercises?upon which the strength and control of the voice primarily depend. (See Hulbert?Voice I raining, p. 16.) (b) Exercises based on ” AR.” AR?prolonged and sung in a pleasant well resonated voice. OO?Ditto. AR?begun softly and swelling to greater loudness. OO?Ditto. AR?soft loud, soft loud in turns. OO?Ditto.
It is necessary for the teacher to see that before such exercises a^e taken, every child blows his nose effectively. Resonance is interfered with if there is any blockage in the nasal organ.
It is important that a good chest voice should be produced and the sugges- tion that each child should place his hand on his chest to feel the voice (i.e., the vibration of voice) will help towards securing it.
It is also important that such exercises should be sung easily and lightly and without any strain. Since speech itself is the best of all voice developers, always provided the voice used is not harsh, heavy or nasal, it is good for children to join together in the repetition of rhythmic verses such as ” One Man went to Mow ” (not sung but spoken), ” This is the House that Jack built.”
Exercises to develop correct vowels :?We know that the purity of speech depends for the most part upon the vowels and that provincialisms most often can be traced to faults in them; therefore, it is well to give regular practice for pure vowels, pointing out the correct shape of the mouth or the position of the tongue; contrasting the wrong with the right shape. Let each child fot this keep a small mirror and lead him to see and compare sounds, then to practice them in words :?
e.g., Child says ” die ” for day. Show in mirror :? i. Mouth is more open for die. ii. Tongue is more spread for clay. _ _ _ Then, when the right sound day is given, let the class practise it in voids . day, may, ha}’, cake, say, stay. (When children cannot lead, the woids must be repeated after the teacher.) In five minutes it will be found that probably only one sound can be dealt with, but each vowel should be practised in turn and once the puie sound is obtained it must be insisted upon at all times.
Exercises to develop clear consonants :?When once we realise that the intelligibility of speech very greatly depends upon the clear and precise articula- tion of the consonants, we shall understand why the speech of backward children is so often unintelligible and slovenly. Each consonant is the result of one or more delicate movements, e.g. :?
” t ” is a little explosion of breath which follows the release of the tip of the tongue when it has been pressed against the upper gum. ” f ” is a flowing out of breath when lower lip is raised to upper teeth and they rest lightly upon it.
In my opinion, the consonants are best developed in babbling exercises, e.g. :? ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca la-la-la-la-la-la ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga hee-hee-hee-hee-hee pow-pow-pow-pow-pow, etc.
Each teacher will know best what sounds need most attention for her class. The value of babbling exercises lies in the movement they provide for the muscles concerned in the production of the sounds babbled. All such exercises must perforce help the speech as a whole, but it is necessary also to give attention to each faulty consonant as it occurs in words and therefore some word practice should also be taken, e.g. :? Child sounds ” T ” for ” C ” or ” K.” ta-ta-ta tor-tor-tor tow-tow-tow ka-ka-ka cor-cor-cor cow-cow-cow.
Practice, as given above, will help the child to produce both sounds more accurately, but for him to use the right sound in a word, it will be necessary to point out to him the difference in the position for each sound respectively and to let him see the difference in the mirror noting that ” T ” is made by the tip of the tongue and that ” C ” or ” K ” is made further back in the mouth and the tip is down.
To give the ” K ” in a word, the child will need to make a conscious effort it first, to place his tongue in the right position for ” K ” before he begins to utter the word. Similarly, he must at first think about every faulty consonant and practise the right formation again and again until, without any conscious effort on his part, it occurs in his speech automatically.
What I have written only touches upon this subject very superficially and inadequately. I feel I have not shown what an absorbing interest the correction of speech defects can become, nor have I made plain the conviction I hold, that if a teacher will begin to interest herself in children’s speech, give thought to it and experiment in her attempts to correct it; if she will be guided by common sense and ask herself simply, ” How can I bring home to that child the right sound? ” she will find that with thought, reading, the application of what she reads, and experience, her grasp of this question will grow, confidence in her own ability to cope with difficulties will become stronger and the results she will obtain will more than repay her labours.
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