Getting Started: Speechreading in Context; Gallaudet University

Gallaudet University Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center

Speechreading in Context:
A Guide for Practice
in Everyday Settings

Introduction

Table of Contents

Dedication

About the Author

Introduction

About this Guide

Planning a Lesson

Activities

Sharing Ideas Home Page

This guide to speechreading with deaf children is based on the belief that speechreading abilities can be enhanced through experiential practice. This means that speechreading is not necessarily taught; it is instead presented in structured, comfortable environments where deaf and hard of hearing children can experience spoken language and ACQUIRE speechreading skills. This is not an analytical approach to speechreading; it is an experiential, synthetic approach designed to encourage acquisition of receptive spoken language abilities through meaningful activities. In other words, analytic. tasks--those based on breaking down words and working to visually differentiate one isolated sound from another--are not part of this approach. Instead, practice occurs at a synthetic or pragmatic level; sounds are presented within words and phrases as they might be used in actual conversations. Synthetic activities tend to be functional in nature, surrounding the target words and phrases with context. They seem more authentic or lifelike--and hence more motivating and meaningful--than analytic tasks. This difference can be important to the success of speechreading training with young children.

More Than Just Lipreading

Besides the appeal and applicability these "realistic" activities offer for children, there are some very important theoretical reasons not to focus only on what is seen on the lips. Speechreading, a term coined and used by professionals working with deaf and hard of hearing individuals, is a much broader activity, in which individuals utilize all available clues to understand what a person is saying. Speechreading does include lipreading, but also capitalizes on gestures and body language, facial expressions, situational clues, linguistic factors and any auditory input that is available to the individual (Kaplan, H. (1996). Speechreading. In M.J. Moseley and S. Baily (Eds.), Communication Therapy: An Integrated Approach to Aural Rehabilitation, 229-250. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press).

Lipreading is the visual differentiation and comprehension of the sounds in words and sentences.
Gestures or body language include any body movement accompanying the spoken utterance that add meaning; for example "Go!" with a finger point.
Facial expressions are similar to body language and add information for the listener, such as the emotional tone of the comment and whether it is a statement or a question.
Situational clues that assist the deaf or hard of hearing listener are contextual cues such as a child's mother with her hands full standing in front of a door saying "Open the door please."
Linguistic factors that rely on the redundancy that is a natural part of language assist children who are becoming more familiar with spoken English. An example of this is knowing that a question will often begin with a WH word (who, what, where, when, and why), or seeing a plural form of a verb indicates that the subject was plural even if the "s" was not heard.

Because these factors work together to contribute to success in speechreading, it is important to conduct speechreading practice in context, not in isolation.

Why Practice Speechreading?

A deaf or hard of hearing child with receptive spoken language skills (of any kind) and experiential practice using these skills is likely to know what to expect and experience greater success in a variety of settings that involve spoken communication. Speechreading skills can be an important part of developing independence and a feeling of confidence when encountering situations in which spoken language is appropriate or desired. Using this type of context-based practice, deaf and hard of hearing children, in any type of educational program, can experiment with a full array of communication tools and discover what works for them in a variety of academic and social situations, and later in their careers.

For these reasons, speechreading is an important and beneficial feature of a communication therapy or training program. The focus of this type of training in speechreading enables deaf and hard of hearing children to anticipate what may be said in a given spoken language situation. This process of learning what to expect (situationally and linguistically) furthers the ability of a child to function in diverse situations in hearing society. Most deaf and hard of hearing children in any type of educational setting can enjoy and later benefit from this type of guided exposure to spoken language presented in natural contexts. The goals and expectations are easily modified to suit the needs and abilities of each child.

A possible additional benefit for children is the connection this type of work can have to literacy. While not thoroughly investigated, it is hypothesized by some researchers that some children's success in reading is related to an internal decoding system based on the spoken form of English. How this system is developed by the children is not yet clear. However, these activities have the potential to reinforce developing English literacy skills by linking both written and spoken forms of English with meaningful activities.

Who Can Use This Guide?

The responsibility for fostering speechreading skills in an enjoyable and meaningful way can be assumed by a variety of individuals in the child's life. In a structured setting, training should take place with an experienced professional; that is, a speech-language clinician, communication therapist, audiologist, aural rehabilitationist, and/or teacher of the deaf. Outside of therapy, practice can occur with other individuals who are familiar with the child and understand the basic goals. This includes parents, teachers, bus drivers and siblings who can be on the look-out for fun, low-pressure, real-life situations that might support practice in a naturally occurring setting. In all situations, the students should be involved, to the extent that they understand, in ideas about how they could get occasional practice outside school, and know which individuals have agreed to become part of those activities. It is recommended that the clinician orient non-professionals to ensure success for the child. It is important to remember when practicing these skills that opportunities be presented in safe, predictable contexts. These contexts should be fully comprehensible to the child either through context or familiarity with the activity, or should be clearly a practice scenario.

This approach can be used with children in any educational setting using any type of communication mode. Oral programs, Cued Speech programs, Total Communication and ASL/Bilingual/Bicultural programs can all use the strategies presented in this guide to improve the speechreading skills of deaf and hard of hearing students. Finally, it is important for a variety of deaf adult role models to participate in various aspects of this practice with children. Students can gain new perspectives and strategies as deaf adults share with them their first-hand experiences, approaches, and the practical applications of speechreading in their own lives.

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