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Sound skills
If a person is difficult to understand, either due to a speech problem or a heavy accent, the listener often feels uncomfortable dealing with him or her. Sometimes the speaker will be perceived as less intelligent, and there may even be a tendency to avoid interaction entirely.
The St. Louis University Hearing-Speech-Language Clinic, located at 3750 Lindell Blvd., deals with the aspects of speech therapy that one would expect: assisting stroke patients to relearn speech or helping those with inherent speech problems to learn new ways to deal with them.
The goal is to provide therapy that is effective, said Kathy Murphy, the clinical director of the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. “The talking muscles are also the ones that are used to sustain life. They are used in breathing, swallowing and eating.”
Now the clinic is offering a new program designed for non-native English speakers. The people served by this program already have an understanding of English. However, they may have heavy accents or speak in such a way that their ability to be understood is hindered. The program is designed to help them learn how to communicate but does not treat a cultural accent as a disorder. “We have no desire to extinguish a person’s accent,” Murphy said. “We simply want to provide people with the optimal way to communicate.”
Most of the clinic’s clients are self-referred, although some have been encouraged by their employers to seek services. They have come from a variety of backgrounds. “We have seen doctors, housekeepers, babysitters and others who simply want to learn to cope,” Murphy said. “A doctor might want to better communicate with his patients or his colleagues. A household employee might want to communicate better with a family.”
“Fees are arranged on a sliding-scale basis,” Murphy added. “We try not to turn anyone away.”
Clients are seen individually, though there may be occasional group settings to enhance learning. Sessions might be conducted by graduate students in the clinic program but are overseen by faculty members and clinical instructors. After meeting with a prospective client, the staff determines how to assist the person. Some people are visual learners and do well with written instructions; others are better with speech repetition. “In fact, the ability to imitate is a real asset for a client,” Murphy said.
The inability to be understood can be frustrating for people with accents. Mira, a Bosnian, is in her 50s. She said, “I learn alone to speak English. I taught myself. I use the dictionary.
I went to the library and listen to tapes. I had to work. At night, I practice and learn English. TV helps, but books help the most. It is embarrassing to know the words and not be able to write it. Sometimes people do not understand what I say. It makes me feel like they think I am not trying. No matter how hard I try, it does not sound the same as Americans. The telephone is harder than personal conversation. English has different accents that are sometimes hard to understand, too.”
Mira heard about the SLU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic through friends and recently enrolled. She wants to become an American citizen and hopes that the clinic’s services will help her do well on the citizenship tests.
There is no predetermined time in which clients must complete the program. It simply depends on their goals.
Victoria Carlson-Casaregola is a graduate student in a communications sciences program. She spoke about one client she sees regularly. He is a native Arabic speaker who holds a professional position. His goal is to be able to communicate better with the public and with his colleagues.
“My client was preparing a presentation.” Carlson-Casaregola said. “In his paper there were words where the letter P was used a lot. He tends to pronounce his Ps like Bs. He wanted to maintain his listeners’ respect, and he didn’t want his audience to be distracted by his manner of speaking, so he sought our services.”
Both Murphy and Carlson-Casaregola noted that difficulties in communication often amount to the differences in stress and rhythm found in language. The clinic assists clients in identifying and mastering these patterns.
Omar is a 27-year-old medical resident who was born in Jordan. He was referred to the SLU program by staff at the hospital where he works and has been in SLU’s program since September 2007. “I learned how to speak English when I was young,” Omar said, “but my problem is finding the right words to use and to use the rhythm and the speed Americans use so that people can understand me.”
“This is not an ESL [English as a Second Language] program,” Carlson-Casaregola stressed. “We concentrate on the sounds of the language rather than on specific language and grammar rules.”
Murphy said that the clinic’s services are not only available to non-native English speakers but to anyone who might want to learn a different accent. If, for example, a person’s regional accent proved to be a problem in dealing with the public or was an obstacle in obtaining a promotion, the clinic could provide assistance. She added that research shows that as people age, their ability to understand different accents and dialects decreases. Again, Murphy said, “This is never to say that one way of speaking is better than another. It’s simply a matter of helping a person be more easily understood.”
• The St. Louis University Hearing-Speech-Language Clinic is a not-for-profit clinic that has served the St. Louis area for over 40 years. In addition to individualized services, there are community programs offered each year that include a summer speech camp for children, aphasia groups for adult and geriatric clients, and consultations to urban and rural school districts. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit www.slu.edu/x12349.xml or call 977-3365.
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