If you have a speech challenge, it is ideal to seek professional help first. If that’s not an option, never give up. If you want to be a motivational speaker, or if you just want your voice to be heard, never give up on the idea. Never say “I’m not good enough.”
If you have health insurance, you may be covered for a speech pathologist, if your GP makes a referral. If you don’t have coverage and can’t afford a speech therapist, there are still many things you can do alone or with a friend that can improve your speech.
My larynx was damaged over 30 years ago and I have been working with a speech therapist for the past 2 years. Working with a professional has been a great improvement in my speech. I’m going to share with you some of my speech therapist’s instructions, so that you too will benefit.
One of the things my speech therapist taught me was to breathe, slow down, and speak at a steady pace. When I get excited or speak faster, the words often get mixed up.
“Diction” means the clarity with which each syllable of each word is pronounced. A speech therapist can identify a list of your personal speech challenges. They can be consonants of syllables, words, sentences, and even sentences.
If you don’t have a therapist to work with, you are probably already aware of some of your challenges in starting your own list. So a friend who knows you well and is a good listener can help you expand the list for your particular situation. When you first make your list, recite each line daily. After a while, the correct pronunciation that you are consciously practicing becomes subconsciously anchored. Here’s how you improve.
Projecting your voice is another area that a speech therapist works on. The projection is related to the breath. If you are reading a sentence, you know in advance what the end of the sentence will be and can measure your breathing accordingly. If you are giving a speech, practice reading it aloud many times a day so that you can anticipate where the challenging phrases are going to be and be prepared for them.
Both diction and projection can be easier when reading, rather than speaking spontaneously. A common mistake is running the words together at the end of a sentence, trying to fit them together before taking the next breath. My therapist calls this “throwing up words.”
Another thing to practice every day is language exercises. To strengthen your tongue, lift your tongue and press the top of your mouth for about a second. Do this ten times, three times a day.
You can also record yourself speaking and listen to your progress. If you feel discouraged hearing your voice, I suggest you listen to the recording with your therapist or a friend, who can help you focus on how much you have improved.
In short, there is no reason why a person who has a voice challenge cannot overcome it with the right help. A professional speech therapist is the best option. Be sure to follow all the protocols your therapist identifies to practice your breathing, diction, breathing, rhythm, and tongue strength.