Toolkit Idea Topic 16-Lipreading/Speechreading

Hi & Happy New Year. This is the 16th of 27 Idea
Topics I listed on three sheets of paper called:
"A Toolkit of Ideas for People with A Hearing Loss"
Sheet 1 Introduction Ideas 4 topics
Sheet 2 Toolkit Ideas 18 topics
Shhet 3 Closing Ideas 5 topics
Note :This is the first topic this year. Prior
topics 1-15 can be seen at google website:
hlt1-27.blogspot.com

16 LIPREADING/SPEECHREADING:will define both
terms but understand that today they are used
interchangably.

1 Introduction:Many people with a hearing loss use
their eyes to make up for what they cannot hear
since they usually have difficulty hearing speech
as it normally sounds. In addition to straining
to hear, you are also using your eyes to get what
your ears missed and that you hear better when
you see people's faces.

2 Definitions:
a LIPREADING:is a skill most people use to understand
speech by visually interpreting the movements of
the lips,face and tongue with information provided
by the context,language and any residual hearing.
People with normal vision,hearing and social skills
unconsciously use information from the lips and face
to aid aural comprehension in everyday conversation.
b SPEECHREADING:uses lipreading skills plus additional
clues such as facial expressions, gestures and body
language. Knowing the topic and context helps to
figure out what a person is saying.

3 Some facts:
a Lipreading takes a lot of focus & can be very tiring.
b Lipreading may be difficult because only 30 to 40
percent of speech is visible on the lips.
c Many sounds are made in the back of the throat, such
as k and hard g.
d Many words have the same mouth movement and look the
same on the lips but sound different, such as pat,
bat and mat.
e Speechreading can be like taking a fill-in-the-blanks
test, so paying attention to context is critical to
good speechreading.
f Speechreading is a skill that must be learned and
practised regularly. Some people are natural lip
readers but most of us have to struggle to learn it.

4 Useful Information:
a Speechreading like any new skill may require training,
regular practise and natural ability.
b Speechreading videotapes and guidebooks are available
and some community colleges offer classes to help
people improve their skills.
c Visit the website and type "lipreading" and/or
"speechreading" to obtain more information.

Let's share our experiences with lipreading/speechreading
so others can profit by our experiences.
Some interesting questions about lipreading are:
1 Why does it come so easily to some people but others
like me, have to struggle to learn it?
2 Are classes really worth the time, frustration and money
involved?

Best regards Paul in New Jersey