Speech is one of the fundamental capacities of the human being, and an ability that for thousands of years has shaped our way of living and relating. It is the most common and universal way of using language, and therefore, it has allowed us to develop forms of abstract thinking and the ability to establish, in a matter of seconds, complex social interactions in almost any situation in which there are several people.
But as is the case even with the most characteristic physical and psychological traits of our species, there are individual differences to take into account. There are those who stand out for their extraordinary fluency when speaking, and there are also those who experience significant difficulties in this aspect. But luckily, There are several ways to enhance the use of speech, and in this article we will focus on those that have to do with improving pronunciation..
There are many possible reasons why a person may have difficulties when trying to pronounce well when speaking (and doing so with fluency and the appropriate rhythm). In some cases these are small defects that do not represent symptoms of a disorder, and in others this phenomenon can be referred to as clinically relevant alterations; neurodevelopmental disorders, brain injuries and strokes, etc.
In any case, beyond the causes, In most cases, significant progress can be made even among those with severe speech problems., as long as you have professional support. In fact, both speech therapy and psychotherapy take advantage of the extraordinary flexibility of the human brain (and the rest of the nervous system) when learning, to, through exercises, train both the body and the mind in correct pronunciation. of phonemes, the diction of words, the way the latter are woven into sentences, etc. These techniques designed to improve pronunciation are an example of this.
1. Sensory triangulation
Learning to pronounce better is, above all, a process of practice, a training. That is It has more to do with perfecting our technique in a sport than with studying a book.. We must immerse ourselves in experiences of practice and fluency, and not so much introspection and understanding of the language from a purely theoretical and intellectual level.
One of the best ways to achieve this is to repeat the pronunciation of phonemes and words based on not only one channel of information, but two. This double route, which should normally be visual (reading lips in a series or movie, or in a person in front of us) and auditory, will allow us to reinforce and enrich our way of associating the concept of each of the phonemes with the muscles of our body that we must activate and coordinate to pronounce them. Starting from two reference points, it is easier to see where they converge, just as happens in geometry.
2. Start with slow pronunciation
Keeping in mind our level of ability and adapting to it is essential to learning anything, and this includes the use of techniques to pronounce better. Therefore, it is important Do not demand impossible things from ourselves (this will discourage us and lead us to throw in the towel) nor repeat over and over again exercises that we always perform without any difficulty. (they don’t give us much).
Along these lines, it is useful to imagine an ascending difficulty curve that is always a little ahead of what we know we can do at any given moment, so that we are always exposing ourselves to tasks that challenge us. And having the speed of pronunciation as a reference is usually a good way to not lose track of our progress.
By starting slowly, it will be easier to become familiar with the chains of movements necessary to pronounce, as well as their sound, and to internalize each of the phonemes separately. From there, it will be easier to progress by trying to gain fluency in speech.
3. Recordings to detect frequent errors
Each person has unique errors when pronouncing. To adapt to our case, the most useful thing is to make recordings that allow us to recognize errors and patterns in our way of speaking. For example, in this way it will be easier to see to what extent fatigue is a factor that influences poor pronunciation, if we do not breathe well, if our jaw is too tense, etc.
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4. Take into account the position of the tongue
One of the most useful measures to improve pronunciation, especially at the beginning, is take into account the position of the tongue in those phonemes that are difficult for us, and use visual support of that position while we try to pronounce it (in words and phrases, not just in isolation). This will help us distinguish it from other similar phonemes and not end up resorting to the latter.
Although it may not seem like it has much to do with it, learning to breathe well is essential to correct possible problems when pronouncing. And it is that many times we misuse our lungs without realizing it. Properly taking advantage of the capacity of these organs will help ensure that we do not end up forcing speech to compensate for lack of air.
6. Singing practice
Singing is a good way to gain fluency and mastery of range of motion in all organs involved in speech, since the properties of music (rhythm, melody, nuances and harmony) act as “supports”. Thus, many of the progress achieved through singing can be extended to normal speech.
7. Speech accompaniment through non-verbal language
Gestures and the expression of ideas and feelings through posture They are also elements that act as support when speaking. Taking them into account contributes to the mental state necessary to express oneself spontaneously through speech.
