effect of the speaker on communications involving people with hearing loss
We are all aware that some people are easier to understand than others.
Characteristics and behaviors that may be unnoticed by or a minor annoyance to a
normally hearing person may be an effective roadblock to understanding by a
person with a hearing loss. These characteristics include the person's speaking
manner, facial visibility, topic management, and general demeanor.
Speaking Manner
One obviously important feature is the manner of the person's speech. Some
people seem oblivious to the fact that their listener doesn't hear well, and
they rattle on at high speed and low volume, practically guaranteeing that no
communication will happen. Others talk ...... very ..... slowly .... and .. ex-ag-ger-
ate each syllable in a misguided attempt to promote understanding. While the
hard of hearing, late deafened, or oral deaf person may appreciate the thought and the effort, she doesn't appreciate
the resulting communications difficulties.
So how should one speak when communicating with a person who has a hearing
loss? In general, he best way is to speak clearly and distinctly, with special
attention given to enunciating the consonants. The speaking pace should be
normal or perhaps a little slower than normal. Your best guide, of course, is to
ask the person to whom you are speaking. Most people with hearing loss know very
well what works best for them.
A related issue is that of accents. As our world becomes smaller and our
country more heterogeneous, we meet more people for whom English is not the
first language. Some hard of hearing, late deafened, and oral deaf people have increased difficulty understanding
people with strong accents, while others seem not to notice. Whatever the case,
the best strategy remains to speak clearly and distinctly, and to ask the
listener what is most effective for them.
Facial Visibility
I use the term "facial visibility" to include a variety of
characteristics that are of assistance to people using speech
reading. The most
obvious assistance is afforded by ensuring that the person with hearing loss can clearly
see your mouth. So the first requirement is for the listener to be aware that
you are speaking to him and to be looking at you. Speaking to a person with a
hearing loss when his back is turned or when he is looking down, or in any
circumstance other than when he is focusing on you, is likely to result in
failed communication. The requirement that they focus on your face is so strong
that hard of hearing, late deafened, and oral deaf women often report that their concentration on a man's face is
sometimes mistaken for a "come-on". So there are two lessons here.
First, be aware that the listener must be looking directly at you. Second, don't
misinterpret that attention.
Now that you have your listener's attention, you must be sure that nothing
impedes his ability to speech read. This means that he should have an
unobstructed view of your mouth, and you should be using your mouth only for
speech. Holding something in front of your mouth, chewing gum, or eating while
speaking will reduce communication. Also, move speech to the front of your mouth
and provide sufficient lip and tongue movement that your listener can
"see" the sounds. Be careful not to overdo this expression, but be
aware of the importance of mouth movement, especially if you tend not to move
your mouth a lot when you speak. Finally, for the men, facial hair must be
trimmed so that the lips are clearly visible.
I use the term "facial visibility" rather than "lip
visibility" for the same reason that the term "speech reading"
has replaced the older term "lip reading". While the lips are most
important, other facial features assist your listener to understand you. Any
emotional expression that's visible on your face will aid communication, so be
sure to provide those clues.
Topic Management
In the course of a conversation, normally hearing people don't hear every
sound, but they get enough of the sounds that they can piece together the words,
sentences, and concepts. People with hearing loss do the same thing, but with
much less raw data (sound information). They are, therefore much more likely to
misunderstand what is being said. When a person knows the topic being discussed,
she can correctly piece together sentences and concepts with far less raw data
than if she doesn't know the topic. So, be sure that your listener knows the
topic, and be especially careful to let her know when the topic changes.
General Demeanor
Your general demeanor can hugely contribute to or detract from successful
communication. I'm sure you've noticed that things are easier for you if you're
relaxed. Remember that test you blew even though you really knew the material,
just because you got nervous? Many people with hearing loss face a similar
situation during every conversation they have. It may not be apparent to you,
but they are almost certainly working very hard to understand what you are
saying. If your behavior increases their anxiety, it will certainly diminish
their understanding.
So, be friendly, flexible, and patient. They may ask you to move to a
different location, to slow down, or to repeat something. They may ask you
multiple times. If they really get stuck, or if it's easily confusable things
like numbers, they may ask you to write it down. How you respond to these
requests will help determine the outcome of your conversation. Does your
response help them to relax, or does it increase their anxiety? Remember that
test?
