Unit 5. Stuttering

 

III. I.1. The text you are going to read is dedicated to Stuttering. What have you already known about it?

2. Pay attention to the following terms used in the text:

 

to disrupt – нарушать;

sound repetitions or prolongations – повторения и продление звуков;

eye blinking- мигание глазами;

jaw – челюсть;

cluttering – хаотичная речь (рассеянная, неритмичная манера говорить отрывистыми краткими вспышками);

vocal folds (or vocal cords) – голосовые складки (связки);

voice box – гортань;

trachea or windpipe – трахея, дыхательное горло;

lungs – легкие;

outgrow – избавляться с возрастом, перерастать;

developmental stuttering - заикание, проявляющееся у детей, при становлении речи;

neurogenic stuttering - нейрогенное заикание, результат структурных нарушений (патологических изменений) в зоне мозга, отвечающей за моторную речь;

psychogenic stuttering – психогенное, невротическое заикание (возникает на фоне травматического опыта таких как горе, распад отношений или психологической реакции на физическую травму);

mental anguish – душевные страдания;

II. 1. Find the following English equivalents in the text:

- заикание;

- речевой поток;

- звуки, слоги, слова;

- может сопровождаться;

- попытка заговорить;

- способствовать улучшению беглости;

- точные скоординированные движения мышц;

- мышечная ткань;

- менее одного процента;

- предопределены генетически;

- инсульт, травмы мозга;

- психическое заболевание;

- наследственный;

- снизить частоту приступов заикания;

- родителям настоятельно рекомендуется;

- воздерживаться от критики;

- поднять определенную тему;

- говорить с незнакомыми людьми или на публике;

- побочные эффекты;

- при длительном лечении;

 

2. Read the text. Use dictionary if necessary:

Stuttering is a speech disorder in which the normal flow of speech is disrupted by frequent repetitions or prolongations of speech sounds, syllables or words or by an individual's inability to start a word. The speech disruptions may be accompanied by rapid eye blinks, tremors of the lips and/or jaw or other struggle behaviors of the face or upper body that a person who stutters may use in an attempt to speak. Certain situations, such as speaking before a group of people or talking on the telephone, tend to make stuttering more severe, whereas other situations, such as singing or speaking alone, often improve fluency.

Stuttering may also be referred to as stammering, especially in England, and by a broader term, disfluent speech. Stuttering is different from two additional speech fluency disorders, cluttering, characterized by a rapid, irregular speech and spasmodic dysphonia, a voice disorder.

 

Speech is normally produced through a series of precisely coordinated muscle movements involving respiration (the breathing mechanism), phonation (the voicing mechanism) and articulation (throat, palate, tongue, lips and teeth). These muscle movements are initiated, coordinated and controlled by the brain and monitored through the senses of hearing and touch.

Before speaking, an individual takes a breath and the vocal folds (or vocal cords), which are two bands of muscular tissue located in the voice box directly above the trachea or windpipe, must come together. The air that is held in the lungs is gradually released, passing through the gently closed vocal folds thus causing vibration and producing the voice. The sound of the voice is passed through the throat and is directed into the mouth for most speech sounds, or into the nose for nasal sounds such as " m, " " n" and " ng." The palate, tongue, jaw and lips move in precise ways to modify the sounds in order to make speech sounds.

Stuttering affects individuals of all ages but occurs most frequently in young children between the ages of 2 and 6 who are developing language. Boys are three times more likely to stutter than girls. Most children, however, outgrow their stuttering, and it is estimated that less than 1 percent of adults stutter.

Scientists suspect a variety of causes. There is reason to believe that many forms of stuttering are genetically determined. The precise mechanisms causing stuttering are not understood.

The most common form of stuttering is thought to be developmental, that is, it is occurring in children who are in the process of developing speech and language. This relaxed type of stuttering is felt to occur when a child's speech and language abilities are unable to meet his or her verbal demands. Stuttering happens when the child searches for the correct word. Developmental stuttering is usually outgrown.

Another common form of stuttering is neurogenic. Neurogenic disorders arise from signal problems between the brain and nerves or muscles. In neurogenic stuttering, the brain is unable to coordinate adequately the different components of the speech mechanism. Neurogenic stuttering may also occur following a stroke or other type of brain injury.

Other forms of stuttering are classified as psychogenic or originating in the mind or mental activity of the brain such as thought and reasoning. Whereas at one time the major cause of stuttering was thought to be psychogenic, this type of stuttering is now known to account for only a minority of the individuals who stutter. Although individuals who stutter may develop emotional problems such as fear of meeting new people or speaking on the telephone, these problems often result from stuttering rather than causing the stuttering. Psychogenic stuttering occasionally occurs in individuals who have some types of mental illness or individuals who have experienced severe mental stress or anguish.

Scientists and clinicians have long known that stuttering may run in families and that there is a strong possibility that some forms of stuttering are, in fact, hereditary. No gene or genes for stuttering, however, have yet been found.

Stuttering is generally diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist, a professional who is specially trained to test and treat individuals with voice, speech and language disorders. The diagnosis is usually based on the history of the disorder, such as when it was first noticed and under what circumstances, as well as a complete evaluation of speech and language abilities.

There are a variety of treatments available for stuttering. Any of the methods may improve stuttering to some degree, but there is at present no cure for stuttering. Stuttering therapy, however, may help prevent developmental stuttering from becoming a life-long problem. Therefore a speech evaluation is recommended for children who stutter for longer than six months or for those whose stuttering is accompanied by struggle behaviors.

Developmental stuttering is often treated by educating parents about restructuring the child's speaking environment to reduce the episodes of stuttering. Parents are often urged to:

· provide a relaxed home environment that provides ample opportunities for the child to speak. Setting aside specific times when the child and parent can speak free of distractions is often helpful.

· refrain from criticizing the child's speech or reacting negatively to the child's disfluencies. Parents should avoid punishing the child for any disfluencies or asking the child repeat stuttered words until they are spoken fluently.

· resist encouraging the child to perform verbally for people.

· listen attentively to the child when he or she speaks.

· speak slowly and in a relaxed manner. If a parent speaks this way, the child will often speak in the same slow, relaxed manner.

· wait for the child to say the intended word. Don't try to complete the child's thoughts.

· talk openly to the child about stuttering if he or she brings up the subject.

Many of the currently popular therapy programs for persistent stuttering focus on relearning how to speak or unlearning faulty ways of speaking. The psychological side effects of stuttering that often occur, such as fear of speaking to strangers or in public, are also addressed in most of these programs.

Other forms of therapy utilize interventions such as medications. Medications or drugs which affect brain function often have side effects that make them difficult to use for long-term treatment.

 

III. 1. Answer the questions:

1) What is stuttering?

2) What is another name of that speech disorder?

3) What is the impact of stuttering?

4) Do boys stutter more than girls?

5) Do adults stutter?

6) What are the peculiarities of grown-ups` stuttering?

7) Is there a cure for stuttering?

8) What is speech therapy for stuttering?

9) What are the chances for recovery in the cases of stuttering?

 

2. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1) Stuttering is verbal non- fluency.

2) Stuttering is generally not a problem with putting thoughts into words.

3) People who stutter are 'normal' in the clinical sense of the term.

4) There is no cure for the disorder at present.

5) The exact etiology of stuttering is unknown.

6) Embarrassment, shame, frustration, fear, anger, and guilt may produce stuttering blocks.

7) Stuttering is more common in children.

8) Stuttering has a genetic basis.

9) Medications or drugs which affect brain function often have side effects that make them difficult to use for long-term treatment.

3. Continue the sentences:

1) Stuttering is…

2) It maybe…

3) The reasons for stuttering are…

4) The severity of stuttering…

5) The speech therapy…

6) Boys stutter…

7) Adults stutter…

8) The general goal of speech therapy…

 

4. Fill in the blanks with the words from the text:

The most common form of stuttering is thought to be …, that is, it is occurring in children who are in the process of developing speech and …. This relaxed type of stuttering is felt to occur when a child's speech and language … are unable to meet his or her … demands. Stuttering happens when the child searches … the correct word. … stuttering is usually outgrown.

Another common form of stuttering is …. … disorders arise from signal problems between the brain and … or …. In … stuttering, … is unable to coordinate adequately the different components of the speech mechanism. … stuttering may also occur following … or other type of brain injury.

Other forms of stuttering are classified as psychogenic or originating in the… or mental activity of the brain such as … and …. Whereas at one time the major cause of stuttering was thought to be psychogenic, this type of stuttering is now known to account … only a minority of the individuals who stutter. Although individuals who stutter may develop … problems such as fear of meeting new people or speaking on …, these problems often result from stuttering rather than causing the stuttering. Psychogenic stuttering occasionally occurs in individuals who have some types of … … or individuals who have experienced severe mental stress or ….

 

5. Give synonyms from the text:

-grown-ups;

-person;

-to note;

-mental suffering;

- larynx;

- to disturb;

- chaotic unintelligible speech.

 

6. Which word in the list is odd?

1) Stuttering, stammering, cluttering, spasmodic dysphonia, dysgraphia;

2) restructuring the child's speaking environment, relearning how to speak or unlearning faulty ways of speaking, medications, speech evaluation;

3) throat, palate, tongue, lips, ears, teeth;

4) neurophysiology, genetics, etiology, genetic determination;

5) sounds, syllables, words, phrases, rapid eye blinks.

7. Make up the plan of the text. Here are the titles in the wrong order. Make the order correct:

1) speech therapy stuttering techniques;

2) the definition of stuttering;

3) the variability of stuttering;

4) the general goal of speech therapy for stuttering;

5) the causes and reasons for stuttering.