Make a sentence with each word and word combination. 2. Read the text “Lip reading”

2. Read the text “ Lip reading ”. Use dictionary if necessary.

The deaf child as well as the hard of hearing represents an educational problem involving the teaching of speech, language, and lip reading (it is sometimes called speech-reading).

The most important element involved in the education of deaf is lip reading, since they cannot hear the spoken words.

Lip reading is preparatory step to all language work and it is quite independent of speech development.

The words learned in speech-reading must be associated with printed and written words and thus reading and writing are developed. Lip reading is the ability to understand spoken words and sentences by watching the movements of lips and other facial muscles without hearing the speaker's voice.

It is important to speak naturally. Lip reading is made evident not only by the articulation of sounds, but also by the movements of the lips, tongue, muscles of the face, by the positions of the teeth and jaw.

Speech-reading is dependent upon vision. Reception of speech can take place only when speaker and listener are quite close to each other so that the eyes may focus upon the speaker's face and the lip-reader is required to derive meaning from the partial clues he observes. The stream of speech is made up of a series of consonants and vowels placed in well coordinated syllables. Some of the consonant sounds such as k, g, and are not visible on the lips because they are produced within the mouth cavity.

There is a kinesthetic method of teaching lip reading which consists in the following: the child must not only imitate the lip movement of the teacher but must use the sense of touch as well as that of sight.

The pupil places his hand on the teacher's throat as a word is pronounced, then places it upon his own as he attempts to say the required word. The child must get the «feel» of the vibration and pressure felt by the hand when it is placed upon the jaw, the throat or the lips of the teacher.

He is made to realize that the movements he feels must be reproduced, as well as lip movements that he sees. It demands consistent and continuous repetition. Lip reading is recommended to all school children whose hearing loss averages 20 db or more in the better ear.

Lip reading is possibly a sixth sense and it can be looked upon as a substitute for hearing only in the case of the totally deaf.

For all partially deaf it can and should act as support to hearing and is universally helpful to those handicapped in hearing and its systematic teaching is a legitimate part of the special educational curriculum of all ages. A few can learn to lip-read in a year or two but for the majority a longer period of practice is needed and practice day in and day out, on every type of mouth.

Success in learning lip reading varies. Children learn more readily than adults. Women acquire more skill and learn more quickly than men.

Methods used in lip reading changed in the last 50 years. It has started from the

Alphabet system and has gone through syllables and words to the «whole thought» method. The wider use of hearing aids has not changed the need of lip reading.

Lip reading remains a basic tool in the communicative process for all deaf and hard of hearing people.

 

III. 1. Answer the questions:

1) Why is lip reading so important in rehabilitation of deaf children?

2) What does the kinesthetic method consist of?

3) What is important for perception of speech in lip reading?

4) Can a person learn to lip-read in a short period?

5) What changed in the method of lip reading in the last 50years?

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

1) Lip reading depends on speech development.

2) The person can lip-read only if the speaker is quite close to him.

3) Some sounds cannot be lip-read.

4) Lip reading is recommended only to totally deaf children.

5) A person can learn to lip-read in a month or two.

6) Methods used in lip reading didn’t change in the last 50 years.

 

3. Give synonyms from the text to the following words:

- to include;

- to perceive;

- to repeat;

- to understand;

- help;

- method.

 

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

1) Lip reading is very important in education of the deaf as they cannot hear the … …

2) Lip reading is the … to understand spoken words without hearing the speaker’s voice.

3) The child must … the lip movements of the teacher.

4) Lip reading can be a … for hearing for the deaf.

5) Children learn more … than adults.

6) Lip reading is a … … in the communicative process