Speechreading: A Way to Improve Understanding

I've used this book for over 10 years with my students (both who are oral and who use sign language) who want to improve their ability to interact with hearing communication partners. A great book!

This book is intended to help in Oral Transliteration. I read this text for an OT course several years ago, and I still find myself using some of the principles regularly. This book, I am sure, would help in any OT professional use or OT certification. I never had a chance to take that certification exam, but I bet it wouldn't hurt. I feel that it would help anyone who communicates with someone who is hard of hearing or deaf (who DOES NOT use any kind of signed language). It gives all kinds of tips about gestures and rephrasing, using key words. Say a friend is going deaf, and you notice they aren't understanding you as well as before, this book could help you. A member of my family has lost much of his hearing, and I use some of the tips in this book to help him understand me. There are tons of exercises in the back- but they require having a partner who can read (without voicing) the sentences, so you pick up on how to speechread them. I also have found myself out somewhere, speechreading people across the room. Speechreading is difficult and requires hours of practice. For so many people, this is how they get their information, by "reading lips". It amazing how much they have to concentrate and pay attention. The (deaf) man who taught my Speechreading course, read the lips of his professors for a bachelor and master's degree, without the help of a transliterator. Amazing! I have much respect for the speechreaders out there.

Subject presented concisely...easy to understand. Simple.Offers relevant information on a variety of approaches to speechreading. Details the benefits of each method and outlines factors crucial to successful communication.Highly recommended. Superb resource for those training to work as oral transliterators and recommended reading for those preparing for certification!