How to: Lip Reading

When individuals start to lose their hearing -- either through age or accident -- they compensate by watching people's lips when they speak. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education estimates that there are 10 million Americans who are hard of hearing and another one million who are functionally deaf. Not being able to hear conversations around you is very frustrating, so learning to lip read can restore confidence and improve communication with friends, family and colleagues. Even if there is nothing wrong with your hearing, learning to lip read comes in handy if you want to eavesdrop.

Instructions

    • 1

      Start early. If you are having trouble hearing what people behind you are saying, or if you have to ask people to repeat themselves, start working on lip reading as soon as possible.

    • 2

      Check with the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to find out where lip reading classes are offered in your area. Another place to inquire is the local community college.

    • 3

      Enroll in a class and start to do your homework. Just like you had to follow the curriculum when you studied biology in high school, the same is true for learning how to lip read.

    • 4

      Practice lip reading by turning down the sound on the television. Watch newscasts because they offer close-up shots where you can see how the presenters move their mouths.

    • 5

      Talk to yourself in the mirror. Speak without making any sound. Focus on how your lips move. Enunciate your words very clearly and look at the muscles around your mouth. Then slur your speech and notice the difference. To be able to lip read well, you have to understand people who speak clearly, as well as those who mumble their words.

    • 6

      Watch YouTube tutorials on how to lip read. Check the Internet for free lip reading courses, tutorials and materials.

Learnify Hub © www.0685.com All Rights Reserved