STOP Doing Mouth Exercises Why Strength Isn't the Problem Try Shadowing Instead

0:00Welcome back everyone. This is Jennifer Tarle with the Tarle speech English and I am here today to talk to you about exercises versus drill practice for sound and words and just while you are speaking. I get so many requests for me to make a video on how to complete exercises for your mouth so that you can be a clearer speaker and here to tell you you don't need any special exercises besides shadowing practice to practice words and just completing some drill which means repetitions to learn. And to sort of solidify the motor pattern that you need to say words. The reason that you really do not need an exercise program for your mouth is because most of my students do not have a disability and I would say in my 20 years of coaching people on better communication.

1:12I've seen hundreds of people. I've had two people who have truly had a speech or a hearing or some type of true communication disability. They needed a little extra help. Most people who seek my help here on YouTube and on my podcast. You just need to know what you were doing differently. What you need to do to be clearer and more effective in your communication and then you need a little practice. I compare this to driving or learning how to play the guitar or even learning how to golf or maybe play pickle ball. Yes, you can do some exercises to maybe increase your strength, but the big thing that you need is practice. You need repetition of the skill that you are learning and in communication, that is no different.

2:17So if you are looking to finally make sure that you use the correct ending on a word, you need to practice word endings. If you always say a school and you need to maybe stop using that initial vowel, then you just need to practice as once together and just kind of keep doing repetitions. Once you get really good at that, you need to start using all of these new skills and these new sounds while you are maybe reading and then while you are talking to someone. It is about using the sounds in words, not necessarily building strength with your mouth. You already have strength with your mouth. You already have the ability to move your mouth because you speak another language and you are using your mouth to speak perfectly in that language.

3:24Again, I recommend and I find in my 20 years of experience the best outcomes when people want to change their way of speaking is to number one, identify what the issue is number two to practice what you need to do to change that issue in a very easy way. If you are talking about changing your pronunciation, that can be practicing words, then make it a little harder. Again, if we are talking about pronunciation, then practice those words and sentences while reading and then while having a conversation. The alone won't guarantee that you're able to do something. It's about sort of upping that ante and transferring your skills to real world situations that are going to make the difference. The question doesn't happen in isolation, so get out there, practice what you need to do while you are having a conversation and your brain will generalize those skills more quickly.

4:37I think that I tell all of my students that really, really works is to find words that are really difficult for you to say that you use all of the time at work. Practice those words and then kind of keep a little list of those next to your computer at work and make sure that you are doing your best to pronounce those words perfectly during the work day. All of those little micro practices will add up to a lot of practice by the end of the day and you will more easily generalize those words, those things that you say all of the time and you will have faster improvement to be as clear and as confident as you want to be. So if you want increased participation in meetings at work, reduce effort to communicate with even maybe the person who is the checkout lady at the grocery store.

5:43If you want greater flexibility to communicate with everyone, not just people who really know you well, and if you want more confidence and changes that last, then embrace practice of words, don't worry about practicing exercises with your mouth. Just do the work, practice the skill and use that pronunciation throughout the day and you will get there. Good luck everyone and I will see you again soon.