Comparison of Two Training Methods to Enhance Awareness of the Oral Cavity

Abstract

This investigation assessed two training methods to heighten awareness of the oral cavity in normal adult speakers of English. A pretest-posttest design was used. 40 subjects ( M age = 25.6 yr., SD = 8.7) who passed a speech and hearing screening were placed into two equal-sized groups. Each group received 10 hr. of training over 3 wk. The Experimental group received verbal instructions regarding how the phonemes of English are produced, including tongue height, location, and contact with other structures in the oral cavity. Subjects in the Experimental group also used a tongue blade to enhance lingual awareness. The Control group received instructions in articulatory placement only. The Lingual Awareness Test required subjects to imitate 7 English syllables and answer 4 multiple-choice questions regarding lingual contact for each syllable. Posttest scores for the Experimental group were significantly better for one phoneme. The Control group made no significant improvement.