Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted due to repetitions of some words. For some, a stutter can get in the way of everyday life, and it becomes challenging to communicate their thoughts and opinion.
In 2010, a British historical drama film was released that primarily focused on how the future King George VI was able to overcome his issues of stammering. The film was truly inspirational and delivered a powerful message to the masses, that stammering could be dealt with if you have the right kind of help. Stuttering issues should not hamper your way of life. For someone who is looking to take up tests such as IELTS, then they must believe that stammering will not pose an issue. Everyone gets nervous while attempting the IELTS speaking test, even a person who does not have any speech disorder issues, find the experience to be quite nerve-racking. As we know the IELTS speaking test is conducted to assess how best a candidate can communicate and use their vocabulary to put across thoughts and opinion. Also, it tests their ability to organise ideas coherently without fumbling. Here are few tricks of the trade that should help anyone who stutters to ace the exam and grow out of their stuttering problems. As they say, if you want to conquer fear, don't sit ideal and think about it, act on it.
Problematic words
You can stand in front of a mirror, or you can record yourself while you are talking, and also by slowing down and speaking deliberately, you can learn precisely when and what triggers your stuttering.
- Make a note of these words, practice words that you notice as problematic.
- Don't be afraid to leave pauses or silences in your speech. Go at your own pace as you practice.
Focus on breathing
According to a study in 2012, mindful breathing helps to reduce blood pressure and increase the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. When you take deep breaths, you feel more relaxed, and this has proven to be quite useful when it comes to reducing anxiety, and in turn, help reduce stuttering.
Slow down, take your time, and it will be alright.
Speaking too quickly is one of the reason why a person to get anxious and this might result in the increase rate of stuttering, so do not panic or be afraid,take your time and then talk.
Exercises to Calm Your Nerves
We all know paranoia gets the better of us, even professional public speakers get nervous before a presentation, but they rely on diaphragmatic breathing which is a technique that contracts and expands a muscle just below the lungs known as the diaphragm to facilitate breathing. It is an excellent technique to calm the nerve instantly, and most importantly it helps you deal with anxiety.
Speech therapy
Speech therapy is the treatment of speech and communication disorders. There are several approaches to treat stammering issues, it may include physical exercises to strengthen the muscles used in speech, speech drills to improve clarity, or sound production practice to enhance articulation. You need to decide whether you are ready to commit with your speech therapist to truly tackle the issue of stuttering.
Support system
For someone who deals with stuttering problems also faces low self-confidence issues, they are often afraid about the reaction that they might get and it could further impact their rate of speech. If you do stammer, then allow yourself to be surrounded by people who will motivate you and help you in any way necessary.
Don't give up!
Most of us assume that if we have a disorder, then we cannot compete with the rest, but that is not entirely true. There have been cases where people suffering from stammering issue have cracked IELTS test and received the desired band score. Learn the Tips & Tricks to Score a high band score in IELTS. Sometimes you might think you are not making progress quickly and might get disheartened. Don’t give up! You need to make progress on your terms and choose the technique that best suits you.
