Hi,

I am known to (by friends and family) to not talk very fluently. I mumble and slur words. I started learning English when I was 5 years old, but the lack of siblings and living an anti-social lifestyle had me quiet for 17 years. As a result my english is good but not the standard of english speakers. I am unable to approach confidently and keep a conversation going without losing the interest of my peers due to my monotoous style.

After recording myself speak, I notice I talk deep and slow (Like I am laid back and dead). Monotone voice is clear and trying to express enthusiasm sounds very awkward.

Now as for my experiment. When I talk at an upright position, I have all those issues mentioned above. When I talk lying down with a textbook on my stomach, it seems I am unable to mumble words without putting some conscious effort into it. I recorded myself and my voice seems very clean and clear. I don't have to put effort into talking clearly!

Can anyone explain what's going on and how this can help me with my daily speech practice?

And just out of curiousity. Maybe someone can help me out here. I'd like someone to tell me to talk about something and listen to the way I talk and maybe give me some pointers. Thank you.

You probably would do well to meet with a voice coach or speech therapist for at least a couple of sessions. He/she will evaluate you and offer suggestions or a plan to improve. The problem may be how you expel air as you speak or how your tongue moves. It sounds like inflection is a problem.

Hi wondergirl.

Thank you for your advice.

Honestly, I cannot afford to pay anymore cash :D. I'm a student.

I'd like to mention this again. When I'm lying down and talking my speech is very clear, though the words at times were slur due to improper prononciation.

However, like you say there could be a problem so I might have think about whether I need a coach or not.

Thank you again :)

Honestly, I cannot afford to pay anymore cash :D. I'm a student.
I gathered that. Therefore, hie yourself to the dean's office or to your guidance counselor or to the speech department and talk to someone about this. It might take just a few conversations with someone for them to determine your various problems and to suggest solutions. And the Internet is full of helpful stuff, once you know what to look for.

I'd call you, but I'm not the right person, plus I wouldn't be able to watch your face and tongue and lips and even body language. Someone in your real life can.

I gathered that. Therefore, hie yourself to the dean's office or to your guidance counselor or to the speech department and talk to someone about this. It might take just a few conversations with someone for them to determine your various problems and to suggest solutions. And the Internet is full of helpful stuff, once you know what to look for.

I'd call you, but I'm not the right person, plus I wouldn't be able to watch your face and tongue and lips and even body language. Someone in your real life can.

I'll see to it. Thanks :)

Please report back. I am the angel on your shoulder.

Wondergirl,

I talked to a counsellor that knows about speech therapy and pretty much made to me talk about a preferred topic.

This is what she said:
Practice talking via my diaphragm a bit more versus the throat.
Practice Talking very loudly, concentrating on using diaphragm.
Speak more consciously and prononciate words consciously.
Read aloud magazines or preferred prints.
Talking while lying down on your back forces to speak through the diaphragm.
Monotous voice is due to not speaking through the diaphragm much. Also due to some habitual lazy tendency.

So pretty much I need to talk through my diaphragm and quit using the throat. Anyway thought I'd let you know. :)

Read aloud magazines or preferred prints.

Thank you for telling me what happened.

I have a suggestion. Go to the library and get some children's picture books -- you know, the kind with lots of pictures but not too many words on each page. Read each one out loud and pretend you are reading to a child. Change your voice often to show excitement or mystery or a character's voice, like a roaring lion or a squeaky pig or a chirpy bird.

Yes, you will feel stupid, but it's really good practice in reading/speaking from your diaphragm and giving inflection to your voice. Even better, if you can find some little kids somewhere, is to read these picture books to an audience. OR, if you are really brave, read them to older kids whom you have asked to be your reading critics. Maybe you can go along with a friend who is a babysitter and read to those kids. Or read out loud to a friend who can critique your style.

I did something like this before I started as a volunteer art work presenter for fourth grade. I practiced several times in front of my neighbor's four kids. It was amazing what good advice they gave me!

In high school we did breathing exercises lying on our backs with a book on our stomachs. It promotes proper breathing, which leads to better, and clearer, singing.

Does your college offer voice lessons or choir for elective credits? Not only will it help you learn to support your voice properly by breathing from your daiphragm, but it will go a LONG way toward teaching enunciation and pronunciation. Singing will also help your voice be louder.

Wondergirl, thanks for the advice. I am reading fiction but not children's books, out loud. It truly helps to speak through the diaphragm. Alone it's fun and motivating, but when talking to people especially those you feel nervous around, it is hard to concentrate. I'm sure with practice it'll work out.

hheath541,

I honestly believe practice talking while lying on the floor with a book on my stomach will improve my overall speech. It seems so easy to talk clearly and nicely while lying on the floor, but once I'm upright it requires effort.
I have been doing those breathing exercises for a week now even before you mentioned it. I can't really see how it helps so I'd appreciate if you can elaborate on its benefits.

Thank you both for your responses :)

Maybe just singing (when you're alone?), especially kids' songs, camp songs, like "The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round" and "My bonnie lies over the ocean." That would help with enunciation and, like hheath said, breathing.

Wondergirl, thanks for the advice. I am reading fiction but not children's books, out loud. It truly helps to speak through the diaphragm. Alone it's fun and motivating, but when talking to people especially those you feel nervous around, it is hard to concentrate. I'm sure with practice it'll work out.

hheath541,

I honestly believe practice talking while lying on the floor with a book on my stomach will improve my overall speech. It seems so easy to talk clearly and nicely while lying on the floor, but once i'm upright it requires effort.
I have been doing those breathing exercises for a week now even before you mentioned it. I can't really see how it helps so i'd appreciate if you can elaborate on its benefits.

Thank you both for your responses :)

When you're upright, bad posture and weak muscles make it hard for your diaphragm to control your breathing. Lying down, those factors don't matter. Doing breathing exercises that use the diaphragm strengthen the muscles and condition them to work the way they were meant to. After awhile, you'll find yourself breathing correctly when sitting and standing, as well.

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Hi,

I am known to (by friends and family) to not talk very fluently. I mumble and slur words. I started learning English when I was 5 years old, but the lack of siblings and living an anti-social lifestyle had me quiet for 17 years. As a result my english is good but not the standard of english speakers. I am unable to approach confidently and keep a conversation going without losing the interest of my peers due to my monotoous style.

After recording myself speak, I notice I talk deep and slow (Like I am laid back and dead). Monotone voice is clear and trying to express enthusiasm sounds very awkward.

Now as for my experiment. When I talk at an upright position, I have all those issues mentioned above. When I talk lying down with a textbook on my stomach, it seems I am unable to mumble words without putting some conscious effort into it. I recorded myself and my voice seems very clean and clear. I don't have to put effort into talking clearly!

Can anyone explain what's going on and how this can help me with my daily speech practice?

And just out of curiousity. Maybe someone can help me out here. I'd like someone to tell me to talk about something and listen to the way I talk and maybe give me some pointers. Thank you.

when you're upright, bad posture and weak muscles make it hard for your diaphragm to control your breathing. lying down, those factors don't matter. doing breathing exercises that use the diaphragm strengthen the muscles and condition them to work the way they were meant to. after awhile, you'll find yourself breathing correctly when sitting and standing, as well.

I have always thought that too. Bad posture and weak core muscles. I'm currently working out and I could understand the way bodybuilders talk. When I force a better posture with my abs tuck inwards, my speech sounds exactly how it does lying down.

There was some core exercise where you tuck your abs inwards and breathe. It works the abs. Is that some sort of breathing exercise too?

It's strengthening a lot of the same muscles, just in a different way.