• Question: Some deaf people can still speak a language very well, how can they do this if they can't hear the pronounciation ( lots of languages aren't written phonetically and it would still be hard to understand phonetics without a previous knowledge of the language)?

    Asked by danrumford to Cat, Daz, Holly, Johnson, Pamela on 20 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Holly Shelton

      Holly Shelton answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      Hi again

      Well I think most peoples mouths and tongues function the same (we have the same muscles) so it you make shapes with your tongue and mouth we all make roughly the same sounds. It maybe that some deaf people are very good at copying the shapes of words and sounds letting them speak quite understandably.

      Holly 🙂

    • Photo: Cat O'Connor

      Cat O'Connor answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      Hi Dan,

      I’m not so sure, I’ve never really looked up anything on it!

      I think they learn how to say the words correctly. So they keep repeating the word until they get told that they are saying it correctly and then they remember how to say it.

      But I can’t be sure about this, sorry! I think Holly has given a great answer though!

      Cat

    • Photo: Pamela Lithgow

      Pamela Lithgow answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Hi Danrumford,
      I think Cat is right. I think it is about practice and repetition. I think deaf people who speak language well have been taught it, I think it would be very difficult for them to do it from written words. I think they are told when they are making the correct noises and this is like when you are told you are saying things correctly and you remember how to say it so they remember how their muscles etc felt when they get it right and repeat it.
      I might not have added much but I hope it helps
      Pam 🙂

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