Can having a lisp in speech be a big problem? This is especially true when people start asking you to repeat what you just said. It can also be a cause of bullying when people start to copy your speech gestures or voice.
To avoid the problems that a lisp causes, here are the things you can do.
First, you need to find out in what situations you are experiencing a lisp. Normally, people with a lisp do not experience the condition all the time. It only comes out during specific periods or emotions, such as when a person is excited or nervous about something. Knowing when your lisp kicks in will help you avoid such situations and therefore avoid lisping.
Next, you should always try to speak more slowly than usual. If the people around you are already becoming aware of your way of speaking, then you need to start being very careful. Speaking slowly will allow you to articulate each word you are saying and will also allow you to pronounce words better. It will also relax your muscles so you can control them more easily.
The third step is to get help from experts. Some cases of lisping are quite extreme. For people who have them, it will be advisable to get help from the professions. There are certain speech therapy programs that are provided to correct the speech of people with a lisp.
If you’ve done the first two steps and you’re still not so willing to get help from a professional, then you might want to try the teeth smile method. This method is a kind of speech therapy that aims to allow the tongue to move more freely. The first thing to do for this method is to smile. Your smile should be big and warm. It should be big enough for your teeth to show through when you’re doing it.
Maintaining that same smile, pick up a book and read it aloud. If you don’t have a book with you, then do a monologue. It may seem strange, but this is good practice for your language. Every time you say something out loud, your tongue gradually learns to position itself. Do this technique when you are alone in your room and never try it in front of people or they might think you are crazy.
You can also ask a friend or family member to help you overcome the lisp problem. Ask someone close to you to say some words that you find difficult to pronounce. Observe carefully his mouth and the movement of his tongue and then try to imitate them in front of a mirror. This will help you know how to correctly move your tongue to produce the correct sounds.
It may take some time to completely get rid of the lisp, but that’s okay. All you need is to practice hard and be patient. Do your best and trust yourself to get through it.
