Speach Problems

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 13 November 2005 13:48:23

This morning at church I read the old testement bible reading. It was Judges 4:1-7. When I was contacted and asked to read it, I was warned about the some of the names in it, and asked to try to get the pronunciation right. I declared that this would be fine. Then I looked it up. Practically every other word was a horrible name that I did not have clue how to say! Eek! Words such as Haroshethha-goiim, Sisera, Ephraim, Naphtali, Abinoan and Wadi Kishon were all within these 7 verses. I made a list of 12 words that I couldn't say.

I've always had a problem with pronunciation. When I was about 4, I could speak, but hardly anyone could understand me. I had to go to speach therapy for several years. Since then, obviously I can say most words (my parents say I've definately made up for the lack communication since!), but I still struggle with difficult and unusual words.

I rang up a family friend, who is a senior lecturer in Old Testement Hebrew (he had been teaching on those verses in Hebrew last week, and was able to tell me the history, etc about all the place names!) who told me how to say Haroshethha-goiim (its Haro-chef-a-geum). Becky made me repeat those 7 verses at least 20 times - trying to say Wadi Kishon without laughing, is VERY hard! We wrote the phomonics on poststick notes and stuck them in my bible! This morning, although I was much better at the reading than I had been 2 days earlier, I was still nervous. Anyway, I did it. And I think I did it just about right! (not sure my family friend would agree, but it was good enough!) My friends were sat there in pew, just in amazement at all the words! Mike said I did it so well, that I'll be asked next time there's a similar passage!

It just feels so good. To be able to, after working at it, say all those words. I can still vividly remember the frustration, I had when I was younger, when people couldn't understand me. My parents, most of the time, could work out what I meant, but not always. Once I was trying to say 'cushion', and nobody could understand what I meant. It was SO annoying. When I was in school, the other children used to tease me by asking me to say the words, they knew I couldn't say correctly. Even now, although its not a major problem, I am aware that I struggle with some uncommon words. But now, it feels like I've overcome part of that difficulty. I mean, I had to practice lots, but I did it!!!! Friends who have never had a speach problem, were glad that they weren't reading it. And I do have a problem, and I did it!! WOW! I just have this amazing feeling of achievement. :)