Does Visual Feedback of Our Tongues Help in Speech Motor Learning?

When we speak, although we may not be aware of it, we use our auditory and somatosensory systems to monitor the results of the movements of our tongue or lips.

This sensory information plays a critical role in how we learn to speak and maintain accuracy in these behaviors throughout our lives. Since we cannot typically see our own faces and tongues while we speak, however, the potential role of visual feedback has remained less clear.

In the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, University of Montreal and McGill University researchers present a study exploring how readily speakers will integrate visual information about their tongue movements — captured in real time via ultrasound — during a speech motor learning task.

“Participants in our study, all typical speakers of Quebec French, wore a custom-molded prosthesis in their mouths to change the shape of their hard palate, just behind their upper teeth, to disrupt their ability to pronounce the sound ‘s’ — in effect causing a temporary speech disorder related to this sound,” said Douglas Shiller, an associate professor at the University of Montreal.

One group received visual feedback of their tongue with a sensor under their chin oriented to provide an ultrasound image within the sagittal plane (a slice down the midline, front to back).

A second group also received visual feedback of their tongue. In this case, the sensor was oriented at 90 degrees to the previous condition with an image of the tongue within the coronal plane (across the tongue from left to right).

A third group, the control group, received no visual feedback of their tongue.

All participants were given the opportunity to practice the “s” sound with the prosthesis in place for 20 minutes.

“We compared the acoustic properties of the ‘s’ across the three groups to determine to what degree visual feedback enhanced the ability to adapt tongue movements to the perturbing effects of the prosthesis,” said Shiller.

As expected, participants in the coronal visual feedback group improved their “s” production to a greater degree than those receiving no visual feedback.

“We were surprised, however, to find participants in the sagittal visual feedback group performed even worse than the control group that received no visual feedback,” said Shiller. “In other words, visual feedback of the tongue was found to either enhance motor learning or interfere with it, depending on the nature of the images being presented.”

The group’s findings broadly support the idea that ultrasound tools can improve speech learning outcomes when used, for example, in the treatment of speech disorders or learning new sounds in a second language.

“But care must be taken in precisely how visual information is selected and presented to a patient,” said Shiller. “Visual feedback that isn’t compatible with the demands of the speaking task may interfere with the person’s natural mechanisms of speech learning — potentially leading to worse outcomes than no visual feedback at all.”

I just want to say…

Thank you, Lord Hypnos, for loving me, giving me strength, and encouraging me every step of the way. Like a proud papa, nudging his kin to get back up even after their 100th time falling down.

Thank you, Hypnos, for being one I can count on no matter what.

“Hope is essential, but it’s not enough.”

-Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)

The signal-to-noise ratio in language

Just how much noise can we tolerate in language and still understand what’s being said? A LOT.

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What’s the purpose of filler words?

Are filler words like um,like, and you know a sign of poor speaking skills, or do they serve a purpose?

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I recently had the opportunity to speak at my alma mater.  Here is a version of the speech I gave.  It’s got life lessons and all that good stuff.  I got dry mouth when speaking.

Good evening, everyone.  I’m really honored to be speaking here tonight.  Let me start by thanking IU and the ACC for inviting me to speak tonight.  I especially want to thank Melanie and Sarah for setting up this wonderful event.  Melanie has done such a wonderful job nurturing and growing the ACC and all the programs and initiatives that celebrate Asian and Asian-American cultures for the IU community.  I’ve known Melanie since before we opened the ACC and it’s hard for me to separate the ACC from Melanie.

A little bit about myself:

I graduated back in 1999. It’s still surprising to me that it’s been 18 years because those years have flown by since I left IU.  I was born and raised in Indianapolis.  My parents immigrated to the U.S. for work and school…actually, my mom and her sister both graduated from IU.  My parents lived in graduate housing back in the early 70’s.

After graduation I moved to Washington D.C. for a job and a new adventure.  I barely knew anyone there.  I thought I had it all planned out but looking back I really had no idea what I wanted to do.  I had taken to the idea of moving someplace new vs. actually having any sort of plan but that’s par for the course when you’re young.  

But, before all of that, I was a student here like you all.  I still remember the days before the ACC opened when we were all scrambling to finish writing grants and doing whatever was needed to make it a reality.  We were designated this broken down house that needed much work to get cleaned up.  

After much hard work from many people like Melanie we had this beautiful opening with speeches, a dragon dancing troupe from Chicago…it was great.  I was glad to be a very small part of the entire process even though I didn’t quite understand the significance of the moment or really know what I was doing.

I was surprised to get a message from Melanie about coming back here to speak tonight.  I try to keep up with the ACC and IU but have to admit I haven’t been as engaged as I should be.  

After realizing it wasn’t a prank I gladly accepted this opportunity to speak.  Melanie said the theme was “belonging” and, given the current political and social climate it seems like an appropriate topic to discuss.  

I don’t have sage advice that will give you that a-ha moment like the Dalai Lama would give.  You’re all so smart and much more sophisticated than I ever was at your age but I will share some life lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Love what you do

I’ll start off with a bit of career advice: love what you do.  I’m sure you’ve read articles or heard inspirational speeches from luminaries in business, the arts, or elsewhere saying “Do what you love.”  That’s pretty good advice but I think it’s more important to “love what you do” rather than “do what you love.”  

It’s great that people like Richard Branson say he does what he loves everyday whether it’s trying to create space travel, run an airline, or hang out with famous people around his private island in the Caribbean.  But did he actually do what he loved everyday?  I’d guess not.  I don’t think he liked looking over paperwork, dealing with lawyers, or dealing with angry customers.  

A friend of mine left his comfortable, corporate job in Seattle to go teach at a community college.  Not just teach but create a program for people who don’t have the means to go to a traditional university like IU.  He doesn’t love the minutiae that comes with being a college instructor but loves what he does.  He loves seeing students from less fortunate backgrounds or students who decided to switch careers in their 40’s and 50’s graduate and find jobs.

If you can find pleasure and pride in what you do it will become a type of love.  I didn’t figure this out well into adulthood.  Been assigned a mundane task?  Do a really good job at it, teach someone else, and move onto the next thing.

Find enjoyment in the little things

Second life lesson: Find enjoyment in the little things.  Who likes naps?  Naps are awesome.  I highly recommend them.  You will feel much better even after closing your eyes for just 5 minutes.  Have you heard of the coffee nap?  It’s a short nap you take right after drinking some coffee.  I’m not sure it’s scientifically proven but it works for me.  

Warm cookies are pretty awesome, too.  So is a nice walk or hike.  

What I’m trying to say is finding enjoyment in the small things is no small thing.  It’s so easy to get caught up in looking for big rewards and big accomplishments but try to take a step back and enjoy the small things.  People are complex, life is complex so take comfort in the small things.  You’ll feel a certain basic satisfaction and you’ll feel more grateful.

Embarrassment

You will look back at yourself 5 years from now and profoundly be embarrassed.  Okay, maybe not profoundly embarrassed but you will look back at yourself with bemusement.  

I look back at photos of myself from the IU days or some other time and I just wonder “What were you thinking?  Why did you say that?!  You actually thought that was a good look?”  Facebook has been a source of some really embarrassing photos.  In high school I had the hairstyle affectionately known as the “butt cut.”  

You know, the middle part in your hair.  Had the white shell necklace…I’m getting embarrassed thinking about it.  Socks with sandals…why?!    

But you know what?  I also look back on it as a time when I was having fun. If you aren’t just a little embarrassed about what you were like back then it might be a sign you aren’t progressing or you’re really comfortable with yourself.  More power to you if that’s the latter case.  

Looking back I’m also embarrassed by some of the things I said and the way I acted.  Like any other person I’ve done irrational things out of anger, jealousy, and happiness.  There’s no good way to say “sorry” but these past experiences are reminders of what mistakes to avoid in the future and can help you become that ever-improving person.

Tough Times

Tough times are coming.  You will have all tough times.  I’m not talking about not getting the grade you want or missing out on a party tough times.  I’m talking about real tough times where you have overcome loss, sadness, and disappointment.  

Some you have already had to endure those times.  Everyone will eventually have to deal with these tough times.  But if can get through these tough times or help others get through tough times then the good times will seem better.  

That surly person you see may be going through some seriously tough times so maybe take a minute to think about it before snapping at her or him.  

There are silver linings to those difficult and trying situations…I can’t tell you what they are or when you’ll find them but I know they are there.  And you will get stronger from the tough times if you don’t let them pull you down forever.

Empathy

A valuable trait or skill to have is empathy; being able to see something from someone else’s point of view.  

I’m not talking about sympathy.  Sympathy is valuable, too, but it’s a temporary feeling compared to empathy.  It’s good you feel bad for someone but I think it’s just as important, if not more, to try to understand why someone is suffering.  

In my personal opinion, empathy is something that is cultivated and constantly developed throughout your life.

I’ll tell you a story of how I got called out for a lack of empathy.  I was working on a large project and the client was just the most difficult person to deal with.  If he wasn’t complaining about my team he was telling us we didn’t know anything.  One day I found out he had requested that my entire team be removed or fired because he didn’t feel we were doing a good job.  Well, I was fuming when I heard about his latest antics and loudly said to my team, “I know what he’s thinking.  He wants us fired because we won’t let him do what he wants and we know more than he does.”  

I was calmly pulled to the side by a senior advisor who said, “The client probably knows that you guys know more than him but you have no idea what he’s thinking.  He might be scared out of his pants because this is probably the most responsibility he has ever had and the only way he knows how to cope is lash out.  I’m not saying he’s right and, by all accounts, he’s unqualified for the job but you need to get it out of your head that you know exactly what he’s thinking without even trying see it from his point of view.”

I’m thankful for the talking-to because up until that point I had never even tried to see things from the client’s point of view.  I’ve taken this lesson to heart and tried to apply throughout life.  It doesn’t mean I’ll agree with everyone but trying to see something from someone’s point of view can help you understand why that person reacts a certain way.

Belonging

Finally, all of these life lessons I’ve just talked about are, I think, are the foundations of creating a community of belonging and, more importantly, a sense of self-belonging.  At the risk of sounding like the self-help section at the bookstore, focus on building yourself.

Being accepted by others is always warm and welcoming.  Being validated for who you are and what you do or have done is satisfying and is no less significant.  But outside validation and acceptance is like candy: it’s sweet, satisfying, but fleeting.  After awhile you want more but the returns diminish and you become less healthy because of it.  

I think it’s almost tragic when you see people just rolling through life never really figuring out what they want to do or who they really are.  It isn’t selfish to think about what motivates you or how you feel about self-worth.  These are healthy mechanisms to make sure you don’t get lost.  

As we build ourselves from the inside out and understand who we are and what makes us act the way we do, I think we become better at understanding those around us.  Look, I’m not saying you will belong everywhere nor should you only go places where you know you’ll be comfortable but if you aren’t able to reconcile yourself you’ll belong nowhere.  

I think one of the reasons why we are so divided right now is many of us haven’t tried to reconcile who we are and what we need vs. what we think we want.  We think we know the “other side” but don’t really know ourselves.  This process of building yourself inside-out and becoming comfortable with who you are won’t happen overnight and it should be an ongoing process.  Apologies for the platitude but it’s the journey not the destination.

We’re all not that different from each other.  From the CEOs to celebrities to students, you all put on your pants one leg at a time, all get hungry, happy, and sad.  If we can all acknowledge that then we can begin to create a greater sense of belonging.

Everything I’ve said tonight I’m still working on myself.  I am a forever work-in-progress.

I’ll end my speech with a quote that really resonates with me: “Some people need tough love…some people need a lot of love.”  Now go share a warm cookie with someone who might need it.  Thank you.

The Queen’s Speech has been rescheduled for Wednesday June 21st, 2 days later than originally planned. This despite no official deal being reached yet between the Conservatives and the DUP.

Merry Christmas Star Sailors

As a black woman, it hurts me to hear when some people sling around “nigger” like it’s nothing. In reality, it is a filthy word, one that carries centuries’ worth of weight when used against the black community. When our ancestors were brought to America to be sold into slavery, this word was practically all they were referred to. It was originally a word to describe the inhabitants of Niger, but over time, it became associated with beatings, lynchings, and angry slavemasters. Black people were forced to work for no pay, and were met with violence when they didn’t comply. They had to live in small little shacks while the slavemasters lived in much bigger houses. Even in the 1940s, only a few decades ago, black people were being killed because they were thought of as subhuman “niggers”.

Eventually, a couple of black people decided they liked the N-word, and gradually, the African-American community adopted the word as their own in an effort to soften the impact of suffering through daily discrimination and oppression. This is why you often hear black people refer to each other by “nigga”. However, this does not give white people a right to say this word, because, due to the current power imbalance, in which white people use their privilege to keep putting the other races down, the word still holds a truckload of emotional baggage when you use it.

I often hear white people ask if they can at least sing the word when it’s in a song. Usually, I just ignore them. Trust me, it gets tiring to hear the same questions about racism over and over. However, I feel nice today, and, as much as it hurts to say it, I have reluctantly come up with a compromise I hope you white people will like.

You may sing along to songs with the N-word in it, but only when you’re absolutely alone, such as in the car or in the shower. I can’t control what you do  inside your own house or your car. But whenever you’re in a public place, especially when POC may be around, I would find it very respectful of you to please skip over the word. It’s just one word, and you’re doing us all a favor by not using the word around us. It hurts us to hear it.

Kate McKinnon’s speech to Ellen at the Golden Globes is so adorable, sweet and truly heartfelt. Such a beautiful soul. ❤️

HOMILY for 6th Saturday per annum(II)

James 3:1-10; Ps 11; Mark 9:2-13

“It’s good to talk”. This was the slogan for British Telecommunications. But St James is right to remind us that not all talk is good for when talking we must mind the subject, the content, and the manner of our talk so that all is done well.

So in St Mark’s brief account of the Transfiguration, we may note three kinds of talk: firstly, the holy men of God talking with Christ, which we may call prayer; then the frightened and unnecessary talk of Peter – the kind of talk that we might be tempted to engage in because we’re bored, or distracted, or uncomfortable with silence – and finally, the necessary and salvific talk of God, divine revelation, which points to the Word of God, Jesus Christ. To this talk, we must heed, for the sake of our salvation.

But how might we speak to God or about God? How are we to guard our tongues when talking to one another – and I admit I am not the most watchful in this regard. I turn, therefore, to the advice given by St Francis de Sales, a Doctor of the Church and spiritual master who was renowned for the gentleness and sweetness of his talk. He begins: “Doctors diagnose a man’s state of health by looking at his tongue; and our words are true indications of the state of our soul: Thy words, says our Lord, will be matter to acquit or mater to condemn thee.”

Then, concerning talking about God, he says: “If you truly love God… you will speak of him in conversation with your family, your friends, and neighbours… As the mouth of the bee is only used for honey, so should your tongue be ever honeyed, as it were, with God, while you are never more happy than when you have his praise on your lips… But always speak of God as of God; in other words, with reverence and devotion, with love and humility… Let fall, as far as possible, the delicious honey of devotion, drop by drop, now in the ear of one, now in the ear of another; praying secretly in your soul that God may let it sink into their hearts/ Above all do this with gentleness and kindness; not as though correcting them, but by inspiring them; for it is wonderful how powerfully hearts are moved when goodness is set before them in a fair and lovely guise.”

Concerning our talk and conversation, St Francis de Sales says: “Be very careful never to say anything unseemly, for though your intention may be good your hearers may take it otherwise… Nothing is so opposed to charity, and more to devotion, as contempt and scorn for those about us. Derision or mockery always involves contempt and so is gravely sinful… But with regard to what we say in fun and with innocent humour, this pertains to the virtue which the Greeks called eutrapelia… by means of which we derive friendly amusement from humorous situations which arise from human imperfections; but we must be very careful lest this degenerate into mockery.”

Finally, he calls us to be careful not to rashly judge others’ actions, for “as bees in misty or cloudy weather retire to the hive and concern themselves with the honey, so the thoughts of the virtuous are restrained from inquiry into hidden matters or the obscure actions of those about them, and instead are concerned with good resolutions for their own amendments; to concern ourselves with examining the lives of others betokens a futile mind.”

Therefore, coming down from the Mount of the Transfiguration, when the Lord speaks of the suffering and death we must endure, we might also consider the mortifications we can apply to ourselves, through the merits of Christ’s Passion and Cross. Certainly, for many of us today, it can be mortifying to hold our tongues, to guard our words, and to talk well. For it’s not just good to talk, but we must speak good and speak well. In this regard, may Our Lady pray for us!

Today I finally decided to teach myself why in-fans means incapable of speech, and I learned what was left out of my (very, very abbreviated) Latin instruction: fārī is a deponent verb for ‘to say’ or speak, for in the 1st person sing, and is the source of fatum, fama, fabula, praefatio, and presumably a million other things. (Not, interestingly, forum, which is from foris (door, gate).

The best ending to Bethesda style open world games is always as follows:

“I’m gonna fight you!”

“(Speech 100) No you aren’t.”

“Shit, yeah, you’re right.”

*Slideshow ending*