The Listener

Folk who speak stammeringly also listen and as listeners we need some attention too.

When someone is speaking to me:

I need him to speak in short simple sentences that I can relate to easily. Out with longwinded complicated sentences with lots of subclauses. It is hard enough in print but very difficult to keep up with in speech. Simple past present and future tenses will do nicely.

I need him to speak at a rate that allows me to put my thoughts about what he is saying in some sort of context. When people are nervous they often speak too fast.

I need a little thinking time between sentences.

I need to hear clearly what the person is saying and for him not to mumble. Most people mumble when they are not sure of themselves.

I need to see the speaker’s mouth moving. We lip read more than we think. I also need him to keep his hands, cup or drinking glass away from his mouth. We tend to cover our mouths when we are nervous.

I need him to face me, otherwise I can’t hear him and may be unaware that he is speaking to me.

I need him to articulate as clearly as they can manage so that I can distinguish words and sentences.

Now, I know that someone stammering might be doing all of the above and, if that is so, I will be able to make out what he is saying. I won’t have to feel I need to ask for a repeat: ‘Sorry. I didn’t catch that?’

Don’t take my word for it. Ask yourself what you need as a listener. Use the news or interviews to investigate what you need: not what they are giving you – not the content but the delivery. Good newsreaders will be trained to think in terms of the audience’s needs and to find ways to meet them.

When I am trying to listen to what someone is saying and he mumbles, the first thing I think is that I have missed something. I want to hear him and I can’t. I am confused: and being confused feels very uncomfortable.

Deep or quiet voices can be particularly difficult for me to make out.

Now, I know that real people, rather than actors, don’t choose to stammer but we are all listeners and although PWS will know the difficulties of speaking, as listeners they can appreciate the hearer’s needs too.