Communication is a part of our everyday lifestyle, and more often than not, little thought goes into all of the amazing structures that work together to create something so complicated. While communication may inherently be defined as more than just the process of speech, looking into the mere mechanism that gives us the ability to use speech is an eye-opening experience. Minuscule processes are at work within the larynx to create what we know as phonation—that is “the product of vibrating [the] vocal folds”—which is one of the stepping-stones toward forming speech and communication as we know it. (Seikel, King, & Drumright, 2010, p. 165).
Looking at the larynx, one would see a structure made up of cartilage and muscles that sits at the top end of the trachea. As a part of this structure, there are six cartilages and one bone, all working together to help protect the airway as well as to facilitate the production of sound, which travels to be formed by the articulators which creates what we know as speech. As well, a variety of effects is created within the vocal folds merely by changing the tension, length, and mass (Seikel et al., 2010, p. 247).
One of the most important cartilages for speech within the larynx is the arytenoid cartilage. The arytenoids are one of three sets of paired cartilages within the larynx, and the vocal and muscular processes of the arytenoids are where the vocal folds attach (Seikel et al., 2010, p. 181-183). Through a series of many different muscles and synovial joints—that is, the most mobile type of joints (Seikel et al., 2010, p. 18)—the vocal folds can be stretched and modified in order to change pitch, adduct, and abduct. The specific joints that do this are the cricothyroid joint—connecting the...
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...s. Without a knowledge of the anatomy of the vocal folds and lack of understanding of the workings of phonation, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to adequately treat certain disorders.
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Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement (PVFM). (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2013, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/PVFM.htm
Reeve, M. (2005). The Structure of the Vocal Folds. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from http://www.voicesource.co.uk/article/152
Seikel, J. A., King, D. W., & Drumright, D. G. (2010). Anatomy & physiology for speech, language, and hearing (4th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Small, L. H. (2012). Fundamentals of phonetics: A practical guide for students (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Vocal Cord Paralysis (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2013, from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/vfparalysis/
Spradley, T. S., & Spradley, J. P. (1978). Deaf Like Me. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University.
Seikel, J. A., King, D. W., & Drumright, D. G. (2010). 12. Anatomy & physiology for speech,
Laughter is often involuntary. In fact, it is very difficult to fake it because it requires so many muscles. The main two muscles used in laughing are the zygomaticus major and minor anchor located at the cheekbones and go down towards the jaw. They both pull the face upward and the zygomaticus major also makes sure to pull the top lip upward and outward. Whenever we laugh, we also produce a sound. Whether it be a chuckle or a whole hearty laugh, we are still using the same methods as we do whenever we cough or speak. We use the lungs and the larynx, also known as a voice box, to make the sound of laughter. We don’t ever realize it, but whenever we breathe, air from our lungs passes through the open vocal cords in the larynx. Whenever the voice box is closed, air cannot travel. However, when the larynx is just barely open, it produces sound. When...
Hegde, M. N. (2001). Pocketguide to assessment in speech-language pathology. (2nd ed., pp. 198-215). San Diego, CA: Singular Thomson Learning.
The role of a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a challenging but imperative role to society. When there is pathology present in an individual’s communication, either language-based or speech-based, serious adverse effects can impact the quality and functionality of their lives. This is why I am perusing a career as an SLP. The ever-changing profession as an SLP allures me to the field because the learning never ends. As an academic, I am always prepared to absorb new information, and SLP’s must stay updated on the most current research, to ensure that they are providing the most appropriate services for their clients. Also, because every client is unique with diverse
Primates and their behavior are used by scientists to estimate the capacities of human ancestors. Since humans and numerous primate species employ vocalizations as their primary means of communication, the vocal aspect of primate behavior has been a principal focus of studies exploring the origins of human language. Studies indicate that in spite of important differences, primate vocalizations exhibit some key features that characterize human language. However, some critical aspects of human speech, such as vocal plasticity, are missing in primate language (Fedurek and
"Speech Development." Cleft Palate Foundation. Cleft Palate Foundation, 25 Oct 2007. Web. 10 Mar 2014.
The pharynx is a large cavity behind the mouth and between the nasal cavity and larynx. The pharynx serves, as an air and food passage but cannot be used for both purposes at the same time, otherwise choking would result. The air is also warmed and moistened further as it passes through the pharynx. The larynx is a short passage connecting the pharynx to the trachea and contains vocal chords. The larynx has a rigid wall and is composed mainly of muscle and cartilage, which help prevent collapse and obstruction of the airway.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (November 2002). Retrieved October 17, 2004, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/coch.asp
Spradley, T. S., & Spradley, J. P. (1978). Deaf Like Me. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University.
The voice is our primary mean of communication and expression. We rarely last more than a few minutes without its use whether it is talking to someone else or humming quietly to ourselves. We can use the voice artistically in many ways. For example, singing carries the rhythm and melody of speech. It creates patterns of pitch, loudness, and duration that tie together syllables, phrases and sentences. We use the voice for survival, emotion, expression, and to reflect our personality. The loss of the voice is a severe curtailment to many professions. It is affected by general body condition which is why we need to consider the location of the larynx and how that organ produces voice. Surprisingly, this complex biological design is mechanical in function. It is mechanical to the point that when it has been excised from a cadaver and mounted on a laboratory bench, the larynx produces sounds resembling normal phonation. (Titze, Principles)
An individual that suffers from an articulation disorder can delete sounds, add sounds, have distorted sounds and substitute sounds. Articulation is considered to be the process of the movement of muscles in your mouth. The most important articulators include: jaw, lips, teeth, tongue, velum, alveolar ridge, and hard/soft palate. These articulators are used when producing a sound or when having a conversation. An articulation disorder can be caused by illness, developmental disorders such as autism, neurological disorders, hearing loss, and genetic syndromes such as Down
... role of infant-directed speech with a computer model. Acoustical Society of America, 4(4), 129-134.
The ear is looked upon as a miniature receiver, amplifier and signal-processing system. The structure of the outer ear catching sound waves as they move into the external auditory canal. The sound waves then hit the eardrum and the pressure of the air causes the drum to vibrate back and forth. When the eardrum vibrates its neighbour the malleus then vibrates too. The vibrations are then transmitted from the malleus to the incus and then to the stapes. Together the three bones increase the pressure which in turn pushes the membrane of the oval window in and out. This movement sets up fluid pressure waves in the perilymph of the cochlea. The bulging of the oval window then pushes on the perilymph of the scala vestibuli. From here the pressure waves are transmitted from the scala vestibuli to the scala tympani and then eventually finds its way to the round window. This causes the round window to bulge outward into the middle ear. The scala vestibuli and scala tympani walls are now deformed with the pressure waves and the vestibular membrane is also pushed back and forth creating pressure waves in the endolymph inside the cochlear duct. These waves then causes the membrane to vibrate, which in turn cause the hairs cells of the spiral organ to move against the tectorial membrane. The bending of the stereo cilia produces receptor potentials that in the end lead to the generation of nerve impulses.
1.2. PHONOLOGICAL BACKGROUND. This part of the first section presents the inventory of Hasawi phonemes as a good reference for Results section.