Tips for Communication
By following the suggestions below, you can communicate much better with someone who has hearing loss.
You Can Communicate Better by:
- Speaking clearly and naturally. Speak in a normal tone of voice. Shouting makes many words hard to understand. Don’t slow your speech. Speak at a pace that allows words to be clearly distinguished from one another, but not so slowly that you lose the natural rhythm.
- Attracting the listener’s attention before you begin speaking. Before you begin to speak, be sure the listener knows you want to communicate.
- Facing the listener. When speaking to someone with hearing loss, make sure they can clearly see your mouth – especially in noisy environments. Most people have a natural ability to lip read. Maintain eye contact while speaking.
- Staying close. Stay within 1-2 meters (4-6 feet) of your listener. If the listener can hear better on one side, try to stay on that side.
- Using body language to emphasize your feelings. We communicate a lot more than we realize through facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice.
- Repeating and rephrasing if you are misunderstood. If you need to repeat a sentence, try using different words that may be easier to understand. If someone with hearing loss walks in during the middle of a conversation, bring him up to speed on the subject.
- Eliminating or reducing room noise. Reduce background noise as much as possible before starting a conversation. TVs, radios, air conditioners and even other people talking can greatly affect a hearing-impaired listener’s understanding. In noisy places, speak directly into the listener’s ear at a suitable volume (not too loud). Avoid sitting on the sidewalk or near open windows close to traffic. When entering a noisy place such as a restaurant, choose a quiet corner instead of the main seating area.