Speech As A Motor Activity

Author: Jesse Nerenberg, Reg. CASLPO, Speech-Language Pathologist
Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Speech as a Motor Activity

3. Why Viewing Speech as a Motor Activity Matters

4. The Principles of Motor Learning in Speech Therapy

5. Applying Motor Learning Principles in Speech Therapy

6. Conclusion

Introduction

When most people think of speech, they often consider the words we use, the meaning behind them, and how they help us connect with others. However, speech is more than just language; it’s a complex motor activity. This is something I have been mentioning to many of my clients over the last few months. Whether a client is looking to work on their fluency, enunciation, voice, accent, or articulation, it is important to remember that how we sound is, at least in part, a result of a motor process and the motor pathways that are activated when we speak.

We tend to think of our speech as something ephemeral that floats around us, or as something intangible like our thoughts and ideas. But I have found it helpful to remind clients that speaking can be as concrete as hitting a tennis ball or playing the guitar. Understanding speech as a motor process can provide valuable insights into why certain speech challenges occur and how they can be addressed effectively. In this blog post, we'll explore what it means to view speech as a motor activity and discuss the principles of motor learning that guide the work of the speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at Well Said in helping clients improve their speech abilities.

Speech as a Motor Activity

Speech is the result of finely coordinated movements involving various muscles and structures in our body. These movements are controlled by our brain, which sends signals to the muscles of the lips, tongue, jaw, vocal cords, and respiratory system.

Here’s a breakdown of how this works:

1. Breath Control: Speaking begins with breath. The air that we exhale from our lungs provides the power needed to produce sound. I tell clients that breath is like the gas in the tank of a car. The control of breath is essential because it influences the loudness, pitch, and duration of speech.

2. Phonation: Once air is expelled from the lungs, it passes through the vocal cords located in the larynx (voice box). The vocal cords vibrate to produce sound, which we hear as our voice. This sound is then modulated to create different speech sounds. I tell clients this is like the vibrating strings of a guitar.

3. Articulation: The sound produced by the vocal cords is shaped by the movement of the tongue, lips, teeth, and palate (aka the roof of the mouth). These articulators work in precise coordination with each other to produce the consonants and vowels that make up words. I often pull up a “map” of the articulators (in the form of a cross-section illustration of a human head) to help clients understand and visualize how these processes work. For example, the /t/ sound is created by bringing the tip of the tongue up to contact the roof of the mouth just behind the upper front teeth (called the alveolar ridge) and letting air pressure build up behind that contact before releasing it in a burst of air that creates the sound. Understanding this can help demystify the process for clients and help them understand that speech is, in fact, the result of a series of complex unseen movements.

4. Resonance: The quality of the voice is influenced by the shape of the vocal tract, including the throat, mouth, and nasal passages. Changes in the shape of these spaces help create the unique sound of each person's voice and the clarity of speech. I compare this to the head of a guitar, essentially where the sound is bouncing around before leaving the body.

5. Coordination and Timing: All of these actions—breath control, phonation, articulation, and resonance—must be perfectly timed and coordinated for speech to be clear and understandable. In a sense, you can think of this process as being similar to a tennis player attempting to hit a ball that is flying toward them. You need to have timing, coordination, strength, and direction all aligned to hit the ball correctly.

Because speech relies on the coordination of various motor activities, it is classified as a motor skill, similar to activities like playing the piano or riding a bicycle. Just as with these other motor skills, speech can be practiced, refined, and improved through targeted training.

Why Viewing Speech as a Motor Activity Matters

When speech is understood as a motor activity, it changes how we approach speech therapy. For many speech challenges—whether they involve articulation difficulties, stuttering, reduced enunciation, accent work, or a motor speech issue like apraxia—the underlying issue often lies in the coordination of the muscles involved. By focusing on improving motor control and muscle coordination, the goal is to enhance speech clarity and communication abilities.

For example, consider someone who has difficulty pronouncing the "r" sound. The issue may not be that they do not know how the "r" sound should be produced or that something is mechanically wrong with their articulators, but rather that they are unable to correctly coordinate their tongue and lips to produce the sound. Through motor learning principles, a Speech Therapist can guide them in practicing and refining the movements needed to produce the "r" sound correctly. It is also important to acknowledge that speech as a motor process impacts both sides of the issue: the outcome/learning as well as the presenting state. Using the same example of someone who is having difficulty with their “r” sound, that person has also spent their whole life reinforcing the motor pathways of the “incorrect” production, meaning there is work to be done to unlearn and overcome those motor pathways.

The Principles of Motor Learning in Speech Therapy

Motor learning refers to the process by which we acquire and refine motor skills. It involves a combination of practice, feedback, and adaptation over time. Understanding the principles of motor learning can help clients better appreciate the strategies used in speech therapy and the reasons behind them.

Here are some key principles of motor learning that are relevant to speech therapy:

1. Practice Variability: Motor learning research suggests that practicing a skill in various contexts and conditions can enhance learning and retention. In speech therapy, this might involve practicing speech sounds in different words, sentences, and social situations. By varying practice conditions, the brain learns to generalize the skill, making it easier to use in everyday communication. This is why it would not be enough for me to just teach someone their “r” sound in isolation and call it a day. That would not allow them to use the sound in different contexts, especially in spontaneous speech (which is usually, if not always, the end goal).

2. Practice Intensity: The amount of practice is crucial for motor learning. Frequent and intensive practice helps solidify motor patterns, making them more automatic over time. For clients, this means that consistent and regular home practice of speech exercises is essential to progress. I like to tell clients that seeing an SLP is a bit like seeing a personal trainer at the gym once a week. Would you see results if you only exercised when you saw your trainer for an hour a week? Sure, you would. But you would see a lot more progress if you also did workouts in between your trainer sessions.

3. Knowledge of Results and Performance: Feedback is a critical component of motor learning. Therapists provide clients with feedback about how well they performed a task (knowledge of performance, such as how well a stuttering client attempted the mechanics of a fluency-shaping technique) and whether they achieved the desired outcome (knowledge of results, such as how accurately someone produced the “r” sound in a task). This feedback helps clients adjust their movements and improve their speech production. I also like to have clients give themselves these types of feedback to raise their own awareness and improve learning.

4. Distributed Practice: Instead of practicing a skill continuously for a long period, distributed practice involves shorter, more frequent sessions. This approach has been shown to enhance motor learning by giving the brain time to process and consolidate new skills. In speech therapy, this might mean breaking up practice into manageable chunks throughout the day. For voice clients, I tell them to practice their voice techniques over the course of the day for 5-10 minutes at a time, 5-7 times a day.

5. Mental Practice: Motor learning can also occur through mental practice, where the individual visualizes the movements required for a skill without physically performing them. This can be a helpful technique for clients who may be fatigued or unable to practice speech sounds physically but can still benefit from rehearsing them mentally. This can also involve listening to other speakers. For example, I tell accent clients working on emphasis to listen to the radio or podcasts and observe how other speakers use emphasis to convey meaning.

6. Motivation and Attention: Motivation and focused attention play significant roles in motor learning. Clients who are engaged and motivated are more likely to put in the necessary effort to practice and improve. SLPs work to make therapy engaging and relevant to the client's interests and goals, which enhances motivation and attention during sessions. This is why I will often check in with clients in the middle of an activity to see if they are finding it helpful, interesting, and relevant. This is also why I will move on from an activity if someone is doing it with 100 percent accuracy. That indicates the activity is too easy for them and will become boring.

7. Feedback Timing: The timing of feedback can influence how well a motor skill is learned. Immediate feedback can be helpful for initial learning, but delayed feedback allows clients to self-assess and correct their performance, leading to better retention of the skill. SLPs balance providing immediate feedback with opportunities for clients to self-monitor and make adjustments on their own.

8. Errorless Learning vs. Trial and Error: Some motor learning approaches emphasize minimizing errors during practice to build confidence and prevent ingrained mistakes (errorless learning). Others allow for trial and error, where making mistakes and learning from them is part of the process. The approach used in speech therapy may vary depending on the client's needs and the specific speech goal. What I especially look for is to try to avoid a client consistently practicing an error or incorrect production.

Applying Motor Learning Principles in Speech Therapy

The principles of motor learning can be applied by your Speech Therapist to help you towards the goals in a wide variety of areas, including articulation, accent, fluency, voice, and motor speech. Understanding these principles can help demystify the therapy process and empower clients to take an active role in the therapy process.

Conclusion

Speech is a complex motor activity that requires the precise coordination of various muscles and structures. By viewing speech through the lens of motor learning, we can better understand how to improve speech abilities. The principles of motor learning—such as practice variability, feedback, and motivation—are essential tools that we use to guide clients toward clearer, more effective communication. Whether you're a client or a family member, being aware of these principles can help you support the therapy process and achieve the best possible outcomes.

To speak with a psychotherapist or one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.