Excessive nasality is associated with inadequate velopharyngeal closure. What tactic best allows a speaker to determine excessive nasal airflow?

Excessive nasality is associated with inadequate velopharyngeal closure. What tactic best allows a speaker to determine excessive nasal airflow?

• A. Looking in a mirror while speaking
• B. Being aware of vowel-sound productions
• C. Speaking while alternately leaving the nostrils open and pinching them closed
• D. Monitoring production of consonant blends

Answer: (C)

The tactic that most effectively allows a speaker to determine excessive nasal airflow is to speak while alternately leaving the nostrils open and pinching them closed. This method provides direct feedback regarding the presence or absence of nasal airflow during speech production. When the nostrils are pinched closed, the speaker can notice the changes in resonance and airflow; if there is excessive nasality, closing the nostrils would block nasal airflow, leading to a marked difference in how sounds are produced. If sounds that should be oral still seem nasal when the nostrils are pinched, it indicates inadequate velopharyngeal closure. Other tactics, such as looking in a mirror while speaking or being aware of vowel-sound productions, do not directly address nasal airflow and are more about visual feedback or awareness of specific sound productions without providing the same level of tangible feedback regarding the airflow itself. Monitoring the production of consonant blends also focuses on different aspects of speech sound production without specifically evaluating the nature of nasality or nasal airflow. Thus, pinching the nostrils provides a clear and effective way for a speaker to assess nasal airflow and determine the potential for excessive nasality.

The tactic that most effectively allows a speaker to determine excessive nasal airflow is to speak while alternately leaving the nostrils open and pinching them closed. This method provides direct feedback regarding the presence or absence of nasal airflow during speech production. When the nostrils are pinched closed, the speaker can notice the changes in resonance and airflow; if there is excessive nasality, closing the nostrils would block nasal airflow, leading to a marked difference in how sounds are produced. If sounds that should be oral still seem nasal when the nostrils are pinched, it indicates inadequate velopharyngeal closure.

Other tactics, such as looking in a mirror while speaking or being aware of vowel-sound productions, do not directly address nasal airflow and are more about visual feedback or awareness of specific sound productions without providing the same level of tangible feedback regarding the airflow itself. Monitoring the production of consonant blends also focuses on different aspects of speech sound production without specifically evaluating the nature of nasality or nasal airflow. Thus, pinching the nostrils provides a clear and effective way for a speaker to assess nasal airflow and determine the potential for excessive nasality.