- Make sure you have face-to-face contact with the person you are talking to
and focus the person’s attention before you speak. - Be patient. Communicating with someone who doesn’t speak English and/or
has hearing difficulties, takes time. Remember the person is just as keen to
communicate as you are. - Think Visual: Use natural gestures and facial expressions to help someone
understand. - Avoid colloquialisms, sayings and idioms. Some people are very literal in their
understanding or they may be unfamiliar with the reference. - Speak clearly and at a natural pace. Avoid exaggerated lip movements as this
can make it harder to lip read. - Always keep a pen and paper handy. If you need to write things down, keep it
plain and simple. - Don’t assume understanding. Check with the person that you understand what
they are saying and check that the person you are talking to understands you. - If someone doesn’t understand you, don’t keep repeating the same thing, try
saying it another way or use another strategy e.g. drawing a map - If you need to have a lengthy discussion, book a qualified communication
professional e.g. a BSL interpreter - If you use communication support, speak directly to the client, not the
interpreter.
Make sure that background noise is at a minimum.
Make sure you have the person’s attention and they are looking at you when you speak
Always look at the face of the person you are speaking to – don’t turn away/ look down when speaking
Ideally, be between 3-6 feet in front of the person you are speaking to
Make sure that your face can be seen – that you do not have light behind you which casts a shadow
Do not hide your face with hands or objects such as pens, cigarettes, etc.
Try to use clear facial expressions and hand gestures wherever possible
If the person does not understand what you are saying, rephrase your sentence or as last resort, write something down
Be patient – lip reading is a skill and to some extent, guess work, as some sounds can be ‘seen’.
Don’t mumble – speak clearly using plain English without jargon
Don’t change the conversation topic without warning
Don’t shout – it distorts your lip patterns
Some additional pointers that will help you connect and communicate more effectively:
- Don’t make assumptions – everyone and their communication needs are different. A person with a hearing aid could have partial hearing loss or be profoundly deaf. The range of hearing differs from person to person.
- Meeting someone who is ‘different’ from us creates a natural stress response called the ‘flight or fight’ response. Stress compromises your ability to communicate – so breathe and relax!
- Be emotionally aware – respond in a way that shows people you understand and can acknowledge the person as an individual
Make sure your nonverbal signals match your words – it helps create trust