Confessions of a Poor Phonology Student

We all have strengths… and we all have weaknesses. Some of us rock out whipping out fabulous IEPs and others of us can create a cute craftivity using little to no brain power.

Well, I confess… I have a weakness. I know, I know, I can hear all of you gasping at the thought. A speech lady who is not perfect in every area of life? It cannot be! Well I hate to burst your bubble but the nasty rumor is true. (I hope you can all hear the sarcasm in this! ;)

I am not so good at phonetics. I never really liked the class in undergrad of grad school. This is not a reflection of the professor, but rather my instinct to not love something that I am not naturally good at.  I used to poor over pages of homework for hours and hours saying words over and over and over and over and over. Then I would get someone else to say the words over and over and over and over. As time went on in my school career I got better at phonetics and transcribing. I had to practice constantly so I wouldn't forget what I had learned.

Then I got a job in the real world and was not required to test my own students. I only had to transcribe on rare occasions. Therefore, I was out of the habit of transcribing and it was a nightmare all over again!

Incase any of you can relate to not being a  super star in the land of phonetics I wanted to share a little treasure that made my life and phonetics class much easier!

Behold, Merriam-Webseter’s A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English. This little treasure is a guide to using the International Phonetic Alphabet. It lists words and variations of the phonetic spelling. It was a great way to double check myself!

I hope that some of you find it useful too!

Some of My Favorite People

Today, I am taking a moment to brag on some of my favorite people. My fellow classmates! I just love those girls! Since I have graduated (woo hoo!) I can’t say I will miss going to class, but I will definitely miss them!

Sometimes grad school makes you feel like you are losing your mind, but my sweet friends were always there to encourage me and help me find my sanity! One of our final classes is Research Methodology, and let me tell you, this class is a doozie for many reasons! We take the semester to replicate a single subject study and then for the final, we present our findings. Below you will see some pictures from our poster board presentation night. (I know the girls are going to kill me for putting these pictures up, but they worked so hard that I wanted to share it with you!)

My Board

I hate I didn’t get pictures of everyone with their boards!

Our amazing professors had a holiday buffet ready for us! Yum!

The whole class. Congrats girls!

Applying for Graduate School

Greeting readers! We hope that you are all doing well and psyching yourselves up to start another great school year that is coming all too soon!

To all of those undergraduate students who will be beginning their senior year (whoop whoop!) and starting to consider where they will apply to graduate school we wish you luck and lots of acceptance letters! We have come across a video from the LinguaHealth channel on You Tube that might be helpful as you undergo this process.

The Speech Ladies Tips for Applying to Grad School:



1. Cast a wide net. As an undergraduate associate professor I see so many students who only apply to one or two schools and then don’t get in anywhere. Apply to several schools, even if they are not your #1 pick, this way you can keep your options open.


2. Get good recommendations. We know that this seems like a given, but when you ask a professor for a recommendation, double check that they are going to say something positive about you! Also, professors LOVE it when you give them a neat little packet that includes a written request of which schools you need recs for, an early thank you, and an addressed/stamped envelope. And be sure to write them a thank you note after the fact as well.


3. Get those GRE scores up! We will not rehash this subject since we already posted about it. If you missed our GRE post you can read it here.


4. Visit your prospective schools. This is a tip that was given in the video, and we agree whole heartedly! If at all possible lay eyes on the schools you are considering. If you can, call the school in advance to let them know you will be stopping by. Many places are thrilled by your interest and are more than willing to give you a quick tour of their facilities. (Also, this is a great way to get your face in front of the people who will be accepting or rejecting your application. There are no guarantees, but every little bit helps!)


5. Study NOW! GPAs play a big role in the application process, so the best way you can prepare for your future is to study for your classes today! If you need extra motivation throughout the year, put a picture of your #1 school above your desk to remind you to stay focused as you study!