Hey! I'm applying to a graduate school for speech pathology and I wanted someone to give me their opinion on my essay. I'm not sure if I'm doing it right but I would love your thoughts! Part of the question said "Describe how you become interested in the field of communication disorders and sciences". My response might be....
The field of communication disorders and sciences has been an interest to me since my early childhood years seeing a speech-language pathologist. When I was young, growing up with Russian parents I acquired the Russian language before the English language. Russian, being my first language, made me 'different' from the other children in my kindergarten class. Once I became linguistically fluent in the English language my kindergarten teacher began to notice my slight Russian accent. During a parent-teacher conference, the teacher expressed her concern to my parents that I may have an articulation disorder. She told my parents that I had problems pronouncing certain consonants and that I may also have a delay in my language skills. She assumed I had a speech impediment because my articulation was different from every other English speaking child in the classroom. She instantly referred me to a speech-language pathologist for a speech evaluation to make sure I wasn't developing an articulation disorder. The speech pathologist did not necessarily reduce my Russian accent, yet helped me with my speech and language deficits. She improved my articulation and language skills by practicing correct word order for specific types of words and sentences, forming tenses correctly, as well as helping me with my sound production differences such as when my /w/ production were substituted for the /v/ sound (for example 'vhen' for the word 'when'). Going to speech therapy sessions for so long really got me interested about the field, even as a child. Looking back on my childhood when I had a Russian accent I decided I wanted help other children with other speech impediments just like myself.
The field of communication disorders and sciences has been an interest to me since my early childhood years seeing a speech-language pathologist. When I was young, growing up with Russian parents I acquired the Russian language before the English language. Russian, being my first language, made me 'different' from the other children in my kindergarten class. Once I became linguistically fluent in the English language my kindergarten teacher began to notice my slight Russian accent. During a parent-teacher conference, the teacher expressed her concern to my parents that I may have an articulation disorder. She told my parents that I had problems pronouncing certain consonants and that I may also have a delay in my language skills. She assumed I had a speech impediment because my articulation was different from every other English speaking child in the classroom. She instantly referred me to a speech-language pathologist for a speech evaluation to make sure I wasn't developing an articulation disorder. The speech pathologist did not necessarily reduce my Russian accent, yet helped me with my speech and language deficits. She improved my articulation and language skills by practicing correct word order for specific types of words and sentences, forming tenses correctly, as well as helping me with my sound production differences such as when my /w/ production were substituted for the /v/ sound (for example 'vhen' for the word 'when'). Going to speech therapy sessions for so long really got me interested about the field, even as a child. Looking back on my childhood when I had a Russian accent I decided I wanted help other children with other speech impediments just like myself.
