I've been using my phone to dictate emails and texts recently and have found this useful, although of course one has to keep an eye on what is typed in because it can go a bit haywire on occasion. Just now, I was signing off with 'Regards' - and it put Guards. I deleted and said "regards" with the accent on the re. It put Re-guards. I pronounced it properly and clearly the third time and it was printed correctly. I am duly chastened. I shall work harder on the proper pronunciation of the English language. I'm also quite impressed, to tell the truth, that it differentiates so accurately in such small ways.
Having said that, I thought that I do speak rather loud and clear. I haven't always, but Kenny was quite deaf and I soon learned to speak up so that he could hear me. And my mother suffered from tinnitus - she had acute hearing in fact (and any time anything was said behind her back, quietly, she picked it up word for word) but its clarity was masked by white noise.
I find it sad that clarity of hearing diminishes as I get older. I'm in reasonably good nick but there's no climbing back up the slope, though it isn't yet relentlessly slippery. I've always taken care of my hearing, keeping out of too much noise and I've been known to take earplugs along if I expect a concert to be particularly loud. I do listen to music with headphones but not for too long at a time and I keep the volume low. All the same, although I don't have tinnitus thank goodness, I don't have the keen hearing that I used to appreciate. I'll never hear another bat, that's for sure. Though the bluebottle flying around in the room right now is quite annoying.
Having said that, I thought that I do speak rather loud and clear. I haven't always, but Kenny was quite deaf and I soon learned to speak up so that he could hear me. And my mother suffered from tinnitus - she had acute hearing in fact (and any time anything was said behind her back, quietly, she picked it up word for word) but its clarity was masked by white noise.
I find it sad that clarity of hearing diminishes as I get older. I'm in reasonably good nick but there's no climbing back up the slope, though it isn't yet relentlessly slippery. I've always taken care of my hearing, keeping out of too much noise and I've been known to take earplugs along if I expect a concert to be particularly loud. I do listen to music with headphones but not for too long at a time and I keep the volume low. All the same, although I don't have tinnitus thank goodness, I don't have the keen hearing that I used to appreciate. I'll never hear another bat, that's for sure. Though the bluebottle flying around in the room right now is quite annoying.
14 comments:
My mum taught me to speak clearly, particularly on the telephone. When I worked at the college, poor diction on the phone used to drive me insane!
I too have been known to take ear plugs to concerts and am always careful with earphones. The MP3 player that I got for Christmas doesn't go up as loud as the previous one and some albums are so quiet on there that I can barely hear them.
Bluebottles are always annoying.
If you're wearing headphones quite often, then check you haven't got a buildup of earwax - it happens quite fast.
When the bluebottle flies around the room do all you e-mails have zzzzz at the beginning and end?
I've never worn earplugs to a concert and used to have the foldback turned up ear bleedingly loud when I played in bands years ago. As a consequence, I don't always hear what Mrs Bear has to say. Me enunciation ain't that good either.
I must remember to make sure I've got an internet connection before pressing publish. Keep losing my comment!
I understood every word, Sir B, your enunciation is good enough for me.
At the end, certainly, NB!
If it isn't somewhere where I'd look absurd, I wear headphones rather than in-ear buds because my delicate little ears get a bit sore after a while, but I'll bear that in mind, AQ.
The Sage speaks quite quietly and I often can't hear what he says. That drives me nuts too. His hearing is remarkable. Better than mine.
I've not tried the diction feature. I did turn off predictive text as it was more irritating than useful.
I think I'm losing my hearing. Plan to schedule a hearing test with the doctor soon.
I'm not sure how much I'll use it, I've only done a few words at a time in case of having to correct it - but if you find a small keypad awkward it would be useful. Sorry about your hearing, hope it's not bad news.
I used to use my dictaphone a lot but eventually went back to using my fingers like most other people.
Although not as quickly as in-ear buds, headphones will still cause a build up of earwax. So speaks a professional soundperson.
I think it's like having a new kitchen gadget, Rog - it's just simpler in the long run to squeeze the juice by hand.
Thank you, AQ. The last time I used earphones was on the flight home from India in April, I really don't do it much, but I'll take note. I suspect it's something that few people realise.
I don't always understand what my husband says, and he often times misunderstands what I say. I would say we are 'difficult of hearing', instead of 'hard of hearing'.
I almost look forward to losing a bit of my hearing. The tiniest sounds drive me crazy (your bluebottle is a good example), and certain pitches set my teeth on edge. There are podcasts that I love that i have had to abandon because of certain voices.
I don't need earphones to build up earwax : )
This is such fun, I've been laughing since the beginning of the post all the way through the comments.
I tried dictating to the iphone and the results were either exasperating or ridiculous (both even). I'm afraid no-one ever taught me to speak clearly!
I have loss of hearing in the lower register, unusually, but last year I heard a bat. This year ... who knows! Too cold and wet for bats!
Love you too Z and looking forward to seeing you on the 14th.
LZM, I love the nice distinction between "I don't understand" and "he misunderstands." Brilliant!
Julie, are you in fact a dog?
I know Mig, this blog would be nothing without comments! I was talking to a hearing expert who'd come in to the school to do a sensory/disability audit and she told me how a loss of hearing in lower pitches can be a problem. I hadn't quite appreciated that - that one might have good hearing at a high register and not at a low one. A lot of children have hearing loss nowadays.
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