Eliciting Challenging Sounds in Isolation

Sounds: /ch,j/

Most typical error on these sounds are that students will make more of a /t/ for a /ch/ and a /d/ for a /j/ and/or sometimes you hear /sh,zh/ made for /ch,j/, respectfully

Some specific features of articulator placement/position, manner, and voicing component:

I like to think of the /ch/ sound as a combination of a /t/ to a /sh/ sound

and the /j/ is a combination of the /d/ to a /zh/ sound

In the production of these sounds, the articulator placements/positions as well as the airflow change from the beginning of the production to the completion of the production of these sounds.

Articulator placements/positions for both /ch,j/ are the same

*At the beginning of the production of these sounds, the lower jaw is slightly down with the upper and lower front dentition apart slightly

*At the beginning of the production of these sounds, the front part of the tongue is up and the sides of the tongue in both the middle areas and front areas are slightly curled up (similar to the /sh/) against the side gum areas/side dentition areas; the front part of the tongue is touching the alveolar ridge—similar to a /t,d/ position. The center of the middle part of the tongue is down (similar also to /sh/)

*At the beginning of the production of these sounds, the lips are in the pursed positions

Articulator placements/positions at the completion of these sounds:

*Front part of tongue goes down with the sudden lowering of the lower jaw-which releases the blocked airflow

*Lips go from a pursed to a relaxed position as lower jaw drops down

Manner of airflow—the air is actually held in the oral cavity at the beginning of these sounds by the position of the tongue and then is “exploded” out as the tongue placement/position changes—then the airflow is released through a moderate constriction

Voicing component on for the /j/ sound and off for the /ch/ sound

Some typical changes in articulator placement/position, manner, and/or voicing that students make which cause errors in this sound:

*When students have air coming out of the sides instead of the front of the mouth, this means that they are typically pushing the midline of the tongue from the middle to the front areas up against the hard palate and the alveolar ridge. The sides of the tongue in both the middle and front areas are down instead of up

*When a student makes more of an /t/ and /d/ for these sounds, this means that they are carrying their front tongue tip more forward and pushing harder on the alveolar ridge-but airflow is still coming out the front—this also means that although the front tongue tip is up and against the alveolar ridge, the sides of the front and middle part of the tongue are not.

If they are making an /sh/ and /zh/ for the /ch,j/ sounds, then they are not stopping or blocking that air at the beginning of the productions.

*I have also seen a shifting in the lower jaw during the production of these sounds, that cause airflow shift and then the sound is distorted

Other observations:

Ideas for eliciting this sound in isolation:

*Whatever the problem is with these sounds, try the technique of teaching the /ch/ first—the voiced sound /j/ will typically generalize over—teach the /ch/ by teaching it in a combination of a /t/ with a pursed lip formation (possibly the index finger up as a cue for the airflow constriction similar to the /sh/ sound) Remember, if the student has difficulty with the /sh/ sound, work on that sound first, then come back—sometimes we see students clear up the /ch,j/ sounds when the /sh,zh/ sounds have been corrected because of some similar features.

*Use a mirror-these are visual sounds.