Yang Jie

1597775373@qq.com

“LOOK at the pictures or Chinese characters on the computer screen and read them out,” professor Lu Shuo from the College of International Studies (CIS), Shenzhen University (SZU), was instructing a boy to read signs in her lab. This is not a Chinese character teaching course. Tiantian (pseudonym), the boy suspected of having a language development disorder, was wearing an electrode cap and was being evaluated on a neurological level through an electroencephalograph (EEG), a specialized instrument that records brain activity.

In a Lancet sub-journal, a top medical journal, a study revealed an 8.5% prevalence of developmental dysphasia among Mandarin-speaking children, posing a significant challenge given the sheer number of Chinese children. Professor Lu and her team delved into screening and correcting speech disorders at SZU since 2018, when they established the neurolinguistics laboratory to assist children suffering from language development disorders.

Tiantian is one of the beneficiaries of this initiative. From the initial stages of correction, Lu provided detailed explanations to Tiantian’s parents about the issues their child faced, and the procedures involved in the correction. This personalized training and correction approach were unprecedented for many parents.

“Many parents don’t pay enough attention to the process of their children’s speech development. They habitually think that their children’s speech delay is due to their personality. It may miss the golden period of correction,” Lu said.

The training kicked off with lively interactions. The instructor patiently showcased pronunciation methods and guided Tiantian to imitate and follow along. The training advanced gradually, covering phonetics, words, and sentences. After a month of dedicated effort, Tiantian’s pronunciation became progressively clearer and more complete. He began to take pleasure in communication.

“Such a scientific training!” The boy’s mother exclaimed. “The way they teach is amazing. The teacher patiently showed him how to say words, and now he talks much better. We’re really happy with the progress he’s made,” she added.

Professor Lu’s training program is closely tied to the neurolinguistics course she teaches at the university, which serves as a window for students genuinely interested in neurolinguistics.