Thread by @suzyjstyles

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Oh gosh no this isn’t true anatomically.
Linguists who focus on the physiology of spoken language talk about different ‘phonation types’ at the glottis - that is, different ways of letting air pass between the fleshy membranes that are the vocal folds 1/…

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives The ‘modal phonation’ is the type where the air pressure coming from the lungs is balanced with the tension of the vocal folds, so that as the air pushes the vocal folds apart, their tension pulls them back together. They open and close evenly along the length in a regular cycle

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Here’s a crummy simulation of the same process, using a balloon! The air exiting the neck of the balloon pushes apart the membranes and their tension pulls them back together. This creates a smooth wave.

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Here is a very excellent simulation using a kind of gel. In the slow motion part of the simulation, you can see each small pocket of air passing between the two sides. This is a great example of the modal phonation type, as the shape cycle is regular

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Linguists also talk about other phonation types including whisper, ‘breathy voice’ and ‘creaky voice’. All of these occur when the vocal folds are in a different position, have a different tension, or when the balance of air pressure to vocal fold pressure is different.

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Creaky voice occurs then the vocal folds are less tight than in modal phonation. The air can therefore bubble through in an irregular fashion - sometimes little pockets at the front or back, and there is a less consistent ‘cycle’. The irregular nature is why it sounds crackly

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Creaky voice is just one natural way of using the glottis, and some communities use it systematically in their spoken linguistic code. Here’s an example from the Jalapa Mazatec language, were phonation type is a key part of different vowels!

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalapa_Ma…

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives If you do a vocal run from a high note (high tension) to the lowest note you can make (low tension), at some point you won’t be able to sustain modal phonation any more, and the crackles will start to emerge. It is possible to create this crackly sound at any pitch.

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives The Western classical music tradition does not accept this sound, and singers learn to avoid it. Let’s look at a different musical tradition: Inuit Throat Singing!
This musical tradition uses LOTS of different phonation styles including creaky voice!

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Let’s have another example because it’s so great! There’s modal phonation some of the time, but also breathy voice, creaky voice, ingressives (sounds make when the air is passing inwards), and phonation made with the false vocal folds!

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives It is important to realise that everybody uses creaky voice some of the time - even for speakers of English. Male voices have a tonne of creak - check out the creak on this cowboy!

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives As for vocal training - People who go through ‘training’ for stage performances are often taught to align to the dominant norms within their tradition. In the Western tradition, this includes a bunch of strategies for maximising volume during modal phonation…

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives Normal speaking volume is achieved with the intercostial muscles - the bands of muscles that wrap around and between the ribs. For louder volume you need to force the air out faster using the diaphragm to PROJECT YOUR VOICE. That’s where posture and core support come in.

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives So creaky phonation and posture are completely unrelated in healthy folks. As for vocal damage? I believe stressing the vocal folds when they are inflamed can cause damage. Inflammation might sometimes sound creaky, but this is not the same as healthy creaky phonation.

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives 🔎Do some people have more creak when they speak than others?
👉🏻it varies by person, language and accent!
🔎 Is it bad?
👉🏻Nope!
🔎 Dangerous for my voice?
👉🏻Nope!
🔎Then why does my mom/teacher/accent coach hate it?
…
…
👉🏻Time to have a talk with them about #AccentBias 💪🏻

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives One final note because I can’t help myself! Check out the creaky creaks of this Chinese masculine speech style, known as FIZZY VOICE (example at 1:30) 🤩

A hearty reminder that speech-making is a cultural activity bound up in performance of identity.

https://twitter.com/rlslinguistics/status/1451136129499947008?s=21

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives And this is why the paper is getting such negative attention right now… In this paper SLPs - Speech and Language Pathologists - are pathologizing normal healthy uses of the human voice. This is a cultural judgment, not a physiological one.

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives The original poster even suggests Vocal Fry is a defect and needs treatment:

https://twitter.com/suzyjstyles/status/1457962130758529025?s=12

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives The paper’s conclusions (according to the abstract) basically tell young women why Fry to ‘be cognizant’ especially during interviews.
This is essentially, ‘change your voice or know that you lost the job for yourself!’

@KaleeHolland @SIGPerspectives And it is such a shame, as the same data could be used to argue that SLPs deserve better training about #accentism and sources of #ImplicitBias - especially during hiring - so they can create a professional environment that is full of the most talented, diverse individuals!