Tips to improve results after intervention:

1. Speak up

For children attending school, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask your teacher or classmate a question or to repeat themselves. It is always best to let your teacher and classmate know that you are wearing a cochlear implant, so they understand that you may require extra accommodations.

2. Good listening skills

Sometimes, you need to hear a word multiple times in order to hear the sounds that make up the word. It is better to ask a person to rephrase or slow down when communicating.

3. Identify the best resources

There are plenty of resources out there that aid in teaching language. Different resources are good for different aspects of learning a language such as listening, writing and improving vocabulary. For example, your teacher is the best resource in class.

Ask your teacher to write all the words down and repeat them slowly. This will allow you to hear the sound of each letter individually and combined. Learning to speak after implantation can be difficult and challenging. You may feel like it is too much to comprehend at one time. In that case, take learning one step at a time.

5. Set reasonable goals

Set realistic expectations and congratulate yourself when you meet those goals. But most importantly, don’t compare yourself to others because what matters is your own growth.

6. Stay focused

It will take time to learn a language but if you remain focused on learning a little bit at a time, you will soon know it well. Pay attention and concentrate to what you are learning.

7. Keep practising

Always practise what you have learned. A useful tool would be to record yourself and play the recording back to back, to identify any differences between what your parents/teacher/therapist are saying compared to what you are saying.