The King's Speech movie - a stammerer's view

The movie did great things for awareness of stammering and the stage play, on which the screenplay was very closely based, had the same effect - although, sadly, it closed after a very short run in London's West End. The story gave stammerers and non-stammerers 'permission' to talk to each other about this often embarrassing subject.

King George VI died in 1952 and, whilst we know a lot more today about the causes and treatment of stammering, there is still no cure and, in many parts of the country, the NHS does not provide any speech therapy service for adults.

For an interview with Colin Firth about his role as the King in the film, please go to http://www.stammering.org/colinfirth.... For more information on The Monster Study, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_...

If you are in the UK, and want help with your speech, please ring the British Stammering Association helpline on 0845 603 2001 or visit http://www.stammering.org The BSA is the national charity and is run by people who stammer, for the benefit of all those whose lives are affected by stammering.

If you live outside the UK, and want advice about stammering/stuttering - or simply want to learn more - you can still go to http://www.stammering.org or to any of these other leading sites: http://www.stutterisa.org (International Stuttering Association), http://www.stutteringhelp.org (USA), http://www.stutteringhomepage.com (USA) or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stammering.

If you like to see an adaptation of this video, spoken in Swedish, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB9TDL...

• Category

  Nonprofits & Activism

[speakingout2]

Delighted to have been appointed Ambassador for the new UK Employers Stammering Network. As the principal contact for the ESN, I will be responsible for going out to see employers, taking about stammering and doing all I can to promote involvement in the network. If you want to know more, please contact me.

[dresib]

Great video, and good luck raising awareness about stammering. It's terrible that in 2013 people are still getting riduculed for having a problem they can't possibly eliminate and did nothing to deserve having. Actually, your speech is better and more intelligible than that of millions of people who don't stammer and yet would still be inclined to scoff at your stammering.

[speakingout2]

Thanks for those kind words, dresib. It is terrible that stammering is so misunderstood and that so little real help is available. But although there is no 'cure', most of us can learn to talk more smoothly and, in some cases, to stop worrying about it too much. I often encourage people to understand the difference between communicating well and talking fluently, so I'm very grateful for your praise here!

[pforpappu]

This is an excellent video speakingout2. I have been stammering ever since I was a child. The Therapy that I was put through in the 1970's, included having marbles put in my mouth but that was soon stopped as the dangers of this was highlighted. I was sent to quite a few therapists and today, though I get stuck on words, I am broadcasting on the Radio - Live. I remember when being trained for broadcasting, I askd my tutor to listen and he later informed me that he couldn't hear any stammering.

[speakingout2]

Thanks pforpappu. It was the biggest thing to happen in stammering since the King himself died, and it gave stammering a great deal of exposure. But I'm not sure that it changed many of the misconceptions. I've done a fair amount of live broadcasting, too, but as I have have mainly been speaking about stammering, it's not worried me too much!

[speakingout2]

Thanks for your other comment, pforpappu, about Bollywood actors and stammering. I think what happens sometimes is that, when one is acting, and possibly speaking in a different and a more rhythmical way, the speech becomes more fluent for short spells.

[speakingout2]

It shows, Ingamells17, it really shows. Still, there's plenty of time for you to get on down to your local retailer and buy the DVD.

[zbella1001]

This is awesome. My dad has a stammer, and sometimes I will get caught on word as he does. I started looking up Youtube Videos, trying to find what Lionel Logue's job was exactly, because I would love to do something like that. I'm looking into majoring in Speech-Language Pathology, to help people as yourself not feel like you're being stared at, or that people are mocking you. You have an epic voice, good sir! Keep on talking! :)

[Justin Dixon]

Excellent video and you speak very well.

[Patrick Bonner]

i think he was fakin it he sounded fine