Speech and Language Therapy: A Reflective Account of Academy Journey

This reflective essay explores the author's journey in a Speech and Language Therapy course, focusing on the development of professional skills through both reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. It details experiences with group work, highlighting the importance of team bonding, active listening, and constructive feedback. The essay also addresses challenges in adapting to a new culture and overcoming cultural biases, emphasizing the need for cultural competency and sensitivity in healthcare. Furthermore, it discusses the author's struggle with phonetics, a subject unfamiliar from their previous education, and how determination and guidance from a lecturer helped in mastering it. The reflection underscores the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and cultural awareness in becoming a successful speech and language therapist, with a focus on providing compassionate and equitable care to all individuals regardless of their background.

Running head: SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Speech and Language Therapy course helps individuals to develop a career as speech
and language therapist who can successfully treat, support and thereby care for those people who
face problems with communication, drinking, eating as well as swallowing problems. I always
had the dream of becoming a speech and language therapist or SLT and get admission in one of
the best colleges of the world. This assignment would mainly be a reflective piece that would
discuss the ways I developed many professional skills in my university that would help me to be
an expert in my professional life. Both reflection in action and reflection on action would be
included.
Reflection in action mainly includes reflecting or thinking about the incident when the
activity is being carried out or the incident is taking place. Reflection-on-action can be defined as
the retrospective contemplation of practice for uncovering knowledge used in the particular
situation. This is done by analyzing and interpreting the information that is recalled. Here the
professional need to speculate how the situation might have been handled differently and what
specific knowledge would have been helpful (Schön 2017).
Initially I was quite excited and I was looking forward to meet new people, learn in a new
environment, and meet expert and highly knowledgeable personalities. However, as the days
gradually started to pass and the first day of the college was gradually approaching, an unknown
fear started to creep within me. The first day was mainly introductory and I took a stroll all
around the university campus and was quite astonished with the enormous area of the university
that covered the fields, buildings, classes, sports area and many others.
Group work:

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The main classes started after a week and it was during this time, we had to spend more
time with my classmates and the professors who were allotted in each of the subjects. We were
allocated in groups where we had to work with students with whom I had not communicated
before. It was becoming very difficult for me to work with other students who were complete
strangers for me and with whom I shared no comfort level. We had no bonding and hence often
it resulted in chaotic situation where the members were not ready to listen to others and was
constantly blaming each other for failure of any of the aspects in the group work. We could not
complete the work within the deadline, as there was no coordination and collaboration among the
members of the team. While one of the members showed a withdrawing behavior, another one
was constantly criticizing about different aspects of the group projects.
Reflection in action: I was quite tensed and fearful about the outcome of the group
project and decided to consult with the mentor to develop the stressful situations among the
group so that the out groups project received are given higher scores. With the help of the
suggestions of my mentor, I tried to introduce a number of aspects so that effective group work
can take place.
Reflection on action: Development of bonding and teamwork is extremely important for
effective group work. Members should show mutual respect to each other and should trust each
other completely (Mondor et al. 2018). This is important for development of bonds and comfort
levels among the group members. Studies are of the opinion that team bonding and constructive
feedbacks are excessively important for higher productivity and team unity (Hughes 2017).
Active listening skills as well exchange of constructive feedback can not only develop the quality
of the group work and its outcomes but can also prevent different misunderstanding and missing
important aspects of work (Rosen et al. 2018). Active listening skills by the listener might help

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the speaker to feel respected that his words and suggestions are respected and prevent missing
important details of projects. Constructive feedback helps in development of bonds while
criticizing and negative comments can result in blame games and development of negative
feelings among the members. These would affect productivity and delay in-group work (Rosen et
al. 2014). Hence, I sat with them in an informal manner and politely discussed with the different
attributes that would help in overcoming the different barriers we were facing in group work. I
made them understand of importance of bonding, mutual trust, development of compatibility,
coordination, collaboration, feedback skills, active listening skills and many others and how they
can help in completing group work and score goof marks (Goodman et al. 2017). They
understood my perspective and tried to develop such skills. Moreover, we also started hanging
out after classes, went to informal outings, had lunch together and many others. This helped in
developing mutual liking, trust and compatibility among the members that resulted in formation
of good bonds (Mijakoski et al. 2018). These also helped us in scoring well and getting good
marks in group-project. In the future, when I become a speech and language therapist, I might
need to work in multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals treating co-morbid cases of
patients. This aspect would be helping me to develop as better team-member in the future.
Cultural competency
Another stressful experience that I had gone through during my initial months was
adapting to an entirely new culture in the new university. Although most of my friends and
classmates had accepted me with open arms in spite of me belonging to another cultural
background, there was another group who was not comfortable in presence of me. I used to
overlook such incidents so that I do not feel affected by them. Moreover, I was not able to adjust
to the new environment in the university. Every student here had different lifestyles that were not

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similar to me. Their cultural preferences, inhibitions and traditional did not align with mine.
Therefore, it was becoming very difficult for me to adjust initially. I used to feel uncomfortable
and culturally biased. However, I decided to overcome such attributes and develop cultural
awareness and overcome my biased nature. It took time but I succeeded.
Reflection in action: I decided to develop goals to develop my behavior and the
approached the lecturer in charge of the course. He had a discussion with me and provided me
with different suggestions about how to overcome my biasness and develop acceptance towards
all culture. He made me understand the negative aspect of my behavior in a cool and composed
manner as an expertise well without harming my ego and self-respect. This made me aware of
her inappropriate behavior and I apologized to all people who were affected by me due to my
biasness. I started interacting with all of my classmates with broader mindset and never judging
their though procedures and living styles. I started to spend more and more time on the internet
learning about different cultural backgrounds so that I do not make any inappropriate comments
to anyone. After hanging out with all my classmates in the latter days, I realized that every
culture has different aspects from where one can learn new aspects towards life. Every culture
has their good philosophies and principles. We might be not aware of the cultural traditions,
preferences and inhibitions of people belonging to other cultural backgrounds and therefore we
may make negative comments. Therefore, immediately after knowing these aspects, I tried to
overcome my biasness and developed a learning outlook towards all other cultures.
Reflection on action: Such incidents taught me a number of important aspects that would
help me in my professional life. As a professional, one should never judge people immediately
and rather should give a short span of time to learn about the people and the cause of his or her
poor or negative behaviors (Goodman et al. 2017). Being judgmental and coming to immediate

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decisions at the heck of moments due to emotional instability, cultural biasness, cultural
incompetency might not only affect the business of the task but also might result in losing the
scope of better relationship development and opportunity (Annalakshmi et al. 2018)). Rather,
individuals need to be patient and find out ways by which such personalities need to be handled
so that effective relationship development takes place (Hughes 2017). Studies are of the opinion
that good communication might help in “breaking the ice” and become comfortable with each
other. When I allowed time to the relationship between that student of other cultures and me, I
could see an entirely different personalities, principles and aspects of different cultures and felt
that I had been too quick in judging other cultures. This might result in negative impacts in
professional relationships in workplace. Hence, I need to refrain myself from harboring such
attributes.
I also realized that cultural insensitivity, cultural intolerance, stigmatization and
prejudices could affect mental and emotional health of people largely. Therefore, the service and
care that I need to provide to service users should be such that I can provide equal compassionate
care for all irrespective of their culture, background, ethnicity, classes and others. This would not
only help in maintaining their human rights but would also ensure respecting their autonomy,
dignity, and providing importance to their cultural traditions (Jennings et al. 2018). I need to
overcome my cultural biasness to care successfully for all people from all nations. Moreover,
often an organization comprises of work force with people from different culture. All of them
have their own cultural traditions, customs and preferences (Rosen et al. 2014). Every
individuals need to develop cultural awareness, cultural knowledge and cultural sensitivity so
that they do not remain culturally intolerant and work with all people with harmony and
happiness (Karkouti 2016)

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My struggle with the course study of phonetics:
One of the subjects that were included in the course was phonetics. This was the subject
that was given high value in the present nation of United Kingdom but it was not included in the
study courses in my nation of Nigeria. I had no knowledge about this subject and therefore I
found myself in big trouble. I could not follow the different chapters of phonetics in details that
were taught in the class and hence had great difficulty in understanding the subject. On course of
time, I started to develop fear from the subject and I was trying to escape from the subject. I
started neglecting it completely. I wanted to get help from lecturer who was ready to help me in a
personal manner. My lecturer of phonetics summoned me and discussed the ways by which I can
get a good grip with the subject. His guidance helped me grasp the subject properly. He had told
me many important statements that would also prove to be helpful in my future professional
lives.
Reflection in action: With my determination and dedication I started working on the
subject with my whole heart and never procrastinated. I made my own study plan and time tables
with the chapters of the subjects and within few months I started developing interest in it and
also scored well.
Reflection on action: During the long span of professional life, an individual can never
always expect a smooth path-way. Completion of tasks and responsibilities might require
overcoming many difficult challenges and barriers to reach the goals. Often different failures
might also affect a professional in his life (Kristoffersen et al. 2016). However, an individual
should never allow himself to surrender to failures and stop trying to overcome the barriers
(Mondor et al. 2018). Repeatedly trying to reach the goal with utmost dedication, proper

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evidence based planning and support from teams and employers are important for fulfilling
objects successfully (Austin 2016). Initially, I was not able to cope up with the new subject and
repeatedly failed although I made several efforts to learn and understand the subject and ways of
working it out. However, I never stopped trying although I completely feared the subject and felt
like escaping from it. This behavior of not letting go and constantly trying to achieve the goal
even after several failures ultimately helped me in coping with the subject. I never accepted the
fact of giving up and decided to try until the last moment (McQuoid et al. 2017). This form of
determination would also help me in my future professional life. I might face different barriers,
challenges and issues not only while interacting with service users but also organizational issues,
personal issues and others. Development of self –awareness and self-regulation skills help
individuals in controlling emotions, becoming aware of their own thinking procedures,
developing good decision-making skills and similar other attributes (Wears et al. 2015). This
would help me to practice patience and be more determined in reaching the goals than being
concerned about failures.
Visit to a dementia patient:
During the course years, I got the opportunity to visit a dementia patient at his house. The
affected patient used to live his wife and both of them made a very lovely couple. Both of them
were found to be highly dedicating to each other and always supported each other in times of
crisis. One of the most notable aspects was this incident as that the affected individual showed
noticeable symptoms as that of a dementia patient. He talked with me regarding the various
vacations he had with his families and friends in detailed manner, as he was enthusiastic about
travelling. The details with which he narrated his stories could never make me feel that he was a
dementia patient. Moreover, not only that he was found to be quite knowledgeable about

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different important things and it was evitable from the deep discussions I had with him. He also
could remember directions and addresses quite effectively which are usually not the symptoms
found in the dementia patients.
Reflection in action: one aspect that I had witnessed was that his wife was quite fatigued
and tired as his caregiver. She stated that after taking care of her husband and then caring for her
grandchildren throughout the day, she only gets two hours for herself and seemed to be
depressed about it. Hence, these aspects need to be taken care by a professional as providing
comprehensive care to both patient and assessing the quality of life for a caregiver is important.
Reflection on action: One of the most important realizations from the incident was that
not all dementia patients have severe levels of symptoms. When patients have the will to live
better quality lives, they can try their best to adhere to the medications and care-plan of the
healthcare professionals, and delay the worsening of their symptoms (Garros 2016). With the
love and support of the families, patients can develop the urge to adhere with the care plan and
hence develop better quality lives. Therefore, professionals need to focus more on developing the
overall quality of life of patients along with their medicinal chart. This would help them to
develop the health of affected patients (Midtust et al. 2018). Moreover, identifying the level to
which dementia had affected the patient is also important for the healthcare professionals for
developing the care plan life (Kristoffersen et al. 2016). One important thing that I developed
knowledge about was the poor quality of life of the caregivers (Piers et al. 2018). Often caring
for affected individuals make caregivers feel stressed, fatigued and tired and feel upset and
depressed for not having enough time for them. Therefore, counseling and caring for the
caregivers are also quite important.

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Overall experiences gained:
I have realized that not all individuals one crosses paths in life will be similar. They have
certain positive as well as negative attributes that make them a human being. Therefore, always
judging them and coming to definite conclusions based on their negative attributes in not the
correct approach. Being aware of the causes that contribute to such negative aspects, respecting,
and caring for the positive attributes of such individuals are important for being an expert
professional. Effective teamwork, being culturally competent, developing self-awareness and
self-regulation, not being overwhelmed and disappointed with failures, continuing to try to
achieve success though overcoming barriers are some of the important aspects that the course
experiences had taught me. I hope to go through more such experiences in my academic years
that help me rebuild my attributes and help me reach the zenith of success effectively.

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