Thriving With a Stutter – Wanchung Huang

Wanchung Huang

 About the Author:

Wanchung Huang is a stutterer with a curious mind. She writes a blog《中途筆記》about stuttering, introverts in the workspace and book reviews. She is a cloud computing specialist based in Sydney.

This is a video by Wanchung Huang about thriving with a stutter and learning five languages, that expresses my views on how to be seen and heard.

Loading

Comments

Thriving With a Stutter – Wanchung Huang — 63 Comments

  1. “Everyone has something they are dealing with” and “The point is not about stuttering — it is about how you deal with it” are two quotes that resonated with me so much!

    I often forget myself sometimes that people have things they are going through that they might just not communicate about so we have to realize that we are not the only ones going through some challenges. I also love your quote about how we deal with it as it really is all about the actions we take that is what depicts our life outcomes. I found it was not until I started to take action to go to Intensive Stuttering Clinics, Mental Health Therapy, Toastmasters, Leadership Trainings, starting a Disabilities Network at my firm, speaking in panels about stuttering, studying and performing improv, moving into a career I am passionate about in Corporate Social Responsibility, etc. did I start to really feel the overall growth and happiness in my life. Before then, I would just complain and hide behind my stuttering which we all know doesn’t accomplish anything.

    It incredible how you can speak 5 different languages and am glad you found that confidence again. How did you power through the bullying you faced as a child and become outgoing again after you sheltered inside with online gaming? Why do you think that experience in Nicaragua is where you were able to make so many great reflections?

    Thanks for sharing your journey as you are an incredibly intelligent woman and have a great story to tell the world!

    • Thanks, Kunal for your warm reply!

      It was my father who accompanied me out from the bullying childhood. He would spend all his after work hours with me, taking me out, listening to me, and helping with my homework. Finally leads me back to the track.

      Also, the days in Nicaragua were quiet and slow, allowing me to take a pause, meditate, and reflect on many things.

      Thanks for your reply! It’s very encouraging for people who stutter like me to continue speaking out to the world:)

  2. It is very inspiring to hear about your experience and how you have grown from it. While I am not a person who stutters, your testimony has reminded me that we have the power to choose how we respond to obstacles that are not in our control. Every part of your story was touching. I loved when you pointed out that “someone has asthma, someone has a sleeping disorder,” to show that everyone has their own unique challenges. How did you find the confidence to make your voice heard after being treated negatively by others?

    Thanks so much for sharing this! You are definitely a role model for me now!

    • Hi Olivia,

      Thank you for watching it, meditation and the love and care from family and friends definitely help. That is also what I hope to spread to others.

      Thanks for your comment! It’s very encouraging for me to continue speaking out to the world:)

  3. Hi Wanchung!

    Thank you so much for sharing your story, it was very touching! It is so incredible that you are learning five languages and that your stutter did not stop you from learning. I am currently an Undergrad student hoping to become a SLP one day.
    Are you planning on learning any other languages in the future?
    How does stuttering affect your learning of other languages?

    Thank you,
    Angelica

    • Hi Angelica,
      Thanks for watching!
      The most challenging part when learning a new language would be speaking, especially impromptu speech. Following the teacher and audio file to practice are fine, but when it comes to language exchange, it would be tough.
      I recalled when I was doing a language exchange with my Hundurian partner, we exchange Spanish and Mandarin, and that 2 hours conversation would consume my whole day’s energy! I couldn’t do anything productive on the same day.

      However, doing a language exchange once a week was one of the most rewarding things for me because I could have sense of achievement through helping others, and sense of meaning through learning something new.

      Hope that makes sense.
      Cheers!

  4. 您好Wanchung Huang! I’m grateful that you would not only share your story but do so is such a personal way via video. There is much I am amazed by including your strength in going to Nicaragua. Much of your story I don’t know, like whether or not you learned Spanish is school or while abroad, but what I know from experience that there are plenty of stressors in living abroad that, to me, would enhance the effects of stuttering. Yet, you mentioned coming across the “stuttering economy” while in Nicaragua and coming out of your closet. May I ask: After your revelation in Nicaragua, what steps did you take to begin overcoming the effects of stuttering?

    Again, I’m grateful to have heard your story! Thank you.

    • Hi jmassip,
      Thanks for watching!

      I don’t think I’ve ‘overcome’ my stuttering because it’s still there. I also don’t even think I’ve overcome the side effect of stuttering as I still feel anxious when public speaking.

      However, what I learned it’s that anxiety, stress or any other feelings could also happen to people without stuttering. It’s human nature, when we go on the stage, our brain interprets it as we are in a big grassland and chased by a lion. That’s stage fright and anyone can have it. Though for stutterers, we are more sensitive to it.

      It’s very difficult to fight with instinct, but we can live with it and understand it’s nothing wrong to be nervous or anxious.

      Cheers!

  5. Hi Wanchung, I loved hearing your story so much! I am glad you were able to find your motivation again and found your story extremely motivating! I am an undergraduate student working towards my bachelor’s in communication disorders, and I love learning about different languages and their history. If it is ok to ask, I was wondering what is the hardest part of you when giving speeches in other languages besides the anxiety of talking to a room of other people l?

    • Hi arose,
      Thanks for watching!

      Besides the anxiety, probably the hardest part would be to keep breathing.

      Breathing is so important when we speak and it should happen naturally. But for me, maybe also for other people who stutter, it doesn’t come naturally in a difficult situation. My therapist once shared her observations when I talk: You forgot to breathe when talking about some topics that make you stress! Keep breathing.

      It’s a valuable finding for me and I try to be aware of my breathing now. Without breathing, we can’t deliver a good speech.

      Hope it helps!
      Cheers.

  6. Hi Wanchung!

    Thank you for sharing your story! It is amazing that you did not let stuttering get in the way of learning five languages. Do you wish to continue learning more languages in the future?

    Thank you,
    Shay

  7. Hi Wanchung,
    your audio essay is an inspiration to people who stutter, and shows there are people who can speak fluently, even if they have not overcome stuttering. I like your suggestion of breathing. Being a stutterer myself, not as fluent as you are, I also forget to breath sometimes. Breathing also relieves anxiety.
    Wishing you all the best,

  8. Hi Wanchung, your video message was inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing your story! It’s inspiring to hear your experience and how you have grown into the awesome person you are now. I liked how you talked about not knowing what others are going through since everyone has their own obstacles to overcome. I loved your quote “Everyone has something they are dealing with”–“The point is not about stuttering, but how we deal with it.” Thank you for posting your story. Your voice matters! Wishing you the best.

  9. Hi Wanchung,

    Thank you for sharing your story, it is very inspiring! You have overcome your challenges and have not let it affect your life. I am currently in grad school and an SLP-Assistant who works with children who stutter. I love how you mentioned breathing and how it sometimes it does not come as naturally. I always have to tell the children I work with to make sure they have enough air when speaking.

    What five languages do you speak?

  10. Hi Wanchung! Thank you for sharing your story. I am studying to become an SLP-assistant and am trying to educate myself on stuttering. I find it inspiring how you are still going after your passion and learning so many languages. Do you notice you stutter more in one language than another?
    Thank you,
    Sarah Korneff

  11. Hi Wanchung,
    I enjoyed listening to your story.I am studying to be a SLPA which is a SLP assitant and this semester we are learning about stuttering. I admire that you speak so many languages, and your journey through the rough times.What would you say helped you gain the confidence to just come out and be yourself? How do you feel speaking in public now versus then?
    Best,
    Cynthia

    • Thanks Cynthia for watching.
      I still feel anxious before or during public speech. What helped me to gain confidence is to realize even people without stuttering also have stage fright!
      Realizing I’m not alone makes me feel better 🙂

  12. Hi Wanchung!

    Thank you so much for sharing as I really enjoyed listening to your story. I’m currently an undergrad student studying communicative disorders and your story is so inspiring! My question to you is – out of the five languages that you speak, would you say you are more fluent in one than the other?

    Best regards,
    Valerie

    • Thanks Valerie watching.
      For sure Mandarin as I use it the most. The more I know the language, the more replacing words I know to ‘sound’ more fluent.

  13. Hello Wanchung!1

    Thank you for sharing your story!! Im glad you found your confidence again, there is a lot of people who stutter who struggle with that. It inspiring how you can speak several languages.

    Thank you !!
    Michelle Enriquez

  14. Hello Wanchung
    Thank you so much for sharing your story. Wow 5 languages that’s amazing I can barely keep up with the two I know. I will use that at work with my students to just breath. Thank you.
    Janet

  15. Hi Wanchung,

    I enjoyed learning about your journey. It was very inspiring to hear about how you overcame your challenges. I am currently in school to hopefully become a Speech Language Pathologist one day. Was there anything that stands out to you that you can share regarding building your confidence? Are there any particular skills you think a speech therapist should possess to be a successful therapist working with a person who stutters?

    • Thanks Susie for watching.

      One thing I like the most about my speech therapist was she openly shared her feeling and experience about public speaking with me. Her sharing makes me understand even people without stutter also have stage fright and that helps.

      It may seem obvious, but for me (or even other stutters), we thought we are the only one in the world facing huge stress on the stage 🙂

  16. Hi Wanchung,
    I enjoyed listening to your story, I loved hearing your story. I loved how you continued to pursue your dreams. I loved how you mentioned how other people are dealing with something else. It’s very true! Are you thinking of learning other languages, if so which ones?

  17. Hello Wanchung ,

    I really enjoyed your story. I find it very impressive that you know 5 languages. How was the process of learning each language ? Did you have any difficulty with a specific language ? Lastly , did your stuttering interfere with your ability to speak the 5 different languages ? Thank you for sharing your story :).

    Once again Thank You ,

    Cynthia Rodriguez

    • Thanks Cynthia for watching.

      I stutter in all of them 🙂

      Stuttering impacts most on Speaking, but don’t forget there are also Listening, Reading, and Writing. I enjoy practicing those skills and facing challenges just as people don’t stutter.

  18. Hi Wanchung,

    Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us! I share some similarities, I was a very outgoing child, when I was learning English, my native tongue is Spanish, I got picked on by a couple of my classmates on the accent I had speaking in English to the point that I became very introverted, lacked confidence, and preferred not to speak. This is where I started to build up social anxiety and panic with public speaking. This started when I was around 10 years old. It has followed me to this day. But I have done my best to not hide in the shadows as I had before. I was able to build my English skills and also have taken French courses and now currently learning Japanese. Also, I am now an undergraduate student at CSUF to become an SLP in the future. So yes, it has been a process, but I am still going for it!

    Thank you again so much for sharing!
    Best,

    Anel Ibarra

  19. Hi Wanchung,
    Thank you for your inspiring post! I appreciate you taking the time to share your personal experience with all of us. Knowing five languages is so impressive! May I ask, have you ever received speech therapy in any part of your journey? If so, what was your experience like? Thanks again.

    • Thanks Kennedy for watching.
      Yes, I’ve received speech therapy. The treatment was not dealing with my stutter mainly but how I think of it and I think that’s important. The attitude about stuttering really matters.

  20. Hi Wanchung,

    Thank you so much for sharing your story! It was really inspiring hearing the challenges you faced and how you were able to overcome them. I enjoyed hearing that you love learning different languages, learning different and multiple languages already is very difficult for most people, did you find some languages especially difficult to learn and which language were easier for you to get the hang of?

    Thank you,
    Kaydi Do-Ngo

    • Thanks Kaydi Do-Ngo for watching.
      I found French most difficult because there are too many verb conjugation and irregular verbs. English was more friendly 🙂

  21. Hello Wanchung,

    Thank you for sharing your experiences as a person who stutters. I am currently an undergrad student that is studying to become a speech and language pathologists. I enjoyed hearing your story and ambition on not allowing your stutter affect your passion to learn multiple languages. What is some advice that I can give us future clinicians if we where to encounter a patient with any sort of doubt in reaching a goal or career choice due to their stutter?

    Best,
    Jessica

    • Thanks Jessica for watching.
      I would say go relax and do whatever you want. Career is a big topic, let’s talk about it when you’re ready.

      If they are ready but don’t have confidence in themselves, then share stories about people who stutter, even those famous people.

  22. Hello Wanchung,

    It’s very impressive that you speak 5 languages, and such a variety too! You mention that you realized that there is actually a large population of stutters that you were able to find through podcasts and magazines and that you were not alone, nor had to hide in a closet. As a student studying to be a Speech Therapist, I would love to know the names of any podcasts that you feel would be good for a student or clinician to listen to? You have accomplished so much and should be so proud! Thank you!

  23. Greetings Wanchung,

    Thank you so much for your video describing your descent into self-imposed isolation due to your peers maladaptive reactions to your stutter, and the arduous process of reclaiming your life again. I found that this is a recurring thread throughout many posts in this conference illustrating how important this vitally important gathering is to promote stuttering awareness throughout our society.

    We experience events and situations that we have no control over in their manifestation. It is how we respond to those circumstances is what improves our overall standing as individuals on this planet.

    It certainly took tremendous courage and perserverance to transcend the shadow that descended upon you and transmuted that negative energy into something worthwile and beautiful, and at the same time, rekindling your passion of language learning. My question to you is: At what age did your stutter become unmanageable and what strategies would you suggest for people struggling with psychological difficulties often co-existing with people who stutter?

    • Thanks MarkQ80 for watching.
      I started to stutter around 10 years old.
      I would say: don’t push yourself too hard, go with it, nothing wrong with depression, just remember you are not alone.

  24. Hi Wanchung!
    Thank you so much for sharing about yourself and your experiences as a PWS. Your ambition and perseverance is truly inspiring. I like your statement in how important it is to not “allow the challenge to stop you from pursuing the things you want”. Often, people can get easily caught up in a negative mindset that one loses sight that they still can reach the goals they desire, despite any challenges they face. I have a love for language learning and it excited me to hear that you can speak 5 languages. That’s awesome! I enjoyed hearing your story, it has given me valuable insight!

  25. Hi Wanchung,
    Thank you for sharing your story. I found your story very relatable on wanting to hide your difference. When I first got diagnosed with my disability I wanted to hide it from my friends at school and was changing my career path due to it. Joining groups of people who understood what I was going through helped me and I think those groups are important. My question for you is what made you decide which languages to learn and what helped you learn new languages?
    Thank you!
    -Aminah

    • Thanks Aminah for watching.
      I learn languages to pursue the life I want to experience or purely for fun.
      Passion for the culture, especially music, helped when learning a new language because I want to understand what the lyrics are about.

  26. Hi Wanchung,

    Thank you for sharing your experience. It is truly inspiring to learn about how developing a stutter didn’t stop you from chasing your dreams. I, too, love and enjoy learning new languages and am currently fluent in 3 of the languages I’ve learned. I was wondering, what were some methods of support provided to you either from yourself, family members, and / or friends that you found were helpful in allowing you to regain your confidence as an individual? Thank you!

    • Thanks tc3700 for watching.
      One of my close friends even wasn’t aware of my stuttering until I talked about it.
      She just shrugged her shoulders and replied: So what? that’s the way you speak.

  27. Hello Wanchung,

    Thank you for being vulnerable with us. I can only imagine how it was like for you during your school years because you mentioned that your classmates would not respect you anymore, due to your stutter. I would appreciate your input on my following question: Did you have any negative interactions and/or comments by teachers? If so, what would you like teachers to know if they have a person who stutters in their class.

  28. Hi Wanchung,

    Thank you for your video. I think it’s amazing that you are learning so many languages. I love what you said about the journey not being easy, but you are still on your way and about challenges stopping you from doing what you want. What helps you the most when you feel anxiety about stuttering?

    Thanks again!

    • Thanks Kimberly for watching.
      Understanding even people without stutter also have stage fright helps.

      It may seem obvious, but for me (or even other stutters), we thought we are the only one in the world facing huge stress and anxiety on the stage 🙂

  29. Hi Wanchung, thank you for sharing insight into what its like as a PWS. Also congrats on learning so many languages! It is admirable that you’re learning so many because it opens up an entire world for communicating with others. How do you stay calm in moments of stuttering?
    Stay well!

    • Hi manticona,
      Thanks for watching.
      It’s very difficult to stay calm when stuttering.
      When stutter happends, don’t push yourself too hard, go with it.

  30. Hi Wanchung thank you for sharing your story that’s so cool that you are learning so many languages. I have a disability myself and I’m currently in college. I am going to school to be an SLP. What do you think would be the best advice I could give my clients in the future

  31. Hello Wanchung!

    First off, thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story with us. I find it amazing that you know and are learning so many languages, I personally know two languages fluently! I would love to learn more too. I found it really inspiring when you pointed out that many people who stutter tend to choose work fields that involve less speaking, but that you chose to follow the dream you want.

    My question to you is: did you ever rethink your decision to continue studying language to go into a work field that may involve less speaking?