7. Advantages to Learning Esophageal Speech
Esophageal speech, like anything else, has both advantages and disadvantages. Following are some of the good points:
(1) Esophageal speech is its own reward, acquired through your own efforts. It is human speech, the same as that you had before surgery.
(2) Esophageal speech is ultimately natural, because you look exactly the same when speaking as before your operation.
(3) You can provide the stresses in conversation needed to express your emotions, whether joy or sorrow.
(4) You can have both hands free while speaking, unlike with the other three methods, which require the use of one hand. You can enjoy a conversation while eating, for example, because your hands will be free to use a knife and a fork.
(5) As you make progress in inhaling, you will regain your sense of smell. The scent of miso soup at breakfast alone will be enough to make your day.
(6) As you learn to inhale more skillfully, you will be able to blow on hot miso soup or noodles to cool them and even be able to sip to some extent.