Abstract

Speech is ultimately a product of the brain. Neuro-linguistics is concerned with brain mechanisms and the anatomical structures that underlie linguistic competence and performance and effective use of language yielded a bridge to the existing lacuna. Language is a vehicle that transports thoughts, feelings, emotions, ideas from one entity to another for the purpose of communication. In discourse, errors are always committed and repaired. Participants resort to repair mechanisms when they orientate to turn-taking procedure or have some hitch in their speech. Repair Mechanism is a process that occurs when a speaker realizes an error and repeat what has been said with some sort of correction. The mistakes can be corrected by the speaker or other participants through polite interruption. Speech errors are often corrected by the use of slot fillers and hedges such as; arm, um, uh, err, ah, like, right and you know and sometimes speakers usually repeat, add, replace, or even abandon some constructions in the utterances for some mental reasons. The mechanism of speech error and repair mechanism is largely controlled by the brain. Self-repairs are self-initiated corrections of one’s own speech within the same speaking turn. It is a normal phenomenon in spontaneous speech, and is produced in response to a linguistic problem, such as the inability to retrieve lexical items, and the incorrect use of pronunciation, lexis or syntax. In the process of speech event, the brain is at alert and automatically locates the points of errors and deciphers a possible correction mechanism. This review article is a conscientious attempt to establish the link between brain and speech making with respect to speech error and repair mechanism towards evaluating its effects on speech quality