Not many people can say "Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie" without stumbling. That's not too much of an obstacle in daily life. Can you imagine, however, what it's like not being able to express even your basic desires without making a special effort?
Speech and language therapists can make an enormous difference in individuals' lives by giving them the gift of communication. They most commonly work with children, but can also have adult patients including those who've developed speech impediments due to brain injuries.
Speech therapists are licensed at the state level. Specific requirements vary, but in general you'll need at least a master's degree in speech-language therapy as well as several months of supervised clinical practice. There is also a written exam.
Common bachelor's degrees for speech and language therapists include linguistics, communications, education, child development, psychology, or a language. Any of these can be obtained in Europe and used as a springboard to get into an ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) accredited master's course.
Fortunately for those who prefer to broaden their cultural and linguistic horizons by studying abroad (or just can't afford tuition costs in the U.S.), most international speech therapy qualifications can easily be converted into a license to practice in America. You'll still have to take the state exam, but the rest is mainly a matter of doing some paperwork. This is especially true if you earned your master's and foreign certification in an English-speaking country. In Europe, this means either the U.K. or Ireland.
