Accents
Our Speech Improvement Now program will provide you with all the necessary tools to improve your speaking skills so that others can clearly understand you. A qualified accent reduction specialist who is also a licensed speech and language pathologist can help you learn the correct pronunciation of targeted sounds, stress patterns, and intonation patterns (rhythm and music) of American English.
Why do I speak with an accent?
A foreign accent occurs when English is learned as a second language in addition to languages such as Chinese, Spanish, French, Japanese, Russian, etc... Because each language has different sounds and rules for sounds, intonation, and rhythm patterns, the interpretations are not always on target. The difference between the actual Standard American English sounds and these productions result in an “accent.”
A person’s accent and culture are inextricably mixed. A country’s native spoken language can influence what they care about. To give some examples, French is the best for describing food in detail. The French culture is passionate about their cuisine and their speech patterns reflect this. Japanese language stresses politeness when it comes to refusing offers or cancelling something (in formal situations). The Japanese don’t often just say “No”, but express rejection more indirectly. Their language includes saying sorry twice and in two different ways. Providing accent reduction training requires cultural sensitivity to be effective. You need to not only speak standard American English more clearly but need better awareness of cultural nuances. I collaborate with clients to better understand how their diverse backgrounds affect their speech.
How do I know if I or my employee needs accent reduction training?
If you have an accent that causes an American listener to strain, eventually people will stop listening. Your accent may give Americans the impression that you have a limited grasp of English, and do not understand it well. In fact, many may believe unfairly without justification that you are less educated and less astute, resulting in limited confidence in your overall abilities.
When a speaker is difficult to understand, the communication shifts from what is being said and instead focuses on how it was said. Unfortunately, now the listener may be put in the position of having to interpret the meaning of your message. Focus should always be on the content of the message, never on its delivery or the inability to understand it.
What does your accent modification course consist of?
The accent reduction program has three phases (The 3 R’s: Recognition, Reproduction and Repetition):
Sound awareness must be developed. Many speakers don’t even realize that they have an accent and are unable to hear the difference between their own pronunciation and standard pronunciation. Training in active listening will help build this recognition. You will be guided to recognize the different sounds, stress & intonation patterns and rhythms of English. You will also gain the ability to monitor the effectiveness of your:
Rhythm and stress patterns.
Vowel and consonant pronunciation.
Intonation usage to reflect attitudes and emotions.
Relationship between spelling and pronunciation.
Correct usage of vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure.
You will be given a lot of repetition and practice to retain these new patterns. With motivation and a commitment to regular practice, you can become aware of your speech patterns and learn to use newly acquired speech habits. Mastering American English will result in clear, understandable speech that will enable you to speak in professional and social situations with greater confidence.
I don’t want to lose my foreign accent entirely.
Will I lose my foreign accent if I work on my American accent?
The goal of the program is not to eliminate accents but to improve the clarity of your “message." We believe participants gain speaking standard American English competently while not losing their ability to speak with people in their native language with the accent they grew up with. In many settings an accent is not necessarily a problem, can be charming and can make you sound unique. The knowledge that you have control over your accent is an extremely valuable asset.
What are the Advantages of Accent Reduction?
In today’s competitive environment, clear pronunciation and correct grammar are essential.
From a company's point of view, having clear speech increases their potential to reach their target market with effective messaging to enhance sales or contracts.
Focus should always be on the content of your message, never on its delivery or the inability to understand it. Accent reduction will help you overcome:
American listeners having to put forth extra effort to understand you or needing you to repeat yourself frequently.
Criticism indirectly from coworkers and the Human Resource Department, that they couldn’t understand your presentation because your voice was too soft, word endings were left off and your speech rate was too fast.
Putting your listener in the unwanted position of having to interpret the meaning of your message because vital parts were not clearly understood due to accent interference.
