When something is clearly black or white, or obviously large or small, or even hot or cold, the differences are quite obvious. However, the differences in American Standard pronunciation of vowel sounds are not so obvious and require some “ear training” to hear. Many of the vowel sounds in American Standard English do not even exist in other languages. Before even beginning to teach how to say the vowel sound, I always start by having the client listen to me say a simple, one-syllable word two times. I will randomly say it the same both times, or once the correct way and once the way the client would typically produce it. All they need to do is listen and tell if the two words were the same or different. For instance, if I was teaching the short ‘i’ vowel, I might say “bit”, then “beat”, or on another time “bit” then “bit”. Once it becomes clear to the client that these are two distinctly different sounds, I teach them how to make the “new” sound. Again, I find it extremely valuable for them to practice words containing the “new” sound, and then contrasting it by saying it in their “old” way. This method of contrasting different pronunciations of the same sound proves to be a valuable step in learning to pronounce new sounds.
Everyone is Unique 0
Not all people born in the same country, speaking the same native language, speak English with the exact same accents. Each person has their own unique speech pattern and pronunciation. Although there may be many generalities and sound substitutions that they have in common, I treat each client’s evaluation as individual to them.
It also important to take into account other influencing factors when evaluating a non-native speaker’s English: where did they learn, and who taught them. If for instance, the English teacher was from England, the client may sound more British rather than American. Another factor may be if they speak a third or fourth language, their pronunciation of English may be influenced in several directions.
Occasionally, a person may have an underlying speech disorder, such as a lisp, which may exist in their native language as well as when they speak English. The strength of the accent also varies from person to person, ranging from mild to severe.
So, while there are universal similarities in learning new sounds in speaking a new language, individual differences are the differences that make a difference.
Trust is Key 0
For many of you who want to reduce foreign or regional accents, one of the main motivations to do so are underlying feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness, and shame about the way you speak. Perhaps you have been frequently asked to repeat yourself when the listener did not understand what was said the first time. Often, you are asked where you are from, leading you to think that people are noticing how you are speaking, rather than paying attention to what you are saying.
By enrolling in an accent reduction program, it is very important for a sense of trust to be established between learner and teacher. In order to learn and make progress, learners need to feel that they are in a safe environment and that it is OK and natural to make mistakes. As human beings, making mistakes is at the heart of learning something new. For some, it is intimidating to change long established speech patterns. Learning and practicing new speech patterns can flourish when there is a well-established sense of trust between learner and teacher. Once a student experiences increased confidence when speaking with their teacher during lessons, this confidence will begin to carry over into their daily lives.
Accent Reduction For Medical Professionals 1
Increasingly, large numbers of physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals practicing in the United States are graduates of foreign medical schools and speak English as their second language. Although these professionals are highly intelligent people, and may have excellent training and comprehension of English, their speech may be difficult for patients and co-workers to understand, due to a strong accent.
Some potential situations where mis-communication may occur are when:
- making diagnoses
- providing patients with instructions for taking prescriptions and follow-up care
- giving directions to colleagues and staff
- making presentations
- building rapport with patients
When patients clearly understand health care providers, it fosters confidence in the practitioner, the treatment, and the institution. Additionally, because doctors are usually pressed for time during appointments, they may not have time to repeat themselves. If the patients did not understand what was said to them the first time, they may become frustrated and intimidated, so they stop trying to understand or to ask more questions. The patient may then make repeated calls to clarify information, utilizing more staff and physician time.
With clear communication, time is used efficiently.
In the latest issue of Consumer Reports there is an article titled, “What doctors wish their patients knew” in which they listed things like courtesy and respect, following through on a doctor’s prescriptions, forming a long-term relationship, etc. From a patient’s point of view, what they would like their doctor to know is that being able to understand what is said to them is extremely important if the doctor wants greater cooperation and participation.
By reducing foreign accents so that speech is more intelligible, better communication can result . This can enhance confidence between patients and medical professionals, mistakes and misunderstandings may be reduced, and more effective and efficient communication may take place.
“What’s Wrong With Having An Accent?” 0
I’ve heard many people say, “What’s wrong with having an accent? I like to hear different accents, and don’t want to hear everyone speaking the same.”
My answer to that is this: Each person has a unique way of speaking no matter where they learned to speak. For example, I’m from California, and to people living in New York, I have an accent. People speaking English as their second language, having been raised in a country outside of the U.S., may have a very recognizable accent when they speak English. This accent is part of who they are and represents their cultural heritage. However, reducing or modifying the accent can be extremely beneficial under the following circumstances:
- When an accent stands in the way of being understood;
- When it causes embarrassment and self consciousness to the speaker;
- When people are not listening as much to what is being said and paying more attention to how it’s being said;
- When it creates an obstacle to securing a desired job or promotion at work.
A Simple Two Letter Word 0
Amazingly enough, how you pronounce the commonly used, simple two letter word “to” can make a big difference in your speech. When pronounced by itself, not in a sentence, the ‘o’ sounds like ‘oo’. But when we speak in conversational, connected speech, this word “to”, often becomes very de-emphasized and sounds more like “tuh”.
For example, in the sentence, “I went to the store to buy chips to take to the party”, try saying it by pronouncing the word ”to” as “too” the first time through, then on a second time, pronounce the “to” as “tuh” and see which sounds more natural. Most speakers of Standard American English use the second pronunciation “tuh” more frequently.
Accent Modification Q & A with Derra Huxley 0
Watch an interview with Derra Huxley, speech pathologist and accent modification expert. In this video, Derra answers common questions about accent reduction.
