Accent reduction
Encyclopedia
Accent reduction, also known as elocution
or accent
modification, is a systematic approach used to learn or adopt a new accent. It is the process of learning the sound system (or phonology
) of a language or dialect. The methodology involves several steps, which include identifying deviations in the person's current speech from the desired accent (such as pronunciation, speech patterns, and speech habits), changing the way one uses the mouth, teeth, and tongue to form vowel
and consonant
sounds, modifying one's intonation
and stress patterns, and changing one's rhythm
. Using this method, individuals such as those mastering a second language may alter their speech to more closely resemble the accent of a certain group of people, and thus enhance the clarity of their communication with those people.
, they are promoted by various organizations including the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA), Voice & Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), and Accent Reduction Training Academy (ARTA). Accent reduction training is available in a variety of ways: through workshops, seminars, classrooms, software, online software products, over the phone, over webcam
, through books and recordings, and on a one-on-one basis.
Key focuses for accent improvement teaches students how to pronounce difficult sounds such as /θ/, /ð/, /r/, /l/, and /w/; intonation, stress, and rhythm. Spanish and Portuguese speakers might add an /h/ before the vowel /ɪ/, as in "his" for "is". Therefore vowel sounds are also covered in accent reduction training. Practicing of the vowel /ɪ/ most commonly spelled "i" is done by reciting a few of the following differences: his versus is, hit versus it, hill versus ill. By not letting the back of their tongue touch the palate, native speakers of Asian languages (Chinese, etc.) can avoid adding a /j/ before the /ɪ/ for example in speaking "yin" instead of "in".
Other activities by specialists to help the student include games, activities, and printable workbooks to help students practice what they learn.
Although the reduction of a student's accent can be achieved through training, some linguists are critical that they give students a false hope that they will lose their accents
. According to Dennis Baron
, a linguistics
professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, eliminating an accent is difficult. Calming an accent, he said, takes years of interaction with native English speakers. Even so, under U.S. labor law, employers can make job decisions based on accent if it interferes with work. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
does receive a small number of complaints every year from individuals who believe they are victims of accent-related job discrimination.
The actors Charlize Theron
, Portia di Rossi and Anthony La Paglia are examples of some notable people who received such training to lose their native accents and develop American accents, even in everyday speech.
Elocution
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone.-History:In Western classical rhetoric, elocution was one of the five core disciplines of pronunciation, which was the art of delivering speeches. Orators were trained not only on proper diction, but on the proper...
or accent
Accent (linguistics)
In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
modification, is a systematic approach used to learn or adopt a new accent. It is the process of learning the sound system (or phonology
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
) of a language or dialect. The methodology involves several steps, which include identifying deviations in the person's current speech from the desired accent (such as pronunciation, speech patterns, and speech habits), changing the way one uses the mouth, teeth, and tongue to form vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
and consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
sounds, modifying one's intonation
Intonation (linguistics)
In linguistics, intonation is variation of pitch while speaking which is not used to distinguish words. It contrasts with tone, in which pitch variation does distinguish words. Intonation, rhythm, and stress are the three main elements of linguistic prosody...
and stress patterns, and changing one's rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
. Using this method, individuals such as those mastering a second language may alter their speech to more closely resemble the accent of a certain group of people, and thus enhance the clarity of their communication with those people.
Types of accent reduction
Two distinct types of accent reduction coaching are available: the type of coaching targeted at telemarketers generally focuses on helping people to say scripted speech with a more "native-like" accent, while the type of coaching typically offered to business people is usually geared towards assisting people to minimize miscommunication in spontaneous, conversational speech. The reason that this distinction is important is that while it is sometimes possible for adults to say limited pre-rehearsed phrases with little or no accent, most experts agree that adults cannot learn to speak with no foreign accent in live, everyday speech (see Pennycook, 1999, http://www.jstor.org/view/00398322/ap060131/06a00200/0?frame=noframe&userID=823f44e2@yorku.ca/01c0a8346400501cdc7e3&dpi=3&config=jstor). Therefore, a person who receives coaching targeted at scripted situations will sometimes achieve very good results when reading from a script, but will not usually improve in real, everyday speech. On the other hand, a person who receives training targeted at everyday speaking situations will experience a reduction in miscommunications in live, speaking situations. When choosing an accent coach, it is important to pick a coach who understands the type of coaching needed.Accent reduction training
Accent modification is offered by various certified speech-language trainers, linguists and specialists in ESL (English as a Second Language). In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, they are promoted by various organizations including the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA), Voice & Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), and Accent Reduction Training Academy (ARTA). Accent reduction training is available in a variety of ways: through workshops, seminars, classrooms, software, online software products, over the phone, over webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
, through books and recordings, and on a one-on-one basis.
Key focuses for accent improvement teaches students how to pronounce difficult sounds such as /θ/, /ð/, /r/, /l/, and /w/; intonation, stress, and rhythm. Spanish and Portuguese speakers might add an /h/ before the vowel /ɪ/, as in "his" for "is". Therefore vowel sounds are also covered in accent reduction training. Practicing of the vowel /ɪ/ most commonly spelled "i" is done by reciting a few of the following differences: his versus is, hit versus it, hill versus ill. By not letting the back of their tongue touch the palate, native speakers of Asian languages (Chinese, etc.) can avoid adding a /j/ before the /ɪ/ for example in speaking "yin" instead of "in".
Other activities by specialists to help the student include games, activities, and printable workbooks to help students practice what they learn.
Although the reduction of a student's accent can be achieved through training, some linguists are critical that they give students a false hope that they will lose their accents
Accent (linguistics)
In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
. According to Dennis Baron
Dennis Baron
Dennis Baron is a professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the technologies of communication; language legislation and linguistic rights; language reform; gender issues in language; language standards and minority languages and...
, a linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, eliminating an accent is difficult. Calming an accent, he said, takes years of interaction with native English speakers. Even so, under U.S. labor law, employers can make job decisions based on accent if it interferes with work. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
does receive a small number of complaints every year from individuals who believe they are victims of accent-related job discrimination.
The actors Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
, Portia di Rossi and Anthony La Paglia are examples of some notable people who received such training to lose their native accents and develop American accents, even in everyday speech.
See also
- Non-native pronunciations of EnglishNon-native pronunciations of EnglishNon-native pronunciations of English result from the common linguistic phenomenon in which non-native users of any language tend to carry the intonation, phonological processes and pronunciation rules from their mother tongue into their English speech...
- Anglophone pronunciation of foreign languagesAnglophone pronunciation of foreign languagesThe following is a list of common non-native pronunciations English-speakers make when trying to speak foreign languages. Much of it is due to transfer of phonological rules from English to the new language as well as differences in grammar and syntax that they encounter.This article uses...