SPEAKING TIPS FOR NON-NATIVES
English Accent Correction Tip #1: VOICING
One of the ways sounds are classified in English is according to the action of the vocal folds.
Sounds with vocal fold vibration are voiced and sounds without vocal fold vibration are voiceless.
Contrast the sounds of the letters v and f. Place your fingers on your throat and make the sounds. You should feel a vibration when you make the v sound and no vibration when you make the f sound. V is voiced and f is voiceless.
Many non-native speakers may make errors regarding voicing. This means they may voice a voiceless sound and vice versus. This explains why some speakers might say “pick”, despite intending to say “pig”, or “Sue” for “Zoo”.
Be sure you know which sounds of English use voice, and which are just dealing with airflow. Voicing errors will impact on both your intelligibility and accentedness.
Please note, all vowels are voiced.
AUDITORY EXERCISE
Say the sounds below. On which sounds did you feel vibration at the larynx? On which sounds did you just note airflow? Do you make any voicing errors on any of these sounds?
| VOICED | VOICELESS | |
| F | √ | |
| V | √ | |
| P | √ | |
| B | √ | |
| T | √ | |
| D | √ | |
| K | √ | |
| G | √ | |
| CH | √ | |
| /dz/ as in engine | √ | |
| “Th” as in thing | √ | |
| “Th” as in the | √ | |
| H | √ | |
| S | √ | |
| W | √ | |
| Z | √ | |
| SH | √ | |
| /ʒ/ as in treasure | √ | |
| L | √ | |
| R | √ | |
| Y as in yellow | √ | |
| M | √ | |
| N | √ | |
| /ŋ/ as in sing | √ |
Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.
We treat from Melbourne to Bogota, Hong Kong, Saigon, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Sessions are available face-to-face in our Melbourne Clinic or if you are worldwide Skype based services also can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
To Russia with Love: 4 Tips to Switch your accent from Russian to English
Mastering English as a Russian native speaker is no small task. Not only is there a different alphabet to deal with, but the variation in the sounds required between two languages is like the difference between a tea bag and samovar.
As a Russian native speaker you may have obtained a proficient command of English grammar and vocabulary. Perhaps your written English skills are great, but you feel very aware of your accented speech. It is normal for a Russian native speaker to struggle to shift the weight of their accent to a purely English one. This is because English and Russian operate under completely different sound systems.
Here are a few tips to consider in refining your English accent.
1. Listen for difference
The first step to adjusting your accent is to listen for the differences between Russian and your target language. Although Russian and English have a similar number of consonant sounds, they do not really overlap. Be careful! Many sounds of Russian are produced typically with more pressure and force than the sounds of English. For example, the Russian r sound is registered very differently from the English r. In fact, the International Phonetic Alphabet transcribes the Russian r with a completely different character from the English r. The same is true for many other consonant sounds.
THE FIX: Make sure the following sounds are distinct.
- t for two and d for do
- w for wait and v for van
- j for jaw and ch for chore
- ch for change and sh for shut
- th for though and d for dough
- th for birthday and s for bursar (N.B. Take care not to sing “birsssday” for “birthday”)
Don’t use the previous sounds interchangeably or it will impact on the meaning and intelligibility of your message. Record yourself saying words with sounds you know to be difficult. Listen and compare and smooth out any differences in your pronunciation production.
2. Rrrrrrrrrrrr to R
One of the major indicators of Russian accented English is an extended r. This will break the flow and line of any English phrase as it makes the r sound continue for longer than required.
THE FIX: Try to reduce the pressure on the sound r. The English r is produced at lower pressure for a shorter time duration. Try to say the following words with less pressure and duration on the r;
- race
- right
- rich
- radiation
- Rosemary
- arrange
- carry
- rancid
3. Hhhhhhhh to H
The same can be said of the sound h. The English “h” is often referred to as a silent h. In contrast, the Russian h is marked by higher amounts of air pressure and turbulence. It also is produced further back in the mouth.
THE FIX: Listen for how English native speakers produce various words starting with h. Place the sound h further to the front of your mouth, as though it comes from just behind your front teeth. Try to say the following words with less air pressure;
- have
- had
- hiccup
- horrible
- haven’t
- how
- Hastings
- Hydration
Record yourself and compare how you sound with a native speaker. Maybe you can ask a friend to read the words for you. Try to mimic their production and think about why you may sound different.
4. Drill those English Consonants
Ensure that you are producing these 5 English consonants accurately: TH, CH, DZ, R, W, ZH, NG. You can easily access many YouTube pronunciation videos on how to do so! Try training yourself, step by step, starting with short words and moving into longer, more complex words and phrases.
5. Russian Vowels
Russian has a total of 6 vowels. Australian English, in comparison has up to 21 vowels. Do the maths! That is a total of at least 15 sounds that may not be present in your sound system! Russian vowels are typically similar to some English short vowels so it is often easy to use your Russian vowels where you need to apply a specific English vowel. This makes local listeners hear “bat” instead of “bait” or “sit” instead of “seat”.
THE FIX: Listen carefully to the vowels of native speakers. Record yourself reading short paragraphs from newspaper articles. Do you sound like a native? Listen for the vowels that need to be longer and try to stretch out your vowels and lengthen them where you need to.
Accent neutralization takes considerable effort. Many non-native speakers may still retain a hefty accent even after years of expat life in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is often a completely wonderful thing to have as it can set you apart and gives you that extra string in your bow since everyone can tell you are multi-lingual. However, at times, accent can hamper the effectiveness of your message. With time and careful practice however, you can neutralise your accent to smooth out its intensity and thus increase your speaking clarity. Don’t give up. Work on your weaknesses and practice daily to improve your English proficiency.
Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.
We treat from Melbourne to Berlin, Capetown, Saigon, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Sessions are available face-to-face in our Melbourne Clinic or if you are worldwide Skype based services also can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
Mandarin to English: Achieving Perfect Pronunciation
Getting perfect English pronunciation as a Mandarin native speaker may seem like a lot of hard work. You would know by now that the 2 languages are so distinct from each other, it may feel like comparing apples to oranges! Despite how hard some English words may seem to pronounce, don’t despair. If you follow a regular practice schedule, focusing on some targets that you know need improvement, your English pronunciation can improve!
N.B. If you are a Cantonese Speaker, be sure to check out this article tailored for your needs here: CANTONESE SPEAKERS
1. Drill those English Consonants!
Think back to English class. Did any one teacher, instruct you on how to produce those difficult consonants? If not, it’s time to get to work…
Mandarin has a total of approximately 22 consonants. Australian English, in comparison has up to 24. Many of the consonants needed for English are not found in Mandarin. If you are trying to perfect your English accent make sure you have worked on these sounds specific to English in particular. Speaking of English consonants alone there are at least 12 consonant sounds which can not be found in Standard Chinese. You may have already managed to produce a few of them correctly, in some words. Some other sounds may be much harder to get your tongue around. Take care that the following sounds are clear and accurate if you are aiming for a great English accent:
- b (as in ball),
- d (as in doll),
- g (as in girl),
- j (as in judge),
- v (as in video)
- th (as in the)
- th (as in three)- this is different from the “th” in “the”
- z (as in zoo)
- sh (as in she)
- zh (as in measure)
- h (as in hat)
- w (as in window)
- ch (as in chocolate)
THE FIX:
This is going to take some time to get right, so prepare to work hard! Start practicing each sound just by itself, one at a time. Make up some flashcards, or seek out an iPad app to drill your target sounds. Try saying the sounds first on their own, then add some vowels. Search for words that have the sounds you know you struggle with. Make a list of practice words and say each word slowly, taking care on the difficult sounds. Listen out for your focus sounds in the speech of native speakers. Compare their “ch” sound to your “ch” sound and try to adjust your speech accordingly.
It takes ongoing, daily practice to correct sounds and get closer to the local accent.
2. Consonant Clusters
Unlike Mandarin, the English sound system features consonants that are joined together without a vowel. You can think of this as a bit like a sound sandwich. Thus we have words like smoke. In this word, the first two sounds “s” and “m” need to be joined together expertly to be intelligible. We can call this a consonant cluster where two or more consonants are joined together. There are many more consonant clusters. How you master them, will predict your intelligibility.
THE FIX:
Take care to pronounce consonant clusters clearly and articulately. Be careful with the extra hard ones! High frequency clusters to work on include: “thr”, “dr”, “cr”, “shr”, “pl”, “fl”, “st”
3. Speech Intonation
What is intonation? In a nutshell, this refers to the music of your speech. Every accent and dialect follows parameters of rhythm, tone and pitch that match expression. When we learn a new language, we are all inclined to apply the intonation of our mother tongue to our target language. In Mandarin, the tone of the word will shape the meaning of the word. In English, this is not the case. In English, changes in pitch, stress and timing effect the overall meaning and expression.
THE FIX:
Try to slow down and link your words together smoothly instead of rushing to sound more fluent. If you speak at a slower rate, listeners will understand you better and you may also feel more calm and confident while speaking. Use pauses to collect your thoughts and don’t be afraid to take more time when you need it. Try to mimic the nuances and phrases of local speakers. Repeat back comments from newsreaders when you watch the news. Try to follow the rise and fall of English exactly.
Accent neutralization takes a lot of time. Many non-native speakers may still have strong accents even after decades of being immersed in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is exotic and often very charming! With time and careful practice however, you can reduce it’s intensity and increase your speaking command and clarity while still retaining that element of difference, if you wish! Don’t give up. Work on your weaknesses and practice daily to improve your English proficiency.
Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.
We treat from Melbourne to Bogota, Hong Kong, Saigon, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Sessions are available face-to-face in our Melbourne Clinic or if you are worldwide Skype based services also can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
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- Why do Accent Reduction?
- Accent Reduction: The hot debate (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
- What is the Vampire Affect? The impact of Foreign Accents in the Business Setting (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
English Pronunciation tips for German Native Speakers
Although English technically is a West Germanic Language, created out of a fusion of Germanic dialects in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England, pronunciation issues still will arise for the German native speaker. This is because both language groups have evolved and are characterized by not only grammar and vocabularly differences but also completely distinct sound systems. Follow these tips to enhance your English Accent:
1. Drill those English Consonants Count yourself lucky. Maybe not as lucky as the Scandinavians who didn’t endure mother tongue dubbing of Hollywood Films… but lucky enough. Unlike speakers of other language groups that are further from English, you only have a small handful of consonant sounds to master. Possibly you have already got a few under your sleeve already. Ensure that you are producing these 5 English consonants accurately: TH, CH, DZ, R, W. You can easily access many YouTube pronunciation videos on how to do so! Try training yourself, step by step, starting with short words and moving into longer, more complex words and phrases.
2. Don’t put Senf on your English Consonants.
Make sure the following sounds are distinct.
- r for red and w for window
- w for wait and v for van
- j for judge and y for yellow
- z for zenith and s for secret
- ch for change and sh for shut
- th for the and d for do OR z for zeal
- th for birthday and s for bursar (N.B. Take care not to sing “birsssday” for “birthday”)
Don’t use them interchangeably or it will impact on the meaning and intelligibility of your message. Use the Audio English pronunciation tool on http://www.leo.org to listen to the target pronunciations of a word. Record yourself saying the same word. Listen and compare and smooth out any differences in your pronunciation production.
3. Welcome to Hollywood. Watch English Films without dubbing. I know those German Voice actors and the Sound Engineers that sequence the sound are amazing and I also know that Brad Pitt sounds and even looks better speaking German, but don’t do it to yourself! Listen out for unknown idioms or phrases. Try to repeat them back. Granted, you may pick up an American accent but no doubt it will be a step in the right direction compared to Brad Pitt auf Deutsch.
Accent neutralization takes considerable effort. Many non-native speakers may still retain a hefty accents even after years of expat life in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is often a completely wonderful thing to have as it can set you apart and gives you that extra string in your bow since everyone can tell you are multi-lingual. However, at times, accent can hamper the effectiveness of your message. With time and careful practice however, you can neutralise your accent to smooth out it’s intensity and thus increase your speaking clarity. Don’t give up. Work on your weaknesses and practice daily to improve your English proficiency.
Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.
We treat from Melbourne to Bogota, Hong Kong, Saigon, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Sessions are available face-to-face in our Melbourne Clinic or if you are worldwide Skype based services also can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
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- Spanglish: 5 Challenges in Mastering English Pronunciation as a Spanish Native Speaker (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
- 4 Tips for getting great English Pronunciation as a Cantonese Native Speaker (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
- Korean Native Speakers: 5 English Accent Tips (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
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Korean Native Speakers: 5 English Accent Tips
The market in South Korea is profound for the acquisition of the English Language and if you are Korean and reading this, I’m sure you know it better than anyone! Perhaps you have had over a decade of intense English instruction by native speakers while a student in that English Hogwan you used to attend sleepily after regular school classes. Maybe you even took units in English at university or perhaps you are living abroad trying to master English to this day.
While many Korean native speakers have dedicated hours to English instruction, for the most part, many may still continue to struggle with producing the English accent. So why is this so? Surely after so many hours of work, especially in a country that favours Language Immersion classes run by native speakers, your English should be sounding pretty authentic by now?
What are some common obstacles to getting that perfect English accent for Native Korean Speakers?
1. Those Special English Consonants
Sure, I know by now you can probably sing, chant and recite the English Alphabet back to front and inside out! I too was an ESL teacher in Seoul for 14 months so I’m familiar with the regimented training you most likely received. But did you know that chances are no one told you that many of the sounds of English are not even present in Korean? Did anyone ever sit down and show you how to make each one? Other than “th” which I’m sure you worked on with every South African, American, Canadian and maybe even Australian (my Irish teaching colleges tended to bypass this one as they didn’t need to articulate “th” ever with their accent!). Other than “th” there are some sounds that maybe you better start practicing!
Korean has a total of 17 consonants. English, in comparison has up to 24 consonants. Do the maths! That is a total of at least 7 sounds you have had to master along the way that are not present in your native language’s sound system! Maybe someone never told you how to produce a few of them correctly and these could be a major reason for why your English accent is not so close to locals or why people may still struggle to understand you. The consonants of English that are not present in Hangul mal include:
- “ng” as in words like sing, thing, understanding
- “f”
- v
- “th” as in “thought”, “three”
- “th” as in “that”, “this” (and yes, this is different from the previous “th”)
- “z” as in “zap”, “ozone”, “zealous”
- “sh” as in “shoes”, “bashful”, “charlatan”
- “zh” as in “fissure”, “fusion”
- “ch” as in “chocolate”, “batch”, “cheap”
- “dz” as in “jumper”, “jaw”, “exaggerate”
- “r” as in “ring”, “righteous”, “rebellion”, and finally;
- “w” as in “watch”, “Wellington”, “awake”
THE FIX: Listen carefully to the consonants of native speakers. Record yourself reading short paragraphs from newspaper articles. Do you sound like a native? Listen for the consonants that you know you need to work on. Practice saying the sound on it’s own. Try saying words that have that sound in them. Record yourself. Do you sound close? Consult an accent therapist for tips or maybe even therapy for production of the hardest sounds.
2. Substituting a Korean consonant for the special English ones you don’t say!
Although Korean shares many consonants with Australian English don’t make bibimbap out of those you can use. In English it is not ok to muddle consonants. What do I mean by this? Well, a “B” is always a “B” it is never going to sound like a “P”. Be careful that all the sounds you produce actually are the sounds you need to be producing. Make sure you don’t replace the target sound with a sound that is similar.
It is not uncommon for a native speaker to hear a “p” instead of the “b” that you may aim for. Don’t say “pan” for “ban”. Similar confusion can occur with “l” and “r”and so forth.
Some common sounds that Korean Native speakers are likely to interchange when speaking English are:
r and l, p and b, s and z, t and th
THE FIX: Make sure the following sounds are sharp and crisp and ultimately different from eachother: T and D, B and F, B and V, B and P, L and R, S and Z, T and TH
3. Difficulty on the Hardest English Consonants: Th, Ch, Sh, Ng, Z, R…
Some Korean Native speakers may struggle to pronounce several of our hardest consonants. This can impact heavily on intelligibility and clarity as well as speaker confidence.
THE FIX: This area can take a lot of work to improve. Try sounding the sounds you know you have difficulty with on their own. Practice the sounds by themselves. For many sounds you can use a mirror to see if you are making the sound correctly (for example, when you say “th”, does your tongue come between your teeth? If not, it’s probably wrong!).
4. Speech Intonation
What is intonation? In a nutshell, this refers to the music of your speech. Every accent and dialect follows parameters of rhythm, tone and pitch that match expression. When we learn a new language, we are all inclined to apply the intonation of our mother tongue to our target language. This can add charm but can result in listeners struggling to understand you, or even, at worst, becoming distracted by your accent instead of absorbing the content of what you are saying.
THE FIX: Try to slow down and link your words together instead of rushing to sound more fluent. If you speak at a slower rate, listeners will understand you better and you may also feel more calm and confident while speaking. Use pauses to collect your thoughts and don’t be afraid to take more time when you need it. Try to add inflection and colour your speech like native speakers do. Watch local soap operas in English and mimic the actors.
5. Be careful with word endings
All those years of speaking Korean and being surrounded by Korean and eating awesome kim bap/ bulgogi/dok/kochujang (that I still miss to this day) has invested you with the gift of a wonderful language and cultural background. But these years have also set you up to speak with certain habits that you are going to have to dump to master great English pronunciation. One of the characteristics of Korean speech that is likely to impact on your pronunciation majorly is what you may be inclined to do at the end of words! After struggling to say your “ch” sound maybe at the start of a word, don’t lose focus and throw away all your efforts by what you do once you end the word! Listen carefully, in English, unlike Korean, you MUST NOT add an extra vowel at the end. This is tricky to explain and I would love to just outline for you face to face in an accent therapy session as you would know EXACTLY what I mean. Here instead are a few examples of typical errors made by Korean speakers when ending an English word;
- kissed becomes kissta: see the added “a” at the end? Don’t do it!
- finished becomes finishedu: see the added “u” at the end? Finish the word with a consonant and just leave it at that!
THE FIX: Listen carefully to the ends of words of native speakers. Record yourself reading short paragraphs from newspaper articles. Do you sound like a native? Listen and be careful that you are not adding vowels to the ends of words that don’t have vowels at the end of them!
Accent neutralization takes alot of time. Many non-native speakers may still have strong accents even after decades of being immersed in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is exotic and often very charming! With time and careful practice however, you can reduce it’s intensity and increase your speaking command and clarity while still retaining that element of difference, if you wish! Don’t give up. Work on your weaknesses and practice daily to improve your English proficiency.
Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.
We treat from Melbourne to Bogota, Capetown, Seoul, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Skype based services can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs for Korean Speakers please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
http://sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com/
Related articles
- 4 Tips for getting great English Pronunciation as a Cantonese Native Speaker (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
- Accent Reduction: The hot debate (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
- Spanglish: 5 Challenges in Mastering English Pronunciation as a Spanish Native Speaker (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
English Accent: 3 Tips for Native Cantonese Speakers
Mastery of a clear English accent for a Cantonese speaker, is often a long and arduous task. So what can make your English sound better if you are a Cantonese native speaker? If you are a Mandarin Speaker, be sure to check out this article tailored for your needs here: MANDARIN SPEAKERS
1. Meet your new Bestfriends- the Tricky Consonants!
Cantonese has a total of 20 consonants. Australian English, in comparison has up to 28. Many of the consonants needed for English are not found in Cantonese. This means that if you are trying to perfect your English accent, there are a few sounds specific to English that you are going to really need. Speaking of English consonants alone there is at least 12 sounds that may not be present in your sound system. And these sounds are going to need to become your new best friends if you want to master that Australian accent:
- b (as in ball),
- d (as in doll),
- g (as in girl),
- ch (asin chocolate),
- j (as in judge),
- v (as in video)
- th (as in the)
- th (as in three)- this is different from the “th” in “the”
- z (as in zoo)
- sh (as in she)
- zh (as in measure)
- r (as in race)
THE FIX:
This is going to take some time to get right, so prepare to work hard! Start practicing each sound just by itself, one at a time. Then add different vowels to it and maybe you can even make some flashcards to run through for the sound you are targeting. As a native speaking friend to say the sound for you, listen out for the sound in the speech of native speakers. Most importantly, it’s going to take daily, methodical practice to get it right, so work hard! Try sounding the sounds you know you have difficulty with on their own. For many sounds you can use a mirror to see if you are making the sound correctly (for example, when you say “th”, does your tongue come between your teeth? If not, it’s probably wrong!).
2. Be careful with word endings
All those years of speaking Cantonese and being surrounded by Cantonese and eating awesome Cantonese custard pies and cuisine has invested you with the gift of a wonderful language and the knowledge of intricate characters. But these years have also set you up to speak with certain habits that you are going to have to dump to master great English pronunciation. One of the characteristics of Cantonese speech that is likely to impact on your pronunciation majorly is what you may be inclined to do at the end of words! After struggling to say your “ch” sound maybe at the start of a word, don’t lose focus and throw away all your efforts by what you do once you end the word! Listen carefully, in English, unlike Cantonese, you MUST NOT add an extra vowel at the end. This is tricky to explain and I would love to just outline for you face to face in an accent therapy session as you would know EXACTLY what I mean. Here instead are a few examples of typical errors made by Cantonese speakers when ending an English word;
- kissed becomes kissta: see the added “a” at the end? Don’t do it!
- finished becomes finishedu: see the added “u” at the end? Finish the word with a consonant and just leave it at that!
THE FIX: Listen carefully to the ends of words of native speakers. Record yourself reading short paragraphs from newspaper articles. Do you sound like a native? Listen and be careful that you are not adding vowels to the ends of words that don’t have vowels at the end of them!
3. Speech Intonation
What is intonation? In a nutshell, this refers to the music of your speech. Every accent and dialect follows parameters of rhythm, tone and pitch that match expression. When we learn a new language, we are all inclined to apply the intonation of our mother tongue to our target language. This can add charm but can result in listeners struggling to understand you, or even, at worst, becoming distracted by your accent instead of absorbing the content of what you are saying. Since Cantonese is a tonal language and English is not, you are going to need to hear a lot of native spoken English to get it right.
THE FIX: Try to slow down and link your words together smoothly instead of rushing to sound more fluent. If you speak at a slower rate, listeners will understand you better and you may also feel more calm and confident while speaking. Use pauses to collect your thoughts and don’t be afraid to take more time when you need it.Watch English TV and try to mimic the native speakers. Try to keep your tone and voice colour even throughout as much as possible.
Accent neutralization takes alot of time. Many non-native speakers may still have strong accents even after decades of being immersed in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is exotic and often very charming! With time and careful practice however, you can reduce it’s intensity and increase your speaking command and clarity while still retaining that element of difference, if you wish! Don’t give up. Work on your weaknesses and practice daily to improve your English proficiency.
Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.
We treat from Melbourne to Bogota, Hong Kong, Saigon, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Sessions are available face-to-face in our Melbourne Clinic or if you are worldwide Skype based services also can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
Related Articles
- Why do Accent Reduction?
- Accent Reduction: The hot debate (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
- What is the Vampire Affect? The impact of Foreign Accents in the Business Setting (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
Spanglish: 5 Tips for Turning your Spanglish to English Pronunciation as a Spanish Native Speaker
Mastery of a clear English accent for a native Spanish speaker, can at times, be difficult. So what makes you sound Spanglish, if you are a Spanish native speaker?
1. Spanish Vowels
Spanish has a total of 5 vowels. Australian English, in comparison has up to 21 vowels. Do the maths! That is a total of at least 16 sounds that may not be present in your sound system! Spanish vowels are like the English short vowels so it is often easy to use your Spanish vowels where you need to apply a specific English vowel. This makes local listeners hear “bat” instead of “bait” or “sit” instead of “seat”.
THE FIX: Listen carefully to the vowels of native speakers. Record yourself reading short paragraphs from newspaper articles. Do you sound like a native? Listen for the vowels that need to be longer and try to stretch out your vowels and lengthen them where you need to.
2. Spanish sounding consonants
Although Spanish shares many consonants with Australian English some of these are produced in a slightly different manner. Thus, it is not uncommon for a native speaker to hear a “v” instead of the “b” a Spanish speaker may aim for. Don’t say “van” for “ban”. Similar confusion can occur with “t” and “d”, so “sat” can sound like “sad” and so forth.
THE FIX: Make sure the following sounds are sharp and crisp and ultimately different from eachother: T and D, B and F, B and V, B and P
3. Difficulty on English Consonants: Th, Ch, Sh, Ng, Z, R, H, J, Z
Although some Spanish dialects do share some of the English language’s trickiest sounds (“th” is used by some Latin American Spanish speakers), some speakers may struggle to pronounce several of our hardest consonants. This can impact heavily on intelligibility and clarity as well as speaker confidence.
THE FIX: This area can take a lot of work to improve. Try sounding the sounds you know you have difficulty with on their own. Practice the sounds by themselves. For many sounds you can use a mirror to see if you are making the sound correctly (for example, when you say “th”, does your tongue come between your teeth? If not, it’s probably wrong!).
4. Speech Intonation
What is intonation? In a nutshell, this refers to the music of your speech. Every accent and dialect follows parameters of rhythm, tone and pitch that match expression. When we learn a new language, we are all inclined to apply the intonation of our mother tongue to our target language. This can add charm but can result in listeners struggling to understand you, or even, at worst, becoming distracted by your accent instead of absorbing the content of what you are saying.
THE FIX: Try to slow down and link your words together instead of rushing to sound more fluent. If you speak at a slower rate, listeners will understand you better and you may also feel more calm and confident while speaking. Use pauses to collect your thoughts and don’t be afraid to take more time when you need it.
5. Shortened Contractions
Always, always, ALWAYS pronounce your “‘nt” at the end of words. Many native Spanish speakers delete the important ending in words such as “don’t”, “won’t” “wouldn’t”, “isn’t” (etc) and instead say “don”, “won” ,”wouldon” and “isn”. This can cause a lot of listener confusion since these verbs are so commonly used.
THE FIX:
Pronounce the “t” at the end of contractions sharply and clearly.
Accent neutralization takes alot of time. Many non-native speakers may still have strong accents even after decades of being immersed in an English speaking country. Sure, an accent is exotic and often very charming! With time and careful practice however, you can reduce it’s intensity and increase your speaking command and clarity while still retaining that element of difference, if you wish! Don’t give up. Work on your weaknesses and practice daily to improve your English proficiency.
Some non-native speakers choose to consult a Speech Pathologist for accent reduction /modification therapy.
We treat from Melbourne to Bogota, Capetown, Saigon, Madrid, London, New York, Tel Aviv… anywhere you are based. Skype based services can be tailored according to the accent you require for your region, career or academic purpose.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
http://sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com/2013/11/05/accent-reduction-the-hot-debate/
What is the Vampire Effect? The impact of Foreign Accents in the Business Setting
Leading researchers have begun examining the vampire effect as a key outcome of foreign accent within business based communications. The term Vampire Effect was first coined in 2011 by the German advertising researcher, Martin Eisand, in a study detailing how humour works in advertising. Eisand asserted that humour reduces cognitive effort- especially effort related to processing the benefits of the brand being advertised. When confronted with an ad of humorous content, the receiver’s brain is more likely to begin processing at the affective level rather than cognitive level. Thus, the viewer’s reception of the ad is influenced by their emotional response rather than any intellectual reasoning towards the brand. Eisand implies that “humor therefore distracts from processing central benefits of the brand”.
A recent study, published in 2014 by the Journal of Communication, examines the way in which regional or foreign speech patterns may impact on encounters within the corporate and business sectors. The researchers, Robert Mai and Stefan Hoffman, both refer directly to the impact of the Vampire Effect in encounters between people of diverse language backgrounds. Mai and Hoffman suggest that the processing of accented speech increases consumer attention. The receiver of the message hears the auditory difference which leads to an increase in attention. This increase in attention may seem positive, but unfortunately can lead to the Vampire Effect where the listener instead focuses on decoding the foreign accented speech instead of learning the message of the speaker. Numerous studies to date have already established that listeners must use more cognitive resources to understand a communicator with an unfamiliar accent.
Don’t let your listener’s apsorbtion of your message be impacted by your accent. With careful training alongside an accent therapist, you can neutralize the strength of your accent, solve sound production errors and assimilate the melody of your speech to suit the local audience.
Related articles
- Is Britain becoming a nation of accent snobs? | Erica Buist (theguardian.com)
- Accent Reduction: The hot debate (sarahgeigerspeechpathology.com)
Accent Reduction: The hot debate
In Western Countries with increased new arrivals and immigration, the trend is growing for professional consultation to reduce native accent. For want of appearing Xenophobic however, there can be a reluctance towards any professional being recommended to work on their accent.
Accent is, in no uncertain terms, very much a part of our identity. It is shaped by our place of origin, our environment, our mother tongue and exposure to other languages and subcultures thereof.
So, if you alter or modify your accent, how much is your identity implicated?
My view as a speech pathologist is that any treatment plan for accent modification for my clients, should involve awareness of the client’s identity. Alongside my client, I work on mapping their current sound and forecasting what they want to convey by their speech. Whether it be clear and crisp English enunciation that follows very closely the patterns of local speakers, or neutralisation of their current accent to improve intelligibility but not betray the fact that they are of Spanish, French, Chinese etc. origin.
Individuals choose to modify their accents for all manner of reasons: fatigue in reiterating themselves, heightened assimilation into their current environment, tenacity for precision in acquiring the target language, or even the belief that assuming the accent of locals will entail career based benefits. A recent study conducted by the University of Chicago suggested that foreign accents amongst speakers results in heightened dubiousness about the content of their declamations, “undermining their credibility in ways that the listener and speaker don’t consciously realise”(http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2010/07/19/foreign-accents-make-speakers-seem-less-truthful-listeners-research-shows). Boaz Kayser, professor of Psychology at UC and communication guru, found that “accent makes it harder for people to understand what the non-native speaker is saying,” and listeners instead “mis-attribute the difficulty of understanding the speech to the truthfulness of the statements.” This research suggests that the impact of accent is indeed far greater than we may wish to believe. If the veracity of information delivered in an interview setting is queried by the interviewer in light of a broad non-local accent, does the likelihood of a job promotion or appointment diminish? While there is no research to date on this question, the chances are, yes. And many are choosing to undertake it. “We’re doing business like gangbusters,” states Judy Ravin, president of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Accent Reduction Institute (http://www.alipac.us/f12/professors-pronunciation-help-immigrants-201350/). While this trend for accent modification may be undesirable, Thomas L. Friedman in his timely book The World is Flat is more persuasive;
… before you disparage it, you have to taste just how hungry these kids are to escape the lower end of the middle class and move up. If a little accent modification is the price they have to pay to jump a rung of the ladder, then so be it – they say.
While accent reduction therapy is no quick fix strategy to cinching that vocational promotion or the job of one’s dreams, it is proven to be effective. Speech Pathologists can attest to proven results amongst clients who undertake frequent practice. The time to neutralize the accent is variable according to several factors: client motivation, their auditory acuity (ear for picking up the new sounds to be fostered) and adherence to a home practice regimen established by the clinician. Treatment duration can start at 6 weeks to more protracted times of up to a year, according to the overall treatment target desired.
For further information on accent modification and reduction programs please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology.
Words: Sarah Lobegeiger (MA Speech Pathology, MA Opera, pending, BMus, BAEng, TESOL cert IV)
Sarah Geiger Speech Pathology 