Accent reduction, also known as accent modification, is a systematic approach used to learn or adopt a new accent. In Linguistics, an accent is a manner of Pronunciation of a language It is the process of learning the sound system (or phonology) of a language or dialect. Phonology ( Greek φωνή (phōnē voice sound + λόγος (lógos word speech subject of discussion is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning 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 you use your mouth, teeth, and tongue to form vowel and consonant sounds, modifying your intonation and stress patterns, and changing your rhythm. In Phonetics, a vowel is a Sound in spoken Language, such as English ah! or oh!, pronounced with an open Vocal tract In Articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a Speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper Vocal tract, the upper vocal In Linguistics, intonation is variation of pitch whilst speaking which is not used to distinguish words Rhythm (from Greek ῥυθμός - rhythmos, "any measured flow or movement symmetry" is the variation of the length and accentuation of 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 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, [1]). Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) 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 show great improvement 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, pathologists, linguists and specialists in ESL (English as a Second Language). In the United States, they are governed by various organizations including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and Voice & Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA is a professional association for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech 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 "th", "r", "l", and "w"; intonation, stress, and rhythm. Spanish and Portuguese speakers might add a /h/ before the Vowel /I/, as in “his” for “is”. Therefore Vowel sounds are also covered in Accent Reduction training. Practicing of the Vowel /I/ 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 Asian speakers (Chinese etc. ) can avoid adding a /j/ before the /I/ for example in speaking “yin” instead of “in”. (Hope, Donna (1999). American English Pronunciation: It's No Good Unless You're Understood. Cold Wind Press, pp. 10. ISBN 1586310003. ) Other activities by specialists to help the student include games, activities, and printable workbooks to help students practice what they learn.
But 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. Linguistics is the scientific study of Language, encompassing a number of sub-fields In Linguistics, stress is the relative emphasis that may be given to certain Syllables in a word According to Dennis Baron, a linguistics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, eliminating an accent is difficult. Linguistics is the scientific study of Language, encompassing a number of sub-fields This article is about the flagship campus For other uses and locations of University of Illinois, see University of Illinois (disambiguation The University of 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. (Gorman, Anna (October 23), “Accent Reduction Classes”, Los Angeles Times, Part B (Home Edition): 1)
External links
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