Accents International Blog
Advice from an American Accent Coach
by Judy Ravin | |
An accent coach may tell you that another way to think about “accent reduction” is “accent acquisition”, learning the articulation techniques to produce the sounds that differ from other languages. As with all languages, American English is characterized by common phonological features. With the exception of a few regional dialects, speakers with an American accent utilize the techniques and speech patterns discussed below.
Sounds corresponding to the letter ‘r’:
An American English accent coach will teach that the sounds corresponding to the letter ‘r’ do not have the tip of the tongue touch any part of the mouth. Rather, the tongue is raised and pulled back so the sides of the tongue touch the back teeth. When producing an ‘r’, airflow is not constricted; the tongue does not tap the roof of the mouth or trill (vibrate).
Why is ‘r’ important? Because ‘r’ is a high frequency sound in English, meaning that it occurs more often than most other sounds. It’s a difficult sound to learn (even American children learn ‘r’ late in the language acquisition process), as you can’t see the movement of your tongue. This is different than ‘th’, for example, where you can see the tip of your tongue between your teeth. Also, ‘r’ requires a tremendous amount of muscle movement. You can actually feel the tension in your jaw. Here’s a helpful hint: think of the ‘r’ sound as that of a growling dog.
In addition to consonant ‘r’, there are seven different combinations of ‘r’ sounds. They occur when ‘r’ is pronounced after a vowel, and include the following:
‘er’ (“firm”)
‘ar’ (“farm”)
‘or’ (“form”)
‘eer’ (“fear”)
‘air’ (“fair”)
‘ire’ (“fire”)
‘ower’ (“flower”)
Pronouncing ‘r’ after vowels, and at the end of words, is the reason American English is classified as “rhotic”, i.e., saying the ‘r’. This is a primary difference between American English and British English, as British speakers tend to omit the ‘r’ after vowels and at the end of a word. In the British accent, “father” is pronounced “fathuh”.
The following are some key words with ‘r after a vowel’ used in daily speech: early, first, work, third, world, learn, large, part, are, and form. Have fun practicing and remember to sound like a growling dog
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Accent reduction coaching is another term for accent reduction training, accent modification, or accent reduction professional development. It’s the process whereby a professional linguist teaches a non-native speaker to pronounce the sounds and speech patterns missing from the learner’s first language. At Accents International, we look at the word “mispronunciation” as a sound that’s literally missing from a person’s first language. Accent reduction coaching fills in the blanks, enabling people to speak with clarity and ease, and to lead with confidence. Accent reduction coaching with Accents International does this while maintaining each person’s unique cultural identity.
Accent reduction coaching is advantageous for anyone who needs to take their communication skills to a higher level. Research shows that heavily accented speech causes listeners to remember less accurately what the speaker said, make snap judgements, and even doubt the credibility of the speaker’s message. It’s not the person. It’s the language, and it gets in the way of the speaker’s ability to do their best work and be recognized as the subject matter expert they are.
The Ravin Method® has a one hundred percent track record of success. That’s because it’s based in cognitive and applied linguistics and teaches learners exactly what to do with their teeth, tongue, lips, and jaw to produce challenging sounds. The next critical step is to teach learners how to practice and self-correct so that new pronunciation techniques become “second nature”.
The best accent reduction coaches teach pronunciation within the context of the learners’ high frequency words and industry specific terminology. This ensures learners achieve their most sought-after result: the real-world application of new pronunciation skills.
Yes, accent reduction coaching is invaluable for public speaking. Our clients often say a mark of success is when, after having struggled with English pronunciation for years, they’re finally asked for more information after presenting material and leading discussions. And the more positive feedback the speaker receives, the more confident they become. This is invaluable for a person’s professional image since, as we know, confidence means competence!
Some accent reduction coaches focus on accent elimination. That’s not us. We focus on eliminating miscommunications. At Accents International, people will still have an accent. What they won’t have is a communication barrier.
One way to maintain the integrity of a learner’s cultural identity is to focus exclusively on sounds that create communication disconnects between the speaker and their listener. In other words, not every sound, just those that make a difference in the learner’s clarity of speech. That’s why at Accents International, our accent reduction programs are between five and ten hours. That’s it! We shouldn’t all sound the same. But we all deserve to be heard.
It all goes back to methodology. Accent reduction coaches who use the Ravin Method® teach their learners sound discrimination. Their clients learn how to differentiate between the “intended” sound and the one that the speaker is actually pronouncing. As a result, learners become adept at understanding the diverse accents of our global workforce. As a recent participant in our ten-session accent reduction program wrote, “This course also helped me understand my patients’ accents better. Because of this, I’m better able to take care of them.” When a healthcare provider, financial consultant, or life sciences researcher collaborating on cross-border teams doesn’t have to ask, “What did you say? Can you repeat that?”, everyone wins.
Definitely not. Accent reduction coaching is not the same as speech therapy. Speech therapy is about “fixing” a disorder. With accent reduction, there’s nothing to fix because there’s nothing wrong with the speaker. An accent is a speech pattern, not a speech problem.
Look for a coach with a university degree in linguistics, TESOL, and/or foreign language instruction. Check that your accent reduction program includes an Initial and Final Assessment, review and feedback of practice material in-between sessions, and instructional materials designed specifically for you. The best accent reduction coaches will get results in ten, one-hour sessions or less. So ask for an initial consultation and ask them the following critical question: How will you customize my program so that it meets my individual needs? You deserve to meet your accent reduction coach before signing on the dotted line. Ask for a 15-minute live consultation to make sure it’s the right program for you.
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