Globalization across all industries has opened the door for business professionals to speak and partner with people from all corners of the world. Speaking or listening to someone with an accent is a part of our everyday business and personal lives. What does having an accent mean? An accent is simply a way of speaking shaped by a combination of geography, social class, education, ethnicity and language. Everybody has an accent. There is no such thing as a perfect, neutral or unaccented language. Accents are usually broken into 2 types:
Putting endings on words is important because they carry grammatical information and if not pronounced, the speaker may be misunderstood. But when we connect words in sentences, the endings of words sometimes change. They may become reduced (less pronounced), they may be moved to the next sound or another sound may be inserted to create a smooth, fluid flow. Here is an example of a reduction of a sound. Look at the sentence on your screen…
When we connect words in sentences, the endings of each word in that sentence sometimes changes to create a fluid flow. They may become reduced (less pronounced), they may be moved to the next sound or another sound may be inserted into the sentence. Here is an example of the way ending sounds get moved to the next word.
When we connect words in sentences, the endings of the words in the sentence sometimes change to create a smooth, natural flow. Here is an example of an insertion or the addition of a letter to create a fluid sound in English.
Some people may argue that Americans have learned to be sloppy speakers because they aren’t very precise with their diction and reduce or eliminate sounds and words. But we often minimize/eliminate sounds logically and conveniently to create a smooth, natural flow of speech. Here is an example…
The word “you” is commonly used in English. Since it is also a weak word (unless it is intentionally stressed), it is often reduced when linked to negative contractions. Here are some examples…
Pairs of sound in English that are made exactly the same except one is voice and the other is not, are called minimal pairs. The sounds in English that are made without using the vocal cords are called “voiceless.” Here are some examples…
Last week we discussed five tips for speaking in cross-cultural conversations. Today, we explore the last five tips and tricks:
6. Pause periodically to give your listener time to process what you have said. If you are making a few errors in your speech, the listener needs time to figure it out or “translate” what was said. Give your listener this time by pausing briefly.
While many things can go wrong in a presentation, don’t forget to consider all the things that you do well to awe your audiences. Here are 12 speech, language, and voice gifts to “give” your audiences every time you present. They will love you for it!
1. Optimal pitch–The pitch you speak at every day is your habitual pitch level. But does it match your optimal pitch level? The optimal pitch is where you vocal cords function their best. Too low or too high can be hard to listen to and could damage your vocal cords and make you hoarse.
When it comes to understanding someone who is from another culture who has a strong foreign accent, how do we listen more effectively to assure that the exchange is successful? Both the listener and the speaker are responsible for making sure that each party has understood. Both the listener and the speaker can use strategies to improve the situation. Here is a tip for the listener who is listening to the hard-to-understand person:
Be educated about the differences between languages. Certain languages have characteristics that are unique to that language. Since a language learner adapts what he knows about his language onto the new language, real differences in the way words are spoken occur. This fact can make the second language learner difficult to understand and can be a distraction to our ears.
There are many languages that don’t sound at all as rhythmic and melodious as English.
