Growing numbers of people in London want to change the way they talk. According to the media this is a craze in London just now.
If you change your accent it can make you more employable, more date-able, more understandable on conference calls. You might even be less irritating and more pleasant to listen to.
So what’s wrong with an accent?
An accent that is so strong that it makes meaning unclear is always a distraction.
Otherwise accents are quite useful. They tell strangers about our background. There was a time when you needed a “good” accent to get a good job in Britain. Speaking in a regional dialect or with a regional accent meant you were less well educated. Those times are well past, as you can tell from the number of BBC newsreaders and global celebrities with accents that loudly indicate their country or region of origin.
Most of us have 2 accents anyway (at least)
Most of us speak with more than one accent in our own language anyway. Depending on the occasion, we’ll speak with more precise sounds and different tone.
Giving a formal presentation we might speak more carefully. Speaking to friends in the pub, we’ll use less care and our informal accent will show. If talking to a group of foreigners, it is helpful to speak more slowly and clearly, with as standard a pronunciation as possible.
Foreign accents
Of course if you are a foreigner speaking English as a second language, you will probably have some interference from your mother tongue. When you speak English, you are likely to use the same vowels and consonants that worked in your own language. Unfortunately this sometimes means that the result is unrecognisable for others who are used to a different standard.
If you have ever had difficulty understanding a Brit speaking your language, you’ll know how difficult it sometimes is to know what a foreigner is trying to say, even when they are speaking your own language.
So when learning a foreign language, make pronunciation a high priority. After all, words have to be recognisable to be understood.
How can you reduce your accent?
Accent reduction is the same as accent improvement. It involves several possible changes depending on what you are starting from and who you want to sound like.
These are some of the elements involved:
- Vowels – shape, length
- Consonants – which parts of the mouth you use
- Intonation – the music of your voice
- Word-stress – the rhythm of the word
In addition there are other factors which will affect your image:
- Enunciation – how carefully you enunciate each sound
- Word choice – do you want to sound high-falutin or academic, edgy or Estuary? Do you want to use business-speak or conventional professional words and phrases?
- Pitch – have you got a high squeaky voice or a deep attractive voice? Some men’s voices can be so deep that they are almost inaudible.
Make a start
One starter step is to choose your model. Who do you want to sound like? Then listen to them on You Tube and try imitating.
But be careful. Do ask someone from the target culture before starting your emulation programme.
Don’t choose Princess Di
For instance if you want to speak better and you live in the UK, don’t choose Princess Di as your model. The recordings of Diana show she had very upper-class vowels so she’s not cool enough to be a model for today!
If you want to be reminded how Professional English used to sound in the UK, listen to a BBC news recording of the war years. Today those vowels sound strained and distorted to our ears.
Pronunciation
If you are a foreigner learning English, make sure that any audio material you use in your studies is no older than the 1960’s. Newer text books give you CDs with a wider variety of accents to listen to, a reflection of the wide variety of accents you will hear in the UK today. They also give you a more up-to-date model to copy in pronunciation exercises.
Do you like your own accent or would you like to change it? Is it important to be easily understand or should people work at it if need be? Do write in with your comments on this topic.
For help
Want to work on your own accent? Or know someone who does? Contact us to speak to one of our consultants at +44 1865 436 791 or email alison.haill@opcoxford.com.
Or go to www.opcoxford.com for more information.
Oxford Professional Consulting is Oxford’s most specialised coaching and training company. We enable leaders and managers to put themselves across better, so they achieve the success and respect they deserve for themselves and their company. We have 30 years’ experience helping international clients create great teams, influence others and lead within their organisation.
