Teaching the Holy Grail of ESL: Accent Reduction
The difficulties a teacher and student may face as a result of an accent, and the methodologies to change it.
By Tom Duda
When teaching, I have found that breaks are very important. They give students time to relax and get their thoughts together, while also giving teachers time to regroup, organize their thoughts, and have a cup of coffee or plan for the next lesson. For me, breaks are a time to speak to my students and find out what they are thinking, as well as what they expect from their new language. Overwhelmingly, they speak about the chagrin their accent caused them when having a conversation with a native speaker. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen one school that actually addresses this concern. This caused me to do some research on the subject, and I had a fair amount of success when I took on private students as a coach. I did caution them, however, that it is a task that requires countless hours of practice and dedication. When someone learns a language after childhood, there will always be some characteristics from their native language that will remain with them. Nevertheless, it is something that I feel that most teachers should be aware of, as it can help with a person’s self-confidence, and make the communication process more pleasurable.
What is Accent Reduction?
Accent reduction goes by several names in the field of linguistics. Elocution and accent modification/neutralization are also common terms that professionals will often use. It is a discipline used to procure an accent or dialect of a given country. One must practice the sound system used in the language. Several steps are involved, such as discovering a given speech pattern from the desired accent and changing the way an individual uses his mouth, teeth, and tongue to form consonant and vowel sounds. Intonation and stress patterns, as well as rhythm are focused on by the coach. The goal is to enhance the conversational experience with native speakers and to avoid confusion in interaction.
Types of Accent Training
Any time I watch certain actors playing their roles, such as Russell Crowe or Colin Farrell, I am amazed at how well they speak like an American. Sometimes when I answer an annoying call from a telemarketer, I discover a hint of a foreign accent before I hang up on them. These two examples are of the first type of reduction. It is where a person is taught using scripted speech, and they repeatedly imitate the narrator. I’m sure Rich Little would have loved this method if he were of foreign origin, as mimicking another person is the encouraged procedure. Unfortunately, this technique does not work for everyday speech when a person needs to communicate simultaneously with another person. For example, a business person who needs to communicate on an advanced level requires something more than mimicking training when he interacts with someone from an English-speaking nation. Scripted speech will certainly help with accent reduction, but most experts agree that even with this intervention, the majority of adults will find it impossible to speak with no accent in everyday situations.
What is Required as a Coach?
When teaching overseas, there are no rules or associations to govern or oversee an individual who wishes to teach accent reduction to its fullest extent. However, The American Speech – Language – Hearing Association (ASHA), Voice & Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), and Accent Reduction Training Association (ARTA) set the standards for accent reduction taught in the United States.
Qualified accent reduction instructors' key focuses will be on how to pronounce difficult sounds, relying on the phonetics table chart. This chart differs from country to country, and region to region. It is also important to know what difficulties a person will have from a given origin. For instance, a Spanish individual may add an –h sound before the vowel –i, as in “his.” Repetition in certain examples is of great importance. Hit vs. it, hill vs ill. This can be accomplished by not allowing the back of the tongue touch the palate. Asians must avoid the –j before –i such as, “yin” instead of “in.”
In Your Classroom
One may have not been trained to be an expert in accent reduction, or have little experience, but it is good to know the methodology behind it. In the United States, I applied many of the same techniques that I had learned overseas. Familiarizing students with the phonetic chart is a good beginning. Also, there are many games that students can play where they can imitate their favorite movie stars. I even liked to assign my pupils actors and let them act out scenes from movies. This gave them an interest in the topic of elocution and set the foundation if they wanted to study further. Many of my pupils were so excited at the progress they made, that they couldn’t wait to come back to class to demonstrate for me. Some of them started to mimic my accent, which I found extremely flattering and funny. As a teacher, it is imperative to remember that you do not have to be an expert in accent reduction to help your English language learners. For most, giving your pupils an interest and some methods for working on their accent is a good start.
Why is Minimizing an Accent Important?
I always encourage my students to be proud of the way they speak. A person with an intellect will not discriminate based on an individual’s way of speaking. I, for one, always find an accent endearing, and I respect a well-traveled person. I know how difficult it is to learn a second language, and I respect the speaker for his efforts. However, not everyone thinks like me. Discrimination does manifest itself in many ways. Under US law, employers can make employment decisions based on an accent, should it interfere with work. Nevertheless, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has been known to receive complaints from those who feel they were discriminated against for their way of speaking. There is legal recourse in some situations, but it is far better to avoid such problems. Trying to reduce their accent should be something your students will discover to be both useful and empowering.