Thursday, April 27, 2006
When is an Accent a Problem?
An accent is a good thing to have – it makes you interesting and honors your heritage. The only time an accent is a problem is when people can’t understand 100% of what you are saying.
To battle the problems of having an accent:
You may speak very, very fast in your first language. Now you’ve given listeners two problems: 1. An accent
2. They must interpret blended, not individual, words.
Speak English slowly. Suddenly, people will stop asking you to repeat what you are saying!
More on this problem in the next post. Stay tuned.
An accent is a good thing to have – it makes you interesting and honors your heritage. The only time an accent is a problem is when people can’t understand 100% of what you are saying.
To battle the problems of having an accent:
- Move your mouth more than you have done before to clearly say each sound.
- Speak louder than you think you should and watch how infrequently your accent is a problem. Ask a friend and colleagues if you are too loud and adjust yourself according to their feedback, not your own ear’s monitoring.
You may speak very, very fast in your first language. Now you’ve given listeners two problems: 1. An accent
2. They must interpret blended, not individual, words.
Speak English slowly. Suddenly, people will stop asking you to repeat what you are saying!
More on this problem in the next post. Stay tuned.
