Ask The Speech Therapist

What is an accent?  An accent can be described as the unique way that speech is pronounced by a group of people speaking the same language.  Accents are usually grouped into two categories: regional accents-an example would be people who are from North Carolina often sound different than people from New York; foreign accents-for example, someone who was raised speaking English will sound different than someone who was raised speaking French and learned English as an adult.

It is important to remember that no one accent is better than another one.  Many people take pride in their accents; however, some people may encounter difficulties communication because of their accent.  Some of the difficulties may include:

•  people not understanding you
• limited social interaction with those who may not understand you
•  frustration from having to repeat yourself
•  people focusing on your accent more than what you are trying to say

With a lot of hard work and practice, those who wish to change their accents, there is help.  Changing your accent is known as “accent modification” or “accent reduction”.  A speech-language pathologist can provide services to those who want to modify or reduce your accents. People who seek a qualified speech-language pathologist (therapist) for these services may include:

• Non-native English speakers or English-As-A-Second-Language Speakers
• Speakers from various regions
•  Business, medical and professionals who want to improve their communication skills

Part of effective communication is speaking clearly so that others can understand you.  Don’t let your accent get in the way of being heard an effective speaker.  Let people focus more on what you have to say instead of how you say it. 

Denise Moore Revel is a leading Speech Therapist & Coach who specializes in improving adult communication skills. Visit her website www.askthespeechtherapist.com and sign-up for the FREE online newsletter for more tips, ideas, and strategies on how to improve speech and language development.

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