Tips for Improving Clarity of Speech with a Foreign Accent
Tips for Improving Clarity of Speech with a Foreign Accent
As business becomes continually more global, interest and demand for accent reduction and enhancement of speech clarity is on the rise. Following are a few tips that will quickly increase your ability to be understood when speaking English as a second language.
1. Slow down. When you speak with an accent, your listener has a more difficult time distinguishing sounds and mispronunciations and can easily get lost. It is not helpful to speak fast, and it will help your listener (by giving them more processing time) if you speak slower.
In our American English Pronunciation course, we will give you valuable feedback, teach you techniques and help you gain insight into proper pacing and self-monitoring.
2. Speak up. Speakers with foreign accents often feel self conscious or unsure about pronunciations. They might naturally feel that speaking in a low, quiet voice will hide their mistakes. In fact, it makes the speaker much more difficult to understand when the listener cannot hear them easily. Despite your pronunciation errors, you will communicate far better if you speak up confidently.
Our American English Pronunciation course will teach you proper projection and use of your breath and voice to improve your communication skills and verbal effectiveness.
3. Clearly pronounce ending sounds. In English, it is important to pronounce the final sounds in words. Omitting the final sounds of words will often result not only in pronunciation errors, but also in serious grammatical or vocabulary errors. Paying careful attention to pronounce the final consonants in words can be a critical factor in improving your ability to be understood. Also, following tip #1 (slowing down), and tip #2 (speaking up), can help you to better pronounce your word endings.
In our American English Pronunciation course you will receive crucial feedback and learn how to produce difficult sounds in a methodical and systematic way with measureable results. Your curriculum will be personalized to identify and target the sounds that are interfering most with your being understood.
4. Observe and copy native English speakers intonation and stress. Every language has its own melody and rhythm. This is why you can often identify foreign languages that you do not understand. Listen to and repeat native English speakers examples with attention to copying their intonation and stresses. This can help you learn the melody and rhythm of the American cultural style of English and greatly improve the listener’s ability to understand your accented English.
In the American English Pronunciation course with Crystal Speech, you will be presented with practical, immediately applicable tools and personalized practice tapes are created for each student. The improved natural sounding speech you will develop in our course will help you increase vocational and social connections and create greater professional value.
When a heavy accent makes you difficult to understand and undercuts your professionalism and effectiveness, life can feel limiting, frustrating, and/or embarrassing. Whether you are looking for a promotion or a new job, excellent business communication skills and the ability to be easily understood can be a serious barrier to improving one’s career. Crystal Speech’s Accent modification course is taught by our expert speech/language pathologist who has specialized training in American English Pronunciation. She will identify and address the most common patterns associated with a heavy accent. Our successful pronunciation enhancement program and business communication skills coaching are powerful investments in your professional and personal life.
For information on more intensive, personalized Pronunciation Enhancement Training take our free on-line speech screening. Crystal Speech offers individual and group on-line and tele-courses.