Is accent reduction enough?
“Why don’t people understand me? People are always telling me to repeat myself especially on the phone,” says one client. ”I don’t hear the difference between some sounds, and I have a hard time getting my ideas together when I give presentations at work,” says another. What do these clients have in common? They both […]
“Lock & Loll” : That Pesky “R”
Steve spoke perfect English except for /r/. Steve’s first language was German, but he grew up speaking English, as well, but could never seem to get /r/.
Uh, what did you say?
“Uh, what did you say?” and blank stares from locals in Puerto Rico was the reaction I recieved when I tried to speak all but the most basic phrases in Spanish.
To change or not to change…
I love foreign accents. The lyrical sounds of different languages are beautiful to hear, but there are times when heavy accents interfere with effective communication. I once took a class and I could not understand the professor. It was hard, and it was difficult for every person in that room. In high pressured business or […]
Meemee…
“Meemeemaamouseamusemafieforfie.” Yup, I’m confused, and worried. Where am I supposed to meet that bus. My daughter, looks up at me with worry in her eyes and asks, what will happen if the bus leaves NYC without us. I call the tour guide 3 more times. I do not want to be left. I see Grand […]
Problem “h”
I went to a program given by someone who was a native Chinese speaker. His “h” was heavily accented because he abruptly cut off the flow of air with his tongue. When producing “h” the mouth is open tongue relaxed and air is pushed through the vocal folds without vibration. For him accent modification would […]