In U.S., expatriate professionals see 'accent reduction' as a sound investment

[sparkofcreation 0]

Speaking with a British, Canadian, or Australian accent is a different accent. Speaking with a non-native accent is speaking incorrectly, just as much as if I went up to a Spanish speaker and said "Kay PASS-uh?" or to a French speaker "Voolee-voo kushay avek mwah say swah?"

Agreed. However, more than 20 countries (quick count) have English as their first official language besides the UK, the US, Australia or NZ. Those folks are native speakers as well - even if they don't sound like that. As an educator like you, I think we need to learn to listen to other accents - but that's just me. Subtleties vary from region to region.

The article, including the part that people are up in arms about, specifically referred to NON-NATIVE English speakers speaking incorrectly. Honestly, I don't see what people's problem is. Immigrants from the countries you mentioned are clearly NATIVE speakers, not "non-native" ones.

He is one of many educated, non-native English speakers working in the United States who take voice training and accent reduction

Pawlitschek said the "r" and the "l" are problematic for Asians, as the "v" and the "w" are for Indians...

Non-native speakers may not even be aware that they are speaking incorrectly.

Edited June 17, 2007 by sparkofcreation

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Speaking with a non-native accent is speaking incorrectly, ...

That's a bit of a presumptuous statement, isn't it? I'm quite certain that I speak English correctly - more so than many native speakers around here - while I still have a slight accent. And no, I do not sound like Ahnuld. While people know that I'm not a native speaker, not many can put their finger on where exactly I might be from.

Edited June 18, 2007 by ET-US2004

[Reba 2]

As mentioned previously, there are accents all over the place, in ANY language. Take French for example. There are dozens of French Canadian accents, depending on where in Quebec (or other small pockets of french populations in Canada) you're from. The French in Canada is accented and pronounced quite differently from French in France, or Haiti, or or or...so much so that a person from Paris speaking french in Downtown Montreal may not be immediately understood. They are not saying anything "incorrectly" they are simply speaking with a different accent and dialect. The same goes for any language that is spoken in more than one county or country. Over the hill, they're going to sound different. That doesn't make them wrong, or incorrect. Its just a different accent.

So what these teachers of "accent reduction" are doing really, is just trying to make any foreigner sound just like themselves. Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated. Its the difference between the good ol' melting pot as opposed to multi-culturalism.

Does an "accent reduction" teacher in the South teach a Southern accent? Complete with adding syllables and letters where there are none? My husband tells me all the time that I pronounce "masonry" wrong. Because down south here, its pronouned "masonAry" for some odd reason. Does a native New Yorker who teaches accent reduction teach them a New Yawk accent, or Joisy or or or? There are several dozens of accents in the United States. Which one to pick to replace your own?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

As mentioned previously, there are accents all over the place, in ANY language. Take French for example. There are dozens of French Canadian accents, depending on where in Quebec (or other small pockets of french populations in Canada) you're from. The French in Canada is accented and pronounced quite differently from French in France, or Haiti, or or or...so much so that a person from Paris speaking french in Downtown Montreal may not be immediately understood. They are not saying anything "incorrectly" they are simply speaking with a different accent and dialect. The same goes for any language that is spoken in more than one county or country. Over the hill, they're going to sound different. That doesn't make them wrong, or incorrect. Its just a different accent.

So what these teachers of "accent reduction" are doing really, is just trying to make any foreigner sound just like themselves. Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated. Its the difference between the good ol' melting pot as opposed to multi-culturalism.

Does an "accent reduction" teacher in the South teach a Southern accent? Complete with adding syllables and letters where there are none? My husband tells me all the time that I pronounce "masonry" wrong. Because down south here, its pronouned "masonAry" for some odd reason. Does a native New Yorker who teaches accent reduction teach them a New Yawk accent, or Joisy or or or? There are several dozens of accents in the United States. Which one to pick to replace your own?

At our offshore sites, the accent reduction courses focus on a 'neutral' American accent (i.e. Michigan, not Alabama).

[Caladan 19]

I would bet they probably teach as close to 'American newscaster' as possible. Basic Midwest without any of the twang.

You might call it an assault on the melting pot, and there's some truth to that, but the bigger assault on the melting pot is having a group of de facto second-class citizens knowing English but being unintelligible (and thus stuck in dead-end jobs) to employers.

I'm sort of sympathetic to your line, because there's no reason that American (or British, really, no one's going to correct an English accent)) English should be considered correct that doesn't go through weird colonial explanations.

Except that I keep imagining someone who wants to reduce his accent being told, "Sun-gil! Emiko! Devika! Your accent is beautiful and makes you unique. Be unique! But I'm going to hire Joseph and Emma here."

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

At our offshore sites, the accent reduction courses focus on a 'neutral' American accent (i.e. Michigan, not Alabama).

So, essentially a bunch of Indians sounding like Michael Moore?

[LaL 418]

At our offshore sites, the accent reduction courses focus on a 'neutral' American accent (i.e. Michigan, not Alabama).

So, essentially a bunch of Indians sounding like Michael Moore?

Michael Moore has a midwestern accent! (baaaack, haaad) not the best one to try to mimic

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

At our offshore sites, the accent reduction courses focus on a 'neutral' American accent (i.e. Michigan, not Alabama).

So, essentially a bunch of Indians sounding like Michael Moore?

Michael Moore has a midwestern accent! (baaaack, haaad) not the best one to try to mimic

I thought 'cause Moore was from Michigan...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

At our offshore sites, the accent reduction courses focus on a 'neutral' American accent (i.e. Michigan, not Alabama).

So, essentially a bunch of Indians sounding like Michael Moore?

Booosh deed eet! Booosh deed eet!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

At our offshore sites, the accent reduction courses focus on a 'neutral' American accent (i.e. Michigan, not Alabama).

So, essentially a bunch of Indians sounding like Michael Moore?

Booosh deed eet! Booosh deed eet!

No, that would be Moore with an Indian accent.